The 3rd Annual, As It Happened
Saturday, August 22, 2026. Five starters, five finishers, one perfect north-woods morning.
The field assembled under the canopy in matching blues, bibs on, dogs underfoot. The Race Director wore a tie-dye shirt that no one asked about and everyone photographed. Conditions were sunny and generous — the kind of north-woods August morning that makes the whole enterprise sound like a reasonable idea before you have run any of it.
The mimosa aid station performed to specification. All five athletes finished, all five were awarded hand-painted medals by the Official Awards & Swag Partner, and the podium — a folding chair, but with something beautiful on it — accommodated everyone at once, which remains the point.
The record book, however, is where the 3rd Annual truly distinguished itself.
Records Set — 3rd Annual
Every athlete completed the 2026 Cabin Classic faster than she had ever completed the 2026 Cabin Classic before. Five starters, five PRs. The Race Director notes that this is a perfect conversion rate and declines to elaborate further.
The course was invented this year, measured by eye, and has never been run by anyone else. Every finisher therefore holds the course record for the course as she ran it. Five athletes, five courses, five records. Disputes may be raised with the Official Course Surveyor, who has been made aware.
No governing body recognizes the Cabin Classic loop as a competitive event. It follows that the fastest time run on it Saturday morning is the fastest such time ever recorded anywhere on Earth. Paperwork has been submitted to no one. Ratification is expected never.
The Weekend
Once a year, five friends — teammates by day at General Mills, legends by weekend — descend on "the cabin": a gloriously remote patch of north woods outside Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Is there a cabin? No. There has never been a cabin. There is an RV, and the RV is everything — headquarters, clubhouse, wine cellar, and venue for four days of food, laughing, breweries, wine bars, and a pilgrimage to Zorba's.
One guy is permitted on the property. He drives. He fetches. He DJs. He pours. He is the Race Director, and he is honored to serve.
And then, on Saturday, it gets serious. Sort of.
The Cabin Classic
The crown jewel of the weekend: a completely made-up, entirely legitimate running race on the legendary cabin loops. Choose your distance. Choose your pace. The clock is decorative.
The Loop
One scenic lap of the classic cabin circuit. A dignified distance for the athlete who has places to be (the mimosa table).
The Full Send
Both loops. The complete course. Reserved for competitors chasing glory, personal records, and bragging rights at Zorba's.
Director's Choice
Any distance, any pace, any number of mid-race walk breaks. Since every distance is made up, every finish is a course record.
🥂 The Aid Station
Fully stocked start/finish line featuring race-day refreshments and the signature mimosa — orange juice kept to a strict, regulation minimum.
🔊 Live Race-Day Audio
The Race Director provides walk-up music, mid-race hype tracks, and unreasonably enthusiastic announcing every time you pass the RV.
🏆 Awards & Swag
Every finisher receives the coveted annual swag bag. The podium has exactly as many steps as there are athletes. This is by design.
Course Map
Surveyed by the Race Director on foot, certified by no one — though Carlson Land Surveying has been made aware and has declined to comment.
Race Weekend Schedule
Athlete Arrival & RV Check-In
Athletes report to headquarters (the RV). Carb loading begins immediately and continues for the duration of the event. Wine counts as carbs.
Pre-Race Training: Downtown Grand Rapids
A rigorous circuit of breweries and wine bars, with shuttle service provided by the Race Director. Hydration strategy: questionable. Morale: extremely high.
RACE DAY — The Cabin Classic
Run. Walk-up music, start/finish line, live announcing, mimosa aid station, awards ceremony, and the annual swag bag presentation. Five starters, five finishers. Dinner of champions followed (Zorba's had been notified). See the recap →
Cool-Down & Farewell
Recovery brunch, slow packing, long goodbyes, and immediate planning for the 4th Annual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wait — is there an actual cabin?
No. "The cabin" is a beautifully remote patch of woods up north. The only structure on the property is the RV, which serves as headquarters, lodging, kitchen, and wine cellar. The name predates scrutiny and will outlive it.
Is this an official, sanctioned race?
Absolutely not. The course was measured by vibes, the timing system is a guy yelling, and the governing body is whoever is holding the mimosa pitcher.
What's the entry fee?
Showing up. Entry includes the full weekend, race bib energy, aid station privileges, live audio support, and one (1) artisanal swag bag.
Can I set a personal record?
You are guaranteed to. All distances are made up, so every finish time is simultaneously a personal record and a world record. Congratulations in advance.
What if I'd rather walk?
Walking is a recognized discipline of the Cabin Classic. So is jog-walking, walk-jogging, and pausing at the aid station for an unsanctioned refill.
Who is the guy with the speaker?
That is the Race Director. He drives the shuttle, pours the mimosas, runs race-day audio, and is contractually obligated to whoop every time an athlete passes the RV.
Can I still register?
Registration closed July 4, 2026. The field is set at five athletes, which is one more than the RV was designed for. Entry was by reputation and remains so; check back for the 4th Annual.
Who are the sponsors?
Our two Founding Sponsors are Carlson Land Surveying and Nordic Gal Designs — equal billing, both tier one. See the sponsors section for the full, deeply official details.
Official Sponsors
The inaugural class of Cabin Classic Founding Sponsors — two businesses, equal billing, neither of which had a realistic way to say no.
Carlson Land Surveying
Experience. Precision. Integrity. — three qualities the Cabin Classic course has never once been accused of. Carlson brings real boundary and topographic surveying to the Upper Midwest; here, they lend their good name to a loop measured entirely by vibes.
Nordic Gal Designs
Hand-painted Norwegian rosemaling by Michelle Carlson. Every stroke is applied by hand, which is more care than has ever been applied to the timing of this race. Elevating the podium from "a folding chair" to "a folding chair, but with something beautiful on it."
Interested in sponsoring the 4th Annual? Speak to the Race Director. He is the one holding the pitcher.