Coming up in July will be the 50th annual Steve’s Run at Southwestern Michigan College.

A lot has happened in the half-century spanning the Original Road and Trail Race to Steve’s Run, and SMC is remembering how it all got started.

Known as Steve’s Run since 1992, the event left downtown Dowagiac in 2015 for Southwestern Michigan College’s campus, where it began in front of the David C. Briegel Building, named for SMC’s fifth president. David’s and Camille’s son, Steven Briegel, was born in 1967 and died in 1990 at the age of 22 after a 5-year battle with cancer.

After Steve’s death, SMC’s annual Road and Trail Race became Steve’s Run, dedicated to all who have fought or are still fighting cancer, with proceeds split between Mayo Clinic cancer research and the Briegel scholarship.

Steve Briegel is remembered as a sports nut who was a junior in the Ferris State University program at SMC at the time of his death.

Registrations are now being taken for the July 19 Steve’s Run, now back in downtown Dowagiac since 2021. Those who take part can make Steve’s Run what they want, either as a 5K, a 10K, or a simple fun run.