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Marathon Details - Fallasburg Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MI > Lowell > Fallasburg Marathon

Fallasburg Marathon

Old Farts Running Club Fallasburg Marathon & Half marathon

Lowell, MI USA

July 27, 2024

http://www.oldfartsrunningclub.mysite.com

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Race Details

The Mummy is the toughest "Fun to Run" Marathon will you will run this side of the Mississippi...it incorporates every kind of trail imaginable, some paved roads, gravel roads, and parts of the North Country Trail and some of the roughest and toughest trails that you will instantly become attached to as a love/hate relationship develops over the course of this two loop course. The half has half the challenge of the marathon and the 5K race is for wimps!

Contact Information

Name:	Dan Droski
Address:	913 covell ave nw grand rapids, mi, 49504
Phone Number:	616-260-2669
Email:	Email the organizers

More Information

These details were last updated by the race director on 2/9/24 and may be out of date.
Number of Runners:	50
Number of Spectators:	50
Fees & Deadlines:	check web site for details
Start Time:	8 a.m.
Course Highlights:	Runners get a eye opening, fun "talk back to the course" experience as they never know whats around the next corner as they run through the beautiful West Michigan trails.
Course Refreshments:	Water is the main choice of runners.Gatorade will also be provided.We try to have refilling stations every 6 miles.
Certified? Certification:	No The course is hand wheeled out so it is accurate to the foot.
Race Day Registration:	Yes from 7a.m. to 8a.m.
Online Registration:	none
Packet Pickup Info:	Pick up packets on race morning starting at 7:00 a.m. till race time.
Marathon Ratings:	Course Scenery/Beauty/Interest: Good for First Timers: Crowd Support: Course Speed:

Race Organizer

Toughest Marathon East of the Mississippi! (8/7/13)

Coach Droski

The Old Farts Running Club has designed a fun trail marathon that has it all....first the course is impeccably
well marked...not one of those crazy courses where your constantly worrying if your still on the trail. There are lots of hills throughout the course...but you will only remember the ones we named: like the ED and the FRED and Little Chuck! Second, the swag is great and the volunteers are a hoot! Come on out to Lowell, Michigan and we will give you a small town race experience that will last a lifetime.

Runner Reviews (64)

Course 4.8

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.1

Write a review

Number of comments: 64 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]

