MRM Frozen Buttcheek 5K

🏃‍♀️ Race Overview

For $38.00 every in-person participant receives the following:

• Race Shirt: An awesome soft custom made race shirt that we screen print ourselves.
• Finisher Medal: A unique and awesome finisher medal.
• Awards: A chance at over 200 awards. I award three deep in 19 age group categories for my run and walk and to the slowest finishers in every age group for both my run and walk.
• Post Race Food: Amazing post race food and beverages, fill a plates worth!

FREE finisher line pictures! Dog participants will receive finisher medals and will be eligible for overall dog awards. Dogs will also have treats at the post-race table.

👋 Meet Mandy

Hi I'm Mandy! I've been running for seven years (10.21.2017) and three months on the date of my Frozen Buttcheek 5K. In July 2019 I came up the idea to run in every city in the state of Michigan that held a race event (1 mile or greater). I wanted my running to stay fun and be more than a finishing result. With that in mind, I came up with "Mandy Runs Michigan." I have been running every weekend since I started running. By my 2025 race, I will have run 425 races (at least) and have hopefully hit 250 cities.

I wanted to use my experience observing and participating in races to race direct my own race that combined all the wonderful things I’ve seen throughout the last six years and avoided all the things I didn’t like. The Mandy Runs Michigan 5K will be just that, with tons of personal symbolism.

🌟 A Personal Story

On February 1, 2019 I ran the 1/6 Groundhog Marathon in Walker, MI. I was still relatively new to running and not smart when it came to dressing at winter runs. I was nice and toasty waiting in the start line while everyone else was shaking and jumping up and down to keep warm. When I got out into the course my left buttcheek started to feel ice cold and sore, then like pins and needles and finally I lost feeling in it all together. I panicked and called my husband who was waiting with our kids at the finish. It wasn’t a course I could be rescued from. I was stuck around Lake Leota with only one group of volunteers and no other participants anywhere near me. It was at night in the dark. I’ve never felt so panicked racing. Finally, about one mile from the finish I was able to catch a glimpse of the fire pits in the distance, and that fueled me to carry on. I finished, saved my left buttcheek and got my golden groundhog finisher medal.

This race and its name is dedicated to my experience at the 2019 The Groundhog 1/6 Marathon.

📅 Date & Time

Saturday January 24, 2026

This is a WINTER RUN!!!! Cue Buddy the Elf, it's my favorite!!! ...and it’s on my birthday!

I have struggled to enjoy my birthday since our kids were born (very severe postpartum depression) and am hoping this run will set a spark to finally start enjoying the day once again. It’s a race and a birthday celebration.

💲 Pricing

I dislike price increases, but understand why races have them. As long as I have the Mandy Runs Michigan 5K race registration will be the same amount until race day. On race day, there will be a $5.00 increase. My race fee is a set $38.00 until then. No race fee increases every few months.

• Age 17 and under: $25.00
• Age 55+: $33.00

📍 Course Details

* The 2026 Course is still in the works! Please look for email and social media announcements for updates. You can always check back here too. ^_^ *

I’ve run my share of short and long 5Ks. You can count on this race to be within .1 miles of a true 5K unless you like to zigzag while you run.

There will be directional signs at every turn and mile markers this year because I ran out of signs last year hours before the race and didn’t have them.

There will be three aide stations on the course. One aide station you will pass twice. My aide stations always have water, an electrolyte drink and a few awesome bite-size snacks.

🏆 Awards

If you are not someone who likes staying for a long award ceremony...we are going to have a long ceremony. The awards ceremony will start shortly after every participant finishes. We will go oldest to youngest or as I like to think of it...most inspiring to youngest. I will try to get through it as fast as possible and I hope to have seating for everyone so you can relax and snack on awesome food while we go through it.

I want fast participants, slower participants, old participants and younger participants to go home with awards at my race. I want people that wouldn’t normally expect to receive an award to go home with an award. I think walkers, stroller pushing participants and dog participants are amazing. My awards are as follows:

• Age Group Awards: 19 five year age group awards. Award categories will start at 10 and under and end at 90+ for both runners and walkers.
• Last Finishers: Turtle in Peanut Awards will be given to the slowest finisher in each 5K run and walk age group.

Age groups will go three deep in each category.

🐶 Dog Participation

...are very much welcome and there will be the following dog awards! ^_^

Dog awards are changing this year as well!

• Top Dogs: I will be awarding golden trophies to my top THREE overall fastest dogs and my last dog to cross the finish line.
• Dog Finisher Medals: Unique dog finisher medals to all dog participants that were Corky’s favorite toy (Rainbow Bridge Crossing 1.24.2023).

Water stations will be at start and finish and at all aide stations for dogs. I will have post-race treats for dogs!

🎽 Swag

My favorite part of racing. What is an in-person 5K event without a little piece of memorabilia to take home with you?

• Race Shirts: Race shirts to everyone! I design and screen print my races. If I don’t have your size on race day, I will get you a shirt after the race.
• Finisher Medals: Unique winter themed finisher medals to everyone!

IMPORTANT DATE: If you want to guarantee a race shirt in your hands on race day please register by January 20th. Registering after January 20th may result in a race shirt being mailed and delay you being able to have it in your hands on race day.

🍔 Food

Not just a banana, granola, and water bottle on your post-race menu....much more!

I’m hoping to have one food truck in 2025 if I can swing it. Something warm for your cold hands post-race.

If I can’t swing a food truck, you will still have a fantastic post-race menu that will include options for GLUTEN FREE and DAIRY FREE participants to enjoy.

🅿️ Parking

NO SNOW PARKING: In the HUGE grass field of the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. This lot is located behind the Henry BE Community Building (615 S. Marshall Ave) and across from the fairgrounds main entrance.

SNOW PARKING: 610 E Hanover Street at the Marshall Skatepark lot. After you park, take the sidewalk over the bridge. You will see Ketchum Park to your right after getting off the bridge, head right past Ketchum Park play area to the firepit pavilion.