Marathon Details - The Hungerford Games Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > MI > Big Rapids > The Hungerford Games Marathon

The Hungerford Games Marathon & 50 Mile, 45K, 15 Mile

Big Rapids, MI USA

~~September 30, 2023~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.hungerfordgames.com

More Info:	News
Results:	2021 \| 2020 \| 2019 \| 2018 \| 2017 \| 2016 \| 2015 \| 2014 \| 2013 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Ben Talsma
Address:	17111 Sierra Drive Big Rapids, MI 49307
Phone Number:	2312509531
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 5.0

Organization 5.0

Spectators 3.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 2

J. R. from NY (10/9/2017)

"Great race" (about: 2017)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 The Hungerford Games Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3

It's more of a local event, but it's also great as a destination race. The race directors put on a very professional event (i.e. well-done, not corporate).

It's a trail race with 2 miles of sandy running under the power lines (double that for ultra runners), and some of the doubletrack dirt road has a lot of soft dirt that will also slow you down (it's better to run in the car tracks).

Pros:
Great volunteers and well-stocked aid stations every 2-6 miles
Mile markers at every mile (which I wasn't expecting); I think all but one were accurate
Foliage was just starting to turn
Maybe 2/3 of the course was in the shade
Great wooden medals at the end (and nice trophies); the ultra runners also get an awesome walking stick
Really well-marked & pretty much impossible to get lost
Ultra runners (only) can leave a drop bag at the start and at their choice of aid stations (this wasn't clear from the website & but the catch is that you may have to drive there if you don't want to wait for them to close the station and bring your gear back; I'd recommend packing things that you don't need to get back (extra socks, etc) and sending them to one or two stations)
If you're traveling from out of town, Grand Rapids is a nice city to spend a day or two-their Art Prize event is around the same time, so the city comes to life

Cons:
You might be completely on your own out there, if you're toward the front or back of the pack
Crowd support is almost non-existent (I didn't see anyone between aid stations)-so don't choose this race if that's important to you
The post-race celebration could be better: the food selection was limited, and people just take off after they finish. I would've loved some combo of music, pizza/BBQ, and beer so that people hang around

Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (10/5/2017)

"A Chilly Start to a Well Shaded Trail Run" (about: 2017)

50+ previous marathons | 1 The Hungerford Games Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4

I have been trying to get down to Big Rapids for this race since 2013 - which I believe was the inaugural year for Hungerford Games. The staging area was right off of US 131 at exit 139 (Big Rapids) and west of the highway. There was a photo on the website that showed the highway, the exit, the cross street, the parking lot of PT Plus(maybe for physical therapy). Michigan Pain Consultants was the next business to the south - maybe they were looking for customers after the race... and Trinity Evangelical Church, across the street, was available for event parking. Talk about a picture being worth 1,000 words. That photo showed everything you needed for pre-race planning - except for the start line. The start line was a ways down the road and around the corner - where it had to be to make the distance work out correctly.

I camped in Paris, a town about 7 miles north, and in the morning my tent was literally covered with a thin sheet of ice. So it was a cold start. They had check-in the day before, and into the evening, right at the staging area. Same place we needed to be Saturday morning, for a short bus ride to the start-line. It was a breeze getting checked in, picking up a swag bag, T-shirt, and number. There were other things available for purchase too, and they had several people whose names were drawn for a free gift (ball cap, water bottle, et al). There was an ultra (50-mile) that started at sun-rise. Then the half-marathon started at 8:15 and the marathon started at 9:00. They did it like this to make the work-load for the volunteers more streamlined. From the start-line it was a straight shot to the first water-station, some two miles down the road. Then we kind of made a right turn and meandered for the next couple of miles, coming to the power lines. There was another water station there, and then we turned right and ran under the power lines for 2-3 miles. This was the most difficult part of the terrain. It was roller-coaster hills and soft sand - not quite as loose as beach sand, but close. Exiting the power-lines stretch, there was another water station, then a single-track running path for about a mile, depositing us back on a gravel road. This road crossed the power-line trail at a 45 degree angle, then continued straight for several mile - first in the woods, and then back to farm-land and a couple of miles of pretty intense sun. Past the half-way point now, we came to another water-stop run by some pleasant older folks - with home-made cookies. A left turn there put us on a paved road for a mile or so, then another left turn, and we were back in the woods. Up to this point, I had a visual picture in my mind of where I was on the course. After this, we made several curves and turns in the woods and I just followed the signs. But just before mile post 15, some locals re-positioned a sign so the arrows were pointing the wrong way. I paused briefly to consider this, then followed the tracks in the sand made by the previous runners. It was the correct choice, because MP 15 was just around the corner, and a half mile down the trail. I reported the sign, but by then most of the runners had already passed the errant sign. After the water station closest to MP 16 it seemed like we were lost in the woods. Finally we came back to the water station we had passed at MP 2; now there was just 2.3 miles to go. In short order we were back on the pavement and headed down the stretch. By planning or lack thereof, there was a nice long hill for the last half mile ending at the finish line, as we turned into the parking lot. That made this race just a little bit more memorable for me.

They had quite a spread of post-race food for a smaller sized marathon event: Of course water and Gatorade; Yogurt, granola, bananas, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, et al. They even had gels at the finish-line; and I snagged a couple for my next race. Also a word for the products and services of water station volunteers: They were all top-notch; pleasant and friendly. There was quite an array of food available too, besides Gatorade and water. Cookies (some home-made) pretzels, M&M's, gummy bears, baked potato wedges, chips, and the list goes on. The service and products were among the best. Many thanks to Ben and his team.

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Marathon Details - The Hungerford Games Marathon