covered bridges half marathon: Back to back for Marathon, R2R

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Marathon/Half-Marathon and the adult Ridge to River Relay will be held the same weekend next spring.

The marathon/half-marathon and its other races (10-kilometer run, relay run and kids run) will unfold Saturday, April 18. The adult Ridge to River is scheduled for Sunday, April 19.

The Jr. Ridge to River will be held April 4.

Ted Finegold, marathon co-director, said his event took the only available date left in April. The two Ridge to River races and the Apple Blossom Festival carnival had already booked the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. The other option was to hold the marathon over Easter weekend (April 11-12), but that was nixed.

“We would have preferred to be on a different weekend, obviously,” Finegold said. “But after four years now, we have become a fixture on the running calendar so we need to stay an April race.”

The marathon event attracted more than 500 runners — many from outside of North Central Washington — this past April. Finegold said he had some concerns about hotel room availability, but hotel officials told him that Ridge to River has largely become a local race now and there should be enough rooms.

Some people may participate on both days.

“It just depends on a person’s fitness level,” said Finegold, whose wife, Lynda, is a former Ridge to River ironwoman champion. “We see the highest percentage of local participants in the marathon relay, in which each leg is a short distance. ... I can see more of those people doing both races, because a 6 or 3 mile run is easier to recover from than a half-marathon or marathon.

“We tend to see the ‘Average Joe’ more at running events than at multi-sport races, because multi-sport races command a bigger time committment and cost for equipment, and the events are more technical. It’s cheaper, easier and takes less time to a slap on a pair of running shoes.”

In another change, the marathon/half-marathon will start and finish at the Wenatchee Performing Arts Center next spring. The races previously began at Centennial Park and ended at Riverfront Park.

“It’s easier on the city for road closure to shorten up the Wenatchee Avenue section of the race, and it gives us covered space if the weather doesn’t cooperate,” Finegold said. “Plus, it’s always preferable from a racer’s and organizer’s perspective to start and finish in the same spot, to avoid shuttling around.”

The 26.2-mile marathon takes runners a couple times around the loop trail along the waterfront. The half-marathon also uses the loop trail, but after crossing the Odabashian Bridge and heading south for about three miles, runners turn around and head back to town.

Stephen Maher: 664-7154


Source: wenatcheeworld.com