Just being part of the road races on Mackinac Island is reward enough for most participants, given the sheer beauty of the courses that traverse the USA’s Best Summer Travel Destination. Yet, some runners just can’t stop their competitive juices from flowing. For those speedsters, inspiration comes from the pursuit of a first-place medal – or maybe even a record time.

If you’re one of those runners who aspires to finish on the podium, then take a look at what it takes to win one of Mackinac Island’s four annual footraces. Here are the fastest times in each event over the past decade:

Mackinac Island’s Fort2Fort 5 Mile Challenge

The Fort2Fort 5 Mile Challenge is held each May and invites runners (and walkers!) to make their way from Fort Mackinac all the way up to Fort Holmes at the highest point of Mackinac Island, then back. The 5-mile course is anything but flat.

  • The best men’s time is 28:31, set in 2025 by 19-year-old Drew Moore from Grayling, Mich. That’s a 5:42 per mile pace.
  • The best women’s time is 31:35, set in 2018 by Julia Viel, then a 32-year-old from Boulder, Colo. That’s a 6:19 per mile pace.

Four women pose along the lakeshore after running in the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival 10K race

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival 10K Run & Walk

The Lilac Festival 10K is held each June as part of the annual Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. The course begins downtown and then heads up into the tree-covered interior of the island along paved paths including British Landing Road, which cuts clear across the “turtle’s back,” so to speak, then back down to Lake Shore Drive for a waterfront finish along the western half of the island.

  • The best men’s time is 33:42, set in 2019 by then-20-year-old Hamish Wolfe from Harbor Springs, Mich. That’s a 5:26 per mile pace.
  • The best women’s time is 37:54, set in 2025 by 20-year-old Sidney Swick from Bronson, Mich. That’s a 6:06 per mile pace.

A woman poses on the Mackinac Island boardwalk after completing a road running race

Mackinac Island Eight Mile

The Mackinac Island Eight Mile takes place each September and follows the iconic route all the way around Mackinac Island on Lake Shore Drive. It’s mostly flat with water views (and lake breezes!) the whole way.

  • The best men’s time is 37:58, set in 2023 by then-25-year-old Christopher Alfond from Rochester Hills, Mich. That’s a 4:45 per mile pace.
  • The best women’s time is 43:22, set in 2023 by then-27-year-old Jessie Cardin from Rochester Hills, Mich. That’s a 5:26 per mile pace.

A man runs along the waterfront with the Mackinac Bridge in the background

Mackinac Island’s Great Turtle Trail Run

The Great Turtle Trail Run is held each October as part of Mackinac Island’s Halloween Weekend. The half-marathon option starts and ends along Lake Shore Drive on the eastern side of the island, with the majority of the race taking place on both paved and gravel trails up in the state park forest and on the East and West bluffs.

  • The best men’s time for the half-marathon is 1:14:21, set in 2019 by then-40-year-old Stephen Eles from Houghton, Mich. That’s a 5:41 per mile pace.\
  • The best women’s time for the half marathon is 1:26:30, set in 2019 by then-26-year-old Emily Short from St. Johns, Mich. That’s a 6:37 per mile pace.

The first half of the 5.7-mile option winds through the trails above the eastern side of the island, then comes back down to Lake Shore Drive for a finish at Mission Point Resort.

  • The best men’s time for the 5.7-mile course is 29:07, set in 2023 by then-27-year-old Ian Torchia from Ann Arbor, Mich. That’s a 5:07 per mile pace.
  • The best women’s time for the 5.7-mile course is 34:24, set in 2023 by then-27-year-old Kameron Torchia from Ann Arbor, Mich. That’s a 6:03 per mile pace.

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