Lake Erie was created from a moving glacier about 4,000 years ago. It was named after the Iroquoian word erielhonan, which means "long tail" due to the fact that it is shaped like, well, a long tail. This lake is quite unique and unlike the other Great Lakes in a lot of ways. Although it is the second smallest of the Great Lakes in terms of surface area, in terms of water volume, it is the smallest.
Lake Erie is, by far, the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Because of this, it gets very warm in the summer months making it a popular tourist location for beach goers. In the winter, Lake Erie freezes more than any of the other lakes. The shallow water also helps to generate powerful waves when the wind is strong.
In addition to the Province of Ontario, Lake Erie also touches 4 different states in the USA: New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
After many years of excessive pollution from factories, Lake Erie became prone to massive algae blooms and significant "dead zones" in the 1960s. In 1999, Lake Erie was invaded by mayflies, which many actually considered a symbol that the lake's health and balance with nature were returning.
During the War of 1812, an important battle, "The Battle of Lake Erie" took place on Sept 10, 1813. Of the 934 Americans that fought, only 33 survived the battle.
Did you know that Lake Erie also has its very own monster? They call it "Bessie" and, according to sightings, is between 30 and 40 feet long! Some believe that it could actually be a large sturgeon fish but, to others, it is definitely a monster!
Lake Erie is 388km long and 92km wide, which is why we are challenging you to run 92km (50 nautical miles) during March, which is an average of 3km per day.
You will earn the following race medals: