Portage Winter Blast

The Portage Winter Blast takes place in Portage, Michigan, near Kalamazoo, in the second half of February. The half marathon (13.1 miles) starts at 8:00 a.m., the 5K run/walk (3.1 miles) at 8:10 a.m. and the 10K (6.2 miles) at 8:20 a.m.

The event offers distances for runners of all levels and gives participants a chance to push themselves in an encouraging environment, which makes it a useful training opportunity for anyone building toward spring marathons. Southwest Michigan winters are cold, so snow, ice and wind chill are all possible on race morning. Wearing a base layer, a hat and gloves you can remove, and shoes with some traction, will make the miles more comfortable.