Marathon Details - Top of Michigan Community Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MI > Charlevoix > Top of Michigan Community Marathon

Stafford's Hospitality Top of Michigan Community Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Charlevoix, MI USA

May 25, 2019

http://www.trailscouncil.org/top-of-michigan-marathon

More Info:	News
Results:	2019 \| 2018 \| 2017 \| 2016 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Jim Harrington
Address:	1687 Harbor Petoskey Road Petoskey, MI 49770
Phone Number:	989-619-4204
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 5.0

Organization 4.8

Spectators 4.0

Write a review

Number of comments: 4

Connie Miranda from Baldwinsville, NY (6/8/2019) "A MUST DO MARATHON!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I chose this race as my MI marathon and I am beyond happy that I did. I wanted a scenic, smaller marathon, and it did not disappoint. Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs are the beautiful towns you run through in this point to point race. The views of the crystal clear water are amazing! The volunteers (who I count as spectators due to the nature of the trail) were extraordinary! This is a must do race for anyone who likes nice people and a picturesque trail setting. It is one of a handful of marathons I would eagerly do again if not for my 50 state quest.
J. S. from Michigan (5/29/2018) "Scenic Course with Strong Community Support" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Top of Michigan Community Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This scenic bike trail course runs along Little Traverse Bay from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs. The staff are well organized and the local community provides strong support for all event activities. It was a fun and motivating event that is well worth the travel.
B. W. from South Lyon, Michigan (5/31/2016) "Good start for inaugural community marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This marathon is called the Staffords Top of Michigan Community Marathon. It starts at one Staffords restaurant in Charlevoix and finishes at another one in Harbor Springs 26.2 miles away. The course starts on the roads, quickly transitions to the bike path, and then transitions back to the roads for the last few miles. It is generally flat with one hill at 9 miles. There are a lot of scenic views of Lake Michigan along the course. Pros: (1) Multiplie parking options and shuttle between start and finish (2) Packet pickup available on race morning (3) Water, Gatorade, and gels available about every 2 to 3 miles (4) Convenient bag drop at start (5) Convenient finish line set up (6) Companion 10K run and walk (7) Very friendly volunteers (8) Temperatures this time of year in Northern Michigan typically start in 50s and climb into 60s Cons: (1) Packet pickup hard to find on Friday night (2) Limited spectators - mainly runner families (3) No clocks on course (4) Early mile markers were off - apparently were not placed on green marks (5) Some of the water stops were under staffed (6) Use RFIDs instead of typical bib chips. No mats at start. All in all this is a good smaller marathon with a very scenic course. It will likely grow quickly since the very popular Bayshore Marathon only 60 miles away fills so quickly.
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (5/31/2016) "Awe-Inspiring Beauty" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was an inaugural race, and these guys did their homework. The course was mostly paved bike/foot path, with a stretch of turf in Petoskey and was on roads both at the beginning and transitioning from Petoskey to Harbor Springs. There were a couple of options for parking. My choice was parking at Harbor Springs and taking the bus to Charlevoix. That way, the car was at the finish line. A guy named Tom met us before the bus arrived and briefed us. He then escorted the bus. He was at check-in with us, and at the start line. Later, Tom was doing refreshments at one of the stations. The bus departed Harbor Springs at 6:00 a.m. sharp, picked up folks in Petoskey, then dropped us at packet pick-up, near the start line. The race started at 7:30 sharp, and we started out on US 31, transitioned off the highway, then once out of Charlevoix, we got on the bike/foot path known as Little Traverse Wheelway (LTW). We stayed on the LTW for most of the course. But in Petoskey, we had a bout 1/2 mile on turf. The turf course could have been marked better by adding cones, but as long as you stayed along the lake-shore, you were headed in the right direction. Sometimes the LTW was a sidewalk, but it got us through town. Just before mile-post 22, we turned on to and actually ran on a curvy two-lane road - staying on various roads until entering Harbor Springs. I noticed that the cars on that road tended to drive fast, and at least a few of the drivers did not seem to want to share the road with runners. And I thought that the mile markers between 22 and 24 were not accurately placed (it is just what I thought; I was not wearing a GPS unit). Just after mile-post 24, we were running along the beach again, coming into Harbor Springs - and the road was lined with impressive & enormous mansion-summer homes. The homes there along the Bay just staggered the imagination. Then coming into the downtown area on Bay Street, we came to Zorn Park and the finish line. These guys are just starting with this marathon, so I want to cut them some slack, but there were no clocks on this course. Not at the start line, not at the finish line either - or anywhere in between. When I crossed the finish line, I had no idea what my time was. The time-keeper was right there with his computer equipment, but he was not announcing finish times. I had to go and ask what my finish time was. Post-race food was in the park. They had fruit, bagels, and Clif-bars; water and Gatorade too. This was a well-planned marathon event, and it was well staffed with volunteers. The course is runner friendly, and the views of the communities and the Bay are simply breath-taking.

