Marquette Trail 50 - August 2023

Overview

This year my friend and I had a goal to give ultra running a try. We both loved fast packing and all-day hikes, so we felt this would be a great excuse to spend a day in the woods together. The previous winter we agreed we would hike the Marquette 50k in August of 2023. Little did we know we would both be in a position to truly embrace the trail running scene with this event!

Preparation / Training

As previously mentioned, we went into 2023 assuming we would plan to hike the 50k in Marquette. As the winter faded and the weather turned, we both found ourselves ramping up our weekly running mileage. We were both following the 80/20 program in which we focus heavily on slow miles, with an occasional tempo or interval day. This method helped us both find new peaks in weekly mileage respectively. As the 50k was approaching, my friend had peaked in his own marathon program having had successfully logged a 20+ mile trail run and I was consistently running 40-45 miles per week and in my own marathon program. At this point the goal shifted from hiking the 50k to trying our hand at trail running.

Logistics

The race is held at the Forestville trailhead in Marquette, Michigan. Marquette is part of the Upper Peninsula and is around 5-6 hours from our hometowns. We’ve camped at the Marquette Tourist Park in the past, so decided to use this as our base for the weekend. I drove up Friday and met him and his family, as packet pickup was from 4-8PM. From there, we caught up, ate dinner, and then got to bed early in preparation for a 5:30AM start time!

Awaiting the start of the race!

Trail Run

The course consisted of a small loop everyone would run once, and a big loop done once by the 50k group and twice by the 50 mile group. The big loop would summit four Michigan peaks and for the 50k group result in a total elevation gain of around 3,500ft.

For context, considering most of my posts are hiking related, I have been running on and off most of my life. I’ve ran many 5k’s, 10k’s, and a hand full of half marathons, but all on the road. This was my first major trail running event and I could feel the difference from the moment we arrived in the morning. Knowing I would be pacing my friend, I could really take in the atmosphere and community. It was awesome to see everyone excited to go so early in the morning and have a sense of community and excitement vs. seriousness and competition.

We arrived around 4:45 and stretched while we awaited additional information from the Race Director. He warned us that wasps were bad this year, which we would learn first hand later that day. Additionally, he talked about the rules and safety considerations, as well as, the DNF (Did not Finish) requirements. Shortly after the overview, it was time to take off.

We ended up making our way into the back of the first Wave, which gave us the opportunity to run with many other runners for the first 6 miles until we hit the first aid station. It was here I first noticed differences between road running and trail running. The volunteers were handing out gels, HEED, and taking our needs into their hands. It was awesome to feel so welcomed and supported right from the first, informal aid station! From here, we circled back towards the starting point with our most aggressive cutoff of 9AM to beat. The challenge with this cutoff is the time to cover the first 11 miles, the terrain to navigate, and the concentration of people. Fortunately for us, things spread out and the trail became more favorable for the remaining 5 miles of this section. We ultimately had no issues meeting the cutoff, arriving around 8AM.

At this point, we found our first formal aid station and grabbed more hydration and nutrition. I was also in charge of communication to my friend’s family to let him focus on the task at hand. It was cool to be the pace and logistics coordinator, and I even had a hand written map to reference from time to time as we went along!

From here we entered the big loop, which was both daunting and exciting. For anyone that knows the Marquette area, the four peaks would be equal parts excitement and challenge. Fortunately for us, we cruised to the next aid station and from here no longer concerned ourselves with the cutoff times. We grabbed more food and made our way up Sugarloaf, one of the most famous lookouts in the state, and definitely the most famous in Marquette! This is when we got our first glimpse of the climbing to cover throughout the day, and were immediately reminded that we had a long day on our hands. As we descended, we stopped to take in the view and grab a photo together. From here, we were welcomed with 6 very run-able miles along the Lake Superior coastline following the North Country National Scenic Trail.

This stretch ended up being our biggest test of the day. The temperatures rose as we crossed into midday and what was supposed to be a 7 mile stretch between aid stations felt like an eternity! Thankfully, we were surprised by a single volunteer who had brought water to the 4.5 mile mark to help break up this stretch. This really helped set the tone for completing this challenging section and run into Harlow Lake with confidence vs. being depleted.

At this point, I had started to really embrace the trail running atmosphere and general support of the volunteers. As we grabbed snacks and hydration, I took time to ask the volunteers questions about the course and learn more about the event. We even enjoyed some bacon at this stop! Fortunately for my friend, I knew what was in store for the last 10 miles of the race. Harlow Lake is my favorite area in Marquette, and although I knew it would be challenging, it would be equal parts rewarding. We quickly summited Bareback Mountain and make our descent around the lake. Before we knew it, we were hitting our final aid station right before the ascent to Top of the World. It was this stretch where we would also start to see 50 milers running in the opposite direction, working on their second loop! I made sure to take the time to soak in the last aid station. I tried watermelon with salt, a fan favorite for the race, and even drank some coffee to help add a little caffeine kick!

The last 5 miles were awesome! It can’t be a trail race without a little “suck”. We summited two peaks: Top of the World and Hogback, and it really took all we had to do so with a smile on our face given the temperatures were now reaching 80 degrees. I love the view from Hogback, and it was one of very few times where I raced ahead of my friend and left my pacing coordination role. At this point, I knew we were going to finish strong and I really spent time soaking it all in.

As we approached the last mile or so, we discussed all that we had done to prepare for this day, and our history hiking together. 5 years prior, we had visited Marquette on this exact weekend and thought it was crazy when we heard people run this far! To be approaching the finish line ourselves, in our best hiking/running shape, was something special. In the last few yards, my friend’s family was there to greet us. It was clear they were proud of their dad and wanted to cheer him on. We crossed the finish line together, finishing how we had started. Few things in life compare to the sense of accomplishment you feel having completed something you thought might be impossible or at least brought you to second guess your own personal limits.

In conclusion, we finished this event in about 8.5 hours. We pushed our limits and were able to fully experience what it means to run trails and compete in ultra marathons. This was a very special day for myself, and for my friend, and now we’ve got one more option in our arsenal when it comes to spending time in nature!

At the finish line, 8.5 hours after the start!

Photos

All photos were taken with my phone at the time, the iPhone 12 Pro.