The race runs through Grand Rapids, with the city itself as the backdrop. The course has a reputation for taking runners through varied neighborhoods rather than looping a single area, which keeps the scenery moving. Several distance options share the same start, so the field is a mix of people out for very different mornings.
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Going by the 2026 results, this is a big field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.
Top 3: Jorden Sowash (1:08:35) · Todd Buckingham (1:09:09) · Sam Martens (1:11:06)
Top 3: Michael Hunter (2:25:51) · Charles Rodeheffer (2:31:00) · Elliott Lipe (2:31:33)
Top 3: Austin Enns (35:49) · Jonathan Holt (36:53) · Dawson Block (38:35)
Top 3: Isaac Skinner (16:32) · Chad Gerencer (16:58) · Emily Allison-Siep (18:12)
The University of Michigan Health-West Grand Rapids Marathon has been held every year since at least 2007. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.
Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 13.1 Miles results.
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 Nov 12, 2026.
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.
Not sure what to aim for? The marathon pace chart lists the pace for every finish time.
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Almost certainly not. Half the 13.1 Miles field finished slower than 2:07:00, and the last recorded finisher came in around 5:47:11, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.
With 1,880 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 13.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.
The 13.1 Miles winner ran 1:08:35 while the median finisher took 2:07:00. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.
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