Manistee National Forest Edition
caberfae peaks resort
cadillac, Michigan
may 22, 2027
6 or 9 hours
Teams of 1-4
Bike, paddle, trek, orienteer
Experience classic northern Michigan terrain while you bike, paddle, trek and orienteer through the majestic Manistee National Forest. Navigate through some of the best orienteering land in the Midwest with great “curvy” terrain (smaller hills than our Big M race), multiple route options, lots of forest, and super-detailed LIDAR maps. Paddle a gorgeous water section that while not difficult will reward teams that read the map well. Bike under a forested canopy on virtually vehicle-free gravel roads and two-tracks. We’ll celebrate after the race with a full banquet dinner, awards and raffle.
This race features a late morning start so most teams can drive up Saturday morning and save lodging costs if desired.
New to Adventure Racing? You Can Do This. Here’s Why…
Don’t let the duration keep you from an incredible experience. Just adjust your pace, maintain a positive attitude and make sure you know how to follow a topographic map and use a compass to find off-trail checkpoints. We can help you get ready with a free clinic and lots of online resources. If you are new to adventure racing, scroll down to the bottom of this page for a short tutorial.
Watch this short video to better understand adventure racing and why people love it so much.
Divisions
- Solo: females, males
- Two-person: mixed, females, males
- Three and four-person: mixed, females, males
What’s Included
- Short sleeved tech t-shirt (or pick our socks, stainless steel pint, or buff/headwear)
- Catered dinner (entrée, 2 sides, salad, rolls – the full monty!)
- 9-week training plan from Stuart Coaching
- Chance at over $2,000 worth of top finisher prizes and dozens of raffle prizes, including gift certificates from Gazelle Sports and Bill & Paul’s Sporthaus. The first place team in each division will receive a handcrafted wood team trophy. All members of the top three teams will receive a medal and pick of a prize.
Course Design
While popular race venues like Muskegon, Silver Lake and Ludington have epic scenery and unique terrain, we are limited there by the smaller parcels of land and few paddling options. In the Manistee National Forest Edition it’s a limitless canvas to design on. You want more orienteering and longer distances between checkpoints (especially the 9-hour race)? You bet your compass. Up for a lot more two-track and gravel biking? Wheel have it for you. Looking for a paddle section that requires brain, not just brawn? This one will float your boat.
You and your teammate(s) will race together to find as many checkpoints as you can in the time period. The ultimate flexible race format. The trekking and biking sections can be done in either order (the paddle is in the middle; a good time to take a dip!) and all checkpoints are optional. You won’t know who is ahead of you and how many checkpoints they have so race hard to the end if you are vying for a top finish! Two aid stations along the way to fill up your fluids if we can find volunteers – help us recruit!
Trek
Experience some of the finest navigation in Michigan as you hike or run through the Manistee National Forest Expect fairly consistent and runnable terrain, mostly dry, hardwood forest. Super detailed LIDAR maps. The 6-hour race offers mostly beginner with a few intermediate level checkpoints with primarily short distances between them. The 9-hour includes several checkpoints that require longer treks between them. You will NOT be climbing Caberfae’s peaks. The trekking course is not extremely hilly, definitely less so than our Big M race in 2026. It will also be easier navigation than our 2022 Manistee National Forest race.
- 6-Hour: 4-5 miles
- 9-Hour: 6-7 miles
Bike
Two tracks, gravel roads, and paved roads. No singletrack trails but some of the two tracks will be rugged in spots. Road bikes with super skinny tires (like 30c or narrower) not allowed. Expect one big hill and a few rollers, but not very hilly overall.
- 6-Hour: 22 miles
- 9-Hour: 34 miles
PADDLE
Beautiful flat-water paddling. Requires a keen eye to know where you are. Good navigators will have an advantage. Rental canoes and solo kayaks (no tandem kayaks) are available but you may bring your own canoe(s), tandem kayak(s), or solo kayaks in any combination.
