Sat, Sep 12, 2026

Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk

Mackinac Island, MI

Registration openAnnual since at least 2024

8 Miles800 Yards

Entry is $60 now and rises to $65 after Aug 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk

The course follows the perimeter road that rings the island, so water is visible for most of the route. There are no cars here at all, which changes how a race feels: the road belongs entirely to runners, cyclists, and the occasional horse-drawn carriage. The terrain is mostly coastal and flat, with the shoreline on one side and forested bluffs rising on the other.

Getting to the start means taking a ferry, so plan the morning around that crossing. The island itself is small enough that once you arrive, everything is close together, and the perimeter road is easy to find.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a big field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

8 Miles · 2025 results

1,211finishers

38:05winner

1:26:46median

3:37:56cutoff

Top 3: Ethan Gregg (38:05) · CarLee Stimpfel (38:28) · Awet Beraki (39:09)

The Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk has been held every year since at least 2024. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 8 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

8 Miles9/12/2026 09:30$60

800 Yards9/12/2026 11:45$15

8 Miles9/12/2026 09:30$60

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk

Will I finish last at the Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk?

Almost certainly not. Half the 8 Miles field finished slower than 1:26:46, and the last recorded finisher came in around 3:37:56, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk a good first 8 Miles?

With 1,211 finishers there are runners at every pace, so you are never out on your own. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 8 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Mackinac Island Eight Mile Run & Walk?

The 8 Miles winner ran 38:05 while the median finisher took 1:26:46. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.