Events
Place
Description
Friday June 14, 2024 – 7:00pm – Race Start at Quincy St and Dakota St, Hancock, MI – Race Finish at the Houghton Pier (between the Michigan Tech Lakeshore Center and the Portage Lake District Library), Houghton, MI
Come and run or walk with or in front of your family, friends, and neighbors. We are proud to honor the memory of Thatcher Markham with this 5K run/walk event that supports the Copper Country Junior Hockey Association and Pigs 'N Heat (Copper Country Police and Fire Relief Fund) in their missions to promote youth sports and support local fire/crime victims in the Copper Country. Thatcher's family and our community tragically lost Thatcher at 12 years old as a victim of the 2018 Father's Day flood in northern Houghton County. His memory has lived on through many local events and remembrances and this race is another way to make sure he is never forgotten by everyone in the Copper Country. It is also fitting that remembering Thatcher will help us with assisting local youth sports - Thatcher himself was a longtime CCJHA player - and local first-responders in their charitable work.
This race is your only opportunity to run/walk through downtown Hancock and Houghton and over the Portage Lake Lift Bridge on closed streets. The running race and non-competitive walk (5K, 3.1 miles) precedes the 2024 Bridgefest parade – starting just west of downtown Hancock and finishing on the waterfront in downtown Houghton. You can participate in this event and not miss the parade too! The finish will be on the Houghton Pier, just a block off the parade route. We'll get there before they do!
This will be a first-class event with T-Shirts for all participants, professional chip timing and results, an accurate distance with mile splits, overall and age group awards, and safe race conditions. Not to mention probable great weather and an awesome time racing in front of a huge crowd! The TMMR is also a part of the 2024 Run the U.P. Challenge road race series as the second race on that schedule.
Add to your Bridgefest experience with a fun, fitness-oriented event. Support great causes and remember a fine young man. Set a goal, challenge yourself, and enjoy the comradery of your community both on the course and lining both sides of the street as you go by. This is a great warm-up event to prep for the Canal Run in Hancock (July 20, 2024).
Race Contact Info
More Race Info
$75 family registration fee through June 1, 2024 (up to 2 adults and up to 6 minor children of a nuclear family), save up to $65 for a family of 4!
Individual registration is just $25 per person until May 14, 2024. Registration fee jumps to $35 per person until June 12th. Online registration closes on June 12, 2024. Late registration is available on Thursday June 13, 2024 (5:00pm - 8:00pm) at Copper Country Running Company in Houghton. Race Day registration (June 14, 2024, 4:00pm – 6:00pm) is near the race start on Dakota St between Quincy and Hancock. Online registration and payment only through June 12th. Day-before, on-site registration is $40 per individual, cash or check. Race-day, on-site registration is $45 per individual, cash or check.
Parking
Park in any legal area in Houghton/Hancock on race day and proceed to the start area on foot. There will be no shuttle between the start and finish areas, which are a little over a mile apart.
Gear Check
If you would like any items taken from the start area to the finish area, bags, tags, and markers will be available for you to mark your belongings with your bib number and place them in a vehicle for transport. You can claim your items with your race bib at the finish area immediately following your completion of the course. Race officials are not responsible for lost items.
Awards
The awards ceremony will take place at the Ray Kestner Waterfront Park (bandshell/stage) as part of Bridgefest at approximately 9:30pm.
Awards and prizes for the Top Overall Male and Female, and Top Master’s (40 and up) Male and Female in the 5K run. Age group awards to the top 3 male and female finishers in the 5K run - and prizes to the age group winners - in these age groups: 12 and under, 13-15, 16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-plus.
The 5K walk is non-competitive and not judged. Walk results will be posted, but there will be no awards for the walk. If you want to do a mix of running and walking, you should register for the 5K run event. Walkers may receive awards in age groups where there are not at least 3 runners.
Results
Individual results will be available for print-out at the finish line. Full overall and age-group run results will be posted online through https://www.superiortiming.com/ within 72 hours of race conclusion. Walk results will be posted overall, but not broken down by age groups.
Disclaimers
Event postponement or cancellation due to weather conditions or other safety factors is possible and at the sole discretion of race and public safety officials. All participants should remain alert for directions from race officials and announcers and take precautions to prepare properly for varying weather conditions on race day.
No refunds of registration fees for any reason at any time.
Volunteers
It takes many great volunteers to have a great event. If you can’t run/walk or aren’t up to it, but still want to help out a great cause, please email thatchermarkhammemorialrun@gmail.com to express your interest in assisting with the race.
We need volunteers to help with organization prior to race day, race-day and day-before registration and check-in, organizing the start and finish areas, transporting racer’s gear, helping with timing (splits), helping at the aid station, leading and sweeping the race, controlling traffic, setting up the course, etc. Even if you’re participating in the event, we still need your help. And you can still catch the parade in Houghton with most volunteer positions. Let us know what position preference you may have when emailing, if any. Volunteers will need to sign a release form prior to volunteering.
Contact Info
Feel free to get in touch with us through the following methods:
E-mail: thatchermarkhammemorialrun@gmail.com
Mail: Thatcher Markham Memorial Run, PO Box 15, c/o Ryan Towles, Dollar Bay, Michigan 49922
Phone: 906-370-1935 (Ryan)
Sponsorship
We’re always open to adding new sponsors for the Thatcher Markham Memorial Run. If you’re interested in sponsoring, please email thatchermarkhammemorialrun@gmail.com for more information. Cash and in-kind contributions are welcome. All Thatcher Markham Memorial Run sponsors will have their logo (if supplied) printed on the race T-Shirts.
Directions
Intersection of Dakota St and Scott St in Hancock, MI
Race Participant Survey
Please complete the following survey to help us better understand your race experience.
