Armed Services Marathon (prev. Oktoberfest Marathon) - Race Reviews

I PB'ed at this race after 23 marathons, so it would be next to impossible for me to say anything particularly negative about it. It's two loops of an out-and-back course, which may not be for everyone. The start/finish is at a large high school, which was incredibly convenient for everything - parking, bathrooms, spectators, etc. The race field is small - only about 50 people - but I suspect that will increase in the coming years. My family and I had a great time, and I'd highly recommend this race to anyone looking to do Michigan. A few areas for improvement: #1 - Some of the volunteers at aid stations physically handed the water to you - others stood next to tables full of cups. Not sure if this was a Covid thing or not, but it would be nice to have some consistency. #2 - Given the small field in the marathon, it got real lonely after the half marathoners finished as there were only about 50 of us out there. It might make sense to stagger the half marathon start back an hour. #3 - Related to #2 - the course is well-marked, but in the second loop of the marathon, I went a few minutes without seeing anyone coming in either direction, and at one point was certain I had missed a turn. I doubled back and actually lost about 100m (and still PB'ed!) before I turned around. It might be helpful to mark every intersection, even with just a 'Keep Going Straight' arrow for those of us who are directionally challenged. Overall though, great race, and look forward to its continued success.

Spring Lake is a long, relatively narrow lake with lots of "fingers" that extend from the irregular shaped lake that empties into the Grand River near the city of Ferrysburg, with the community of Fruitport on north end, and with Ferrysburg and the Town of Spring Lake on the south end. The race started in a condo neighborhood area adjacent to Central Park, that connected with a bike and foot path that went all the way around the lake. A lot of that path was just regular sidewalk along the roads - and not along the lakeshore; in fact I think most of the course was sidewalk. And there was an out and back spur on Judson Road that they used to get the marathon distance. The marathon runners went around the lake two times. Because of the irregular shape of the lake and the fingers, there were several bridges. Exiting Central Park, we turned left and followed Fruitport Road, a long road that curved around and ended in Fruitport. There was a brief jog on 3rd Ave. there, and then we went into Pomona Park (where we use to swim when we were kids). Transiting the park, we exited turning left along Park St, which turned into West Fruitport Road. We followed that to Judson Road, did the out-and-back spur, and then continued down West Fruitport Road until reaching Ferrysburg. There, the road became Pine Street, and we followed that to Highway M-104, the main road thru the Town of Spring Lake. There were a couple of loops we had to do to cross under M-104 - twice, then for the last 2+ miles we were on a bike path that crossed residential streets. Some of that was right along the lake where there were condos on one side of the path and an enormous array of pleasure boats on the other side. In fact, there were boats along this course whenever you were close to the water. And during the last stretch there were marinas and huge boat-storage buildings - probably everybody who lived there had a boat or two. It was a very calm morning and early start runners were sent off right at dawn, and as the sun came up, the lake was calm and still. It was so peaceful, and a pleasant experience. I point out the following because it is reality. This race organization offered an early start for those who would finish close to six hours or perhaps a bit over six hours. In my 98 marathons I have done many early starts - maybe a dozen or so. Always, the times of the early start runners are integrated into the rest of the lot of runners, by the RD and/or timekeeping officials. This event does not do it that way. If you do an early start, you are listed on the website as an "early riser" and the times of the early start group are not classified with the rest of the runners, and are not reported to Marathon Guide dot com, et al, who post race results on their respective websites. If you are going to use your participation in this marathon event to certify results for a 50 States Marathon Club qualification - or such, you cannot get your statistics from Marathon Guide for this event. Your name won't be on the list. That is unfortunate, but as of this writing that is the way they are posting their data. I started an e-mail dialog with the RD, then after I presented this to him, I just seemed to be ignored or forgotten. I point this out because it could negatively impact runners wanting to run this marathon, do an early start, and then use the results for certification purposes. Having said this, the marathon was well-organized, well supported with volunteers, and had adequate resources for the runners both on the course and at the finish-line area.

