We’ve all heard of Punxsutawney Phil, the little furry guy in Pennsylvania who comes out, sees his shadow, and declares six more weeks of winter. Then there’s Augustus T. Groundhog, better known as Grand Rapids Gus. He’s Phil’s much more interesting cousin. Unlike Phil, who it seems can only see …
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We’ve all heard of Punxsutawney Phil, the little furry guy in Pennsylvania who comes out, sees his shadow, and declares six more weeks of winter. Then there’s Augustus T. Groundhog, better known as Grand Rapids Gus. He’s Phil’s much more interesting cousin. Unlike Phil, who it seems can only see shadows, Gus has much better eyesight and can look at a calendar on February 2 and know that spring doesn’t start for six weeks. Gus suggested that instead of lamenting over six more weeks of winter, we should EMBRACE the cold and snow and do something fun. And so, the Groundhog Day Marathon was born.
It’s a winter running event, in Grand Rapids Michigan. YES! THERE WILL PROBABLY BE LOTS OF SNOW ON THE COURSE. It’s more fun than a person should have while wearing clothing.
Full Marathon: Like the movie, you’ll feel like you’re repeating the same day over and over. A beautiful, snowy (we hope), approximately 4.4 mile course. Splits every 1/6th of a marathon. 500 Runner limit combined for full and half marathons.
Half Marathon: For those of you who couldn’t stay awake through the whole movie. Only three times around.
Moonlight 1/6 Marathon on Groundhog Eve: Hey, we’re going to be set up anyway, no sense in just long-distance people having all the fun.
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“Well, what if there is no tomorrow?....
......There wasn't one today.” If you’ve already enjoyed the “Groundhog Day” movie many times over, then you’re going to LOVE this event. Race Director, Don Kern, has been delivering a … MORE
……There wasn’t one today.”
If you’ve already enjoyed the “Groundhog Day” movie many times over, then you’re going to LOVE this event. Race Director, Don Kern, has been delivering a clever, entertaining, challenging marathon in the Great White North of Grand Rapids, MI for the past 14 years ….. in February! The Full Marathon course consists of 12 laps around a frozen pond (6 laps for the Half) as runners experience the same trail, snow banks, aid station, spectators, bridges, and “bars” over and over and over . . .
After successfully completing the Half, I had this conversation with Don:
Slow Juan: “This day was perfect. You couldn’t have planned a day like this.”
Don Kern: “Well, you can. It just takes an awful lot of work.”
The race swag is exceptional; the coveted Groundhog Day Marathon hoodie, a groundhog embroidered stocking cap, groundhog neck gaiter, groundhog finisher medals, groundhog camp mugs for Top 3 age-category finishers, and chainsaw sculpture groundhogs for the 1st Male and Female finishers in each race.
“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.”
There’s a single, well-stocked, Luau-themed aid station on the course, which you will understandably pass multiple times. In addition to water and Gatorade, there’s also a Tiki Bar serving up shots of Buffalo Trace whiskey and Fireball. . . . ”antifreeze” for the frigid temperatures, if you will.
But wait, there’s more! Also, along the course were two “unofficial” stations, one serving tequila shots (complete with frozen limes) and a second offering Rumchata and Fireball. Running the Half, I was presented with the opportunity to encounter all three stations, six times apiece. (You can do the math.) Definitely the potential to be over-served along this race route.
Slow Juan: “There is something so familiar about this. Do you ever have déjà vu?”
Tiki Bartender: “Didn’t you just ask me that?”
The tented pavilion at the Finish Line was a welcome haven after several hours of actively pounding snow. Runners were celebrated inside with space heaters, hot soup, chili, and assorted beverages. The chili was awesome! (For any Texans reading this: Yes, the chili had beans. Get over it.)
This event had been on my “bucket list” for the past decade, ever since I first met Don Kern and was regaled with wild accounts of this insane (my word) event he was directing. At 70-years old, I knew that I needed to experience “The Groundhog” while I still had some runway left in me. As I crossed the Finish Line, I had the following exchange with the Timing Official:
Timer: “I like to see a man of advancing years throwing caution to the wind. It’s inspiring in a way.”
Slow Juan: “My years are not advancing as fast as you might think.”
Brew Review: Grand Rapids bills itself as the “Beer Capital of America” and they just might have a legitimate claim to that title. The microbreweries are everywhere! True Brew Aficionados will want to check out Founders, New Holland, Atwater, Arvon, Brass Ring, Harmony, and City Built, to name a few. My two personal favorites were “The Mitten Brewing” located in a renovated fire station with a retro-baseball-themed brew pub. Beer recommendation? Try the “Peanuts & Crackerjack” Stout. The other “Two Mugs Up” rating goes to “TwoGuys Brewing.” Unassuming from the outside (it resides in a repurposed 7-11), they were packed with revelers actively celebrating the impending Mardi-Gras. TwoGuys’ kitchen was serving up authentic Cajun cuisine with ingredients flown in directly from New Orleans. “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
Running laps around a frozen lake
I ran the half marathon in what was the race's 13th year, so the medal being a big 13 tied it together nicely. I had the chance to share the … MORE
I ran the half marathon in what was the race’s 13th year, so the medal being a big 13 tied it together nicely. I had the chance to share the first loop with a friend who has done the full marathon here since its inception, and it was fun to see how many of his connections were back for another year. This race is not necessarily about running a fast time (it’s cold and the path is icy) but being out there with other runners. Arrive early to get a parking spot near the start area. The lots fill up quickly and the alternative parking location may not be very convenient. The finish tent is a great place to warm up afterwards and even watch the Groundhog Day movie on repeat!
Unusual distance, atypical race
This race takes place in the dark and the path can be icy--and particularly so on the sidewalk section near the beginning/end of the loop. Runners do have to be … MORE
This race takes place in the dark and the path can be icy–and particularly so on the sidewalk section near the beginning/end of the loop. Runners do have to be careful and use caution. This was a good intro into doing the half or full marathon on the same loop the next day. Coming away with a podium finish was unexpected in a race billed as a World Championship for the 1/6th Marathon distance.
Groundhog Marathon!
My group signed up for this race as a "training run" for our ultra marathon. It was basically the only February marathon within the midwest we could find, and I … MORE
My group signed up for this race as a “training run” for our ultra marathon. It was basically the only February marathon within the midwest we could find, and I am glad we did because it was a fun race. This course was 12 loops. It was supposed to be 6 but because of water overflow on parts of the course, it was changed to 12. You get to pass the two aid stations every loop, the people who set up the race, and all the volunteers are so nice. Overall, it was a unique experience I really enjoyed.
Fun winter race!
Very fun race and great production, but many first timers don't realize that the park trails are not cleared so the course difficulty will vary from year to year, sometimes … MORE
Very fun race and great production, but many first timers don’t realize that the park trails are not cleared so the course difficulty will vary from year to year, sometimes having snow and ice, which is part of the fun and challenge just be prepared!
Postholing the day away!
If it snows... a lot... you are in for a BIG challenge. In 2014, when I ran this, there was about 8 inches of snow the night before. It took … MORE
If it snows… a lot… you are in for a BIG challenge. In 2014, when I ran this, there was about 8 inches of snow the night before. It took me longer to run the half-marathon than it usually takes to run a full, that’s how much difficulty the snow added. The other challenge is the 3ish mile loop that you have to keep running (a la the film Groundhog Day), but the post-race spread (great craft brews and homemade chili!) makes all the effort worthwhile. Great volunteers and organization!