Crim 10 Mile Start, 2001. Photo by Carter Sherline, Frog Prince Studios.

Statewide

Standard Federal Bank 10K Series, Lansing June 29, Grand Rapids July 20, Kalamazoo Aug. 17, Auburn Hills Sept. 14

Go four-for-four. Each of these 10Ks start at 8 a.m. and offer prize money to the top three open male and female runners, plus masters winners. There will be team competitions too. Run all four and receive a Standard Federal Bank Series premium gift item. The charity partner is Michigan Habitat for Humanity. For more information, phone (877) 904- 5408 toll-free, or go online to www.standardfederalbank10K. com -CDM

Southwest

Steve's Run, Dowagiac, July 27

Held in honor of cancer victim Steve Briegel, Steve's Run traverses a wildlife refuge, golf course and cemetery, starting and ending at Southwestern Michigan College. It includes10K and 5K runs, a competitive 5K walk and one-mile fun run/walk. Races start at 9 a.m. Proceeds go to Mayo Clinic cancer-research programs and the Steve Briegel Scholarship Fund. Phone (616) 782-1210 or visit www.smc.cc.mi.us/camplife/ health.htm#3 -CDM

Run For Your Health 5K, Muskegon, Sept. 2

Mercy General Health Partners mark the 20th anniversary of this Labor Day run, held in conjunction with Muskegon's Shoreline Spectacular festival. Race starts and ends at Pere Marquette Park, with an out-and- back course alongside Lake Michigan that includes a half-mile boardwalk. The hospital plans to honor 234 entrants who ran the first race (a 10K) in 1981. If you're among them, or want more information about the race, phone (231) 739-3948 or email benedicm@trinity- health.org - RR

Reeds Lake Triathlon, East Grand Rapids, Sept. 7

Starts at 7:35 a.m. in John Collins Park with a half mile swim, followed by an 18-mile bike and five-mile run. Overall male and female winners get $250, runners-up $125, and third-place finishers $50. Overall masters champs receive $50. (Masters are eligible for open prize money too.) There is no race-day registration and field is limited to 800, so sign up early. Phone (616) 9949-1750 or check out www.classicrace.com - CDM

Walk-Er Run, Walker, Sept. 14

Participants can walk, run, rollerblade or wheel at this 21st annual event, held in a northwest Grand Rapids suburb. The Walker Recreation Department has added 5K rollerblade and wheelchair races to go with traditional 5K and 10K runs. Races start at 8:30 a.m. from the Walker Ice and Fitness Center, 4151 Remembrance Rd. Call (616) 791-6890 or visit www.ci.walker.mi.us -CDM

Southeast

Heart of the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, July 27

The hills will be alive with the sound of runners at the 17th annual 5K and 10K runs. Proceeds go to community youth assistance activities. Races start at Andover High School, on the south side of Long Lake Road, just west of Telegraph Road, at 8 a.m. Phone (248) 544-9099, and/or register online at www.gaultracemanagement.com -CDM

Run Thru Hell, Hell, Aug. 10

Harrison Hensley's race is famous for its t-shirts, hot, humid weather, and scenic, sometimes dusty, country roads. The Pinckney Running Club sponsors the 10 Mile and 4.8 Mile races beginning at 8:00 am. It's a good idea to pre-register and to arrive early for this very popular race. Call (734)878-6640. -AM

Crim Festival of Races, Flint, Aug. 24

From the scenic start over the Flint River to the tough Bradley Hills to the famed down-the-brick-street finish, few races have drawn runners from around the world like the Crim 10-mile has. Yet the 10-mile - which begins at 7:30 a.m. for wheelchair racers and 8 for runners - is only one of the day's activities. Crim 8K and 5K runs start at 9:30 and 10 respectively, followed by a 5K fitness walk at 10:30, a one-mile run at 11:45 and a one-mile fun walk at 11:50 a.m. Still not enough? A kids' Teddy Bear Trot begins at 12:30 p.m. Party after your race at the Flint Journal Finish Line Festival. Register online at www.crim.org, or phone (810) 235-7985. -CDM

