Race Director Todd Oliver said he’s heard from so many people who say they wish they could participate in Carmel Marathon weekend but they are afraid of running longer distances.
For its first four years, the shortest race available was an 8K race, which is about five miles. But now, the Carmel Marathon will offer a shorter race – a 5K run – in celebration of the event’s fifth anniversary.
“We thought it would be a fun addition for the five-year anniversary to introduce the 5K and it really opens up the weekend to a larger audience,” Oliver said. “The 5K is probably the most popular race distance of any event in the country just because it’s the easiest to finish. This is a race that almost anyone can do.”
Oliver recruited Hamilton County Sports Authority, which is a division of Hamilton County Tourism, Inc., to be a sponsor for the race which is branded as the Stay Healthy Hamilton County 5K.
Oliver said it’s fun because friends and family who might have only wished to cheer on the full-marathon participants can now find a way to get active themselves.
“We like to say that it’s equivalent to a day of shopping,” Oliver said. “Because people often end up walking three miles (nearly equivalent to a 5K) during a day of shopping at the mall. They walk if they want and take an hour. It should be fun for everybody.”
This year, all of the Carmel Marathon races – the full marathon, half marathon, 8K and 5K – will all start at the same time at the same place, using much of the same course. All runners will begin and finish their races at 7:30 a.m. on April 18 at the Palladium at the corner of 3rd Avenue and City Center Drive. For those running longer distances, there will be signs telling them where to turn for the extended courses.
For more information and to see a map of the running course, visit youarecurrent.com.
