McKirdy Micro Marathon: Breaking 4
October 12, 2025
Millennium Park, Walker, MI
(just southwest of Grand Rapids, MI)
The McKirdy Micro Races are the only marathons in the world that offer a full elite experience to every participating athlete in order to give them the best chance at achieving their goal. So what exactly is the elite experience?
Personal bottles every 4 miles = fuel that works for you.
No juggling cups, no overstuffed pockets—just your exact nutrition, exactly when you need it.
Dialed-in pacers. No surging, no stress.
Just steady, goal-pace support so you can run with confidence. Stare at the scenery around you, not your watch.
A spectator-friendly course means more than just cheers.
Your crew can see you again and again - no long waits, no missed moments. More high-fives. More energy. More love, right when you need it most.
Run the shortest path to your goal.
Our marked tangent line ensures you cover exactly 26.2 miles—not 26.4. Because at 4-hour pace, every extra 1/4 mile adds 2+ minutes to your finish time.
Built for breakthroughs.
Our fast, certified course is designed to help you stay smooth, steady, and focused—so you can run your best without huge hills, sharp turns, or slowdowns.
Every finisher earns a medal. Every sub-4 earns more.
We’re celebrating the breakthrough with a $10,000 shared prize purse for all runners who finish under 4 hours. Because chasing your goal deserves recognition - and reward.
About the Race
In 2021, the McKirdy Trained coaching team created the McKirdy Micro Marathon series to help athletes run their best marathons in the midst of the pandemic and get a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon or beyond. (Micro, in this instance, refers to the small field size of the races - not the distance. Rest assured our events are all full 26.2 mile marathons.)
Our experience in these races gave us the idea that we could continue to serve athletes in this 'micro' race environment by giving them a personalized race experience they can't get anywhere else. We went on to host 4 more marathons over the next 3 years, each with a targeted focus - running an Olympic standard, an OTQ, and a sub-3 marathon. Now we turn our focus to sub-4.
The average finish time (globally) for a marathon is 4 hours 32 minutes. On October 12, we aim to lower that global average by helping as many athletes as possible break the 4 hour barrier!
To help runners accomplish this task we are set to offer total "in-race support" just like the pros get. Our race provides personal fluids, dedicated pacers, nutritional guidelines, pre-race meetings, and many more aspects that large scale races can't offer to ensure our participants have the best experience possible as well as the best chance for success!
This will be a first time experience for MANY who participate but race directors James McKirdy, Sammy McClintock, and Heather McKirdy will walk you through every detail along the way to ensure you have every opportunity to break 4 hours.
On race day, you'll be ready!
Race Location
1415 Maynard Ave SW
Walker, MI 49534 US
View Location on Map
Course
The start and finish lines are at the Meadows Pavilion in Millennium Park. The course consists of 6- 4.05 mile loops, plus an approximately 1 mile long "tail" at the start and the end. Each loop has approximately 70 feet of elevation gain.
The course is USATF certified (MI18031MN). This means that if you run a Boston qualifying time, it IS valid and can be used to register for the Boston Marathon.
Entry Standards
There are NO entry standards for the 2025 race - registration is open to all.
If you are hoping to run between 3:40 - 4:20 in the marathon this fall, this is the race for you. On race day, simply join the pace group that fits your goal. There is no need to "prove" your fitness prior to entry.
Deferrals and Refunds
No refunds are allowed. Deferrals to the 2026 event will be permitted pending race director approval. Deferral requests must be submitted no later than 10/01/25. To request a deferral, send us an email.
Marathon Awards
Finisher's Medal
McKirdy Micro: Breaking 4 has a cutoff time of 4:30:00. Every runner who finishes inside of this time will receive a finisher's medal to celebrate your achievement!
Shared Prize Purse for All Sub-4 Finishers
These aren't your typical age group awards - there is real prize money up for grabs. The McKirdy Micro Race Series introduced a shared prize purse in our 2023 OTQ event for those who achieved the goal, and we are committed to offer this same concept for all of our events.
McKirdy Micro: Breaking 4 is proud to announce a shared $10,000 prize purse for all runners who finish under 4:00:00.00 (by chip time). Let's work together to break that barrier!
Bib Pickup
Bib pickup will be hosted by Gazzelle Sports on Saturday, October 11. The time will be shared with participants once we are closer to race day.
Gazzelle Sports
3930 28th St SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Please plan to pickup your bib on Saturday! We will have a short window for last minute bib pickup on Sunday morning, but please note that race morning starts early and you will need to get your bottles to the aid station. Having your bib already in hand will eliminate stress and ensure a stress-free start.
Bottle Dropoff
Every participant will be required to drop their personal bottles off at the aid station on race morning. There will be volunteers to assist you in getting your bottles to the correct table and location (bottle position assignments and race morning instructions will be shared with participants prior to race day). You are allowed to have a friend or family member drop your bottles off for you.
If you would prefer to have us handle your bottle setup on race morning, we do offer a VIP Bottle Service as an add-on. This can help eliminate stress on race morning and gives you more time to get to the start line. With VIP Bottle Service, you will drop off your prepared bottles at bib pickup and let us do the rest! Your bottles will be waiting for you on course in your designated position.
Spots are limited - VIP Bottle Service is capped at 50 total participants.
If you have already registered but are now interested in adding VIP Bottle Service, send us a message.
Race Day Logistics
Parking
There is plenty of free parking near the start. Please park in the "The Meadows at Millennium Park" parking area near Grant Pavilion. Parking map will be distributed to participants prior to race weekend.
Bathrooms
There will be 8 portable toilets near the Start/Finish area at Grant Pavilion, and 2 portable toilets near the aid station on the main loop. Runners will pass the aid station 6 times during the race. The permanent restroom facilities in the park are not guaranteed to be open on race morning, so please plan accordingly.
Gear Check
There will be no gear check for the race. Anything left behind in the staging area at the start will be disposed of. Please leave all valuables in the car!
Small, but Not Lonely
The McKirdy Micro: Breaking 4 marathon has a 300 athlete cap. It's a small race, but not a lonely one. When you're in a group of runners with the same goal and dedicated pacers all following the same pacing plan, you simply hop in line and hang on for as long as you want. Many previous McKirdy Micro participants have said that our marathon is the first time they DIDN'T end up running solo in the second half of a race!
Our course layout also makes spectating incredibly easy for your friends and family. Every loop is 4.05 miles, so you'll be able to see your crew every 35-40 minutes!
Questions? Contact Us
If you have any questions about the race, send us a message:
