Grand Island Trail Marathon

Event overview

Grand Island is a trail running event on Grand Island, offshore from Munising, Michigan, held on July 25, 2026. The event is presented by Great Lakes Endurance and, beginning with the 2026 season, is operated by Aravaipa Running. The combined field is limited to 500 entrants. Registration closes July 20, 2026. Race fees include roundtrip shuttle bus and ferry transportation, a race shirt (by deadline), a finisher medallion, and post-race refreshments.

Courses and logistics

Distances offered:

• 50K
• Marathon
• Half Marathon

Courses follow the island perimeter and interior trails with a mix of singletrack, two-track, narrow dirt roads, dirt forest roads and sections of sandy beach. Notable features include Trout Bay, Echo Lake, the tombolo, and Jacobsville sandstone cliffs up to 300 ft. Key statistics listed by the organizer: the 50K is 31.8 miles with 1,891 ft total elevation gain and 938 ft max elevation; the marathon is 27 miles with 1,505 ft gain and 823 ft max; the half marathon is 14.64 miles with 415 ft gain.

Aid stations: the 50K has stations at 4, 7, 11, 16, 22 and 27 miles; the marathon shares these except mile 27; the half has stations at 4 and 9 miles. All runners must carry a 20 oz water bottle or functional hydration system to refill at aid stations. A large tent near the start/finish stores drop bags; items left on the island are returned to the mainland ferry store. The race number serves as the shuttle and ferry pass; the ferry ride to the island takes about 10 minutes. Age-group awards and finisher medallions are given. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.