Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival
The Ludington Area Jaycees annual Freedom Festival is one of the few great July 4th festivals still in existence in Michigan.
Photo by Miguel Amutio on Unsplash.com
The M-22 Challenge held in mid-June near Glen Arbor, is a challenging multi-sport event. Anyone, from first time racers to professional competitors are welcome to compete but the event will definitely challenge all athletes.
Registration is typically $195 per participant which includes an event shirt, event bag, and the use of a timing chip. The event is limited to the first 900 registered participants.
The course covers 22 miles and begins at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore park in the Little Glen Lake Picnic Area. Part of the run involves a 100-yard Dune Climb with half of the 2.5 mile run occurring on pavement.
The next portion is a 17 mile bike ride around Big and Little Glen lakes. Bicyclists go through downtown Glen Arbor, along sections of the Crystal River and M-22 and Inspiration Point.
The final portion is the paddle and is, by far, the most challenging. Using only one paddle to power their chosen craft, participants paddle out and back into Little Glen Lake for 2.5 miles.
Empire is approximately 24 miles west of Traverse City at the junction of M-72 and M-22. Click the larger view of the map for detailed directions
M-22 Store in Traverse City
(231) 360-9090
The Ludington Area Jaycees annual Freedom Festival is one of the few great July 4th festivals still in existence in Michigan.
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