Registration is now open for all 2012 Great Lakes Endurance Events.  Registration links are located at the end of this article, within each event’s info page, and the GLE Race Calendar located on the lower right of our home page.  Great Lakes Endurance will host a record 10 events in 2012 including three snowshoe races, six trail running races, and one road race.  Two brand new events are on the 2012 calendar include the Iola Twilight Snowshoe 5K & 10K on February 4 and the much anticipated Waugoshance Trail Marathon & Half Marathon on July 14.  The Iola Twilight Snowshoe will be held under the lights (start time is 6:00 p.m.) at the much loved Iola Winter Sports Park, site of beautifully rolling nordic ski terrain.  The race will utilize a 5K lighted loop.  Iola has more lighted trail than nearly any other venue in the midwest and this one of a kind snowshoe race will embrace it with some epic snowshoe racing.  The other new event, the Waugoshance Trail Run, will include a marathon, half marathon, 5K, and Kid’s 2K.  Great Lakes Endurance is collaborating with the Little Traverse Conservancy, Wilderness State Park and the Harbor Springs Chapter of the North Country Trail to stage this new trail race on an absolutely gorgeous section of single track trail from Cross Village to Mackinaw City.  The half marathon will start in Wilderness State Park and finish in Mackinaw City.  The 5K and Kid’s 2K will be held on the Friday evening before the main events and be staged entirely on the trail system within Wilderness State Park.  In addition to these new events, we have added a half marathon to the race menu at the Pigeon River Classic, which previously featured a  10K, 5K, and Kid’s 1 Mile. A summary of the 2012 Race Calendar follows.  Each event name is linked to its registration.  A downloadable GLE Calendar is also available.

Iola Twilight Snowshoe February 4 (10K, 5K , Kid’s 800m)

Tahquamenon Snowshoe February 18 (20K, 10K, 5K, Kid’s 800m)

Keyes Peak Snowshoe March 4  (10K, 5K, Kid’s 800m)

Iola Trail Run April 15 (15K, 5K, Kid’s 2K)

Pigeon River Classic May 5 (Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kid’s 1 Mile)

Keyes Peak Trail Run June 23 (50K, Marathon, 10K, Kid’s 1 Mile)

Waugoshance Trail Run July 14 (Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Kid’s 2K)

Grand Island Trail Run July 28  (Marathon, Half Marathon, Kid’s 2K)

Tahqua Trail Run August 11 (25K, 10K, Kid’s 2K)

Hartman Creek Trail Run September 9 (25K, 10K, Kid’s 2K)

Morning sunshine sparkled on Hartman Lake near the start of the 2nd Annual Hartman Creek Trail Run on Sunday, September 11.  Tim Mutterer sang America the Beautiful and then led all participants in a choral singing of the anthem before runners headed out on the trail. One hundred thirty two runners from 10 states participated in the event, which was part of the 2011 Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series.  The course included a remarkable diversity of glaciated terrain including both pine and hardwood forest, tall grass prairie, lakes, creeks, and some of the best examples of oak savannah anywhere in the world.  Jean-Benard Flanagan of Libertyville, Illinois crossed the line first in the 25K in a course record 1:57:45.  He was the only runner to break two hours on the hilly course.  He was followed by Randall Roseen (2:10:42) from Chippewa Falls, WI and Mark Unertl (2:12:30) of Waupaca.  Unertl is also a coach of the Waupaca High School Cross Country team which served runners at aid stations on the course.  The women’s winner, Kathleen Weiland of Belgium, WI, broke the women’s course record by three minutes, finishing in 2:25:23.  Laura Rosenfield of Stevens Point, WI was four minutes back in 2:29:39 while Sarah Brinkley of Fond du Lac, WI crossed the line in 2:32:12 for third overall.  In his first trail race ever, Ron Hayes of Oshkosh, WI won the men’s 10K by 4 minutes, covering the challenging course in 45:59.  Timothy Burton of Muskego, WI was 2nd in 49:43 while Scott Blaney of Stevens Point followed closely in 49:59 for 3rd overall.  Emily Bowles of Appleton, WI  had a strong kick coming out of the woods and across the beach area to the finish, winning the women’s 10K in 50:09.  Paula Kastenson of Sturgeon Bay, WI followed in 51:04, while Kelli Gauthier of Bellingham, WA crossed the line in 52:10 for 3rd overall.  Kelli is completing her quest to run 40 trail races in 40 states in one year to celebrate her 40th birthday.  The kid’s 2K race witnessed increased participation this year.  The overall winner was 9 year old Madison Hohn of Clintonville, WI blazing the 2K loop trail around Hartman Lake in 6:45.  The overall boys winner was Nathan Pascoe of Escanaba, Michigan covering the lake loop in 7:12.  Complete results are now available.  Proceeds from the event will support Friends of Hartman Lake, the Cronies Trail Crew, and the Waupaca High School Cross Country Team.  Special thanks   are given to Park Superintendent Michael Bergum, who along with his staff helped remove 30-40 downed trees on the course from a recent high speed wind storm.