Race Week Update
Kickstart My Heart
100% Non-Profit
The Marji Gesick is one of the primary annual sources of revenue for The 906 Adventure Team – a 501(c)3 whose mission is Empowering youth to become the best version of themselves through outdoor adventure. We build after school and summer programs for kids as well as support the trails on which we ride.
2021 TRAIL DONATIONS
For example, $27,000 will go to the trails this fall.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MARQUETTE COUNTY.
PACKET PICKUP
5 – 8 PM Eastern.
Cleverly hidden behind Blackrocks Brewery, packet pickup is the place you get your number plate, pre-ordered merch and a little hydration before your event. VENDORS WILL INCLUDE RAMBA, SPORTS RACK, CEDAERO, LUME CBD, AND THE SPA OF MARQUETTE… AND OF COURSE BLACKROCKS!
EVENT START LINES, PARKING
GET TO THE START LINES EARLY. FINDING A PLACE TO PARK IS YOUR FIRST MARJI CHALLENGE.
EVENT START TIMES
100-MILE-RUN: Friday @ Noon
50-MILE RUN: Saturday @ 7:00am
100-MILE BIKE: Saturday @ 7:30am
50-MILE BIKE: Saturday @ 8:00am
MINI-MARJI: Saturday @ 8:00am
DROP BAGS
GET A TAG FROM THE VOLUNTEER STAFF AT PACKET PICKUP. FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS. WE WILL NOT TAKE YOUR BAG IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. #DOHARDTHINGS
Bring em to the start line. We’ll move em’ to Jackson Park. ONE BAG (22 x 14 x 9) per racer.
FINISH LINE
TIMING SERVICE
BUCKLE TIMES
100-MILE BIKE: 12-HOURS
100-MILE RUN: 28-HOURS
DUATHLON: 22-HOURS
CUTOFFS
It’s simple. You have two times you need to hit regardless of category:
- You have to leave Jackson Park by 2:00am Sunday morning.
- You have to finish by 8:30am Sunday morning.
THE LEMANS
A FREE 1-MILE RUN JUST FOR BIKERS
Hey, don’t forget to bring your running shoes, cause you’re gonna run.
THE LEBIKE
A FREE 1-MILE BIKE RIDE JUST FOR RUNNERS
Don’t forget a bike, cause you need to ride a mile. Helmets are your choice, but should be worn. Don’t blame us if you crash.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Please leave no trace while you’re out there racing and adventuring across Marquette County. We do not want garbage left behind the event. We feel as though we/you have done a good job being respectful but from time to time we bump into someone who claims that “Marji” race left garbage all over the place. That’s not the reputation we want create for ourselves or Marji Gesick, so be diligent and leave nothing behind.
CHECKPOINTS
Here’s a quick refresher on checkpoints.
- They will be located directly on the route.
- You will collect a token from each of them.
- You won’t know how many there are.
- You won’t know where they are.
- You need to present them at the finish line to be a #finisher.
- If you don’t have all of them – DQ.
ROAD RULES
This is the part where we sound like a broken record. Marji Gesick is a unique ultra event. Not only do we not operate aid stations, we don’t put volunteers on every corner and road crossing. Racers MUST follow road rules at all times. Respect other racers and motor vehicle traffic, even ATV vehicles you might see on the two-track connectors. No one is out there helping you make good life choices. Be alert. Have your head on a swivel.
COURSE SIGNAGE & GPS
Course signage is your primary navigational tool. We’ll put out more than 5,000 signs before race day, but you have to remember signs fall down, the wind blows them away, bears eat them, or people pull them down. That’s why we give you a gpx file and require you to use it. In the event you get off-course the gps will bring you back – assuming you know how to use it. We’ll spend the better part of a week preparing the course and double checking signage, but you still need to be prepared for worst case scenarios.
GPX pro tip: use your laptop/desktop computer for this. A newer one. Not Windows 95. Phones and GPX files don’t get along. Having a problem? Call your techy friend. They’ll figure it out. We’ve tested these on multiple devices without issue, but there’s always someone with a flip phone trying to live in the twentieth century.
Marji Gesick GEAR
We’re placing the final order for Marji Gesick Gear on Sept 26. That means that if you have not ordered your merchandise yet, this is your last chance to dance. Need a #FINISHER shirt? We got ya. Marji elevation profile? Yep. But you gotta tell us quick. Don’t be that guy who calls next month asking for something that doesn’t exist anymore (looking at you, Larry.)
