Cycling & running events in Traverse City, 2026

Traverse City Training Notes

Running: Locals run the Boardman Lake Trail when they want a clean 4-mile loop with minimal street crossings. The main loop is 4 miles, and side trails can stretch the day up to four miles. The Boardman River Trail supports out-and-backs up to 10 miles and beyond when Z2 needs dirt and shade. East Shore Running Club meets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for about six miles, with coffee after some runs. Traverse City Track Club keeps the calendar full. Bayshore Marathon and Traverse City Trail Running Festival are the anchor events.

Cycling: Cherry Capital Cycling Club riders know the Old Mission Peninsula Loop as a club favorite with water views of both East and West Bays. Old Mission Peninsula carries the climbs, the orchard rollers, and the base miles that make this place feel coastal but punchy. The climbs hit 523 m over 2 km. The climbs rack up 700 m of elevation over 4 km. VASA Pathway brings singletrack, and the Blood route keeps gravel folks honest. Tour de TART is the easy anchor ride.

Season: Traverse City feels best in warm, mild summer, when locals stack intervals, long rides, and Wednesday evening Traverse City Track Club Summer Series races. The National Cherry Festival brings the city a busy July feel, and Old Mission Peninsula makes summer rides about cherries, vineyards, water views, and the Old Mission General Store ice cream stop. Winter changes the whole rhythm. Lake-effect snow drives much of the annual total, which averages around 80 inches or 203 cm, and snowfall periods typically last from November to April, so runners accept icy roads and cyclists shift toward Vasa Winter Loop plus Yeti's Revenge.