Race Discovery
Sleeping Bear Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K
Sleeping Bear Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K logo

Sleeping Bear Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

Empire, Michigan, United States View on map
Oct 03, 2026 (America/Detroit local time)
Running

About this race

Join us for a Scenic Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K Run/Walk in the Heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

All races finish in Empire, MI. The Marathon and Half Marathon start at the Dune Climb, while the 5K begins at Empire Beach.

Marathon Course: This out-and-back route takes runners past the iconic Dune Climb, Little Glen Lake, and through the charming village of Glen Arbor. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Manitou Islands and Sleeping Bear Dunes throughout the course.

Half Marathon Course: Experience challenging hills and stunning scenery along the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.

5K Course: A fun out-and-back route that finishes at the beautiful shores of Empire Beach.

Held at the peak of fall color season, this tree-lined course offers a memorable experience for both runners and spectators alike. Come see why Good Morning America calls this area one of the most beautiful in the United States!
 

Pick your distance

Running

Full Marathon

Oct 03, 2026 Marathon 7:30 AM
$125.00
Open

Half Marathon

Oct 03, 2026 Half-Marathon 8:00 AM
$120.00
Open

5K

Oct 03, 2026 5K 8:20 AM
$60.00
Open

Typical race-day weather

Based on 11 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Empire, plus the 3 days either side.

Temp (°C)
Minimum temperature (race-week average) 11.4° / Maximum temperature (race-week average) 15.7°
Feels Like (°C)
Minimum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 9.8° / Maximum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 15.6°
Peak wind (km/h)
Strongest wind of the day (race-week average)
26.3
Precip (mm)
Precipitation over the day (race-week average)
4.5mm
Humidity
Mean relative humidity (race-week average)
78.8%
Sunrise
Sunrise at the start line on October 3, 2026 (EDT)
Sunset
Sunset at the start line on October 3, 2026 (EDT)
Daylight
Hours between sunrise and sunset on race day
11h 36m

The sun rises at 7:44 AM and sets at 7:21 PM local time (EDT) in Empire on October 3, 2026 — 11h 36m of daylight.

Course

No course map published yet.

The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.

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Results — Sleeping Bear Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

2025 edition View Results
2024 edition View Results
2023 edition View Results
2022 edition View Results
2021 edition View Results
2020 edition View Results
2018 edition View Results
2015 edition View Results

Other races near Empire

Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months

🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Empire

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Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.

  • Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
  • Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
  • Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
  • Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 3 Empire events

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