You’ll get to run along the beautiful farmlands and tree groves of the Old Mission Peninsula, “an 18-mile sliver of land that juts out into the turquoise-blue waters of Grand Traverse Bay and teems with natural beauty and some of the most stunning vistas in the region,” according to the Traverse City Tourism board, at a race that celebrates the end of this region’s annual National Cherry Festival.
Presented by Cherry Bay Orchards, the Meijer Festival of Races takes place on Saturday, the final day of the festival, and features a 15K, 10K, and 5K run in addition to the half marathon, which starts at Old Mission Peninsual School, which lies about 10 miles up the shore of the peninsula, along the West Arm of Grand Traverse Bay.
From there, you’ll run first on the trails that wind through private property near the school, along which you can expect to encounter only mild rolling hills. The surfaces will be dirt, so be ready for some trail running (especially if the weather is wet in the days leading up to the race).
After you make the turn onto Devil’s Dive Road near Peninsula Township Park, you start a long stretch along the shoreline of the bay, running south on Peninsula Drive all the way into Traverse City. This stretch is very flat and run on paved surfaces, featuring views of the water and Power Island Wilderness Park off in the distance in the middle of the bay.
Once you make your way into town, in the final mile or so along East Front Street, at Sunset Park you’ll hop off the roadway and onto the trails beside the roads, which will take you toward the finish line at Clinch Park, overlooking the bay.
