Grand Traverse Insights

1. What do you like best about this course? What inspires you to organize the race year after year?

The route is truly stunning, offering a wide range of terrain that keeps the experience engaging from start to finish. While the point-to-point logistics add a layer of complexity, they are also what make the race so distinctive- beginning in one mountain town and finishing in another creates a strong sense of journey and accomplishment. The trail running community itself is made up of genuinely good people, and our volunteers are nothing short of incredible. Their energy, kindness, and constant smiles bring light to long days and are a vital source of motivation for our small staff throughout the event.

2. What is unique about your local running community?

What I appreciate most about our local running community is the combination of deep passion for the sport and an unpretentious, grounded approach to it. Most people are balancing full 9- 5 jobs, yet still find ways to sneak in epic adventures before the workday begins or after it ends. Weekends often revolve around the familiar 20-plus-mile outing, not as a performance statement but as a shared ritual. Throughout it all- long miles, early alarms, and tired legs- snacks, community, and humility remain at the center. That balance is what makes this group special: committed without being showy, ambitious without losing perspective.

3. If the course were a piece of art, would you classify it as a painting, music composition, film or graffiti? Does it remind you of any specific artistic piece/genre?

This is a great question, and a tricky one. Way Down We Go by KALEO feels especially fitting for the Grand Traverse. It is powerful, brooding, and relentless- much like the long days and countless miles racers commit to long before they ever reach the start line, and the sustained effort required throughout the event itself. The song’s shifting intensity mirrors the inevitable dark moments along the course, when forward progress becomes more about resolve than speed. Its lyrics speak to reckoning with consequences and confronting personal challenges, themes that resonate deeply within the Grand Traverse community. Many racers choose this event to mark significant moments in their lives- another year of sobriety, a return to strength after childbirth, a milestone birthday, or simply the need to move through a difficult chapter. In that way, the song captures not just the physical demands of the race, but the personal meaning each participant carries with them across the mountains.

4. Think back over the years...do you have any funny/scary/interesting stories about this race you can share?

Patty-O from Outside TV featured the GT in his episode, "Patty O Sucks at Ultrarunning", and it is well worth the watch. His humor is sharp and self-aware, keeping you smiling throughout, while still leaving room for an honest portrayal of the demands of training, his personal motivations, and the emotional weight that carries him through the race. He strikes a rare balance- never taking himself too seriously, yet never diminishing the difficulty of the effort. Watching him cross the finish line, much like witnessing so many racers at the GT, is both heartwarming and genuinely inspiring.

A couple of years ago, a new mom reached out to ask if she could pack her breast pump in her Taylor Pass drop bag. She was six months postpartum, and training for the GT was her way of showing up as the best version of herself for her new son. The consistency of training had become an important tool in managing her anxiety and depression. Receiving that email was a powerful reminder of the many unseen layers each racer carries with them on race day. She was not only recovering from the extraordinary physical act of giving birth, but also preparing to take on a demanding 40-mile trail run. When she came over Taylor Pass, our volunteers immediately recognized her, ran to retrieve her drop bag, and escorted her to a private space so she could pump. When she crossed the finish line later that day, she was glowing- and was greeted by her son, who smiled from ear to ear when he saw her. Even now, writing about it brings tears to my eyes. That moment captures exactly what this event is all about and the inspiring humans that participate. 

5.  What advice do you have for runners preparing to participate in the Grand Traverse?

Don’t forget your reasons why. For me, this is always grounding when setting out on longer adventures. Taking the time to ask why you are showing up, and what you hope to gain from the experience, creates an anchor long before things become difficult. And they will become difficult; there are always low moments, regardless of how often or how long you trained. When that happens, pause to thank your body for the opportunity, take in your surroundings, and return to your why. More often than not, that perspective is what carries you forward.