Labor Day 30K, Milford, Aug. 31

A unique distance! Enjoy a seven-mile loop on dirt roads and through downtown Milford, taking in rolling hills, quaint shops and renovated old homes as you go. Proceeds will help establish a scholarship fund for children who have Down's Syndrome. There's an 8 a.m. start and post- race party with entertainment, plus a raffle. This is the Michigan Runner Race Series 30K race. For more information see www.laborday30k.com. RR

Rutka 5k, Ann Arbor, Sept. 1

"Run like Mike." This third annual 5k run honors Mike Rutka, an avid runner until his death a few years ago. The 5k run and fitness walk will take place in Ann Arbor's beautiful Gallup Park. Afterwards enjoy great food and camaraderie. Bring the whole family as there is a kids' run at 10 am. Proceeds from this year's event will be donated to the United Cerebral Palsy of Metro Detroit. For more information contact twodogsrunning@yahoo.com or 734-668-4760. You can also register online at www.aatrackclub.org. -RR

Dances with Dirt Relay & Ultra Run, Hell, Sept. 7

Fifty-mile and 50K ultras, plus a 100K for five-member relay teams, start and finish at Pinckney Recreation Area's Moon Lake Beach. All take place "on slightly marked, hilly trails with piss poor footing ... at best!" the entry form warns/invites. The 50-mile and 50K start at 6 a.m. (bring a flashlight), the relay at seven. Phone (248) 347-4568 or visit www.danceswithdirt.com -CDM

Witch's Hat Run, South Lyon, Sept. 7

Named after a train depot that resembles a witch's hat, this 11th annual event starts with a one-mile fun run at 8:30 a.m., 5K run/walk and 10K at 9:30. Starts and ends at South Lyon High School, at Pontiac Trail and 11 Mile Road. Phone (248) 437-6687 or visit www.geocities. com/slxc/witchshat -CDM

Central

Ellen's Race, East Lansing, July 28

A tribute to Ellen Osborn, an East Lansing fourth grader who died in 1993. The event, presented by Tomie Raines Inc., includes a 5K run/ walk at 9 a.m. and one-mile fun run at 10:15. Both start and finish at Pinecrest Elementary School and traverse flat, fast, certified courses. Phone (517) 337-4461 or visit www.ellensrace.com -CDM

Capital City River Run, Lansing, Sept. 29

Family-friendly fun starts and ends at Impression 5 Science Center, a hands-on museum with displays and events for children of all ages. Courses run alongside the Grand and Red Cedar rivers. Starts with a mile run for youths 12 and under at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 9:40 quarter-mile Slime Dash for kids six and under. A 10-mile run and 10- mile three-person relay start at 10, and a 5K 10 minutes later. (Relay participants must register by Sept. 24.) Phone (517) 332-2681 or visit www.ccriverrun.org -CDM

Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Trail Festival, Hancock and Eagle Harbor, July 13-14

Beware of a race director whose email address begins with runskikayak. When he tells you something is flat, take it with a handful of salt, not a grain. This two-day, three-race festival is a blast, but not for the faint of heart. Saturday morning's 10K in McLain State Park on Lake Superior, just west of Hancock, is the part that's "flat and fast"; it includes tough hills and two stretches on loose, slogging beach sand. Saturday night there's a 5.8K hill climb, up more than 800 vertical feet from the beach at scenic Eagle Harbor to the top of Mt. Lookout, the tallest peak in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Look out for bear poop on the trail, not to mention bears. Once the race is over, you have to come down. Sunday, comes the 25K trek, or maybe it's 30K, no one really knows, through Swedetown Creek Gorge and over Maasto Hiihto Ski Trails. Meadows, creeks, waterfalls, forests, panoramic views and thigh-killing ascents. Call Jeff Crumbaugh at (906) 277-2854 or email runskikayak@hotmail.com -TH

