2027 MARJI GESICK REGISTRATION OPENS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH AT 9:06 PM
Days Hours Minutes Seconds https://vimeo.com/1234486063?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci 2027 MARJI GESICK REGISTRATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16TH AT 9:06 PM NEW REGISTRATION PLATFORM FOR MARJI GESICK 2027 One of the first things you’re gonna wanna do when you get this email is go create an account on our new registration platform. You can set up your account, add family members, and setup your payment so you’re ready to go on registration night. Here’s some stuff you’re gonna wanna be aware of: 1. When you add a registration to your cart and the timer appears, you have until that timer expires to pay. As long as you complete payment before then, you won’t lose the registration. 2. Switching the category of a registration in your cart causes you to lose your spot. 3. You can add additional people/registrations to your cart only if there are additional spots open. So prioritize adding all of your registrations to your cart before completing the details for each registration. EVERYONE REGISTERS HERE THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Marji Gesick is a self-supported event. Road rules apply at all times. GPS is required. The course is marked, but signs fall down and bears eat them. In an emergency you have to call 911. We are not here to help you. No one is out there to save you. Road crossings are not managed by volunteers – your safety is your number one priority. You are responsible for yourself, your choices, and the outcomes. You are voluntarily registering for what people call the “Hardest Single Day Mountain Bike Event in America.” Make no mistake – it’s hard, and it’s dangerous. If you’re not ok with that… stay home. “Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson This weekend only. Early Bird Pricing on Marji Gesick Training Plans from RLP Coaching. Buy A Plan IF YOU DON’T CRY, DOES IT EVEN COUNT? Mud Email You’ve tried winging it. You’ve tried your buddy’s recommendations. You’ve dabbled in bro science. Now it’s time to make it personal. You become an expert in YOU. What to eat, what to drink. On and off the trails. So that during Marji you don’t resort to the peer pressures of the Marji Talk Facebook group. If you’re really all in, sign upnow through October 18, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Sign Up IT’S MARJI GESICK REGISTRATION WEEK. USE ONE OF DA SOCIAL SLIDES BELOW AND HELP US PROMOTE IT. #REGISTER #FRESHMEAT #UNFINISHEDBUSINESS #REGISTRATIONFINISHER THESE DESIGNS ARE AVAILABLE DURING REGISTRATION WEEKEND ONLY! EVERYONE vs MARJI BACK REAPER BACK Marji Store FIND YOUR LIMITS COMPLETE THE ENDURANCE TRILOGY.GET INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF PAIN. MORE INFO MARJI CAMP JUNE 3 – 6, 2027 LEARN MORE Supporting Partners
Marji Camp 2027
MARJI CAMP 2027 Thursday, June 3 – Sunday, June 6, 2027Rippling River Campground, Marquette Registration for Marji Camp will open in October with registration for Marji Gesick on Bike Reg SCHEDULE Thursday, June 33PM-8PM – Check-In (Campsites cannot be occupied prior to 3PM.)9PM – Night Ride Friday, June 4● 7:30AM – Breakfast & Coffee – provided by 906● 9AM-12PM – Ride● 12PM-1PM – Lunch – provided trailside by 906● 1PM-4PM – Ride● 5PM – Dinner/Beer – provided by 906● 8PM – Campfire Talks● 9:30PM – Night Ride Saturday, June 5● 7:30AM – Breakfast & Coffee – provided by 906● 9AM-12PM – Ride● 12PM-1PM – Lunch – provided trailside by 906● 1PM-4PM – Ride● 5PM – Dinner/Beer – provided by 906● 8PM – Campfire Talks● 9:30PM – Night Ride Sunday, June 6● 11AM – Checkout from Rippling River CAMPING Is first come, first serve. Everyone has to fit into Pioneer Circle. Be ready to share space. Camp is about community. If you want a buncha privacy – get a room. GROUP ASSIGNMENTS You’ll receive your group assignments at check in. No, you cannot pick your group, and don’t ask us to pair you with a friend. You’ll get your assignment when ya get to camp. After your first ride if you need to change groups see Elizabeth or Todd. RIDE LOCATIONS Here’s the thing you need to remember: You will ride at 3-4 different trailheads and locations. Most of them WILL require you either drive or carpool with someone. Have a plan. You’ll get more information when you check in on Thursday. BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, BEER We will provide beer each night, but when it’s gone it’s gone. Maybe you should pick up a sixer of your favorite beverage and we could do a little beer share? Up to you. Breakfast is on us Friday and Saturday morning. Lunch and dinner are, too. Here’s a look at da menu. Marji Camp Breakfast Menu (Friday & Saturday) Granola w/milk (GF)Bacon Red Pepper Crustless Quiche (GF)Lemon Poppyseed Muffins (GF)Blueberry MuffinsChocolate Chunk MuffinsHam & Cheese CroissantsCheddar Herb Scones Marji Camp Lunch Menu (Friday & Saturday) Turkey Wrap – Turkey, bacon, swiss, chipotle mayo, leaf lettuce. With kettle chips and a chocolate chunk cookie. Italian Wrap – Ham, salami, provolone, garlic mayo, leaf lettuce. With kettle chips and a chocolate chunk cookie. *Gluten Free and Vegetarian option available if needed. Marji Camp Dinner Menu (Friday): Marji Camp Dinner Menu (Saturday): Fueled by WEATHER, GEAR, LIES Don’t believe the forecast. It lies! Bring clothes for warm weather, cold weather, rain, and snow. Bring lots of layers. Bring bug spray and head nets. Bring extra tires. If you still have room, pack your mom, too. She can read you a bedtime story and tell ya it’s gonna be ok before bed. Bike or running shoes Helmet Lights (for night ride/run) First Aid kit Camping gear Rain gear Layers Knee pads, elbow pads (optional) GPS Bug spray Supplemental food, hydration, and basic nutrition NIGHT RIDES There will be night rides scheduled each night. Find out more when you check in. CAMPFIRE TALKS There will be campfire talks scheduled each night. Find out more when you check in. MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN Please do not pre-ride anywhere on Marquette Mountain property. Their trails are not open to the public. You must have a season pass to ride trails on their property. Supporting Partners
