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Michigan > Grand Rapids Marathon, Half Marathon &
Relay
Grand
Rapids, MI
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Date
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Event
Details
Thanks to its gentle, forgiving fast and flat course, the Grand Rapids
Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay is considered an excellent road
race for first-time marathoners or half marathoners, with a route that
begins at about 610 feet above sea level and never rises higher than
about 652 feet or lower than its lowest point of about 580 feet above
sea level. The attractiveness of the course combined with its relative
ease has quickly made it a popular race, as last year's event (just its
4th annual) saw more than 2,400 runners cross
the finish line.
When they set out to design the course for both the 26.2-mile event and
the 13.1-mile event, race organizers say they wanted to avoid the "big
city races through concrete canyons" kind of experience so common at
other marathon and half-marathon events. So they created a course that
features the bulk of its mileage inside Grand Rapids' Millenium Park,
an urban park which is still under development but will be twice the
size of New York City's Central Park when complete.
From the starting line at the corner of the city's Winter Street and
Blumrich, the race's out-and-back course follows a mostly southwestern
direction toward the park, which also connects the area's four major
cities together -- Wyoming, Grandville and Walker with Grand Rapids.
While the race's first half takes runners along the park's northern
edge along Butterworth Street, the second half features ample views for
several miles of the Grand River, which flows through the center of
town.
Because of both the time of year and the location of the course,
through lots of tree-lined parks and greenspace areas, there's plenty
of fall color on display, with all the reds, oranges and yellow leaves
of the season turning and nearing or hitting their peak. The race is
also walker-friendly, and features a 7:00 AM starting time for walkers
-- the race starting time for runners is 8:00 AM.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled in the central-southern part of the state, about 30 miles from
the shores of Lake Michigan to the west, the city of Grand Rapids
typically sees early fall weather that ranges from mild and breezy with
occasional rain to outright cold conditions. In October, monthly
temperatures average between 60°F and 40°F, while
precipitation amounts average around 2.8 inches for the month.
Fees
$56 if registered by June 15, 2008
$66 from June 16 - August 15
$76 from Aug. 16 - September 30
$86 from October 1 through the race weekend
Registration
To reserve your spot in this year's running of the Grand Rapids
Marathon or Half Marathon, register online here
or print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Website
www.grandrapidsmarathon.com
Course Map
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Larger Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Grand Rapids' annual Marathon or Half Marathon?
Share
your
impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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