Groundhog Day Marathon

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. The modified course for 2024 was pretty popular. We've certified the new course, so we'll be starting behind the pavilion this year again. Looking forward to seeing you in 2027! EARLY START --If you're planning to be running more than about 6 hours, please start at the 7:00 am early start. The normal start is at 8:00 am The Basics It’s a winter running event, outside Grand Rapids Michigan. YES! THERE WILL PROBABLY BE LOTS OF SNOW ON THE COURSE. The Friday and Saturday beginning of February. In 2027, it's February 5-6. It’s more fun than you should have with your clothes on. (And we DEFINITELY suggest you keep your clothes on!) Our Events Friday - Moonlight 1/6 Marathon on Groundhog Eve : WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 1/6 MARATHON! Hey, we’re going to be set up anyway, no sense in just long-distance people having all the fun. Two loops of the course. 6:30 p.m. Friday. 300 Runner limit. Saturday - Marathon: Like the movie, you’ll feel like you’re repeating the same day over and over. A beautiful, snowy (we hope), approximately 2.2 mile course. Splits every 1/12th of a marathon. 8:00 a.m. Saturday. 500 Runner limit combined for full and half marathons Saturday - Half Marathon: For those of you who couldn’t stay awake through the whole movie. Only six times around. Course Ever see the movie? The course will give you the opportunity to relive the same day several times. A total