Marathon Details - Porcupine Mountains Trail Marathon

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Porcupine Mountains Trail Marathon

Porcupine Mountains Trail Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Silver City, MI USA

~~September 23, 2017~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.greatlakesendurance.com/michigan-races/porcupine-mountain/race-information.html

Marathon Results

By Year:

2015 2014 2013 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

The Porcupine Mts overlook Lake Superior, the largest fresh water lake on Earth. The coastline is remote and rugged. The marathon course includes some of the most remarkable single track in the midwest and takes runners past tranquil and remote Mirror Lake and along the classic Escarpment Trail where you can almost reach out and touch soaring hawks as you overlook Lake of the Clouds. T

Contact Information

Name:	Jeff Crumbaugh
Address:	28 West Street Clintonville, WI 54929
Phone Number:	715-701-0360
Email:	Email the organizers

More Information


Number of Runners:	300
Number of Spectators:	200
Fees & Deadlines:	see website
Start Time:	8:00 a.m.
Course Highlights:	The marathon starts in front of the Porcupine Mtns Ski Lodge and ascends the mountain via cross country ski trails. The course then travels on mostly single track through the rugged highlands surrounding the remarkable Carp River Valley. Runners will enjoy world class scenic vistas. There is one river crossing.
Course Refreshments:	HEED, Water, Hammer Gel, Endurolytes
Online Registration:	http://www.active.com/silver-city-mi/running/races/porcupine-mountains-trail-marathon-2015
Packet Pickup Info:	Runners may pick up their packets on Friday, September 18, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Americinn in Silver City. Race day pick up starts at 7:00 a.m. at the Porcupine Mtn Ski Lodge.
Marathon Ratings:	Course Scenery/Beauty/Interest: Good for First Timers: Crowd Support: Course Speed:

Runner Reviews (2)

Course 4.0

Organization 4.0

Spectators 2.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 2

K. S. from Houghton, MI (7/29/2014)

"Awesome trail run" (about: 2013)

1 previous marathon | 1 Porcupine Mountains Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4

Recommended for anyone who loves trail running and a beautiful view.

Rob Klein from Paradise, MI (10/10/2013)

"October Mud-fest!" (about: 2013)

50+ previous marathons | 1 Porcupine Mountains Trail Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1

Please don't take these numbers too seriously. The course was difficult (we knew that upfront) and muddy. Organization was great, except the finish-line routine was confusing (to me, anyway). And there just were no spectators out there.

This inaugural race was held in the western Upper Peninsula on the edge of Lake Superior. It was well attended and it seemed like the organizers met their number quotas. There was only one hotel in town, and there were several other lodging places within 15 miles or so, and they all filled up some rather quickly. The one hotel in town served as the host for the race; registration and check-in were held there. The hotel organization did a great job, serving coffee, cookies, and brownies to the folks.

Overnight rainfall changed this course into a mud-fest, and an additional ½ inch of rain was forecast for race day too. The Porcupine Mountain ski lodge served as the start and finish line, and the ski lodge is three miles from Silver City. The course was a modified double loop. Most of it in the woods, and much of it cross-country ski trails. The race started at 8:00 a.m. with a seven-hour time limit. The lodge was open for the runners to use for the event. Runners started gathering around 7:00 a.m., when it was still dark outside (this is the western edge of the eastern time zone, so it got light outside kind of late). There were 137 marathon registrations, but well less than 100 finished the marathon. The timing was done by Superior Timing Company.

Runners gathered in front of the lodge to receive last minute instructions. We were instructed to run the course, then reverse directions and run it a second time. The start of the second loop had us actually running up the ski slope (though no one I saw was running that part of it). Everything was wet and muddy almost from the start. There were radical elevation changes in this course. There were two aid stations; one served the runners three times; the other one served the runners twice. So it worked out to about every five miles. This is a carry your own water bottle race. Volunteers served water, carb drink, and gel. One station had cookies too.

The course was remarkable well marked (with flags) and it would have been difficult to get lost. This course would have been difficult even if it had been dry (roots, fallen trees, and elevation changes), but given that - and the mud too, everything was slippery. I saw multiple runners fall down including me. Some sustained knee or ankle injuries too.

At the finish line, there were a few spectators, but the timing officials were inside the lodge, and after crossing the finish line, a timing official had to bring you a slip if paper from inside, find you, and give it to you. Then you had to take that slip of paper to the other end of the lodge and hand it to a race official, and they then checked your paper and handed you a finishers medal which was actually a carved wood medallion. I thought that was unusual (and it was not clear to me what I was supposed to do after crossing the finish line; usually that is where the medals are handed out). The race organization had some fruit and energy snacks at the finish line, but the Ski lodge people inside were trying to sell soup, et al. Of course, if you dont have cash on you, you cant buy their stuff. That was a disappointment to me.

It was definitely a challenging course.
It was very remote; would have been hard to get help if you were injured on the course.
The rainfall made the course somewhat unsafe.
The landscape was beautiful; you were really in the woods too.
I would recommend this race, but if it is wet, you will not stay clean (if that matters).
Overall, Jeff and his staff did a great job putting on this race.