Originally presented by the Tri-City Nordic Ski Club, led by Don Kane, continued under the direction of John McPeak and presented by Midland County Parks and Recreation Department, the MUD CREEK CRAWL has become a nationally recognized off-road race (RUNNER’S WORLD’s choice as one of the nation’s Top 13 Out-Of-The-Way …
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Originally presented by the Tri-City Nordic Ski Club, led by Don Kane, continued under the direction of John McPeak and presented by Midland County Parks and Recreation Department, the MUD CREEK CRAWL has become a nationally recognized off-road race (RUNNER’S WORLD’s choice as one of the nation’s Top 13 Out-Of-The-Way Races) and this year you can be a part of it!
The trail surface is natural turf, sand, or (hopefully) mud, depending upon the pre-race weather. 10K runners will complete a different course than the 5K runners/walkers so be sure to consult the map. Please understand that the course may be slightly different from what you see on the map, but that the course will be VERY WELL marked – even better than last year. There will be two aid stations available along the course. If you need more nutrition or fluids than that, please plan ahead and carry your own.
For those new to this event, top finishers are determined through the use of a handicap system of scoring: each entrant will have his/her actual finish time adjusted by a body type/composition factor and an age/gender factor. This handicapping allows each runner an essentially equal chance to win in his/her chosen race.
As always, you can expect our signature TriToFinish race experience, even lost in the woods! You’ll get personalized finishes, custom finisher medals, music, professional timing and FREE finisher photos. As in past years, we will be capping this race at 250 registrants, so act fast to avoid missing out on one of Michigan’s premier trail races!
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Harder than it looks, but not very muddy
For being a race in central Michigan, which is practically as flat as a pancake, this course has some tough terrain. It's entirely on dirt/gravel paths in the Pine Haven … MORE
For being a race in central Michigan, which is practically as flat as a pancake, this course has some tough terrain. It’s entirely on dirt/gravel paths in the Pine Haven Recreational Area. There are single track trails in the park but they are not used for the race. It was all clearly marked. The 10K participants get to see the far reaches of the park (and do quite a few more hills) while the 5K participants do a smaller loop. Something unique about this race is that the awards are handed out based on BMI handicapping. For having the name “Mud Creek Crawl”, it’s not actually a mud race. That just happens to be the name of the creek going through the park. In the 10K portion, there were some lowlands that could get muddy depending on the weather leading up to the event.