Loop The Lake 2026

Description

About the Event: Come celebrate the Boardman Lake Loop Trail! The Traverse City Track Club presents Loop The Lake, a 4-mile, 8-mile, and 2-person relay trail race around Boardman Lake, just south of downtown Traverse City. The race will follow the Boardman Lake Loop Trail, which includes mostly pavement, as well as some gravel, bridges, and boardwalks.

The 4 mile event is open to runners and walkers. The 8 mile event is recommended for runners only.

Course closes at 8pm sharp!

Distance: 4 miles Exactly! This race has been certified by the USATF.

The individual 8 mile and relay (2 people run 4 miles each - 1 at a time) will be slightly over 8 miles.

Giveaway:

Everyone will receive a Loop the Lake RaceTracker technical Run-Dri running cap. New for 2026, we are also excited to welcome Playa Bowls, serving up açaí, coconut, and mango bowls for all finishers, along with some beverages.

Awards:

The top 3 overall and top 3 masters (40+) for male and female in the 4-mile and 8-mile event will receive a custom plate hand-crafted at ClaySpacetc just down the road!

Age group top 3 (5-year age groups to 80 and up) for the 4-mile and 8-mile event will receive a custom clay Loop The Lake 2026 medal.

Relay awards for top male team, female team, coed team, masters* male team, masters* female team, and masters * coed team.

*Masters teams are a combined age of 100+

About the Course: The race will follow the Boardman Lake Loop Trail, starting and finishing in Hull Park on the north side of the lake . The east side is a heavily wooded segment featuring gentle curves and a mix of pavement, boardwalk, and some gravel surface. The southern end features two bridges over the Boardman/Ottway River and an extended boardwalk over the Boardman Lake Cove (pictured above). The west side is pavement, and the northern end features one bridge over the Boardman River.

Check out the map here! We will be running in a clockwise direction.

The course will be open to the general public; however, the upcoming race will be heavily announced and signage provided for the public's awareness.

Start Details:

The race will include a wave start at Hull Park . Runners will be asked to line up according to their estimated finish time.

Wave Starts:

We want to ensure a safe and great experience for all participants. We will utilize a wave start on an honor basis (participants will line up according to their expected finish time) to distribute runners and walkers on the trail. Volunteers will be on hand to help determine waves.

Parking:

Loop the Lake is an Urban Trail race. While there will not be parking available within Hull Park, there are many parking options nearby within walking distance, including multiple parking decks. Please do not park at any apartment complexes or within the Brick Wheels parking lot.

Packet Pickup/Late Registration - Hull Park:

Packet Pickup begins at 4pm on Friday, September 4th right at Hull Park! Online registration will be open up until 5:45pm on race day. QR codes will be available to signup online at the event. No cash or paper registration available.

Background:

"This beautiful and highly anticipated Loop is the product of meaningful, high-impact collaboration, years of support, gumption, and hard work from many facets of the community. Thanks to the passion and persistence of countless individuals and trail project partners, the Loop is now a reality and serves as the crown jewel and centerpiece of the TART Trails network. We are thrilled to share this monumental moment with the community" (TART Trails website).

The Boardman Lake Trail is owned by the City of Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, and Garfield Township. TART Trails works with the City, County, and Township to support the development and maintenance of the trail.