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Connie Miranda from Baldwinsville, NY (6/8/2019) "A MUST DO MARATHON!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I chose this race as my MI marathon and I am beyond happy that I did. I wanted a scenic, smaller marathon, and it did not disappoint. Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs are the beautiful towns you run through in this point to point race. The views of the crystal clear water are amazing! The volunteers (who I count as spectators due to the nature of the trail) were extraordinary! This is a must do race for anyone who likes nice people and a picturesque trail setting. It is one of a handful of marathons I would eagerly do again if not for my 50 state quest.
J. S. from Michigan (5/29/2018) "Scenic Course with Strong Community Support" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Top of Michigan Community Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This scenic bike trail course runs along Little Traverse Bay from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs. The staff are well organized and the local community provides strong support for all event activities. It was a fun and motivating event that is well worth the travel.
B. W. from South Lyon, Michigan (5/31/2016) "Good start for inaugural community marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This marathon is called the Staffords Top of Michigan Community Marathon. It starts at one Staffords restaurant in Charlevoix and finishes at another one in Harbor Springs 26.2 miles away. The course starts on the roads, quickly transitions to the bike path, and then transitions back to the roads for the last few miles. It is generally flat with one hill at 9 miles. There are a lot of scenic views of Lake Michigan along the course. Pros: (1) Multiplie parking options and shuttle between start and finish (2) Packet pickup available on race morning (3) Water, Gatorade, and gels available about every 2 to 3 miles (4) Convenient bag drop at start (5) Convenient finish line set up (6) Companion 10K run and walk (7) Very friendly volunteers (8) Temperatures this time of year in Northern Michigan typically start in 50s and climb into 60s Cons: (1) Packet pickup hard to find on Friday night (2) Limited spectators - mainly runner families (3) No clocks on course (4) Early mile markers were off - apparently were not placed on green marks (5) Some of the water stops were under staffed (6) Use RFIDs instead of typical bib chips. No mats at start. All in all this is a good smaller marathon with a very scenic course. It will likely grow quickly since the very popular Bayshore Marathon only 60 miles away fills so quickly.
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (5/31/2016) "Awe-Inspiring Beauty" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Top of Michigan Community Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was an inaugural race, and these guys did their homework. The course was mostly paved bike/foot path, with a stretch of turf in Petoskey and was on roads both at the beginning and transitioning from Petoskey to Harbor Springs. There were a couple of options for parking. My choice was parking at Harbor Springs and taking the bus to Charlevoix. That way, the car was at the finish line. A guy named Tom met us before the bus arrived and briefed us. He then escorted the bus. He was at check-in with us, and at the start line. Later, Tom was doing refreshments at one of the stations. The bus departed Harbor Springs at 6:00 a.m. sharp, picked up folks in Petoskey, then dropped us at packet pick-up, near the start line. The race started at 7:30 sharp, and we started out on US 31, transitioned off the highway, then once out of Charlevoix, we got on the bike/foot path known as Little Traverse Wheelway (LTW). We stayed on the LTW for most of the course. But in Petoskey, we had a bout 1/2 mile on turf. The turf course could have been marked better by adding cones, but as long as you stayed along the lake-shore, you were headed in the right direction. Sometimes the LTW was a sidewalk, but it got us through town. Just before mile-post 22, we turned on to and actually ran on a curvy two-lane road - staying on various roads until entering Harbor Springs. I noticed that the cars on that road tended to drive fast, and at least a few of the drivers did not seem to want to share the road with runners. And I thought that the mile markers between 22 and 24 were not accurately placed (it is just what I thought; I was not wearing a GPS unit). Just after mile-post 24, we were running along the beach again, coming into Harbor Springs - and the road was lined with impressive & enormous mansion-summer homes. The homes there along the Bay just staggered the imagination. Then coming into the downtown area on Bay Street, we came to Zorn Park and the finish line. These guys are just starting with this marathon, so I want to cut them some slack, but there were no clocks on this course. Not at the start line, not at the finish line either - or anywhere in between. When I crossed the finish line, I had no idea what my time was. The time-keeper was right there with his computer equipment, but he was not announcing finish times. I had to go and ask what my finish time was. Post-race food was in the park. They had fruit, bagels, and Clif-bars; water and Gatorade too. This was a well-planned marathon event, and it was well staffed with volunteers. The course is runner friendly, and the views of the communities and the Bay are simply breath-taking.

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Marathon Details - Top of Michigan Community Marathon