The Carmel Road Racing Group announced last week that the Carmel Marathon Weekend will return for its third annual event on Apr. 20, 2013.
Next year, in addition to the usual lineup of the Marathon, Half Marathon, 8-Kand and One-Mile Family Fitness Walk, organizers have responded to participant feedback by adding the Marathon Relay. Additionally, Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent has been brought aboard as the official charity partner for the 2013 Carmel Marathon Weekend.
“We’re honored to have Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent on board with us for 2013,” said Todd Oliver, president of Carmel Road Racing Group and race director for the Carmel Marathon Weekend. “Their expertise and focus on providing extraordinary care reaches far beyond the walls of the hospital and can be seen throughout the community. We hope to help them make a difference in the lives of patients from our home of Carmel and from around the country.”
The newly-minted Marathon Relay, held on the same course as the Marathon, will give teams of two, three or four runners the chance to win award categories for men, women, co-ed and costume. The relay will consist of four legs with distances of 6.9, 8.1, 7.0 and 4.2 miles, for a grand total of 26.2 miles.
All participants will receive a medal with the inaugural Carmel Marathon Relay design.
“We have found that runners love medals, so much so that it can really be a motivating factor in their decision to run a race,” Oliver said. “As a way to say thank you to those who return year after year, the ‘streaker medal’ will be a visual reminder of their dedication and determination once they cross the finish line.”
This year’s event, held on Apr. 21, received more than 3,000 registrations, including participants from 41 states and four countries. Next year, Marathon Weekend will add additional incentives for returning participants with a special, second medal in addition to their finisher’s medal for the third annual event. To be eligible for the “Keeping the Streak Alive” commemorative medal, participants must have finished a race event in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Oliver lauded the plethora of local merchants who will continue to step up and support the event.
“With the support of our partners, the community and past participants, we’re ready to build on the momentum of the past two years and continue to make the Carmel Marathon Weekend a successful and positive event for everyone involved,” he said. “We’re excited our event is quickly becoming a ‘must-do’ race for runners around the country, and we’re working hard to keep our participants wanting to come back to Carmel year after year.”