Dave Clark from Wheaton, Illinois (11/5/2017) "Tough hills, well organized race, great swag" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is definitely not for the faint of heart. The named hills are actually downright dangerous if you do not use the ropes provided on the course. The videos provided do not fully convey the steepness (both up and down) of those dreaded hills. How tough is this race? Expect a 2 hour difference between your road marathon time and this course. My son ran a 5:40 on this course and he can run a 3:44 road marathon. I had to drop at the half in 5 hours as I was too scared to go back out for the second loop! I will come back in 2018 and try my best. Volunteers are awesome, course well-marked and plenty of food and swag galore at the end - all for a low entry fee.
tim gonyea from south rockwood,MI (1/4/2017) "I don't know how you're doing it....." (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 ....and I can't prove anything, but I swear you guys have figured out a way to add dirt to the tops of Ed, Fred, etc. to make them 20 ft.taller than they were the previous year. You're a bunch of sadists, and I hate all of you. Well, except for Amy. She's cool. I like her. You guys should try to be more like Amy... Well I guess I must be a masochist, cause 2017, here I come ( and this time I'm bringing a tape measure ).
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (8/11/2016) "Nunquam Ante; Numquam Iterum!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Okay, its Latin, and it says: Never Before; Never again! When I first found out about this marathon, judging from its name, I kind of expected a flat, jog in the park, kind of marathon. Later, when I saw the elevation profile, I thought it must have been in error. Then I saw the Google-Earth track in 3D and I was stunned. It did not look possible to complete this course. The hills were just too steep. But I wanted to try anyway. So I signed up. Then the race director hyped up the level of difficulty of this course, on the website. During the week before the race, I was asking myself, Why do you want to participate in this race so bad? I did not want a DNF on my record and I was apprehensive about this course - at best. The race location was quite easy to find. I stayed at a campground in Ionia, about 20 miles east, and it was a short drive to the park. I arrived before 7:00 a.m. and they already had everything set up. I met the race director, and familiarized myself with the staging area. People gathered, and the race started at 8 oclock. The early part of the course seems to have been changed from previous years. We exited the park on a paved road, then transitioned to a grassy trail briefly, then crossed the road again and then entered the woods. We had two more short segments on paved roads before mile-post four. The first took us over a wooden one-lane covered bridge and into the old town of Fallasburg dating back to the 1850s era. Then there was a footbridge (under a car bridge) with a small paved trail leading up to it. Across that bridge, the 5K folks went left; the ½ and full marathoners went right. That was the last we saw of the many youngsters who were participating. The next stretch of road took us back near the start-line, where there was a water station. We turned left, crossed the bridge (the same bridge structure housing the foot-bridge), then turned left, and into the woods again. Between mile-posts 4 and 8 is where most of the damage was to be done. All of these named obstacles had a bunch of signs and pictures to horrify us about what was coming. First there was Larry an enormous mud-hole. Some were able to tip-toe around it; some went right through the middle of it, and buried part of their legs in the mud. Next there was Dorothys Ridge and Witch Hill. The Witch was there in living color. Dont believe that about the witch being dead; somehow, she came back to life (I guess they can do that). After that was Ed, a steep ascent. Next there was Fred. Fred was twice as long as Ed, and was to kick our butts. Then there was a series called the Pyramid of Pain. Most of us were probably already hurting by then. Next was the Mummy. They had ropes on that one both for getting up, and then getting down the back side. After the Mummy was Little Chuck, named for Chuck Norris. He was determined that we would walk. But there was a traffic jam of people, and we had to walk. After all that, you feel like it must be mile-post 11 or 12. Actually you come out of the woods to a hydration station managed by Old Farts, and you learn that you just reached mile-post 8. Those guys were the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful guys. They filled our bottles with water or Gatorade as appropriate - chatted, and provided a variety of carb snacks too. Well done! It was a much needed break. Then back into the woods for another 5 miles. But the bad part was behind you at least for the first loop. At mile-post 10, we are on a dirt road and there are houses and farms along the way. We were blest with another hydration station there. Then we had three miles left to go. We were deposited back on a paved road briefly, then back into the woods again. Then back onto the paved road just before the bridge the same bridge, this time going in the other direction. After crossing the bridge, a left turn took us back to the Park. But if you were doing the marathon, you had to do it all over again! After finishing the first loop, I told the race director that I anticipated much worse. I think I disappointed him. But I anticipated