Marathon Details - Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer)

North America Marathons > USA > MI > Midland > Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer)

Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) & Half Marathon

Midland, MI USA

May 17, 2015

http://greatlakesbaymarathons.com

More Info:	News
Results:	2015 \| 2014 \| 2013 \| 2012 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Greg Roan
Address:
Phone Number:	989-832-7937 ext 4434
Email:



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Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 8

M. D. from Tennessee (6/3/2015) "Decent small race - But needs more water stations" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This is a nice local race but is missing some of the amenities of many more established races. The course is very flat but does include several sections of rough gravel and badly potholed asphalt roads. The course circles the Midland area which is surrounded by many small farms, it's not the most scenic course I've run but it was far from the worst. My biggest complaint with the race was the water stops (or lack thereof). I only counted 8 water stops for the entire marathon course. In the race director's defense, the race only advertised 9 stops (and I could have miscounted by 1). However, 8-9 water stops are just not enough for a full marathon. Worse, the cups at the first few stops were only filled with 2-3 oz of fluid - not an uncommon practice but it isn't sufficient when there are so few water stations. By mile 18 a couple water stops had bottled water which was great but by that time it was too late to avoid serious dehydration. Pros -Very Flat Course -Great volunteers -Staggered event start - The marathon started 30 min. before the half so marathoners didn't have to weave around half marathoners at the start - I wish more races did this! Cons -Not enough water stops, water every three miles is just not enough especially when temps are predicted to be in the high 70s-80s. -Weakest post-race food selection I've seen for any marathon -Limited fan support, but no less than other races of this size All in all, this was a decent local race that could have been much better with a few minor improvements.
P. h. from Rochester, MI (5/19/2014) "Terrific,fun and well stocked from start to finish" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Well organized, plenty of porta johns at the start and along the route, no waiting. Plenty of water and energy drinks/gu. Terrific volunteers, nicest people. Finish times posted pretty quick and if you qualify for an award it's right there. Lots of post race eats, something for everyone. The only draw back was the host hotel, The H Hotel. It's a beautiful hotel with an excellent staff. However, they stuck to an 11am checkout, no exceptions. With the race at 7am you are cutting it pretty close. It takes about 10 minutes to walk back to the hotel. Plus in my case the hotel key would not let me into my room and I had to return to the front desk to have it rekeyed. No time to re-shower, just change clothes and drive home a little grimy. For $176 a night, you think I could leave refreshed and comfortable after a long run. This was the host hotel.
T. A. from Michigan (5/22/2013) "Great small race with best volunteers" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You get to finish at home plate of a minor league baseball stadium. Very cool. Course was good, volunteers were the best I have ever seen. Great medal. Well done overall.
B. F. from Cincinnati, OH (6/27/2012) "Excellent race - would do it again" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A great small marathon with no hassles. Flat, fast, point-to-point course. Park near the finish, plenty of buses to the start. Didn't expect much crowd support at a first-time event, and the mostly rural course didn't provide many gathering points, but the people who did turn out were great and very supportive. Well-stocked finish area with lots of food, drink, and free beer. Nice relaxed block party atmosphere. This is usually a pet peeve when races run out of food around the time mid-pack marathoners finish, but not here. Only drawback was the unusual heat. Organizers adjusted with an earlier start for the half marathon, which was probably smart. Wish they could have also started the marathon earlier too. Half-ers joined the marathon course at about mile 18 - an hour earlier than planned - and walkers caused some congestion. Would not have happened if the heat hadn't caused last-minute start time change for the half, so I expect next year this will be a nice, fast race. I recommend it.
