Event Overview
Are you up to the Challenge?
The event is challenging, but not impossible. Appropriate for any person of average physical capabilities from first time racers, to high school athletes and professional triathlon competitors, anyone looking for a healthy challenge will find this event of interest. Best of all, there’s no swimming required!
The challenge is there for the competitive athlete, however, if you can walk, run, paddle, and bike, the overwhelming beauty of the area and the camaraderie of those attending will make this event worthy of your participation. Make the M-22 Challenge your goal for this summer.
The Route
BIKE – RUN – PADDLE
The course is to be designed to take average athlete approximately two hours to complete. The M-22 Challenge will begin at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park (aka Little Glen Lake Picnic Area) located on the northwest corner of Little Glen Lake at 9:00am.
The first leg requires athletes to bike approximately 17 miles around Big and Little Glen Lake. Bike highlights include a peddle through downtown Glen Arbor, sections along the Crystal River and the famous M-22, and of course, Inspiration Point. The Leelanau County Sheriffs Department will be leading the bikers in a “rolling enclosure” that will allow athletes use of the entire right lane of the roads.
For the second running portion, athletes will cross the street into the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Parkshore “Dune Climb” park and face a steep and sandy climb up the dune. The reward at the top is the view! Competitors will then catch their breath in a fun run down the dune and along a groomed trail to M-109. On the road, runners will sprint back to the event site and transition area to complete the 2 mile run. Approximately half of the run will take place on pavement.
Transitioning from a bike to the water, the third and final portion of the event has participants paddling out and back into Little Glen Lake for approximately 1 mile. Athletes are only allowed to use one (1) paddle to hand power their chosen craft (kayak, standup paddle board, anything else you can dream up! etc.) A two blade paddle is allowed, but in no way can the paddle be fixed to the craft. The finish line of the event will be located in the water, guaranteed to create an exciting finish!
What do I need to participate?
Athletes are required to supply their own bikes (road bikes or mountain bikes) and helmet as well as their own water transportation (kayak/canoe/stand up paddle board/etc) and paddle. Kayak rental is available at event check-in through Crystal River Outfitters at a discounted rate.
Finally, we encourage you to train so you can push yourself in the race.
Grab a friend and register now!
Don’t forget to bring your friends and family to cheer you on at 9:00am on June 20th 2009. The transition area and finish will be exciting to watch and Glen Arbor is an excellent place to spend a summer day.
Parking
*Please note there is a parking fee charged by the National Park Shore* All spectators, volunteers, and participants please park at the Dune Climb parking lot and walk across the street down M-109 to the Event Site. There is very limited parking at the Event Site. You can learn more by visiting the National Park Service Website.
Lodging
There are so many options for places to stay and it’s the perfect time to be in Northern Michigan if you are a traveler. We recommend making reservations ahead of time if you plan to stay at a hotel. Check out the Glen Arbor Chamber Website. for great options. If you want to camp visit the DH Day Campground Website.
Those Important Details…
- Event begins at 9:00AM sharp on June 12, 2010.
- Event staging takes place from 7-8:30am at the event site. Bike start staging opens at 8:45am.
- All participants must pre-register online, there is no on-site registration.
- All participants must Check-In between 5 and 9 pm June 11, 2010 at Event Site – Little Glen Lake Picnic Area OR between 5 and 7 pm June 10, 2010 at the M-22 store in downtown Traverse City.
- Please bring bikes and water craft to Check-In at Event Site (or before the race in the morning) to establish your placement.
- Kayak rental available upon Registration, advanced reservations recommended.
- Registration is $75 per participant. There will be a $25 late registration fee after June 11, 9pm.
Event Trophies
Top three places in both men and ladies divisions will receive trophies, along with “King and Queen of the Dune.”
Course 1- Bike
The M-22 Challenge will commence with the bike portion of the event. At 8:45am thletes will stage in a closed off area on M-109 at the event site. Once we announce the start of the race at 9am, riders will pass through the starting line heading north. This road makes a sharp right-hand turn and leads into downtown Glen Arbor. Bikers will pass through downtown and local hot spots like Arts Tavern, Totem Shop, and Crystal River Outfitters and merge onto M-22. The route leads on Highway M-22 following the Crystal River up to County Road 675 where riders make another right-hand turn and continue along the eastern edge of Big Glen Lake up to Inspiration Point. The route then follows along the southern edge of Big and Little Glen Lake back onto M-22 briefly, then merges onto Welch Road and then turns onto Harriger and back onto M-109. Bikers then sprint back to the event site and into the transition area to prepare for the paddle course.
Below is a detailed map of the bike course:
Course 2- Run
Athletes will stage in the Little Glen Lake Park parking lot, pass through the starting line and cross over M-109 then continue into the Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore Park.
Competitors will then face an approximately 100 yard climb up the sand dune, bank left around a marker, run a short sprint along the top of the dune, and then make another left for a run down the dune face. Don’t let this portion of the event intimidate you! We have run it plenty of times; it is challenging – but not as difficult as you think.
Once off the dune, a short groomed trail will lead runners back on to M-109 where the running portion concludes with a sprint back to the main event site and into the transition area.
Check out the course map below!
Course 3- Paddle
Once athletes finish with the biking portion, they will pass through the staging area, pick up their paddle craft, and launch into the water for a 1 mile paddle. The course begins by heading directly east to a designated point. *Note to participants, there are some very shallow spots in this section so be prepared. The bottom is all sand, but will require strategic navigation to excel. Athletes will make a right-hand turn around a buoy and head directly west with stunning views to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Participants then make a final right-hand turn around the second buoy and head into the final stretch through the finish line.
Below is a detailed map of the exact paddle:
Event Rules
Since there is a cut-off for amount of participants in this event, no refunds will be given for any reason. We are not responsible for late arrivals and hold the right to refuse any entry after staging/transition area is closed. Bikes and kayaks/SUP’s/etc. MUST be placed in proper location during the alloted staging time. Please respect the event management and volunteers, profanity will not be tolerated, along with any type of littering. Automatic Disqualification to any athlete that throws any type of refuse on the course at any point, we ask that you please leave clean tracks and put garbage in the designated bins. For the bike portion, riders are required to stay as close as possible to the white line on the road, absolutely no crossing of the yellow line. Helmets are mandatory for the biking portion.
