Press Release from Brent LaLonde about it:
The 8th Annual Capital City Half Marathon will draw a record field of up to 12,000 runners and walkers to downtown Columbus this weekend when the popular road race unveils exciting new elements to encourage participants to “Celebrate Like A Champion†in 2011.
The Captial City Half Marathon will be held May 7, 2011 and feature four distinct races, including the namesake half marathon that has been held annually in downtown Columbus since 2004. The race will start at 8 a.m. at Spring Street and Neil Avene and finish on Nationwide Boulevard near Nationwide Arena.
This year, the Capital City Half Marathon will also feature a new championship course that will take runners through a collection of neighborhoods along a five-mile stretch of High Street between the University District and German Village now known as High Five Columbus.
“We will Celebrate Columbus in 2011 by featuring a dynamic new race course that will guide our participants through the many unique neighborhoods that make up the character of our community,†race director David Babner said. “The High Five course includes the University District, South Campus Gateway, Short North, Arena District and the German Village neighborhoods that represent the qualities that make Columbus great.â€Â
In addition to the 13.1-mile half marathon, the Capital City Half Marathon will also feature:
â— The inaugural Capital City Quarter Marathon, which will take runners and walkers along a 6.55-mile course through downtown Columbus and the Short North Arts District.
â— The popular Commit To Be Fit Fun Run/Walk, a 3-mile race hosted by popular WBNS-TV personality Andrea Cambern
â— The Capital Kids Mascot Chase, an annual fun run for children and mascots of all ages with all proceeds benefiting the Capital Kids Afterschool program.
“The Capital City Half Marathon’s four races provide runners and walkers of all ages and capabilities the opportunity to Celebrate Like A Champion,†Babner said. “The first-ever Capital City Quarter Marathon will give participants a challenging middle distance and will quickly become one of the most popular distances.â€Â
After the race, the Byers Xtra Mile Finish Line Party will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at Neil Avenue and Nationwide Boulevard. The party will feature a post-race concert by the local band SWAGG.
To encourage runners and walkers to spend a weekend, race organizers will debut the two-day Health & Fitness Expo Party at the newly-renovated Battelle Grand in 2011. The party will feature a one-of-a-kind pre-race experience including a VIP Lounge, the first-ever Panel of Champions and an appealing lineup of vendors that extends beyond the traditional shoe and apparel companies.
The Panel of Champions will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 5 at the Health & Fitness Expo and feature local celebrities James “Buster†Douglas, Mike Doss, Stephanie Hightower, Kent Mercker, Jerry DePizzo, Danny O’Rourke, Anthony Schlegel and Katie Smith. The panel will be emceed by Cambern, who will also run the half marathon on Saturday.
After the Panel of Champions presentation, Babner, the race director, will be joined by Mayor Michael B. Coleman in unveiling the race’s special 2012 Columbus Bicentennial logo.
The Capital City Half Marathon has also added additional charity partners in 2011.
The Capital City Half Marathon will partner with the American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation program for the first time. DetermiNation allows runners and walkers to receive a free race entry, training tips and VIP benefits in exchange for dedicating training to the only charity program that helps saves lives from all cancers.
Capital City Half Marathon will also partner with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program again in 2011, as it has annually since 2005. Team In Training participants hope to raise more than $200,000 for research, patient services and education in the effort to find a cure for blood cancers.
In addition, The Capital City Half Marathon benefits the City of Columbus’ Capital Kids after-school program. The partnership with the Columbus Recreation & Parks Department will provide incentives for hundreds of youth to complete the equivalent of a half-marathon between January and May. Those who complete the new program will be celebrated by Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman as part of the Capital City Half Marathon festivities.
The Capital City Half Marathon, founded in 2004 and produced by M3S Sports, has grown into one of the largest half marathons in the Midwest. The race weekend will generate an estimated $4 million in visitor spending when the Capital City Half Marathon and related events in Columbus on May 7, 2011.
For more information or to register for the Capital City Half Marathon or related events, visit http://www.capitalcityhalfmarathon.com.
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