S. P. from Michigan, USA (5/27/2012) "Good small town race" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the inaugural year for the Qualifier Marathon in Midland/Bay City Michigan. Since I live in the area - I thought it was a perfect chance to run a local marathon. Course: Super flat which gives opportunity for fast race times. The course started in Midland and quickly left the town for the country roads. Absolutely no shade on the roads and scenery was minimal. Crowd support: Due to small size - crowds were limited but some very nice neighborhood stations - 'Margaritaville' - etc. Due to extreme heat - many locals were set up with water hoses to spray runners. I think this saved my DNF!! Organization: Excellent - especially for such a small marathon. Route was clearly marked and orange traffic cones were used throughout the course. Medical help, ambulances - in great abundance. Good number of aid stations with Gu, Gatorade, and water. Weather: Record heat made this course miserable for the mid-packer. No shade and hot temperatures were difficult. Organizers cannot control the weather - and did a nice job of reminding people to hydrate and moving the start time of half marathon up. Improvement: Weather! Course route is flat and fast - but quite boring. Consider running through Midland or Bay City - both have interesting streets and neighborhoods. ALso long stretch of one country road was very tedious.
A. J. from Ann Arbor, Michigan (5/26/2012) "fun and fast" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have run 7 full marathons but only ran the half at this event. It was a wonderful run, extremely flat, and would have been crazy fast if it hadn't been a very hot day (mid-80's by the finish). To the organizers credit, they moved the start time of the half from the scheduled 10am to 8:45 with a rolling start until 10, to let people run ahead of the heat. The organization seemed very good and the volunteers couldn't have been more helpful. More than enough water, Powerade and Gu. The course is a point-to-point. For the full it starts in Midland, Michigan and ends due west in Bay City. For the half it starts at a community college campus midway between. Shuttles provided to both starts from the finish area. It is very rural, going mostly along country roads through farm fields with several houses lining the way. The people who lived along the course made my day! They were out in force and super-enthusiastic, providing ice and extra water, and spraying runners with hoses and sprinklers. I didn't expect much spectator support on this course, but it turned out to be the best part of the race. The finish is in downtown Bay City and had a great atmosphere. The medals were very nice, and the short-sleeve tech shirt is attractive (has a nice cut to it). Though they were out of size small by the time I got to the expo. The expo was quite small (maybe it had been larger earlier on; I was there toward the end). Standard finish line food and amenities (massage, beer, music). I had a great time and would run this race again, especially for a Boston qualifier (though I've been there, done that, and want to let someone else have a turn).
M. W. from Midland, MI (5/22/2012) "Great course - will be fast when not so hot!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great community support, flat course will be fast on a cool day
James Engel from Wakefield, MI (5/22/2012) "Flat, open, shadeless, boring course." (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 It is flat. Could be a fast course. Well supported aid wise.