Doing The Hard Things – October 2026
What’s inside: Taking a BreakMARJI GESICK 2026: “I couldn’t get distracted for even a second.”MARJI GESICK 2026: “He has all these challenges and stories – and they are his.”16 DAYS OF MARJI: Golden tickets and new registration platformMade U.P. PodcastAdventure Team in the Off SeasonEvents with 906AT Taking a Break As I sit here tonight watching the Lions game… I’m supposed to be writing an introduction to the October newsletter. But ya know? I’m gonna wait till next month to share what I was gonna talk about. I’ve been at camp for a couple days trying to take a break – and I’m gonna do that. Tomorrow I’m headed back to Marquette to get back to work on Gluski Park, the Secret Event, and Marji Gesick registration. Tonight, I’m gonna finish what I started… Watch the Lions… And take some time for myself. Talk to ya in November. “I couldn’t get distracted for even a second.” Dan Streinz graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2022. He says as a student, he was aware of the Marji Gesick but never had the opportunity to do it. After graduation, he completed the MG100 on a mountain bike, earning a green dot. Life continued. He moved to Duluth, Minnesota. And then about two and half years ago, the Marji hit him again. He says he was looking for the next challenge – looking for something different. He bought a mountain unicycle and got serious about riding, training and timing. “I wanted to try out mountain unicycling – I had to get out and ride to see what kind of average speeds were possible,” says Streinz. He admits Marji was always part of the plan. He says at some point it hit him, “It was possible. I started running calculations – you know what? It might work.“ Finishing the MG100 on a mountain unicycle earning a green dot – goal set. “I wasn’t trying to prove anything. It was for me. It was my own demon and I had to go face it.“ He toed the line with a dedicated support team behind him that included his fiancée Sydney, two friends from Duluth and a friend from Marquette. Looking back on his experience, he says he needed every single one of them and couldn’t have done it without them. So, how did he do it? And how much did he ride versus run/hike/walk with his unicycle? He estimates about half of the course was rideable. He rode a lot through the first bit, about half of South Trails and did very little riding through RAMBA. His unicycle is about half the weight of a typical mountain bike, which gave him a bit of an advantage – running through some of the course with his unicycle in one hand. It was physically exhausting. He made it through the second pass of Jackson Mine Park just minutes before the 2:00 AM cutoff. “I was hurting bad, but I was going to finish the damn thing. I didn’t know how, but I was going to finish, I had to get food and fluids.” He says riding a unicycle is physically harder than riding his mountain bike. There’s a lot of core – but he had been building his strength for over two years. And while he says he was deep in the pain cave physically – the mental demands of the event were perhaps the most challenging. “I couldn’t get distracted for even a second. If you even look up or think of something else, that’s when a root gets ya – I had to reach a whole different level of focus.“ All of the effort – both physical and mental – and the preparedness of his support crew paid off. Streinz crossed the finish line with just six minutes to spare – among a crowd of spectators whose hearts he’d stolen. “It’s good to see – that people appreciate it – unicyclists tend to be a bit of an eclectic crowd. It’s good to see positive attention. I’m glad people are enjoying it.” Streinz isn’t sure what he’ll do next. He’s working on a trailer and film for his YouTube channel, Uncle Dan the Uni Man – sharing his Marji experience – from his support crew to those early calculations he made during training and how he figured out how to do it. For now, he’s sitting in a goal accomplished! “I got it out of my brain. I put that demon to bed. It is indeed possible. It was eating away at me, cutting into my life – it’s time to get back to my life.” Streinz pushed not only his own boundaries – but the boundaries of Marji Gesick. We’re not saying there will be a unicycle division next year – but a bar has been set. “Do Hard Things,” encourages Streinz. “Don’t let other people’s opinions get in the way. It’s up to you to pursue your own dreams and get what you want in this crazy world.” Written By Elizabeth Peterson “He has all of these challenges and stories – and they are his.” 12-year-old Strummer Zuzula. Finishing the Mini Marji for the first time. A crowd cheering as he crosses the finish line. A moment captured by Rob Meendering Photography. There are thousands of photos from this year’s Marji Gesick. The gallery of photos is inspiring in itself. But as the stories and recaps of the event unfold – you quickly realize each photo holds so much more than what we see. Strummer’s Marji story began nearly a year before he crossed the finish line. It began on registration night in 2025 as his dad and sister, who had both participated before, waited to sign up. Strummer was standing there and said, “hey – I want to do it too.” Donny, Strummer’s dad says he was surprised, as it wasn’t something they had talked about or that he would normally do. But, of course, he was all in. That night Donny signed both of his kids up for the