So this was my 4th time running the full distance and definitely felt something/someone was cutting corners to save money. The course was a 2 loop and by the time you were on the 2nd it was as though you were running alone. Aid station with little to offer and often abandoned. Very cheap shirts and post race food was not good. Definitely better races at cheaper prices out there! Will not be back.

Ran this race a few years ago and didn't think I would run it again. Since then they made the full course two loops instead of one large loop. We started with the Half Marathoners but after the 1st loop it was pretty lonely. Some of the aid stations were vacant on the 2nd time through. Medal was decent, shirt is ok but the finish line food is not so great... Wear a wrist band for the race and get a pork sandwich and some chips... This race is from a brewery and you don't even get a free beer at the finish line... For a $100 entry fee there could have been a lot more extras.

My only surprise is that there wasn't at least one free beer; after all, this race ends at a brewery!

Really nice race...I have run many marathons and this was one was one of my most enjoyable races...and I will do this one next year...Nice relaxing run with great scenery...A few rolling hills...Trees...some waterfront viewing.... and no big town hassles like traffic or thousands of people...Nice volunteers and helpful organizers.

I have run this course twice and I have enjoyed it both times (8th State this year.) Nice small Marathon that runs along Lake Michigan and Spring Lake. The long sleeve tech shirt features an Oktoberfest Dog drinking from a beer Stein, gotta love that. There was a minor snafu at the beginning, but EACH RUNNER has the responsibility to know the course, the race director announced where to turn MULTIPLE times. Even having run it before, I blindly followed the pack, but that is my fault, not the race directors. I look at it this way, I am now an Ultra Marathoner! Great Party sitting out on the lawn along the river with Pulled Pork BBQ sandwiches and Beer from the host Brewery. Sounds like a perfect early fall Marathon to me. I will be back next year.

Ran the half last year and had a great time. Decided to run my first full here this year. Price is good, long sleeve tech shirts are great, beer glass and medal were cool, and the food after was tasy. BUT, when the race started, we were supposed to take an immediate right. The leader and his escort both went straight, and everyone else followed. By the time we got to the 1st mile marker, my Garmin said 2.3 miles. 1.3 miles added to a marathon may not sound like a lot, but KNOWING that you have to run that extra distance at the end for the entire race is a lot of extra weight to carry around with you. They were apologizing to each runner individually at the end, which was a nice touch, but that was an error that was inexcusable.

This is a small marathon, but the course was really nice: a combination of beautiful bike trails (very well maintained) and some quiet, georgeous neighborhoods. Water stops were well staffed by enthusiastic helpers. The medals were nice and the music after the event was great. The Expo was very small and held outside, along with the packet pickup. We skipped the pasta dinner because the weather was cool and it also was held outside. After the marathon, they held a free lunch for the runners. They did not have a vegetarian option, but did a nice job in accommodating our request when we inquired. Overall, it was a really nice marathon!

I ran this race in part b/c I'd heard such great things about the scenary. In truth, it was okay but not great. Given how close I was to so much water, I thought I'd see a lot more of it along the way. The 'sports drink' was just simply awful - called Heed or something like that. Many runners complained that it left you feeling yucky after choking it down. There seemed to be slightly limited parking with all local businesses threatening to have you towed if you parked at their establishment. Overall it was a nice event and the guy giving the post-race entertainment was hilariously talented.

