Grand Rapids Marathon

I chose this as my Michigan race and am happy I did. The race director and his crew are passionate about what they do and it shows. All of the little things that can make or break a race were done well. Plenty of porta-pots. Well stocked, plentiful aid stations. Well marked course. Efficient packet pick-up/expo. Great swag - a nice medal, traditional socks, a gaiter and a nice race shirt. It's not a large race (numbers probably down being the first year back after the pandemic) but you can tell that the crew & volunteers care about your experience, and throw in a little bit of fun to boot. (The obvious example would be the 'Celebrity' Pace Groups, based on the marathon results of the rich and famous... the 3:14 'Pi' group, the 4:13 'Kevin Hart' group, the Oprah and Dubya paces... etc. A nice touch). The course is largely flat, scenic in spots and not so scenic in others. There are some downtown segments and some park/lake/bike path stretches and it makes for a fine overall circuit. The weather this year was nearly perfect and all of these factors led to running my best race time since March 2017. Add in some great bar/restaurant spots I found near my hotel, and this was probably one of my favorite races in recent seasons. Your mileage may vary - but I thoroughly enjoyed it!