Charlevoix Half Marathon
Charlevoix, Michigan
Saturday, June 26, 2010

The sky was overcast with a slight breeze and a temperature in the 60’s as I began the Charlevoix Half Marathon in Charlevoix, Michigan on Saturday, June 26, 2010. The out and back course was mostly flat with some rolling hills which began with 3.5 miles of roads, followed by a paved bike path to the turn around. One section of the path was a half mile wooden walkway/bridge over a swamp. It rained during the night before the race and was supposed to rain during the race but luckily it did not. The air was full of moisture and even though the temperature remained in the 60’s, it seemed somewhat warm due to the humidity. Water/Gatorade stations were located every 1.5 miles and were manned by plenty of enthusiastic volunteers. The road part of the course was closed to traffic and intersections were controlled by police and volunteers. The event was well organized and fun. It is located in a somewhat remote area along the shores Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan.
My friend, Chuck “Marathon Junkie” Engle, won the Marathon event in 2 hours 39 minutes. He is an incredible runner who has finished over 200 marathons under 3 hours and has often won two marathons on the same weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. As usual I enjoyed my trip quite a lot.