5 Reasons You Should Run the Med City Marathon
Amid the big springtime marathons like Boston and Grandma’s, it’s easy to overlook the smaller races. Big races can have their advantages, like huge crowds, great swag, but smaller races come with perks too.
This year, the Med City Marathon is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The marathon and half marathon courses both start in rural Byron and wind for about 8 miles through the countryside into Rochester. From there, the half marathon course makes a beeline for the finish and downtown, while the marathon course winds its way along some of Rochester’s most popular running paths.
Here are five reasons you should register for this mainstay in the Rochester racing scene!
1. It’s a Race Founded by Runners, For Runners
More than 20 years ago, Wally Arnold and his wife, Peg, ran the Twin Cities Marathon for the first time. Then they started thinking, “What if we started a marathon in Rochester?” A few years later, the first Med City Marathon was ran, and that dream became a reality. Everything since then has been catered towards making sure runners have the best race-day experience possible, from easy parking at the finish, to frequent shuttles out to the starting line in Byron, and incorporating family-friendly events.
2. Inexpensive Entry Fees and Plentiful Hotels
Arnold says that because many Mayo Clinic patients go home for the weekend, runners can secure a hotel room at a reasonable rate. That fact, combined with affordable entry fees, makes the Med City Marathon a great getaway race weekend.
3. There’s Something for Everyone
The race started with a full marathon and a 4-person marathon relay (one of the first in the country). Arnold notes that people have dipped their toes into racing with the relay, and then come back and run the full marathon. Over the years, the Med City Marathon has added a half marathon, a supported 20-mile training run, a mascot race, and a kids’ race to the weekend’s festivities.
4. Great Community Support
As a former St. Paulite who moved to Rochester two years ago, I’ve come to appreciate the area’s close knit running community. And there’s no time when that’s more apparent than race weekend. The Med City Marathon might not have the volume of crowds that larger marathons have, but Arnold says that they can be just as raucous.
5. It’s the 20th anniversary!
There’s always a big post-race party with beer and a band, but this year the party will be even bigger because it’s the race’s 20th anniversary.
Register for Med City Marathon Weekend
The Med City Marathon is being held the weekend of May 23 & 24, 2015, May 29, 2016. If the marathon isn’t your thing, there are a plethora of other races you should checkout.
Have you run the Med City Marathon or Half Marathon before? Are you planning to run it this year? Let us know in the comment section!
