Racers run, snowshoe, bike and use a map and compass to find checkpoints. Photo:  Jamie Gaysbeek Photography.

By Howard Meyerson

More than 400 hearty winter adventurers will test their mettle and wits this weekend when they gather in the woods outside of Grand Rapids to compete in the 5th annual Michigan Adventure Race Winter Edition – the largest winter adventure race in the U.S.

“It’s us against the elements; we don’t race against the clock,” declares 44-year-old, Kent Snoeyink, a retired Standale school teacher who will team up with his 16-year-old daughter, Hannah, and compete for a third time. “It’s fun thing to check off on my bucket list – and it’s a thrill to compete with Hannah. I’ve run marathons and mud runs. Marathons are boring. This has a lot of variety.”

That variety – running, snowshoeing, fat-tire cycling and navigating the 6-mile route by map and compass – is drawing the race’s largest crowd yet, according to organizer, Mark VanTongeren.

To find out more about the race and the fun and challenges the competitors face, take a look at my latest piece on the Experience GR Blog, published by the city of Grand Rapids. Read more: Largest winter adventure race in the U.S.