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M. D. from Tennessee (6/3/2015) "Decent small race - But needs more water stations" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This is a nice local race but is missing some of the amenities of many more established races. The course is very flat but does include several sections of rough gravel and badly potholed asphalt roads. The course circles the Midland area which is surrounded by many small farms, it's not the most scenic course I've run but it was far from the worst. My biggest complaint with the race was the water stops (or lack thereof). I only counted 8 water stops for the entire marathon course. In the race director's defense, the race only advertised 9 stops (and I could have miscounted by 1). However, 8-9 water stops are just not enough for a full marathon. Worse, the cups at the first few stops were only filled with 2-3 oz of fluid - not an uncommon practice but it isn't sufficient when there are so few water stations. By mile 18 a couple water stops had bottled water which was great but by that time it was too late to avoid serious dehydration. Pros -Very Flat Course -Great volunteers -Staggered event start - The marathon started 30 min. before the half so marathoners didn't have to weave around half marathoners at the start - I wish more races did this! Cons -Not enough water stops, water every three miles is just not enough especially when temps are predicted to be in the high 70s-80s. -Weakest post-race food selection I've seen for any marathon -Limited fan support, but no less than other races of this size All in all, this was a decent local race that could have been much better with a few minor improvements.
P. h. from Rochester, MI (5/19/2014) "Terrific,fun and well stocked from start to finish" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Well organized, plenty of porta johns at the start and along the route, no waiting. Plenty of water and energy drinks/gu. Terrific volunteers, nicest people. Finish times posted pretty quick and if you qualify for an award it's right there. Lots of post race eats, something for everyone. The only draw back was the host hotel, The H Hotel. It's a beautiful hotel with an excellent staff. However, they stuck to an 11am checkout, no exceptions. With the race at 7am you are cutting it pretty close. It takes about 10 minutes to walk back to the hotel. Plus in my case the hotel key would not let me into my room and I had to return to the front desk to have it rekeyed. No time to re-shower, just change clothes and drive home a little grimy. For $176 a night, you think I could leave refreshed and comfortable after a long run. This was the host hotel.
T. A. from Michigan (5/22/2013) "Great small race with best volunteers" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You get to finish at home plate of a minor league baseball stadium. Very cool. Course was good, volunteers were the best I have ever seen. Great medal. Well done overall.
B. F. from Cincinnati, OH (6/27/2012) "Excellent race - would do it again" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A great small marathon with no hassles. Flat, fast, point-to-point course. Park near the finish, plenty of buses to the start. Didn't expect much crowd support at a first-time event, and the mostly rural course didn't provide many gathering points, but the people who did turn out were great and very supportive. Well-stocked finish area with lots of food, drink, and free beer. Nice relaxed block party atmosphere. This is usually a pet peeve when races run out of food around the time mid-pack marathoners finish, but not here. Only drawback was the unusual heat. Organizers adjusted with an earlier start for the half marathon, which was probably smart. Wish they could have also started the marathon earlier too. Half-ers joined the marathon course at about mile 18 - an hour earlier than planned - and walkers caused some congestion. Would not have happened if the heat hadn't caused last-minute start time change for the half, so I expect next year this will be a nice, fast race. I recommend it.
S. P. from Michigan, USA (5/27/2012) "Good small town race" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the inaugural year for the Qualifier Marathon in Midland/Bay City Michigan. Since I live in the area - I thought it was a perfect chance to run a local marathon. Course: Super flat which gives opportunity for fast race times. The course started in Midland and quickly left the town for the country roads. Absolutely no shade on the roads and scenery was minimal. Crowd support: Due to small size - crowds were limited but some very nice neighborhood stations - 'Margaritaville' - etc. Due to extreme heat - many locals were set up with water hoses to spray runners. I think this saved my DNF!! Organization: Excellent - especially for such a small marathon. Route was clearly marked and orange traffic cones were used throughout the course. Medical help, ambulances - in great abundance. Good number of aid stations with Gu, Gatorade, and water. Weather: Record heat made this course miserable for the mid-packer. No shade and hot temperatures were difficult. Organizers cannot control the weather - and did a nice job of reminding people to hydrate and moving the start time of half marathon up. Improvement: Weather! Course route is flat and fast - but quite boring. Consider running through Midland or Bay City - both have interesting streets and neighborhoods. ALso long stretch of one country road was very tedious.
A. J. from Ann Arbor, Michigan (5/26/2012) "fun and fast" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have run 7 full marathons but only ran the half at this event. It was a wonderful run, extremely flat, and would have been crazy fast if it hadn't been a very hot day (mid-80's by the finish). To the organizers credit, they moved the start time of the half from the scheduled 10am to 8:45 with a rolling start until 10, to let people run ahead of the heat. The organization seemed very good and the volunteers couldn't have been more helpful. More than enough water, Powerade and Gu. The course is a point-to-point. For the full it starts in Midland, Michigan and ends due west in Bay City. For the half it starts at a community college campus midway between. Shuttles provided to both starts from the finish area. It is very rural, going mostly along country roads through farm fields with several houses lining the way. The people who lived along the course made my day! They were out in force and super-enthusiastic, providing ice and extra water, and spraying runners with hoses and sprinklers. I didn't expect much spectator support on this course, but it turned out to be the best part of the race. The finish is in downtown Bay City and had a great atmosphere. The medals were very nice, and the short-sleeve tech shirt is attractive (has a nice cut to it). Though they were out of size small by the time I got to the expo. The expo was quite small (maybe it had been larger earlier on; I was there toward the end). Standard finish line food and amenities (massage, beer, music). I had a great time and would run this race again, especially for a Boston qualifier (though I've been there, done that, and want to let someone else have a turn).
M. W. from Midland, MI (5/22/2012) "Great course - will be fast when not so hot!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great community support, flat course will be fast on a cool day
James Engel from Wakefield, MI (5/22/2012) "Flat, open, shadeless, boring course." (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer) COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 It is flat. Could be a fast course. Well supported aid wise.

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Marathon Details - Great Lakes Bay Marathon (formerly The Qualifer)