FCA Ludington Lakestride Half Marathon Ludington, MI   Jun 13, 2026

The Ludington Lakestride, in its current form, is a race Saturday with a 13.1 beautiful, yet challenging half marathon and both a 5K and 10K. The half works its way towards the Ludington State Park and includes a tad less than 2 miles of trail, a run down a sand dune and over Hamlin dam & winds back along the lakeshore with views of the dunes & Lake Michigan. All 3 races share the same starting route and finish at Stearns Beach, with the 5K running through Cartier Park & the 10K an out-and-back loop on Lakeshore Drive, including a return trip through Cartier Park.

The half marathon course starts on Lake Shore Drive, near the city beach, and head north towards the Ludington State Park, then turn off to the right at Piney Ridge Road, about the 2 mile mark. Runners will then continue along for 2 miles of paved, rolling hills, that run between the Lake Michigan dunes and Hamlin Lake. They will leave Piney Ridge Road at about the 4 mile mark and enjoy a 1.8 mile trail run through a very beautiful mature forest. This section of the course is fun, with a few technical areas. It’s full of short ups and downs that allow you to maintain pace with little effort, it’s fast but passing must be done carefully.

Once clear of the woods, you run down the infamous sand dune, cross over Hamlin dam, run through the State Park and turn south running along the Lake Michigan Shore line on Lakeshore Drive for about 6 miles. Runners will want to take in the view of the lake on this return trip. Aid stations offering Gatorade & water will dot every mile up to the trail entrance and will continue again once runners exit the State Park, about the 7 mile mark. There will not be port-a-johns on the course.

The majority of the run is flat. The trail is the exception, along with one hill at the 12 mile mark. After that it’s flat and fast to the finish located at the city beach. Enjoy post-race refreshments in the finish area tent while cheering on fellow finishers. Most of the runners bring family and spend the day on the beach swimming, tanning or playing volleyball. Downtown Ludington is walking distance from the beach.

So enjoy a Popsicle, kick off your shoes, stroll down to the water and cool off in Lake Michigan. How does it get any better than that?