- 6-Hour: 3-4 miles
- 9-Hour: 5-7 miles
Schedule
9-HOUR
Maps emailed out: Friday evening, 6:00 pm target
Packet pick-up: Friday, 7:00-8:30 pm or Saturday 8:00-9:00 am
Stage personal canoes & kayaks (20 minute drive): 7:30-8:30 am
Race briefing: 9:15-9:40 am
Start: 10:00 am
Race cut-off: 7:00 pm
Food: 5:00-8:00 pm, catered dinner
Award ceremony and raffle: approx. 7:15 pm
6-HOUR
Maps emailed out: Friday evening, 6:00 pm target
Packet pick-up: Friday, 7:00-8:30 pm or Saturday 9:30-10:30 am
Stage personal canoes & kayaks (20 minute drive): 8:30-9:45 am
Race briefing: 10:40-11:10 pm
Start: 11:30 am
Race cut-off: 5:30 pm
Food: 5:00-6:45, catered dinner
Award ceremony and raffle: approx. 5:30 pm
Directions & Parking
Race HQ is at Caberfae Peaks Resort, 1 Caberfae Ln, Cadillac, MI 49601, 25 minutes west of Cadillac. 1.5 hours from Grand Rapids, 3 hours from Detroit suburbs.
Lodging
We are starting the races later than usual in the morning to allow as many teams as possible to drive up on Saturday rather than have to pay for lodging Friday night. For those wanting Friday night lodging, here are some nearby options:
- Caberfae Peaks Resort (onsite). We have blocked off 16 rooms for you. $149 for two queen beds. They will go fast. Click here to grab a room.
- Lost Pines Lodge, 4 miles east of Caberfae. Lower cost, cool retro hotel rooms and cabins. Burgers and basic sandwiches on site.
- Coyote Crossing Resort, 4 miles south of Caberfae. Restaurant on site.
- US Forest Service Campgrounds. Visit USDA Camping & Cabins for dispersed camping, cabins and campgrounds on nearby federal land.
- Other nearby hotels and vacation rentals: search the Cadillac area.
Required Gear
See the Required Gear page for details. Required gear will be standard adventure racing gear (bike, hydration pack/containers, compass, emergency blanket and a few other small items). Scroll down to see other suggested items, many which are smart to have, but not mandatory.
Canoes & Kayaks – own or rental
You may bring your own canoe(s), tandem kayak(s), or solo kayak(s), in any combination depending on your team size and stage it along with your paddles, PFDs, and one small “drop bag” per team at the start of the paddle before the race. You must pick it up immediately after the race (so our volunteer can leave at a reasonable time) or lock it to a tree and pick it up later.
If you will be renting watercraft, you’ll rent 1 canoe for 2-3 person teams (cushion provided for racer in the middle) and 2 canoes for 4-person teams. Solos will rent a solo kayak. They will be ready for you along with paddles and PDFs at the start of the paddle and you’ll leave all paddle gear there when you’re done.
Because the paddle section is an out-and-back and some teams will finish before others arrive, we can rent fewer canoes (and kayaks for solos) than there are teams. We pass this savings on to you with lower rental fees. In past races there has never been a wait. If there is a wait, our volunteer will determine your wait time and we will subtract that off your final time.
Training Plan
Sponsor Stuart Coaching has provided a helpful 9-week training plan to get you ready for the race. It’s set up for a 5-7-hour race but works fine for 6-9 hour races. The plan is very general. It will give you an idea of distances and intensity to train, but the exact workout is up to you. The mileage in the plans build slowly and safely, with a recovery week and taper, ensuring you are ready for race day.
Navigation/Race Preparation Clinic
Join us on Saturday, May 8, for our free Navigation/Adventure Racing 101 clinic to get you ready for the race! At Seidman Park, just east of Grand Rapids. Includes in-field practice. 1.5 hours. If you can’t make it, check out the Navigation 101/201 clinic presentation and other sources on our Learn More page for tips. See our free training plan below as well.
Shirt
Register by May 9 to receive the 50/50 cotton/poly race shirt (late entrants get a pint, socks or buff; can swap for a shirt if desired at the end of packet pick-up).
Referral Discount
Invite your friends! If you invite a separate team of two or more that has never done one of our adventure races and they register for the race as a result, let us know their names and we’ll take $10 off your team entry.
Merchandise
Shop and pre-pay online during registration and receive at packet pick-up or shop in person the day of the event.