We’ve got multiple designs for you to choose from, the elevation profile of the event, a support crew option and even BAD DAY (the Ojibwe translation of Marji Gesick). Get ’em now because once the deadline has passed you’re past the cutoff and will be bummed.
MG100 RIDERS – COURSE UPDATE
Listen up MG100 riders. We have a route adjustment you all need to be aware of toward the end of Lowes Trail. When you pop out on the east-west powerline you’ll be taking it east a short ways until it meets the north-south powerline. You will then follow the power line south until it meets the snowmobile trail that will take you to the new tunnel. It was signed today. Follow the new route.
Note: You will not be using the drainage tunnel this year which will affect where your family would meet you, if they plan to.
We’ve been working on this re-route for over a month. The thing to note is portions of the trail known as Lowes Trail goes through private property. The landowners have been kind enough to grant access, but also request that we refrain from riding through the area the rest of the year. We hope you will join us in respecting that wish.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Use these for your social media profiles, show everyone what the heck you’re doing this weekend.
THINGS TO KNOW
Download this, print out 5 copies, cut out your event, tape it to your phone, bike, car, bathroom mirror, and dog.
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 100-mile bike and the duathlon event both begin with a .5 mile run.
It’s the opposite of a LeMans start where riders run to their bikes. In this case, you bike 0.5 miles to your run. Bring your own bike and helmet.
Have a plan. Be prepared. Bring the right gear. Bring enough food.
Bring your drop bag to the race start line. Give it to race staff. They will move it to Jackson Park for you.
Out & Back racers can leave a drop bag at Forestville for Saturday morning.
Jackson Park is located at
199 Tobin ST
Negaunee, MI 49866
Your drop bags will be there.
It’s on the race courses at the following mileages:
100 mile events @roughly miles 65 and 85
50 mile events @roughly mile 15 and 35
Hopefully you have family or friends along.
The race does not operate aid stations or provide support. What someone else does or does not do is out of our control. If you show up expecting help from someone you are making a grave mistake.
GPS is mandatory because no one can control what is going to happen to the signs we put up. With GPS, regardless of what the weather does to the course or other variables outside our control, you can still navigate and finish the race.
You are on your own.
GPS is required.
In the event of an emergency call 911.
Road Rules apply.
You MAY accept outside nutrition & hydration assistance.
You may NOT cache anything in the woods trailside.
You may NOT accept mechanical assistance (from anyone but another rider).
There are NO race operated aid-stations.
Your bike is to be human-powered, with no level of assistance
You will not be eligble for cash or buckles without all the chips.
- Bike choice: choose what you are most comfortable and confident riding.
- Tire choice: something with side wall protection and some tread.
- Gps: Garmin units are the best and only units we can/will troubleshoot.
- Backup battery: external battery for your phone and garmin
- Appropriate charging cables for your phone and garmin
- Lights: bar mount, handlebar mount. Have backup lights available
- Tools: multi-tool, chain breaker, master link, tire lever, tubes, patches
- Hydration pack
- Food
- Water
- Change of clothes
- Rain shell
- Emergency blanket
- Cash or debit card
Does a Yooper live in da UP?
12-hours (100-mile bike)
22-hours (Duathlon)
28-hours (100-mile run)
30-hours (Out & Back)
Questions? Call Todd.
If you still have questions after reading this page your best bet at locating missing information is by calling our Race Director, Todd Poquette, on his personal cell phone (day or night). Our small staff is not able to respond to every Facebook comment, message, tweet and email that we get. Word to the wise when calling Todd: no stupid questions.
906.748.0034
Our Sponsors
It’s all about community.
We asked you to #adapt in 2020, and you did. Now we’re asking you to join us and #forge ahead. 2021 is about doing what you do best, making the most of what you have, and getting better every day.
While a lot of races out there are run by for-profit companies, that’s not the case for Marji Gesick, Polar Roll and The Crusher. All of our events are productions of the 906 Adventure Team, a 501(c)3 whose mission is to empower people to become the best version of themselves through outdoor adventure. We don’t have a large staff of people (two, to be exact) or significant overhead, and that enables us to donate a significant portion of race revenues in two ways:
Since 2015, we’ve given back more than $141,000 to the trail-builders of RAMBA, NTN, Sisu Dirt Crews, WinMan and the DCNT. We also support youth adventure programs in three communities and have plans for that number to grow in the near future.
In 2021 we’re building a learning management system to train 150+ volunteer Adventure Leaders, and have our eyes on the future: planning to grow from 500 youth served to thousands. Together with your continued support and a network of dedicated partners, we will connect kids with each other, their communities, and give them a healthy alternative to time spent on devices.