Races

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Bayshore Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Traverse City
US

Iulus Ascanius at English Wikipedia · Public domainDeb Nystrom · CC BY 2.0Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0User:Ginothewall30 · CC BY-SA 3.0Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 195 days: May 29, 2027 Sat
City · Distance: Traverse City · 42.195km · 21.0975km · 10km
Entry fee: $129Varies by event and entry period
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

2027Date May 29, 2027 · Entry Dec 1, 2026 ~

2026

2026Date May 23, 2026

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Nov 15, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This marathon is held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City, Michigan.

It is a flat out-and-back course along Grand Traverse Bay, and it can be used as a Boston qualifying time.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

Nicole SifuentesRan in 2024 · Finish time 1:37:30

“I'm really pleased with my showing based on the circumstances, and the event was a lot of fun.”

A review from a runner who finished the half marathon in 1 h 37 min 30 s. They ran thinking only one mile at a time and enjoyed the race.

Read the original on Nicole Sifuentes

Eileen MarksRan in 2017

“This was a totally stress-free experience: no hassles with packet pickup, parking, no congestion on the course, good running surfaces and good support from residents.”

A review from a Marathon Maniacs member who ran Bayshore in 2017. They agree it is among the most scenic course in the US, and everything from Packet Pickup to parking to the shuttle buses went smoothly, and the course was quiet too. They'd come back if they get the chance.

Read the original on Marathon Maniacs Member Reviews

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Bayshore Marathon Course Video (Official)
View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

First come, first served

Entry cost $129

Entries open on RunSignUp on December 1, 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The race may fill early.

Organizer's page

Charity

Entry cost TBD

There is a charity partner entry program.

Check the charity partner page on the official site for details.

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 7:15

Time limit6 hours

Full marathon 6 hours (finish closes at 1:15 p.m.)

Event	Gather	Start	Time limit	Entry fee	Field size
Marathon42.195km	—	07:15	13:15	$129	2,000
Bayshore Half Marathon21.0975km	5:00–6:30 a.m. shuttle	07:30	13:15	$124	3,300
Bayshore 10K10km	—	07:30	13:15	$60	2,000

START

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Traverse City Central High School track

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
The finish closes at 1:15 p.m.; if you arrive after that, you may not get an official time. Center Road reopens at 1:00 p.m.

Runners start · local time — Full marathon 7:15 a.m., half marathon and 10K 7:30 a.m., kids' marathon 1:30 p.m. (announced for May 29, 2027)

The Traverse City Track Club, founded in 1962, has held this race every Memorial Day weekend since 1983.

The full marathon starts at Northwestern Michigan College, covers about a mile on neighborhood streets,

then follows the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay along Birchwood Drive, East Shore Road, Center Road and Bluff Road.

You turn at the turnaround point and come back the same way, and the finish is on the track at Traverse City Central High School.

The lake is on one side and cherry orchards on the other, and many sections are shaded.

The course is paved, with almost no elevation change, which draws many runners going for a fast time.

It is a USATF-certified course whose results can be used to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

The half marathon starts near the full-marathon turnaround point and returns the same way, and the 10K turns around at the 3-mile point.

Field limits are 2,000 for the full marathon, 3,300 for the half marathon and 2,000 for the 10K.

The last 200 m before the finish are run on the stadium track, which makes the final moments special.

For the 2026 edition, the course was partly rerouted because of erosion on Bluff Road, so it differs slightly from the official course video.

Finishers receive a finisher medal and a technical shirt.

Field size: 2,000 participants
Typical race-season temperature: around 10°C (49°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Pacers

Aid stations

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Bag drop

Finisher T-shirt

Start shuttle

Race expo

Hotels623m from the start · ★8.5

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Bib pickup

The 2027 schedule has not been announced yet.
This is based on the 2026 edition.
Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (2026 edition)

Grand Traverse County Civic Center

1213 W Civic Center Dr

Google Maps Directions

Free public transit

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNorthwestern Michigan College (Dennos Museum stop)
Free public transit
Getting to the finishTraverse City Central High School

Source · checked Nov 11, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Northwestern Michigan College (Dennos Museum stop)

Free BATA Bayline buses from 4:00 am drop riders at the NMC Dennos Museum, where staff direct half marathoners to the start shuttles. Race-morning parking is limited and lots at NMC lock from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm, so free BATA buses and park-and-ride shuttles are the easiest option.

Half marathon runners board a start shuttle at Central High School in a 5:00-6:30 am wave chosen at registration.

Map

Getting to the finish

Traverse City Central High School

Free BATA park-and-ride shuttles from Meijer, Woodland Creek and NMC Hagerty Center run to the high school from 5:00 am.

Map

Source · checked Nov 11, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The full marathon starts at 7:15 a.m., and the half marathon and 10K start at 7:30 a.m. For the half marathon you must take a shuttle to the start;

choose a boarding time between 5:00 and 6:30 a.m. when you register.

The full marathon and 10K start at Northwestern Michigan College, so you can walk there.

Parking lots fill early, and once the race starts you cannot leave them from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The local bus system BATA runs free buses from 4:00 a.m.,

and shuttles run from park-and-ride lots (Meijer and others), which makes getting there easier.

Put your gear in a drop bag marked with your bib number, leave it near the start, and pick it up near the finish.

There are 18 aid station the full-marathon course, offering water and lemon-lime Gatorade.

Gels are also available at 7 of them.

Taking aid from outside supporters can get you disqualified, so be careful.

In May, the average daytime high is about 21°C and the low about 7°C.

The time limit is 6 hours, and the finish closes at 1:15 p.m., so if you arrive after that you may not get an official time.

For lodging, places near the bay are close to the start and the shuttle boarding area.

Book early for race week.

It is safer to collect your bib at the Friday expo.

If you're running the half marathon, get to the boarding area 30 minutes before the start, and don't forget your wristband.

Parking passes for the half marathon start area cost $30, and only 250 are sold.

Family members cheering for you can take a free spectator shuttle from the high school to Blue Water Rd. and Grey Rd.

Times are local to Traverse City. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Cambria Hotel Traverse City

Hotel · 636m · 10-minute walk

9.2/10(77)

View on Booking.com

Traverse City Car Rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on EconomyBookings

Movie Stars Wine Tour by SUV in Old Mission

$68

Bayshore Marathon

About Bayshore Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run