Rules & Age Limits
Please read through our standard race rules. Special rules that apply for this race only will be listed in one of the race updates you’ll receive. Obey all traffic laws. This is an open course so you may encounter vehicles and pedestrians at any point. Racers must generally be at least 12 years old for the Manistee National race due to biking on roads; a parent may discuss the possibility of an exception with race organizers. Racers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and have a parent or guardian sign the waiver/consent form provided during online registration. Exceptions may be granted (e.g., a team with 16 and 17 year olds).
After the Race
We encourage you to hang out after the race and enjoy the full banquet dinner with an entree, 2 sides, a salad and dinner rolls. Congratulate the top finishers (and yourself!), hopefully win a raffle prize, and share stories of getting lost and found. If you can’t stay, it’s okay to grab your award and head home to family once we confirm your placement.
Go to www.facebook.com/miadventurerace for regular posts about the race. Join our Community/Teammate Finder page to ask questions of experienced racers and get answers so others can learn from your question. For questions specific to you, email Mark VanTongeren, race director.
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For Beginners: How an Adventure Race Works
Adventure racing is like no other sport! It involves a mix of brains and brawn, individual effort and teamwork, speed and endurance. For such amazing rewards, it requires a little effort to learn how it works and get better over time.
The goal of adventure racing is for you and your teammate(s) to find as many checkpoints as you can in the time period. All checkpoints will be pre-plotted on topographic maps. The race will be broken up so that you’ll do one activity for a while, then another, etc. so your body (and brain) will get nice breaks. Usually your bike is the consistent mode of transportation from one place to another throughout the race, from start to finish. You’ll stop at various “transition areas” to leave your bike with a volunteer to paddle and to trek/orienteer on foot before returning to your bike to continue on.
Checkpoints may be out of view, tucked behind trees or a hill, but generally are not intentionally hidden (except in public areas to minimize risk of theft). Check your map to see where the point is located and consult your race instructions sheet for the description which will help you determine its more exact location. Some points will require use of your compass, topographical map and an understanding of how to read that map. Others you can find from just looking at the map. Each checkpoint or “control” will have an orange and white flag with a punch attached to it.
The goal is to maximize the number of checkpoints on your passport within the time limit. A team that gets 25 checkpoints with seconds to spare will finish ahead of a team that gets 24 checkpoints with more time to spare.
- Check-in/packet pickup. Most races we will email you your maps the evening before. That said, it’s not a bad idea for your first race to arrive at check-in/packet pickup early to get your official maps and other materials.
- Pre-race meeting. We’ll go over rules, safety issues, answer any questions.
- Race instructions/clues. The race instructions lists key rules, describes the course and the activities, and provides hints about where checkpoints are located along with the numbers of each checkpoint corresponding to the map, passport and punch.
- Passport. The passport is the piece of waterproof paper you’ll punch at each checkpoint to prove you found it. You must not lose it! You will turn this in as your scorecard when you finish racing.
- Checkpoint flag and punch. You are looking for orange and white 3-sided orienteering flags (technically called control markers). You must punch the correct box in the passport so we can verify you were indeed there. The punch will have a number on it corresponding to your passport. Check it to confirm you got the right one. Each punch has a unique barb pattern to prove teams made it to that flag.
- Maps. The map(s) are topographic, showing the shape of the land and terrain details. Most if not all orienteering maps will be high-detail LIDAR. Bike maps sometimes with be lower-detail USGS style. They are pre-plotted with the checkpoints on them. While not every trail in the area will be on the map, the vast majority usually are. You can waterproof your map with packing tape or contact paper and/or keep it in a waterproof map case or zip lock baggie.
- Map reading will be critical. You should also know how to use a compass (baseplate or sighting – with a straightedge), although you will be able to find some checkpoints without if you can navigate well with your map. Attend our free clinic (see details earlier on this page) or learn online here.
- Order. Checkpoints are usually optional and often times can be found in any order within a section. Generally, you’ll plan a route that is either a clockwise or counterclockwise loop.
- The goal. Maximize the number of checkpoints on your passport within the time limit. If you arrive after the time limit, you will either receive a severe checkpoint penalty or not be counted in the final standings, depending on whether the race is beginner level or not.