ascent ropes for the several tough hills between mile-posts 4 and 8, and then ropes on the back-side for us to let ourselves back down. Only the Mummy had ropes for both ascent and descent. After finishing, I told the RD that I had a much more difficult time with the second loop. A few comments: These were among the nicest, most pleasant people I have ever met, who were hosting a marathon. They were friendly, nice, and they were having a good time hosting this event even though they terrorized us a bit, and tried to scare us. They had lots of stuff too. We got a jacket, a T-shirt (if we did not like the specific T-shirt we received, we could trade for a different design), then after the race, we got a towel, then we could pick a free item off this table with all different kinds of items on it. Then there was the post-race food. Hot dogs and burgers, granola and cereal bars, other carb snacks, water and Gatorade too. So far I have not repeated any marathon events, but if I ever do start doing repeats, this would be worthy of consideration for a re-run. Never mind what I said about never again. And I do recommend this race!
v. s. from Madison, Wisconsin (8/9/2016) "Beautiful and brutal" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I've ran 5-6 trail marathons before this race and this is the toughest of all, marathon runners has to do the same loop twice climbing the Ed, fred, mummy and other hills. This is definitely a challenging course and would recommend good trail trail shoes. Received great swag for this race starting with race shirt, jacket and towel, age group award at the finish line.
Sam Bahena from Chicago,Illinois (8/7/2016) "This race will bring out the kid in you" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was wonderful from the start. The staff at the beginning were helpful, the course was superbly well marked. The aid stations had people that were friendly and eager to assist you. It was even hard to walk away from the second aid station because the gentlemen staffing it were friendly and talkative. People you would like to stop and get to know (not sure if it is a trap to slow you down.) The course is beautiful and fun to run on. It was by far the most challenging marathon I have run to date. I can hardly wait to run it next year.
N. S. from Michigan (8/7/2016) "Love/Hate" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Every year this course changes, generally to add more trail and remove those road and sunny sections. For that I say thank you. What I don't say thank you about is the removal of 3 aid stations (along the marathon route) as a result of the change. And the issue of lack of support for marathoners due to halfers clogging the aid station at mile 13 needs to be addressed. Post someone there...perhaps from one of the removed aid stations...to help your marathoners refill their bottles and grab a snack, while keeping the half marathoners out of the way.
M. B. from USA (3/30/2016) "Very well run event" (about: 2015) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this race. The course was physically and mentally challenging, and so much fun! Do not over look that this is a trail race that has many obstacles to navigate, so come prepared. You will have to avoid roots, cross over moss-covered stones (they were not rolling stones ;) ), some sand, water crossings, steep hill climbs, steep descents that require you to use a rope for safety, jump/climb over downed trees of varying sizes, and battle the heat. The hills get so tough, and the log hopping so frequent that you will either laugh out loud, or consider crying. The organization really focuses on the little (important) things that have been forgotten now that races have gotten bigger, and more detached from their humble beginnings. It takes place in August, but all the aid stations had COLD water! I was prepared for warm water, and cannot express how impressed I was that it was ice cold. Volunteers are supportive and knowledgeable. Although I ran a semi-long stretch of this race with no one around, I never felt concerned about being off course. I will definitely be returning to take on the full Marathon! If you have not been scared off yet, then you must be curious like I was. Go for it!
t. g. from south rockwood, michigan (2/12/2016) "this hill again?....." (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 So....Ive done this race 3 times now, and after every time I say to myself That's it!...no more!....I'm done! But guess where I am the following August. Yup. It's a good thing the human body can't remember pain, or nobody would come back. Oh, and btw, thanks for holding in the hottest part of the year guys....really sweet of you... Anyway....2016, here I come...dammit
N. S. from Michigan (1/22/2016) "Marathon Too Expensive" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I have run this race consistently for the past 8 years, as I love the course. What I do not love, however, is the cost. Why is the marathon 3 times more expensive than the half? It wasn't always that way! Plus the half marathon runners clog the aid station at mile 13.1 and consume all of the post race food...leaving nothing for me...and I paid 3 times the cost. Pft!
M. B. from Hudsonville MI (9/28/2015) "Tough but you'll be glad you did it!" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great group of guys putting on this run.. Yes it lives up to being the toughest marathon in Michigan and they make it tougher every year. Great swag, you pretty much get your entry fee back in swag. If you're soft - skip this race

