2023 - M22 Challenge

M22 Challenge

Beginning with a shotgun start in the south-bound lane of M-109, Athletes will pass through the starting line and continue into the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. 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! 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. Remember, this years King and Queen of the Dune will be won by the first male and first female to complete the entire running portion. So that means you have to be the fastest from the start of the race to the finish of the run. Once athletes complete the run portion of the event, they will enter the south end of the transition area to gear up for the 17 mile bike ride. There will be a designated area where competitors can mount their bike and head straight north on M-109. This road makes a sharp right-hand turn and leads into downtown Glen Arbor. Bikers will pass through downtown and merge onto M-22. M-22 will take you along 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, merges 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. 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 2.5mile paddle. The course begins by heading directly south to a designated point. Athletes will make a left-hand turn around a buoy and head east. Participants then make a final left-hand turn around the second buoy and head into the final stretch for spectacular views of the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb. About 20 yards from shore, athletes will dismount their kayak or SUP and run through the water into the finish corral and over the finish line.