Chasing the Coast: The 25th Annual Bayshore Marathon
Posted June 1st, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Alexandra Haller
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The 25th annual Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon took place over Memorial Day weekend, May 26th, in picturesque Traverse City, MI. This year’s race was held in near perfect weather conditions. The skies were clear and expansive. The morning was a cool, runner-friendly 45 degrees and the winds were still.
Although this race isn’t very well known, it grows in popularity every year. According to their website, there were nearly 4,000 people registered for all three races, which include the full marathon, the half marathon and the 10K.
There are many reasons I would recommend that you run the Bayshore Marathon, not the least of which is the scenery. Traverse City is a town for water lovers, those who appreciate the beauty of a golden sunrise over a sparkling beach.
Undoubtedly, the race planners had this in mind, because the majority of the course parallels the waterfront along the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Lou Wojtowicz, race director, feels people return to this race for a variety of reasons, even though the biggest selling point is probably the scenery:
“First, people recognize it’s a well-run race. Second, they appreciate the good value: what you get in return for your entrance fee. Third, and so much more important, is the course. Where else can you run 26.2 miles along the water? Finally, it’s the town itself. It’s a great family event.”
For anyone who has run a marathon in an urban setting and knows the almost claustrophobic feeling of being sandwiched between retail districts and skyscrapers, this is a refreshing change of pace. Chris Kurtz, a local Traverse City resident, has run marathons in both Chicago and her home town and likes the smaller number of participants:
“After running Chicago I said I’d never do such a large marathon again. 33,082 runners finished that year. What was most tiring for me was running the entire race shoulder-to-shoulder with other runners. I felt like I was being jostled every mile by someone. I was probably running with the bulk of the recreational runners, the 4- to 5-hour hopefuls.”
The Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon is not Chicago, Nashville or Manhattan. While those cities have their selling points, I doubt any of them can offer Traverse City’s unrivaled scenery of soft, sweeping trees and vibrant rolling waves on sandy beaches. Let me not forget the affection of the spectators ,who are neighborly and friendly in a way that only people in a small town in northern Michigan could be.
While most of the participants are from Michigan, there are plenty from other states. They come from as far away as Texas, Florida, Alaska and Ontario, Canada. Jenny Janjua, 31, of Eagle River, AK, picked this as the destination for her first marathon. She had always wanted to run a marathon and believed coming home was the best choice. To her it represented a full-circle moment of realizing her own growth:
“I know that course and those roads. I’d been on them as an out-of-shape kid and now I’m running. It’s a major accomplishment for me that symbolizes breaking down the barriers of who I thought I was when I lived here and wasn’t that athletic.”
Jenny Janjua completed her first half marathon at the famous Humpy’s Marathon in Alaska last year. She enjoyed that experience but she loved the support she saw on the course in Traverse City.
“There were people playing Michigan music, like Kid Rock, Bob Seger and Eminem. There were kids with lemonade stands in front of their houses. I saw older couples clapping and cheering from lawn chairs in their front yard. I thought all of this was really great, a small-town thing.”
In addition to the brilliant views and the encouraging spectators, the Traverse City Bayshore Marathon offers itself as a qualifier for two other big races. The more well-known race that one can qualify for is the Boston Marathon. The course was recertified in May of 2006 by the USATF and because the route is mostly flat, many people use this race to try to qualify. Also, if you participate in either the 10K, half marathon or full marathon, you can be entered into a lottery that will allow you to run in the Annual Labor Day Bridge Walk. This is a non-competitive 5-mile run over the Mackinaw bridge that connects the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan. Affectionately referred to as The Big Mac by native Michiganders, it is the largest suspension bridge in North America and the third largest in the world. One can imagine the glorious panorama of crossing 5 miles over the Great Lakes.
In summary, participating in the Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon is an unparalleled experience. You have the precious freedom of movement due to being in a smaller race. Your eyes soak up a dizzying array of breathtaking landscapes and coastal lines. Your senses are rejuvenated by the sociable and friendly cries of the residents. What more could you want in a race? Just don’t wait to register. Lou Wojtowicz believes the races will sell out more quickly next year.
“If people are planning to run next year, sign up early. The half marathon sold out by mid-February and we think it will be sooner for 2008.”
Online registration will be available by November at www.bayshoremarathon.org. Sign up and see for yourself!
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Tags: Bayshore Marathon, Lou Wojtowicz, marathon, memorial day, Michigan, Traverse City, Traverse City State Bank, Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon
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The Final Sprint