Runner’s World magazine recently called the half-marathon “the fastest growing distance in our sport.” But what about those runners who like to go all the way? On April 11, the Southern Indiana Classic Marathon and Half Marathon will give people a choice.
The inaugural race is a qualifier for the 2011 Boston Marathon — an event more than a century old. The Heartbreak Hill, a grueling obstacle at the 20th mile of the 26.2-mile race, is one of the defining characteristics of the Boston Marathon.
The Evansville course, which begins and ends at the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fairgrounds, presents a challenge from the start, says Jill Gehlhausen, race director of the Southern Indiana Classic. “It’s basically rolling hills throughout,” she says. “It’s really hard to find 26 miles of road that are flat.”
Not intimidated by the course are the runners already signed up for the race. According to Gehlhausen, the event is on track to reach between 4,000 and 6,000 participants. With 26 hydration stations, five food stations, four massage stations, and an entertaining act every mile, those runners should find motivation and comfort, and the after-party looks like an award. “It’s all you can eat from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” says Gehlhausen. Music performances, massage tables, kids’ inflatables, and a beer garden are on the fairgrounds.
An event like this needed community support, Gehlhausen says, and she found an outpouring. “We’ve gotten the most sponsorship I could have imagined for a first-year event,” she says. “Such an overwhelming blessing.”
