Marathon mania set to arrive in NR

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Talk about it

When the winter winds are at their chilliest, New Richmond will be inviting marathon runners to a new race event.

The first ever Sandbox Indoor Trail Marathon is slated for Feb. 11-13, 2011.

The event will be held over three days in the Amsoil Sandbox Arena motocross facility in the Town of Star Prairie. The race is sponsored by the New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Executive Director Russ Korpela said local boosters have been talking about hosting a marathon for years.

But because the busy seasons for marathons (spring and fall) are already filled with running opportunities, the community could never find a race date that worked, Korpela reported. Wisconsin alone now has 27 marathons offered to runners throughout the year.

“That’s the third highest in the country, behind on California and New York,” Korpela said. “There are a lot of runners in the state. That’s counter to the way we’re portrayed — as beer drinkers and cheese eaters.”

Also working against the idea of a full-blown marathon was the cost involved in setting such an event up. Korpela estimated that the average marathon race will cost about $100,000 to set up and run.

That, coupled with the need for 300 to 400 volunteers to man 16 water stations, register runners and provide security along the race route, made it difficult for New Richmond to jump into the world of marathon promotion.

Then Korpela heard about an indoor wintertime race being conducted in Milwaukee. In its second year, the race at Pettit National Ice Center was sold out.

Korpela said athletes in that race must run on a concrete, oval track.

The advantage of an indoor race is that fewer volunteers are needed. Only one water station is required, as runners will complete about 110 laps to achieve their 26-mile distance and can take advantage of the single station during each lap.

An indoor event also isn’t affected by the weather, and a race can be held “during the quiet time of the running calendar,” Korpela said, in hopes of attracting more runners.

The local Sandbox Arena also is a huge asset for such an indoor race, Korpela said. The zig-zag-shaped track inside the facility will be formed through the dirt infield. The course will include both right and left turns, which is better for the athletes.

“We’ll put in shallow hills and try to break up the monotony for the runners,” he said.

Running on a softer surface rather than cement is also a plus, he noted.

“There are very few buildings in the country where you can do such a race,” Korpela said. “One is right here, even though many people don’t know the arena exists.”

Korpela said the owners of the Sandbox Arena, which is adjacent to Cedar Lake Speedway, are excited about the race event. They have agreed to rent the facility to the chamber and suspend their motocross racing schedule for that February weekend.

The weekend will include a full marathon, a half marathon, a marathon relay, 5K and 10K runs as well as a fun run.

Each race will be limited to 200 runners. Registrations have already been coming in. Even with the restrictions, a total of 1,800 athletes could be part of the weekend’s festivities. Entry fee is $70-$90 per runner, depending on when a person registers. Half marathoners will be charged $60-$80.

Even though the indoor marathon is cheaper to operate by the sponsoring organization, Korpela said the event still has a $70,000 budget. The chamber did receive an $18,700 Joint Effort Marketing Grant from the state to help promote the new race, which will help it get off the ground, Korpela said.

Special flyers to help promote the marathon have already been printed and distributed at many recent marathons. So far the response has been positive among potential runners, Korpela said.

“I think this has the potential to be a great event for the community,” he said.

For more information or to register, visit www.sand boxindoormarathon.com or call the chamber office at 715-246-2900.

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