Marji-2026-Final-Update
THE FINAL UPDATE 9-16-2026 – MARJI GESICK EXCLUSIVE—RACK UP 10% OFF– 492 / M35 ROUNDABOUT – NEW PACKET PICKUP LOCATION: 906AT @ GLUSKI PARK– DROP BAGS @ JACKSON PARK– CAN I PUT A TENT OR EZ-UP @ JP?– MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN NEUTRAL AID STATION– COURSE MARKING– ROAD RULES / STOP SIGNS – SUICIDE BOWL ROAD (CTY RD PC) MARJI GESICK EXCLUSIVE—RACK UP 10% OFF Upgrade your setup with 1UP USA bike racks and accessories. Built to last with all-aluminum construction, zero plastic components, modular accessories, and a lifetime warranty—so you can get back to what matters most, riding. Get 10% Off + Free U.S. Shipping with promo code MG26, valid 9/18–10/4/26. SHOP 1UP USA 492 / M35 ROUNDABOUT Be advised, on your way to Negaunee from Marquette you will have to navigate a brand new roundabout. We will have the crossing marked ahead of the two primary crossings, but we want you to be aware of it before you get here. Roundabouts are great – for cars. Rules of the road apply at all times. You’ll need to use caution as you navigate this crossing. NEW PACKET PICKUP LOCATION: 906AT @ GLUSKI PARK Packet pickup is moving this year to 955 N Lakeshore Boulevard, Marquette, MI, or as we call it now 906AT @ Gluski Park. You’re gonna get to see first hand what you’re helping us build – a community trailhead for outdoor adventure in the middle of Marquette. We’ve released maps showing the location and options for parking. You will not be able to park at the location. You will have to find suitable public parking and walk to the venue. Consider this your first Marji Gesick test. If you cannot find our office you might want to reconsider starting Saturday 😂 Look around the park. We’re going to leave it open so you can check it out. You can go into the weekend knowing your suffering is helping create some pretty cool shit for kids and our community 👊🏽 DROP BAGS @ JACKSON PARK Only volunteers can touch them. Cannot be larger than a standard size duffel bag. There’s a place to fill water in the park – don’t pack 800 gallon of water. ONLY RACERS will be given their drop bag. No one else. Period. End of story. When you want it to get moved to the finish line…YOU (THE RACER) need to tell the volunteers to have it sent there CAN I PUT A TENT OR EZ-UP @ JP? This is a reminder regarding Jackson Park. The park is rented by us (906AT) for the event. Jackson Park isn’t a place for you to setup tents, or anything else. JP is reserved for event staff and event operations. You will find drop bag tents and a chaos station in the park. No other equipment/infrastructure is allowed. If we roll into the park and find EZ ups or anything else set out we’ll take it down and send it with Paul into the Huron Mountains. We’ll send ya coordinates for the stuff following the event 😂 MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN NEUTRAL AID STATION COURSE MARKING Course markers consist of four signs: Red ArrowsWrong WayBlame DannyBlame Todd The course is marked well, but that does not mean you should leave the gps at home. Like we have always said: Signs fall down, people pull them down, bears eat them, and the wind blows them away. GPS is required. Course markers should for the most part always be posted on your right side. Turns should be marked before and after the turn. Signage is printed on a reflective material making the arrows very easy to see at night. The course will be marked between Sunday, September 13th and Friday, September 18th, 2026. The course is marked in sections, and not necessarily in order. If you see something that you think doesn’t make sense – let me know. Road Rules / Stop Signs I’m gonna hammer on this message again – and you really need to understand it’s for your own good that you listen and pay attention. Marji Gesick is a self-supported event and road rules apply at all times. Volunteers will not be at every intersection. No one is out there stopping traffic for you. You must obey all traffic laws, stop signs, and have your head on a swivel. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed a lot of trails that intersect with roads don’t have stop signs warning you of a road ahead. Last year, and again this year, we’ll be adding close to thirty temporary stop signs across the event route. When you see a stop sign – STOP. If you don’t You could get hit by a car, or something else. Suicide Bowl Road (CTY RD PC) This is another area that has popped onto our radar as a concern – mostly because people are going back there and parking in a manner that makes it impassable to emergency vehicles. This year, we’re gonna add signs out there that prohibit parking on the left side of the road. This area has to remain open to the public, and emergency vehicles. When we asked you to stop going down Lake Enchantment Road a few years back – you guys responded and respected that request. I need you to do that again. We want support crews out there, and we want you to be able to support riders from Suicide Bowl Road, and we can’t make the road impassable. We’re counting on you guys to observe the signs and only park on the right side of the road. If it fills up, park somewhere else. TODAY’S UPDATE 09-02-26 – SCHEDULE OF EVENTS– EVENT MAPS– CHECKPOINTS & TOKENS– PACKET PICKUP – EVENT PRE-ORDERS, POST EVENT GEAR STORE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Date Time Event Location Buckle Time Thursday, September 17, 2026 5PM – 8PM MG100 Run Packet Pickup 906AT @ Gluski Park955 N. Lakeshore Blvd. Friday, September 18, 2026 8AM MG100 Run Start Forestville TH 28 Hours 5PM – 8PM
Marji Race Week 2026
