It’s been a big week for the Katahdin Region, with news that the area would be home to one of the nation’s newest national monuments. It’s also home to one of the nation’s newest marathons.
John Hough, is race director for the Bay of Fundy International Marathon, is in town with other race organizers to plot the course for the newly minted Millinocket Marathon.
“And what we’re doing here at the moment is officially measuring the course so that it’s certified by the USATF, which means that people running here are eligible to run in the Boston Marathon, which for many many runners is their dream in life,” he says.
USA Track and Field, or USATF, is the official governing body for running sports, like marathons.
Hough says a small test run last December of about 50 people drew enough interest to launch the project full scale.
All 1,000 spaces for this year’s marathon filled up immediately, but Hough says it’s worth checking back periodically as people do drop out.
The race, unlike most others in the state, will be a cold one — it’s slated for Dec. 10.
“And well why not? I mean, it’s northern Maine. So, sure, let’s make it a northern Maine affair,” Hough says. “It’s going to be cold, but it’s going to be fun.”
Hough and organizer Gary Allen say the race was created to bring more activity to a region of the state that’s seen hard economic times.
Allen says the Millinocket Marathon waives the usual entry fees.
“The only requirement will be that runners give back to Millinocket,” he says. That means shopping at stores and eating in the local restaurants.