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]



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Dave Clark from Wheaton, Illinois (11/5/2017) "Tough hills, well organized race, great swag" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is definitely not for the faint of heart. The named hills are actually downright dangerous if you do not use the ropes provided on the course. The videos provided do not fully convey the steepness (both up and down) of those dreaded hills. How tough is this race? Expect a 2 hour difference between your road marathon time and this course. My son ran a 5:40 on this course and he can run a 3:44 road marathon. I had to drop at the half in 5 hours as I was too scared to go back out for the second loop! I will come back in 2018 and try my best. Volunteers are awesome, course well-marked and plenty of food and swag galore at the end - all for a low entry fee.
tim gonyea from south rockwood,MI (1/4/2017) "I don't know how you're doing it....." (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 ....and I can't prove anything, but I swear you guys have figured out a way to add dirt to the tops of Ed, Fred, etc. to make them 20 ft.taller than they were the previous year. You're a bunch of sadists, and I hate all of you. Well, except for Amy. She's cool. I like her. You guys should try to be more like Amy... Well I guess I must be a masochist, cause 2017, here I come ( and this time I'm bringing a tape measure ).
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (8/11/2016) "Nunquam Ante; Numquam Iterum!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Okay, its Latin, and it says: Never Before; Never again! When I first found out about this marathon, judging from its name, I kind of expected a flat, jog in the park, kind of marathon. Later, when I saw the elevation profile, I thought it must have been in error. Then I saw the Google-Earth track in 3D and I was stunned. It did not look possible to complete this course. The hills were just too steep. But I wanted to try anyway. So I signed up. Then the race director hyped up the level of difficulty of this course, on the website. During the week before the race, I was asking myself, Why do you want to participate in this race so bad? I did not want a DNF on my record and I was apprehensive about this course - at best. The race location was quite easy to find. I stayed at a campground in Ionia, about 20 miles east, and it was a short drive to the park. I arrived before 7:00 a.m. and they already had everything set up. I met the race director, and familiarized myself with the staging area. People gathered, and the race started at 8 oclock. The early part of the course seems to have been changed from previous years. We exited the park on a paved road, then transitioned to a grassy trail briefly, then crossed the road again and then entered the woods. We had two more short segments on paved roads before mile-post four. The first took us over a wooden one-lane covered bridge and into the old town of Fallasburg dating back to the 1850s era. Then there was a footbridge (under a car bridge) with a small paved trail leading up to it. Across that bridge, the 5K folks went left; the ½ and full marathoners went right. That was the last we saw of the many youngsters who were participating. The next stretch of road took us back near the start-line, where there was a water station. We turned left, crossed the bridge (the same bridge structure housing the foot-bridge), then turned left, and into the woods again. Between mile-posts 4 and 8 is where most of the damage was to be done. All of these named obstacles had a bunch of signs and pictures to horrify us about what was coming. First there was Larry an enormous mud-hole. Some were able to tip-toe around it; some went right through the middle of it, and buried part of their legs in the mud. Next there was Dorothys Ridge and Witch Hill. The Witch was there in living color. Dont believe that about the witch being dead; somehow, she came back to life (I guess they can do that). After that was Ed, a steep ascent. Next there was Fred. Fred was twice as long as Ed, and was to kick our butts. Then there was a series called the Pyramid of Pain. Most of us were probably already hurting by then. Next was the Mummy. They had ropes on that one both for getting up, and then getting down the back side. After the Mummy was Little Chuck, named for Chuck Norris. He was determined that we would walk. But there was a traffic jam of people, and we had to walk. After all that, you feel like it must be mile-post 11 or 12. Actually you come out of the woods to a hydration station managed by Old Farts, and you learn that you just reached mile-post 8. Those guys were the nicest, friendliest, and most helpful guys. They filled our bottles with water or Gatorade as appropriate - chatted, and provided a variety of carb snacks too. Well done! It was a much needed break. Then back into the woods for another 5 miles. But the bad part was behind you at least for the first loop. At mile-post 10, we are on a dirt road and there are houses and farms along the way. We were blest with another hydration station there. Then we had three miles left to go. We were deposited back on a paved road briefly, then back into the woods again. Then back onto the paved road just before the bridge the same bridge, this time going in the other direction. After crossing the bridge, a left turn took us back to the Park. But if you were doing the marathon, you had to do it all over again! After finishing the first loop, I told the race director that I anticipated much worse. I think I disappointed him. But I anticipated ascent ropes for the several tough hills between mile-posts 