https://youtu.be/qdlQyNe_9tE?si=95ne14akFXJpEmKU We’re going back to 1985, Day of the Green, Oakland, CA… Classic Metallica… Cliff Burton on the bass… For Whom The Bell Tolls. Schedule of Events Date Time Event Location Buckle Time Thursday, September 17, 2026 5PM – 8PM MG100 Run Packet Pickup 906AT @ Gluski Park955 N. Lakeshore Blvd. Friday, September 18, 2026 8AM MG100 Run Start Forestville TH 28 Hours 5PM – 8PM Packet Pickup 906AT @ Gluski Park955 N. Lakeshore Blvd. Saturday, September 19, 2026 7AM MG50 Run Start Downtown Marquette 7:30AM MG100 Bike, Duathlon Start Forestville TH 12 Hours (100Bike), 22 Hours (Duathlon) 8AM MG50 Bike Start Downtown Marquette 10AM Mini Marji Start Jackson Park 12PM Finish Line Opens Ishpeming Sunday, September 20, 2026 2AM Jackson Park Cutoff Jackson Park 8:30AM MG2026 Cutoff Ishpeming MARJI GESICK EXCLUSIVE—RACK UP 10% OFF Upgrade your setup with 1UP USA bike racks and accessories. Built to last with all-aluminum construction, zero plastic components, modular accessories, and a lifetime warranty—so you can get back to what matters most, riding. Get 10% Off + Free U.S. Shipping with promo code MG26, valid 9/18–10/4/26. SHOP 1UP USA Self Supported Ethos You are on your own. No one is out there to save you. GPS is required. Road Rules apply at all times. In an emergency, dial 911. We told ya this during registration. We’ve been repeating it all month. We’re gonna reiterate the message one last time. You are on your own. No one is out there to save you. GPS is required. Road Rules apply at all times. In an emergency, dial 911. If you’re not ok with it you should stay home. RWGPS, GPS, ROAD RULES (Ya, again…) When the gpx files are ready and we decide to post em’… You’ll find them on Ride With GPS (RWGPS). GPS is required. The course is marked but… Signs fall down, Bears eat them, and people do dumb shit. Use a GPS. It might save your race. If you don’t listen…. Don’t blame us. Road Rules apply at all times. You will not find volunteers at road crossings. No one is out there keeping you safe. Be responsible. Use caution. Look both ways. Make smart decisions. You get 25 hours. Checkpoints Checkpoints are hidden across the route. Some checkpoints have tokens, while others are just there to mess with ya. You won’t know what it is until you check. They all look the same. If you get to a Checkpoint and it’s full of “something”, take one. It’s a token. If it’s empty, #blamedanny… keep rolling. Checkpoint locations and contents are kept secret. We do not share plans with anyone… If you get to the finish line without any of the required tokens we’ll DQ ya. To be clear… all checkpoint signage is found directly on-route. They’re not hidden in da hills. On the approach to a checkpoint you’ll encounter large signs 24” x 36” with the words “CHECKPOINT AHEAD” followed by a sign that says “CHECKPOINT” with a full bin of “something”. MARJI GESICK TALK Visit the Customer Disservice Department on Facebook, and stay current on all of the latest mis-information. MARQUETTE MOUNTAIN NEUTRAL AID STATION NTN SOUTH TRAILHEAD, LAKE ENCHANTMENT ROAD, SUICIDE BOWL ROAD We’ve been covering this since the beginning of August. I’m gonna cover it one more time. We need your help minimizing the impact on people in the community. NTN SOUTH TRAILHEAD: Please do not use this trailhead for support or anything else. The Marquette Mountain Neutral Aid Station is just down the road. They have a ton of parking and they’re throwing y’all a party. LAKE ENCHANTMENT ROAD: This isn’t a new request. We’ve been asking you to stay away from this area for a few years – and you have. Let’s keep the streak alive. Do not plan to meet in this area. SUICIDE BOWL ROAD: We are posting one side of the road “NO PARKING”. You can park on the side we do not post, but your vehicles cannot impede emergency vehicles should they need to get through. If our request to keep this corridor open is not respected we’ll shut the road down next year. Work together on this. Remind each other. You might have to park somewhere else & walk. It’s not the end of the world. Event Maps TIMING SERVICE Superior Timing Photographers Fresh Coast Exposures Supporting Partners
Doing The Hard Things – September 2026
What’s inside: DNA of Adventure: Self-Supported EthosGluski Park: A month of construction!Finishing What Was Started: Gluski Park Takes Shape Around a Bigger Vision for Outdoor AdventureAdventure Team Petoskey Crushes First SeasonAdventure Teams Wrap for the SeasonKeep the Spirit of Adventure Alive!Made U.P. PodcastEvents with 906AT DNA of Adventure: Self-Supported Ethos With Marji Gesick less than two weeks away… I pulled an old blog post out of the archive. This article first hit our website back in 2021. Five years later… it’s still true. I’m going to build off of this story in next month’s newsletter, but for now enjoy the DNA of Adventure: Self-Supported Ethos. You are on your own. You accept responsibility for your preparation, choices, and the outcome. – The Crusher, Enhanced Gravel Wilderness Adventure SETTING THE TONEThe self-supported ethos can be summed up quite simply: You are on your own. You are responsible for yourself. You are accountable for your actions and behavior. Simple. Direct. Honest. The bar is set high – for everyone. No excuses, no finger-pointing. For the uninitiated, this might all seem a bit heavy handed. Modern society panders to the unprepared, perpetually offended, and entitled. One thing will never change: If you want it, you gotta earn it. There are no shortcuts, and by constantly trying to create them we undermine the foundation of strong communities. Stability rises from a clear and equal distribution of responsibility among the people, mutual respect, and character. No one gets a pass. LIFE IS NOT FAIRPeople love playing games. What makes a good game? Is it the action? The rules? Winning? While we certainly don’t line up to lose, what happens when we do? Do we blame