Prepare for a racing recapitulation of one of the most festive races that I have run, celebrating a vacation that is those who have close and beloved. Marmot’s day! When the film, the day of the Groundosía came out in 1993, Woodstock, Illinois, became a key point to visit every February. The crowds would wait for Woodstock Willie to predict our meteorological destination and almost always knew that we were destined to have snow until May.
I knew little that the running community in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was celebrating this vacation very differently.
In its 13th year, the Marathon of the Marmota de Grand Rapid’s Day attracts hundreds of runners running in loops, imitating the fateful day represented by Bill Murray in the infamous film. As a vacation drug addict, I had to try.
I traveled to Grand Rapids on Friday, February 7 and stayed in the Embassy Suites for Hilton in the center of Grand Rapids. This hotel was impressive and incredible to welcome. In our stay, a reception of events with two adult courtesy drinks, and a complete refrigerium design with pretzels, hummus and mixture of trails were included. There was a pool and an inner hydromassage bathtub, as well as a pristine gym with a squet bicycle. With much, the best part of the hotel was free breakfast that included an tortilla station, buffet sacrifices or warm food for breakfast, and a strong selection of fruits and yogurt. As a family of four, a free breakfast is always something I am looking for when I travel.
I woke up bright and early on Saturday, February 8 and headed for the race headquarters. This event includes a 1/6 marathon that the branches place on Friday night, as well as an average and complete marathon on Saturday morning. The race begins and ends in a park pavilion, with a large and heated tent underneath. The course is a 2.2 mile loop around Lake Leota on a mostly plane and paved path.
The website describes the course like this:
Have you ever seen the movie? The course will give the opportunity to revive the same day several times. A total of 12 loops of approximately 2.18 miles in a certified course (yes! You can qualify for Boston!) Will make a small case of Deja Vu feel. Help stations 1 mile plus the goal line area. Do not plan the course. It is paved, which means that there are no underlying rocks and roots, but that is all we promise.
The director of the race, Don Kern, has a lot of humor that he shared with the runners before the event. I appreciated the electronic weekly letters containing updates on the course and the next climate. He also organized a “fire chat”, which was a live Facebook event co-elbitrion with the associated race director, TJ Suchocki. The duo responded to a multisude to questions and reviewed all the information day information for runners. As a first timer and not local, I really appreciated the sense of community that this foster in the event.
But don’t let humor deceive you, RD Don certainly knows what he is doing. He and his team organized a star event. The course begged with an ice lining on the path, of which we all had the warm leg. Then we turned to the Fred Meijer Millenium Trail and ate our circle around Lake Leota. There was an aid station placed approximately one mile and an aid station at the loop turned, which allowed the runners to reach the aid stations 24 times during the complete and 12 times for half. There was also a Fireball help station, complete with pickled juice and five five from Friends of the Race.
The runners were able to leave falls of fall near the loop curve or in the store for easy recovery in each loop. There a few hundred runners in the course, never felt narrow. Althegh we saw it many times, the landscape was absolutely impressive, since the lake like the hero a winter beauty that you can only find in the west. The sun remained hidden by winter clouds, but temperatures hovered in the 20s, so running was quite pleasant.
All runners received a hooded sweatshirt designed by one of the runners and a multisude to food and beer options at the end. If I did not have to return to Chicago, I would like it to stay, since the party was swinging when I crossed the finish line. The general winners received a hand carved by hand and the winners of the age group took home a cup of coffee.
I am hooked and I can’t wait to return to this race in 2026. It is an easy 3 -hour trip and escape a winter wonders for runners. Be sure to keep this on your surveillance list for next year and catch the registration when it opens. You can follow updates on the Facebook page of Marmota’s Day throughout the year. Thanks to racing staff and wills, and my fellow runners, for creating a new Christmas tradition for this corridor!
