Hundreds of Midland residents enjoy running for pleasure and for competition, forming a close running community, says Greater Midland Race Director Jennifer Adamcik.
She said Greater Midland offers four races in the summer: the Dow RunWalk in early June; Tri-Kids-Try, a youth triathlon in July; and Run the River and Loons Pennant Race, both in August.
“When it comes to a race ... that’s where community comes together and all celebrate the joy of running together,” Adamcik said. “At Greater Midland ... we like to draw the community together to do healthy activities and get out there together to enjoy the great outdoors.”
Adamcik said the races attract many different people to the region.
For example, the Dow RunWalk has been in Midland for nearly 40 years and draws in about 1,300 runners each year. Meanwhile, Tri-Kids-Try draws children from around 40 communities from all over Michigan, reaching over 350 participants, Adamcik said.
Maggie Rettelle is a competitive marathoner and triathloner and a volunteer with Greater Midland races. She started running some years ago with her daughter for Girls on the Run, then began joining 5K and 10K races and, eventually, endurance races.
Rettelle said even though Midland is a small city, it has a big and close community of runners, who often meet at the races, in groups for a run or just on a trail while running.
“I always feel like when I go out on the trail, I can say hi to someone or meet someone,” Rettelle said. “You may not know their name, but it’s a friendly face that you see.”
Chad Van Slembrouck, general manager at Runners Athletic Company, echoed Rettelle’s statement.
“The great thing about Midland is there’s a lot of different places to run,” he said. “You have City Forest, which gives you some trails, and then you have the Rail Trail. ... There’s a lot of nice areas to run in Midland, so it’s a pretty big running community there.”
Adamcik said the Midland running community unites people of different ages: from young kids to elderly people. Some runners just do it for pleasure once a week and others are competitive athletes, she said.
Van Slembrouck said one misconception is that you have to run marathons to be considered a runner. He said many people run for their mental health and to stay fit.
“It is an activity that doesn’t cost a lot to get into, and so I believe that more and more people choose to do it because of that,” Adamcik said. “They can just throw on a good pair of tennis shoes and go out wherever they’re at. I think that’s one of the beauties of running.”
Another beauty of running, Adamcik said, is that individuals feel connectivity with friends through this common interest.
“It brings people together and no matter what level of runner you are, what pace you run ... you’ll have somebody to run with,” she said.
Rettelle said the community of runners in Midland is what made her believe in herself, guided her into the sport and provided her with advice.
“What got me to start running and even think I could attempt a marathon was the community and the connection with friends that supported me,” Rettelle said. “Things that draw me to the races and to running in general, it’s really the support and the connection you have with others.”
Van Slembrouck said the Runners Athletic Company, an independent running specialty store, is ready to help beginners with selecting proper shoes and gear. He said they do free fitting services, and they have stores in Midland, Saginaw, Bay City and Mount Pleasant.
“If you are just getting into running or just starting to walk more, it can be intimidating to come into a store like ours, but we're a very inclusive store,” he said. “We really welcome everybody; doesn't matter if you're just starting out, doesn't matter if you ... run from your garage to your driveway, we're here to help you out.”
Rettelle said she now runs because it also makes her feel accomplished.
“The biggest benefit of running is ... the sense of doing something good for yourself and that then pays off,” she said. “There’s the benefits of being in good shape so that you have endurance to do whatever life throws at you.”
Van Slembrouck said he has been running for about 20 years and said he sees many benefits of it for his physical and mental health.
“You have a long day, you want to clear your head, (and) going up for a run is a great way to do that,” Van Slembrouck said. “There's a lot of physical health benefits to running, and then there's actually a lot of social benefits to running.”
Running is good to do by yourself and good for meeting new people and making new friendships, he said.
“Running has become a big part of my life, not only for my physical health, but it has created the social support and a really good structure to my life,” Rettelle said. “If you’re missing something in your life, why not try running?”