someone, or do we look in the mirror? What happens when a rule is changed or misused? So many people are quick to yell “That’s not fair!” from the stands. It’s also common to hear a dad tell his kid, “You got robbed.” With these messages, we’re grooming kids to expect predictability and fairness. They automatically blame someone else when things don’t go as planned. Instead of mentoring resilience and durability, we seem to be giving preference to comfort and safety. The result? Kids who are scared and insecure – lashing out at the world around them. Adventure is inherently unpredictable, uncomfortable, and unsafe. You control your preparation and adaptability. A lack of rules and predictability is a lesson in and of itself: to prepare for the unexpected. Adventure empowers individuals, not rules. Adventure ignores fairness, viewing complications as experience enhancements and an opportunity for personal development. While many sports (including competitive cycling) give priority to natural skill and athletic ability, adventure-centric programs level the playing field for kids who may not have been born the fastest or most coordinated but are equally capable and worthy of our time. COLLABORATORS INSTEAD OF COMPETITORSInteresting things happen when we remove head-to-head competition and focus on personal conduct, character, and responsibility. Behaviors change. We become collaborators. We focus on the journey, what we hope to accomplish, and what must be done to see it through – forging relationships more likely to endure adversity. Kids are getting a lot of pressure from adults to succeed now and become a leader now, as though they need to prove their worth now. Whatever happened to being a kid? Becoming a good follower today is an important prerequisite to future leadership. Yet it seems few people want to take orders or respect the learning than comes from a chain of command. AN UNSAFE WORLDThe self-supported ethos is predicated on a belief that the world is not safe. We are not at the mercy of the world. We are at the mercy of our own willingness to face the world. We possess the ability to adapt and better ourselves. Success is a choice. Preparation, work ethic, and commitment will pay dividends long after natural ability. That’s why the self-supported ethos is such a defining part of the adventure team. Instead of paving the path to make everything easy for kids, we give them the tools to forge their own path. Why? Because we believe sending kids off unprepared would be the real tragedy. Gluski Park: A month of construction! Construction began on Gluski Park just over a month ago – and let me tell you – the work being done has exceeded all of my expectations. I have the privilege of starting every day at 906AT headquarters – and for the past month that has meant watching the flat, open space behind our office building begin to transform. At first, it was massive dirt piles. That alone was honestly, impressive. Watching the trucks on a constant back and forth from our property to Lindberg and Sons gravel pit – it was wild! So much material was hauled into the site, I had doubts it could possibly all get used. I was wrong! It was used – and they needed more! As the crew from Rock Solid got to work – it seemed like I blinked and suddenly, I could not just see the pump track taking shape, I could feel the energy and excitement kids will experience when they approach this feature. And then, work on the hub began – a culvert was placed – rocks were hauled to the site – and suddenly, the park was taken to new heights, literally. Standing on top of the hub – I’m pretty sure will feel like standing on top of the world to our five- and six-year-old visitors. I remember first sharing the park illustration with all of you – I was so excited for the community to see what we were going to build. And now that we’re building – I cannot wait for you to feel the magnitude of this project and the opportunity it brings for exploration, adventure, development and community. We’ve seen some of you walk by, you’ve stopped for a chat and a tour – if you’re in town and able – check it out! It’s really something to see in
Marji-2026-Update-2
TODAY’S UPDATE – Road Rules / Stop Signs – Lake Enchantment Road – Suicide Bowl Road (CTY RD PC) Road Rules / Stop Signs I’m gonna hammer on this message again – and you really need to understand it’s for your own good that you listen and pay attention. Marji Gesick is a self-supported event and road rules apply at all times. Volunteers will not be at every intersection. No one is out there stopping traffic for you. You must obey all traffic laws, stop signs, and have your head on a swivel. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed a lot of trails that intersect with roads don’t have stop signs warning you of a road ahead. Last year, and again this year, we’ll be adding close to thirty temporary stop signs across the event route. When you see a stop sign – STOP. If you don’t you could hit by a car, or something else. Lake Enchantment Road Again this year we are asking support crews and anyone else with the event to stay away from Lake Enchantment Road. If you have a rider to support or if you wanna spectate – go to Marquette Mountain. There will be an aid station there, a ton of support, and parking. We need to remember that while it might feel like the whole world is obsessed with Marji, that’s not the case. There are a lot of people out there who don’t even know about the event. They would like to go about their lives without bumping into a bunch of us 😂. Support and spectate at Marquette Mountain and then move to Jackson Park. Suicide Bowl Road (CTY RD PC) This is another area that has popped onto our radar as a concern – mostly because people are going back there and parking in a manner that makes it impassable to emergency vehicles. This year, we’re gonna add signs out there that prohibit parking on the left side of the road. This area has to remain open to the public, and emergency vehicles. When we asked you to stop going down Lake Enchantment Road a few years back – you guys responded and respected that request. I need you to do that again. We want support crews out there, and we want you to be able to support riders from Suicide Bowl Road, and we can’t make the road impassable. We’re counting on your guys to observe the signs and only park on the right side of the road. If it fills up, park somewhere else. Supporting Partners
