Ready your running shorts for an incredible summer send-off. The 39th annual Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk, taking place Saturday, September 12, rounds up some 2,000 participants every year for a scenic, family-friendly race around storied Mackinac Island. The fast, flat course follows the perimeter of the island, taking in views of Victorian homes, harbors, beaches, rock formations, the Straits, the mighty Mackinac Bridge, and the island’s quaint downtown district.
"Everything about the race is island in nature," says Anne Gault, who owns Gault Race Management, which operates the race in conjunction with the St. Ignace Kiwanis Club. "It doesn’t have all the frills and fancy things—we don’t have gatorade stations. It’s fruit and water and the basic things, but what people get is the beauty and the fun. And people love how the town is full of runners before and after the race. It’s like a gathering for runners."
The race is one of the oldest in Michigan—not to mention one of the most family friendly, too. Walking is encouraged, and a seperate kids race on the lakefront lawn of Mission Point Resort lets younger ones join in the fun.Bonus: Racers save on ferry fees to the island, and can catch a discount by overnighting at Mission Point Resort, where the race kicks off and finishes.
For more information and to register go to runmackinac.com or call 810-487-0954 or 659-6493.
Quick Links to more Mackinac Island Fun!
- MyNorth Mackinac Island Vacation Guide: Browse the pages of the complete Guide and click to hundreds of websites.
- The Mackinac Island "Don’t Miss" List
- The Complete Mackinac Island Restaurant Guide
- Mackinac Island music, festivals, art exhibits and events of all kinds!
- Video: A Day on Mackinac Island
- Plot your day on Mackinac Island using this Interactive Map: Choose an activity in "I’d like to find" and choose Mackinac Island for "in a town near." Then click away!
- Rent a Cottage on Mackinac Island: There are hundreds of cottages for rent in Northern Michigan. Put Mackinac Island in the Search box and you’re one step closer to that vacation of your dreams.