Welcome back to the 2021 Michigan Outback Relay! We are excited to get back to the trails, seeing all our friends, and creating some new memories. If you are racing this year, here are some specifics about this year’s course.
Day 1
We will be starting at Oscoda High School on day 1 and make our way onto the Shore to Shore trail. Be prepared to be on the lookout for blue dots for most of the weekend. That’ll let you know that you are on the right path! The trail can be rough. There are spots were the footing is sandy or with roots, trees have fallen across the trail in many parts of the course, and of course the hills. The trails will take us northwest toward AuSable River and Mio. The finish for Day 1 will be at the McKinley Bridge in Mio. You can do a search for McKinley Landing in Mio to find the exact location on a map. Camping on Friday night will be at Fairview HS, and the Fairview XC and Track team will be hosting a pasta dinner that evening in the cafeteria.
Day 2
Day 2 will begin near the finish of Day 1. To be specific, the start will be at the intersection of Colgrove and Keeley that is about 10mi southeast of downtown Mio. We will get back on the StS trails and head towards Grayling for our traditional finish at the Pointe North of Grayling motel. Camping on Saturday night will be at Grayling HS. We are not certain at this time if we will be permitted to use their facilities. Regardless, we will at least have port-a-johns available.
Day 3
Day 3 will start about 20mi west of Grayling. You can look for the intersection of Mecum and Sigma in Oliver Twp. You’ll need to give yourself about 45 minutes to get there from Grayling HS. From there we will make our way west toward the finish in Empire. Due to some erosion prevention work done at the beach, and to give ourselves some more space, we will need to finish at the parking area near the beach. You can still walk down there afterwards to take a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan, but we can no longer finish right on the beach.
We hope this gives you everything you need to plan for the weekend. As always, email us with questions at MichiganOutbackRelay@gmail.com.