Marji-2026-Updates
TODAY’S UPDATE 09-02-26 – SCHEDULE OF EVENTS– EVENT MAPS– CHECKPOINTS & TOKENS– PACKET PICKUP – EVENT PRE-ORDERS, POST EVENT GEAR STORE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Date Time Event Location Buckle Time Thursday, September 17, 2026 5PM – 8PM MG100 Run Packet Pickup 906AT @ Gluski Park955 N. Lakeshore Blvd. Friday, September 18, 2026 8AM MG100 Run Start Forestville TH 28 Hours 5PM – 8PM Packet Pickup 906AT @ Gluski Park955 N. Lakeshore Blvd. Saturday, September 19, 2026 7AM MG50 Run Start Downtown Marquette 7:30AM MG100 Bike, Duathlon Start Forestville TH 12 Hours (100Bike), 22 Hours (Duathlon) 8AM MG50 Bike Start Downtown Marquette 10AM Mini Marji Start Jackson Park 12PM Finish Line Opens Ishpeming Sunday, September 20, 2026 2AM Jackson Park Cutoff Jackson Park 8:30AM MG2026 Cutoff Ishpeming EVENT MAPS CHECKPOINTS & TOKENS Checkpoints are hidden across the route. Some checkpoints have tokens, while others are just there to mess with ya. You won’t know what it is until you check. They all look the same. If you get to a Checkpoint and it’s full of “something”, take one. It’s a token. If it’s empty, #blamedanny and keep rolling. Checkpoint locations and contents are kept secret. No one knows how many there will be, or where they’ll be. If you get to the finish line without any of the required tokens we’ll DQ ya. To be clear… all checkpoint signage is found directly on-route. They’re not hidden in da hills. On the approach to a checkpoint you’ll encounter large signs 24” x 36” with the words “CHECKPOINT AHEAD” followed by a sign that says “CHECKPOINT” with a full bin of “something”. One more thing – your tokens have to be on you. DO NOT give them to anyone. If you get to the finish line without your tokens (or without one of the tokens) you have to decide in that moment if you are going back to get the missed token, or if you are quitting. No sitting around for an hour and having the token you missed magically appear. As soon as you finish you will be checked. PACKET PICKUP We are moving packet pickup on Thursday and Friday to the 906 Adventure Team Office @ Gluski Park. Long story short – Blackrocks turned the back lot into a food truck oasis and there’s not room for us. We explored a couple of options with the city and DDA but decided to bring everything to our place. So, you’ll get to see what you’re helping us build. That’s a pretty good deal, really. Thursday night packet pickup is for hundred-mile runners, but the other runners can pickup, too (MG50, Mini Marji Run). Bikers cannot pickup their stuff Thursday night. Parking Note: You will have to use city parking lots or city streets. Expect a little bit of a walk wherever you decide to park. Please do not try parking in other business parking lots, etc. EVENT PRE-ORDERS,POST EVENT GEAR STORE If you ordered Support Crew gear, or jerseys… We’ll have it ready for you at packet pickup. No gear will be sold at the event. If you did not pre-order it… you will have to order gear during the post-event store. Thursday night: Runners can pickup bibs and gear. Friday night: Bikers and runners can pickup. TODAY’S UPDATE 08-28-26 – Road Rules / Stop Signs – Lake Enchantment Road – Suicide Bowl Road (CTY RD PC) Road Rules / Stop Signs I’m gonna hammer on this message again – and you really need to understand it’s for your own good that you listen and pay attention. Marji Gesick is a self-supported event and road rules apply at all times. Volunteers will not be at every intersection. No one is out there stopping traffic for you. You must obey all traffic laws, stop signs, and have your head on a swivel. Over the last few years, we’ve noticed a lot of trails that intersect with roads don’t have stop signs warning you of a road ahead. Last year, and again this year, we’ll be adding close to thirty temporary stop signs across the event route. When you see a stop sign – STOP. If you don’t you could hit by a car, or something else. Lake Enchantment Road Again this year we are asking support crews and anyone else with the event to stay away from Lake Enchantment Road. If you have a rider to support or if you wanna spectate – go to Marquette Mountain. There will be an aid station there, a ton of support, and parking. We need to remember that while it might feel like the whole world is obsessed with Marji, that’s not the case. There are a lot of people out there who don’t even know about the event. They would like to go about their lives without bumping into a bunch of us 😂. Support and spectate at Marquette Mountain and then move to Jackson Park. Suicide Bowl Road (CTY RD PC) This is another area that has popped onto our radar as a concern – mostly because people are going back there and parking in a manner that makes it impassable to emergency vehicles. This year, we’re gonna add signs out there that prohibit parking on the left side of the road. This area has to remain open to the public, and emergency vehicles. When we asked you to stop going down Lake Enchantment Road a few years back – you guys responded and respected that request. I need you to do that again. We want support crews out there, and we want you to be able to support riders from Suicide Bowl Road, and we can’t make the road impassable. We’re counting on your guys to observe the signs and only park on the right side of the road. If it fills up, park somewhere else. TODAY’S UPDATE 08-20-26 – Schedule of Events – Course Signage – Pacers / Unregistered Riders– Rules