I choose this marathon as a backup race in case my original race 2 weeks earlier went bad. Sure enough, my first race went bad and I signed up to run Oktoberfest. The main reason is because its a short drive from Chicago and the marathon appeared to be small and hassle free. There are plenty of Pros and Cons to a small marathon. I had a feeling I would be running alone for much of the race and the crowd support would be small. Knowing this in advance, it wasn't a problem for me. Looking at the rollers on the course, I wasn't sure if this would be a PR for me, let alone a BQ. First of all, I LOVED this marathon! It's everything as advertised. Check in was fast and easy. We drove in from Chicago and had enough time to pick up our packet and enjoy the $5 pasta dinner. $5..you kidding me? Wow! The long sleeve tech shirt is one of my favorites! The beer glass was a nice bonus. They were selling last years shirts which were really cool and I wanted one, but I have this funky thing about not wearing race shirts I don't race in. The host hotel looked far away, but it was only a 8 minute drive. Arriving to the start was easy, with no traffic to contend with. Parking was easy. There were plenty of porta johns at the start line. No hassle getting to the start line with only 120+ runners. It helped the Half Marathoners started after us. Started with no problems and off we went towards Lake Michigan to do small loop then head back. It wasn't flat for the first 8 miles, but I wouldn't call it hilly either. The course was well marked . I didn't see much of Lake Michigan, but the area was pretty. The volunteers at the aid stations were incredible! All of them did a great job of yelling "water" or "heed". Since I don't do well with Heed and you can't see the difference between the two, this was important to me. Great job on the Aid Stations! Since this is a very small marathon, there wasn't traffic control at every intersection and there were a few times you had to navigate around cars. Car traffic was very small and it wasn't a problem. Coming back around the 14 mile mark, runners were spread out. This is where I lost the runner ahead of me and I felt there was nobody behind me. It was like this until the finish. Again, I knew this was a small race, so I expected it. Next was the loop around Spring Lake. I thought I would see more of the lake, but I did not. Most of the loop was one a bike path, with some areas going into a neighborhood and back out. We had a cool morning with overcast skies, which made for a perfect race. Later, the sun started to come out, but since we were on the bike path, we were shaded the entire time. Approaching mile 20, the rollers started. I will say there were a bit challenging, especially with tired legs. I lost a lot of time, but my overall pace was still strong. Around mile 25, it starts to flatten out and you make several turns until you reach the final stretch. The finish line wasn't that far from the final turn. I was able to pick up my pace and finish with a 22 minute PR and a strong BQ. The medal was great! There was plenty of post race food and the free lunch after wards was great. The awards ceremony was a very nice touch. The awards they gave out were incredible. Very nice touch! I can't say enough about how great this marathon is. My 9th and one of my favorites.

It is a small marathon with potential, but: Good: - nice medal - finish area - restaurant/bar; life entertainment (that bouncy guy was awesome) - you get a pint glass - no, no free beer comes with it - lunch - pulled pork sandwich + chips (beats bagels and bananas) - most intersections had at least one person guiding you, so it was difficult to get lost (despite all the turns - see bad below) - no hills - very nice long-sleeve shirt Bad: - Watered-down or not well mixed sport drink - what was it anyway? - TOOO many turns on the course - Hammer gel - banana and raspberry??? What happened to flavors that most people use, like vanilla? - nothing at the expo - like gu or blocks - rather lonely run, but that's to be expected given the size of the event.

A smaller but enjoyable race. Start and finish at the Old Boys Brewpub. They offer race day pickup and registration. Course is flat to rolling mostly through nice neighborhoods with a couple out and backs. Mainly quiet running with little to no spectator activity. The course is not closed however and you are contending with traffic and are forced onto the sidewalks. I think there could be an improvement in marshaling not only with the traffic but in providing course directions (other than tape arrows on the ground). Water/aid stations were basic. Good frills (long sleeve tech, finisher medal and a finisher's glass). Great post race; outside on the pub deck, live music, by the river, free BBQ meal and a chocolate stout.

Small expo consisting of mostly local community sponsors. The kid's race during the expo was a nice change and gave my kids something to look forward too. Spaghetti dinner was plentiful and inexpensive. Weather was awesome for the race! I liked the fact that the marathon runners started about 15 minutes before the half runners. Plenty of water stops. Nice course and I had an awesome PR. Kudos to the race directors and volunteers! Spectators were a little sparse along the course but plenty of activity at the finish line. Great looking long sleeve shirt. This was my ninth marathon in nine different states and the Oktoberfest marathon event was one of my favorites. There were lots of cool sites to see in the area as well. Lake Michigan was awesome.

