Sunday, September 26, 2021 • Rochester, MI • Course Map
The green spaces and tree-lined roads of Rochester’s Oakland University will be the setting for this year’s Brooksie Way Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, a beautifully scenic and demanding 13.1 miles that will take runners from the grounds of the university out into the nearby areas of Rochester and Rochester Hills, with stretches along the biking and hiking trails along local rivers and creeks.
The race gets its name from Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s son Brooks Stuart Patterson, who was called by all who knew him well “Brooksie,” who passed away in a snowmobiling accident in 2007.
Though the elder Patterson had announced plans for a half-marathon race as part of a local health and wellness initiative just before his untimely passing, the race was dedicated to his memory as a way to honor his life, exuberance and passion for the outdoors.
From the starting line on Walton Boulevard next to Meadow Brook Amphitheater, the race takes runners and walkers (it’s open to both) on a counter-clockwise loop through the city, turning first south on Old Perch Road and then east again on West Avon Boulevard before reaching the scenic Clinton River Trail.
Participants will stay on the trail, made up of a combination of dirt and gravel, for the next mile and a half before returning back to pavement for the stretch along Elizabeth Street and University Drive, and then back onto trails again four roughly the next mile, along the Paint Creek Trail.
After turning off the Paint Creek Trail at West Tienken Road, most of the rest of the race is run on paved city streets with the exception of a brief trail stretch again along Dutton Road. Along the way, runners and walkers pass or run through a number of local golf courses and parks, including Brookwood Golf Course, Great Oaks Country Club and Rochester Municipal Park.
The finish line lies back where runners started on the Oakland University campus, on the edge of Katke Cousins Golf Course. The race also has garnered raves from publications like Active.com, which named the Brooksie Way event one of the nation’s most scenic half marathons for the fall.
Race Weather & Climate
Located in the southern part of the state, in the northern suburbs of Detroit about 30 miles from downtown, Rochester typically sees mild to cool and often cold weather conditions in the early fall.
On race day (Sept. 26), the average low is 49ºF and the average high is 70ºF.
Past Results
- 2019 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2018 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2017 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2016 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2015 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2014 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2013 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2012 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
- 2011 Brooksie Way Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the Brooksie Way Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
see race website
Fees
- $50 and up for the half marathon
- $30 and up for the 10K
- $25 and up for the 5K
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2021 running of the McLaren Brooksie Way Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, visit the event website below.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
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