Doing The Hard Things – August 2026
What’s inside: A note from the Director of AdventureGluski Park: GroundbreakingGluski Park: Building SupportU.P. in Smoke: Crusher Mass Start 2026Crusher MS: Never SurrenderCrusher P2P: “My worst days were also my best days.” -KIKONew on Made U.P. PodcastAdventure Team Hike: One Step at a TimeEvents with 906AT A note from the Director of Adventure I write you today to provide an update on our campaign to build Gluski Park, and to talk about the future. Like every 906AT event, it has been and will continue to be an adventure. There Is A Finish Line. It’s easy to get excited about the vision for Gluski Park. What’s not to love? A park instead of a hotel? Preserving a green space? Creating a community trailhead for outdoor adventure? Honoring Tara? Everyone was in. Then we’d talk about money. What’s it gonna cost? $2.1 million. Eyes got big. There’d be a pause. “That’s a lot of money.” I felt that every step of the way people wanted to see it happen, but they had their doubts. I never did. Whether it took one year or twenty, the only way we wouldn’t build Gluski Park is if someone took us out! We went to work a year and a half ago. If you’ve never been a part of raising money for a project of this size, please allow me to give you the cliff notes. You hurry up and… don’t talk about it (publicly). You work behind the scenes. You write grants. So many grants. Ya do a lot of planning. So much planning. And most of those plans don’t work. You get some wins, but the wins are disproportionate to the losses. Translation: You lose more than you win. Yer’ tested at every turn. You learn fast that positive thinking isn’t going to make things happen – tenacity and perseverance does. And then you take the project public. So, in May we did, and what happened next no one expected. In short order, we met the goal: 2.1 million dollars. The campaign has attracted 250+ donors scattered across the country. Not the county – the country. Support has poured in from every direction. Notable and generous support has come from: Great Lakes Sports Commission, Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation, Innovate Marquette, Hirvonen Foundation, a state appropriation sponsored by Representative Karl Bohnak, and too many more donors to mention in this letter (a full listing of all supporters can be found on our website). We met our goal. Does that mean we’re done? No. It means we’re just getting started. There is no finish line. Let’s talk about the future. We have secured $2.1 million in financial commitments, but we still need to build the park. Pledges can get pulled back. Costs can increase. Projects uncover unexpected complications. It happens all of the time. We have to be prepared for the unexpected – like any 906AT event. It’s a time to celebrate, and a time to stay focused (read: not relax). Let’s say everything gets done on time, and the project comes in on or under budget. That would be great, but that’s not the end. We need to put it to work (new programs). We need to take care of it (annual maintenance). We have a promise to keep: Build a community trailhead for outdoor adventure so every kid in Marquette gets the chance to discover the best version of themself through outdoor adventure, and Honor Tara. There is a finish line. There is no finish line. Multiple-truths. We hit a goal, and hitting that goal gets us closer to the next goal. The next step. The next chapter. As we grow the organization will require more support – not less. On that note, I am going to do a hard thing, and ask you to continue to support us. Support us today. Support us in the future. Help us build the park, and help us maintain it. Help us launch more youth Adventure Teams. Help us continue to bring people together through adventure. Support 906AT Gluski Park: Groundbreaking 906 Adventure Team officially broke ground on Gluski Park this morning (August 3, 2026) at 9:06 AM. Supporters and partners of the project gathered on site to celebrate. Rock Solid Trail Contracting is now working on building the trail infrastructure, including the pump track, hub, technical trails and the walking path. This first stage of work is expected to be completed later this Fall. Phase two of the project will begin in the Spring. Gluski Park: Building Support On one of my first days with 906 Adventure Team, in early March of 2025, Todd handed me a rolled-up set of plans for Gluski Park. He said simply, “learn everything there is to learn about these.” And that began the next year and half of work. I carried those plans with me for months. In my car, under my arm, at the kitchen table – they were always with me. And so was the task at hand: fundraise $2.1 million to build Gluski Park, a community trailhead for outdoor adventure. I suspected then, what I’m 100% certain about now – raising money, building this park, sharing the vision – it couldn’t be done by just Todd and I. In those first months, I sat down with anyone who would listen. Christopher Germain at the Lake Superior Community Partnership, Karen Kovas with the City of Marquette, Zosia Eppensteiner with the Community Foundation of Marquette County, trusted friends and partners in the community, Representative Karl Bohnak, Dave Nyberg, Michele Butler, Jess Jones, Rick Rhoades, Brad Canale – and countless others. Through those early conversations I began to learn how to connect 906AT with available resources and share our vision and plans for Gluski Park with the community. It was a huge undertaking. There were ups and downs. Moments of celebration and moments of disappointment. But through it all, there was so much enthusiasm, positive energy, and encouragement. I don’t think I heard one single negative comment about the project the entire time