This is a race that illustrates what community racing should be. Kudos to all that continue to plan and put on this small marathon. Highly recommended for those who just want to run a marathon for the pure joy of running. Well organized, friendly, scenic in many parts, convenient (start, finish, packet pickup, pasta dinner all in once place, with a hotel across the street connected to the start/finish area by a boardwalk), family friendly (kids events and activities on Friday and Saturday), great volunteers, and just plain fun. Old Boys has fabulous food and beer! Great Michigan marathon option.

Some hills in the biginning. Running around local streets. Nice course. Not a lot of crowd support but the ones who were out there were very supportive. Everything went smooth and I was able to qualify for boston on this course. Would do it again!

Very nice course. My wife and I did this as a training run for Chicago. As it turned out, we ran faster in this one. The big advantage of a small race is flexibility. We were able to stay dry and wait out the storm, and start an hour late, without really impacting anything. This was a comfortable, friendly group of runners and volunteers. I saw one spectator in a Michigan State sweatshirt 5 different times along the course. Go State!

The race was delayed due to a thunderstorm that was passing through. The race director did an outstanding job of keeping the runners updated as to the new start time. The course is very pretty; it includes portions along Lake Michigan and Spring Lake. Very friendly runners and volunteers. Not much in the way of spectators. Nice tech shirt. A lunch was included after the race, which was a nice idea, but it did not include a vegetarian option. The awards took place at the Old Boys Brewhouse, which worked out well, as we were able to order pizza and beer.

I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a Michigan race to do as part of the 50 states. The race was small and well organized. The race director did a great job. The race was delayed for an hour due to a thunderstorm, and everything went smoothly when we started despite the loss of some volunteers due to the weather. The course was scenic and well marked. There were aid stations every 2 miles. Volunteers did an amazing job and the few spectators that came out in the rain were very enthusiastic. The marathon had a separate start from the half marathon. Packet pick up, race start, and race end were all in the same place, which was very convenient. Overall, a nice marathon run by people who want each runner to have a great experience.

For only the second year in existence, this race has many more positives then negatives. The race organizers did a great job handling the horrible weather (thunder and lightning before and after the race) that met the runners on race morning. I will be back next year, and I do recommend this to anyone who wants a good low-key race. Positives: 1. With over an hour delay for the marathon we were all allowed to take shelter in the brewery. Plus they opened the kitchen and had water available. Having the options for pre- and post-race made the weather easier to tolerate. Great direction and information by the race director. He was on top of things. 2. A good medal (better than many races I have run) and the beer glass was a nice touch. 3. A free, clean, shower facility was available after the race. Key for when you need to check out of a hotel early. 4. Free lunch ticket. I left before I could eat, but the food looked good. 5. Tech shirt that was better than most. 6. Interesting course. I enjoyed the first 6 out by the water. 7. Great volunteers! Being the lead runner in the marathon, I had great bike support. I was aware of every turn well before it happened. The bike support guys moved cars over away from the runners and I was given a lot of encouragement throughout the race. This was important during the last 8 miles where I was dragging. They even held onto my arm sleeves when I took them off. Negatives: 1. A few too many turns in the beginning of the course. I wish more of the course would have been closed to traffic, but I understand the logistics. 2. I dont want to sound like I am bragging, but I was the overall marathon winner, and because of a work commitment I had to leave right after the race. I was unable to get my award at that time. The director said that he would mail it to me, which is great, but it would have been nice to have taken it home.

The race is very well organized. There was a storm blowing through at the start time but the race director did a great job of keeping everyone informed as to when the race would begin. The course is very pretty, with some hills. The volunteers at the water stops were very friendly and encouraging. Lunch at the finish was a pork sandwich - no option for vegetarians. I would suggest another option. Hung out at the brewhouse and ordered pizza (and beer, of course), watched the awards, and talked to many friendly people. Never met a friendlier group of runners! Nice, long-sleeve tech shirt. Small, no-hassle race; definitely would do it again.