The Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon is an event through Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan.
Centered on a downtown start and finish, it links residential neighborhoods with local landmarks,
and the official course description highlights a section through Waldo Stadium.
It is a race where you can experience the town’s support and urban scenery up close,
with full marathon joined by half marathon, a relay, 10 km and 5 km run/walk events, and children’s races.
The event grew out of the Borgess Run for the Health of It, created to promote health.
Borgess’s John Daly proposed a run aimed at supporting health through exercise and rehabilitation, and it became an established local event.
A 5 km walk, longer races and half marathon were added over time, and the introduction of full marathon expanded the scope of the running festival.
The race history describes a continuing celebration not only of finishes and times, but also of health, perseverance and community.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the event switched to a virtual run before returning to an in-person race under the name Zeigler Kalamazoo.
When full marathon returned, the starts and finishes for every event were moved downtown, bringing the city and the race closer together.
It is now an official event of the Drive for Life Foundation.
A challenge program for participants aiming to run a marathon in every U.S. state also connects a visit to Michigan with local running.
This race carries a history that began as a community event for health and has grown into a citywide festival of running distances.