4 and 8, and then ropes on the back-side for us to let ourselves back down. Only the Mummy had ropes for both ascent and descent. After finishing, I told the RD that I had a much more difficult time with the second loop. A few comments: These were among the nicest, most pleasant people I have ever met, who were hosting a marathon. They were friendly, nice, and they were having a good time hosting this event even though they terrorized us a bit, and tried to scare us. They had lots of stuff too. We got a jacket, a T-shirt (if we did not like the specific T-shirt we received, we could trade for a different design), then after the race, we got a towel, then we could pick a free item off this table with all different kinds of items on it. Then there was the post-race food. Hot dogs and burgers, granola and cereal bars, other carb snacks, water and Gatorade too. So far I have not repeated any marathon events, but if I ever do start doing repeats, this would be worthy of consideration for a re-run. Never mind what I said about never again. And I do recommend this race!
v. s. from Madison, Wisconsin (8/9/2016) "Beautiful and brutal" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I've ran 5-6 trail marathons before this race and this is the toughest of all, marathon runners has to do the same loop twice climbing the Ed, fred, mummy and other hills. This is definitely a challenging course and would recommend good trail trail shoes. Received great swag for this race starting with race shirt, jacket and towel, age group award at the finish line.
Sam Bahena from Chicago,Illinois (8/7/2016) "This race will bring out the kid in you" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was wonderful from the start. The staff at the beginning were helpful, the course was superbly well marked. The aid stations had people that were friendly and eager to assist you. It was even hard to walk away from the second aid station because the gentlemen staffing it were friendly and talkative. People you would like to stop and get to know (not sure if it is a trap to slow you down.) The course is beautiful and fun to run on. It was by far the most challenging marathon I have run to date. I can hardly wait to run it next year.
N. S. from Michigan (8/7/2016) "Love/Hate" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Every year this course changes, generally to add more trail and remove those road and sunny sections. For that I say thank you. What I don't say thank you about is the removal of 3 aid stations (along the marathon route) as a result of the change. And the issue of lack of support for marathoners due to halfers clogging the aid station at mile 13 needs to be addressed. Post someone there...perhaps from one of the removed aid stations...to help your marathoners refill their bottles and grab a snack, while keeping the half marathoners out of the way.
M. B. from USA (3/30/2016) "Very well run event" (about: 2015) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Fallasburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this race. The course was physically and mentally challenging, and so much fun! Do not over look that this is a trail race that has many obstacles to navigate, so come prepared. You will have to avoid roots, cross over moss-covered stones (they were not rolling stones ;) ), some sand, water crossings, steep hill climbs, steep descents that require you to use a rope for safety, jump/climb over downed trees of varying sizes, and battle the heat. The hills get so tough, and the log hopping so frequent that you will either laugh out loud, or consider crying. The organization really focuses on the little (important) things that have been forgotten now that races have gotten bigger, and more detached from their humble beginnings. It takes place in August, but all the aid stations had COLD water! I was prepared for warm water, and cannot express how impressed I was that it was ice cold. Volunteers are supportive and knowledgeable. Although I ran a semi-long stretch of this race with no one around, I never felt concerned about being off course. I will definitely be returning to take on the full Marathon! If you have not been scared off yet, then you must be curious like I was. Go for it!
t. g. from south rockwood, michigan (2/12/2016) "this hill again?....." (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 So....Ive done this race 3 times now, and after every time I say to myself That's it!...no more!....I'm done! But guess where I am the following August. Yup. It's a good thing the human body can't remember pain, or nobody would come back. Oh, and btw, thanks for holding in the hottest part of the year guys....really sweet of you... Anyway....2016, here I come...dammit
N. S. from Michigan (1/22/2016) "Marathon Too Expensive" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I have run this race consistently for the past 8 years, as I love the course. What I do not love, however, is the cost. Why is the marathon 3 times more expensive than the half? It wasn't always that way! Plus the half marathon runners clog the aid station at mile 13.1 and consume all of the post race food...leaving nothing for me...and I paid 3 times the cost. Pft!
M. B. from Hudsonville MI (9/28/2015) "Tough but you'll be glad you did it!" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Fallasburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great group of guys putting on this run.. Yes it lives up to being the toughest marathon in Michigan and they make it tougher every year. Great swag, you pretty much get your entry fee back in swag. If you're soft - skip this race

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Marathon Details - Fallasburg Marathon