Kal-Haven Trail Run to be Held in November- Here’s How You Can Finish Your First Ultramarathon

Usually run on a Saturday in early Spring, Southwest Michigan's premier ultramarathon event has moved to a Fall Sunday. There's still time to train and register for the Kal-Haven Trail Run.

The trip from Kalamazoo to South Haven is a nice drive, one people make a number of times every summer to head to Lake Michigan. Once a year, runners traverse the 33.5 miles of the Kal-Haven Trail on foot. Some team up for relays of 3-6 people, others run in pairs and solo runners tackle the entire rails-to-trails route.

No doubt, it seems intimidating. The distance is farther than the 26.2 miles that certify a marathon event. I can tell you, if you've ever run a half or a full marathon, you can do this. You don't have to start the 13-week training plan until the last week of June, and the long days are only 7 miles the first week and 8 miles in week 2. Follow the plan one day at a time and by November 1, you will be able to go the distance and collect some serious hardware.

The original 2020 date has been moved to Sunday, November 1. The event begins in Kalamazoo at the Kal-Haven Trail's 10th Street trailhead and finishes in South Haven. Kal-Haven Trail Run benefits Girls on the Run of Greater Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Area Runners. There are a limited number of entries available for the race. Registration ends when the field is full, or on October 28.