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Sprint to marathon: Marquette Marathon online applicants have till Wednesday night to sign-up for Saturday’s race

By Steve Brownlee 4 min read

MARQUETTE -- Online registration is open through Wednesday night -- 11:59 p.m. to be exact -- for all five events of the Marquette Marathon to be held Saturday morning in Marquette County.

Sign-up is available at the website marquettemarathon.com, and clicking on the "Registration" tab at the top of the home page.

Costs are $95 for the 26.2-mile marathon, $85 for the 13.1-mile half marathon, $25 for the Blackrocks 5K (five-kilometer/3.1-mile) run and $10 each for the children's 1 Mile Pebble Fun Run and 1.5 Mile Rock Skipper Fun Run. There is an additional surcharge of around $3 to $6 for each event.

Last-chance registration is also available at the expo to be held at Lakeview Arena in Marquette from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday as there will be no registration allowed on race day. Late fees on Friday apply for adult races ranging from $10 to $15.

In the past several years, more than 1,000 runners have participated in the five events. On the group's website, just over 900 people were listed as registered as of Friday, with nearly 800 of them for the half-marathon and marathon.

The marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum in Ishpeming, and the half-marathon at 9 a.m. at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township.

The 5K run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Presque Isle Park in Marquette, while the kids' fun runs will be held at 7 p.m. Friday starting and ending at Lakeview Arena.

The marathon, half-marathon and 5K are point-to-point races, meaning they don't loop around. Each ends in front of the Blackrocks Brewery located at North Third and Michigan streets in the middle of Marquette.

The half-marathon is mostly the second half of the marathon route, with each skirting just south of U.S. 41 until they reach Marquette, when they are routed for several miles along the shores of Lake Superior before coming down North Third Street to finish.

The 5K starts at Presque Isle Park in north Marquette, heading south along Lake Superior before moving inland on North Third Street for the finish.

The overall drop in elevation for the marathon from Ishpeming to Marquette is more than 800 feet, and nearly that amount from Negaunee to Marquette for the half-marathon. There's virtually no elevation change in the 5K.

Because of the downhill orientation of the course, it is considered one of the fastest Boston Marathon qualifying courses around, along with one of the last chances to get in since the racing deadline is Sept. 17 for next April's granddaddy of marathons.

Some of the features of the marathon and half-marathon include busing from parking at the Berry Events Center and Lakeview Arena in Marquette to the start lines, gear check, aid stations and restrooms along the routes, a massage tent at the finish line, photography from MQT Photo on the course and at the finish, medals for all finishers, an information/lost-and-found tent, and an awards ceremony and post-race party.

Along with the start and finish lines, race organizers have found several good viewing areas for spectators.

They include Jackson Park in Negaunee, Schwemwood Park at the County Road 492 junction in Marquette Township, a point just east of the old railroad trestle U.S. 41 overlook in Marquette, and many spots within the city of Marquette.

Those Marquette vistas include Mattson Lower Harbor Park, McCarty's Cove, Picnic Rocks and the new Lambros Beach area. Along North Third Street will also be a good area as runners approach the finish line.

Last year's marathon winner for the men was Brad Vincent of Ann Arbor in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 51.2 seconds, nearly 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Justin Waraniak of Fenton, according to results from the marathon website.

The top Upper Peninsula finisher was Ray Sharp of Atlantic Mine, 20th in 3:04:41.5, while the first Marquette County finisher was Jesse Lynaugh of Marquette, 71st in 3:38:42.8.

For the women, Janet Becker of Rockford won in 3:06:02.9, more than 3 1/2 minutes ahead of runner-up Kimberly Monk of Lake Bluff, Illinois.

Tops from the U.P. and Marquette County was fourth-place finisher Melanie Bicigo of Marquette, who came in at 3:17:01.9.

In the half-marathon, Nathaniel Langlie of Marquette won the men's title in 1:15:32.2, not quite five minutes ahead of runner-up Cole Williams of Los Angeles. Victoria Phillippi of Crystal, Minnesota won the women's title in 1:28:12.2, nearly 6 1/2 minutes ahead of second-place Emily Williams of Los Angeles.

The women's U.P. standard bearer was third-place Kate Kuntze of Cedar River in 1:35:25.7, while the county's best was Kelly Menge of Negaunee, eighth in 1:38:22.8.

And in the 5K, Robert Sandlin of Lexington, Kentucky, won for the men in 17:16.5, while Rebecca Kraemer of Negaunee took women's honors in 23:09.1.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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