Mackinac Island 8-Mile Road Race, Sept. 7

Spectacular, flat course circles perimeter of the island. Draws close to 3,000 runners and walkers, who start in waves based on predicted per- mile pace. First wave leaves at 9:30 a.m. from Mission Point Resort, where race also ends on a broad front lawn. A kids half-K and quarter-K follow at 11:30. Register online at www.gaultracemanagement.com or phone (810) 659-6493. -CDM

Northeast

Silver Valley Trail Runs (7K run, 5K run/walk), Tawas, Sept. 28

The eastern side of the state calls itself the Sunrise Side. It also calls itself neglected, compared to the attention paid by tourists to the Lake Michigan side. Lake Huron beaches may lack the grandeur of dunes on the west shore, but there's nothing lacking about the views or organization behind these runs in the Huron National Forest, just west of town. The trails are groomed, and, while hilly enough, fairly modest by trail standards. The views are gorgeous, particularly if the color season has gotten an early start. Race is followed by a generous raffle, and hotel-room prices are modest compared to their west-side brethren. Call (800) 55-TAWAS. -TH

Northwest

The GRA 10K, Grayling, July 27

Second leg of the Grayling Triple Crown, which includes the Hanson Hills Challenge Trail Run (June 1) and Hartwick Pines Challenge (Oct. 5). Held at Hanson Hills Recreation Area, the GRA 10K is Au Sable River Festival event. Phone (888) 876-2196 or visit www.hansonhills.org -CDM

Alden Run 10K and 5K, July 27

Both races have a long, steep, killer uphill out of this pretty tourist town on Torch Lake. The 5K is pretty enough, but the 10K is a beaut. Two miles of uphill to start, then three miles of gradual descent back toward town on hard-packed forest trails. Race is quickly becoming an up-north favorite, with field doubling to some 300 last year. Register early to ensure a t-shirt. Afterwards, browse through the arts and crafts fair or pick up some neat antiques at the big open-air communal garage sale. Phone (231) 331-4179, (231) 331-6620, or email Shirley Williams at swilliams@torchlake.com -TH

Cadillac Labor Day Run, Sept. 2

Cadillac is finishing its third decade of providing a great Labor Day experience for runners, boaters, picnickers and more. This year's race passes through town, past Lake Cadillac, then finishes at Cadillac High School's football field and track. Michigan Runner editor emeritus Dave Foley and Michigan Skier editor Jim Neff are among locals who volunteer their services to make this a great occasion. Olympian Paul McMullen, all-American Mark Smith and masters phenomenon Laurie Decker are among Cadillac runners who've gone on to represent their hometown well. The flat, fast, certified 10K is the RRCA State Championship. Call 231.775.4272 for more information.- AM

South Central

Foote Hospital Run, Jackson, Sept. 7

The last of seven events in the Jackson Citizen Patriot Running/Walking Series. Offers a five-mile run, 5K walk and kids run, beginning at 8 a.m. Phone (517) 780-7306, or email cindybbeadling@ wafoote.org -CDM

Phil Loomis Invitational/Cit Pat Awards Ceremony, Jackson, Sept. 21

Honors Phil Loomis, a founder of the Jackson Area Race Directors Association (JARDA). Four-mile run and 5K walk participants are invited based on completing four events in the Jackson Citizen Patriot Running/ Walking Series (see above). Starting times are handicapped based on participants' average pace in those four races. Starts at 8 a.m. at Cascades Manor House, 1970 Kibby Rd. Proceeds go to JARDA, which provides and maintains race equipment (clocks, cones, P.A. systems, finish lines, tables, etc.) for area races. Cit Pat Series age-group awards will be handed out during post-race breakfast at the Manor House. Contact Bob Gilmore at (517) 782-2071 or rgilmore@voyager.net -CDM