The 49th Canal Continues to Show Off the Copper Country’s Beauty While Involving the Community

The 49th Canal run in the Copper Country will get people of all ages outside early on a July morning. Starting at any of the race’s beginning points will bring runners and walkers to the winding road right on the Canal. Upper Peninsula Health Systems Community Health Coordinator Angela Luskin says that the Canal Run in Hancock offers one of the most picturesque views for an outdoor event in the Upper Peninsula, with participants packed along M-203 and open sections that show off the Keweenaw Peninsula on a summer morning.

We hear it from our racers, that great feedback every year, that this is one of the most beautiful, scenic, picturesque courses that we have to offer, especially in the Upper Peninsula. So we do feel fortunate. You get great views of the canal. And it’s great we hear most of the way. That last half a mile to the finish line is a little bit uphill, but it just makes that finish line feel so much better. – Angela Luskin, Community Health Coordinator, UPHS – Portage

Luskin says that the event’s 49 years of keeping the Copper Country running could not happen without dedicated volunteers. Some even regularly stand at the ready with cups of water year after year. She adds that the event over its history has found a way to get a large portion of the local community involved in one way or another.

We have had the same bus director who gets up and starts her shift at 5:45 a.m. on the canal run. So there are so many like that individual, that volunteers that come back year after year and the volunteers love it just as much as the racers. And that’s part of why, you know, we have that strong retention with the volunteers as well. They have a ton of fun. – Angela Luskin, Community Health Coordinator, UPHS – Portage

The 49th canal run will take off from the starting line on July 20th. Those interested in signing up as a participant or volunteer can find registration information and details online. This year Canal Run Gives Back will support the Copper Country Humane Society. This year organizers will also introduce a new experience that will get many local schools involved. Those interested in learning more about the 49^th Canal Run presented by UP Health Systems Portage can find more details canal.run