Grand Rapids Kids Marathon

I chose this as my Michigan race and am happy I did. The race director and his crew are passionate about what they do and it shows. All of the little things that can make or break a race were done well. Plenty of porta-pots. Well stocked, plentiful aid stations. Well marked course. Efficient packet pick-up/expo. Great swag - a nice medal, traditional socks, a gaiter and a nice race shirt. It's not a large race (numbers probably down being the first year back after the pandemic) but you can tell that the crew & volunteers care about your experience, and throw in a little bit of fun to boot. (The obvious example would be the 'Celebrity' Pace Groups, based on the marathon results of the rich and famous... the 3:14 'Pi' group, the 4:13 'Kevin Hart' group, the Oprah and Dubya paces... etc. A nice touch). The course is largely flat, scenic in spots and not so scenic in others. There are some downtown segments and some park/lake/bike path stretches and it makes for a fine overall circuit. The weather this year was nearly perfect and all of these factors led to running my best race time since March 2017. Add in some great bar/restaurant spots I found near my hotel, and this was probably one of my favorite races in recent seasons. Your mileage may vary - but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Fantastic end of story

I traveled from Columbus, Ohio to attend the Grand Rapids Marathon. Specifically what drew me was the course time limits followed by the course style (mostly flat through a beautiful landscape). From the moment I got into town you could feel a positive vibe at the expo and that carried over to race morning. I took the early start and it made a huge difference. It made for a comfortable first 4 miles and allowed me to finish when it was still earlier than night. The course was spectacular. A great mix of city into a nature setting. Being in the back of the pack, no never felt alone on the course. The way it is set up, even after the 13 mile mark you are still seeing hundreds of people running with you the opposite way. This is a huge mental boost. It was not until the last 3-4 miles that the pack spread out (after being on the course for almost 6.5 hours) and even then every aid station was fully stocked and staffed to cheer you on. It was truly amazing. The finish line is still open and you feel like a champion crossing over even that long into the race. Family friendly and too notch.