Doing The Hard Things – July 2026
What’s inside: A note from the Director of AdventureAdventure Team Iron County: Leading With HeartAdventure Team Marquette: Totally Changed My KidAdventure Team Midland: Showing Up, Even When It’s HardNew on Made UP PodcastEvents with 906AT A note from the Director of Adventure It’s Crusher week. You could look at the Crusher and call it dangerous or crazy. You could call the people who do it crazy, too. At some level, it is, and we probably are. But look around you. Read the news. Isn’t that crazy, too? How in the world did we get to the point that we walk around buried in a screen all day and everyone thinks it’s normal? That’s dangerous, and if we’re really being honest, sad. It’s hard to describe how simple the world feels when you’re in the middle of nowhere with nothing but your bike, your gear, and a few hundred miles to go. All the other shit we worry about kinda melts away as we realize how little it all matters, and we stop looking at other people like something that’s in our way – and we see em’ as someone we wanna get to the finish line with. Stuff like Crusher, and Marji, and Polar Roll, and the youth Adventure Teams keep us connected to each other and somethin’ innately wild – our spirit. The essence of being human is to face danger and adversity – and overcome, not run from it. Facing danger is dangerous. Running from it is, too. The hardest paths offer the most memorable and meaningful memories. That’s why we do what we do, and strive to pass it onto our kids. Adventure Team Iron County: Leading With Heart Roberta Scott has been volunteering with Adventure Team Iron County for three years. It’s been a family affair. Her husband volunteers as well and her 7-year-old daughter, Sparrow, participates. The Scotts moved to the Upper Peninsula three summers ago. Roberta says they joined Adventure Team to find community – a place where they could all, as a family, meet people and make friends. And that is exactly what the Scotts have found – community and so much more. “Sparrow found her independence. I remember distinctly – she can get herself ready, her t-shirt, helmet, water, snack – and then it was pulling teeth to get her to leave bike club every night. When we got back home, she’d bring her bike back in and unpack – she had a real sense of responsibility – doing the best you can, yourself. There is so much emphasis on team sports – it’s nice to find something that is individual based.” Roberta says there’s a great energy at bike club filled with camaraderie and activity. She says in a world full of divisiveness, it’s a place where you realize how much more similar we all are than we are different. Plus, she says she’s constantly learning new skills and leaves every night feeling better than she did when she got to bike club. “I learn something every time I go out there. Kids are so in tune with nature, animals, the plants and trails – they really lead the way, telling me where I need to go in a fork in the road, they talk about signs of animals that they just saw – I’m constantly surprised with the information I walk away with and much of it has very little to do with biking, but I’m also very impressed with the biking that I’ve done.” Adventure Team programming has been running in Iron County officially since 2021. It began with one man leading with his heart and the desire to better his community. That man is Benjamin Garcia, he continues to volunteer as a lead in Iron County, ensuring the program stays energized, organized and moving forward. Benjamin says, “I’ve always resonated similarly with Todd’s thoughts on kids, community and society as a whole – everything 906AT stands for and does programming wise, pushing people to grow – I feel the need of that in my community. Biking is great, but the aspect of what we do is the driver.” Benjamin admits it’s not always easy to find volunteers and to relay the value of what Adventure Team is – but he believes in the mission, he’s seen the positive impact it makes – and he remains determined to keep Adventure Team a part of his community. He’s encouraged by the growth of the trail system in the area, the work being done by volunteers to grow and support biking and he continuously leans on where it all started – Doing Hard Things – as a community, as volunteers and coaches, and as youth riders in the program. It’s Doing Hard Things together, but it’s also going back to the basics, says Roberta. “It’s grounding to do something almost very simple, ride our bikes with our friends and family. It brings you back to your roots. Just getting out, being without a phone, without a screen, focusing on the trail ahead, laughing with your friends, it feels pretty special and simple and it feels good to sort of round back to that.” Adventure Team Marquette: “Totally Changed My Kid” “Dad, I have found my sport.” It was a simple comment after the first night of bike club in Marquette between a father and son. But, that one comment from his son brought tears to Jason Swanson’s eyes. Jason’s son is 8 years old. This is his first year in Adventure Team. Jason says he and his wife have always wanted to get their son involved in activities, they tried baseball, talked about joining soccer – as parents they think both are great programs, but their son didn’t have much interest in either. Jason has been a part of the mountain biking community his whole life. He rides with his son – they both love riding bikes – so, Adventure Team seemed like it might be the right fit. Three weeks in and dad says the