Runners from 30 states and even Canada and Japan will flock to Bowling Green for the bg26.2 & Half Marathon, which gives runners the chance to qualify for the 2019 Boston Marathon.
The sixth annual bg26.2 & Half Marathon is a fundraiser for the Kentucky-Southeast Indiana chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, race director Lilly Riherd said.
The event is held in honor of Riherd’s sister Susan, who died of multiple sclerosis 12 years ago, she said.
“I thought, ‘What better way to honor her than to have this event and to donate the money from it to MS research in her name.’ ” she said.
The marathon begins at 7 a.m. at Bowling Green Ballpark and follows a path that zigzags through much of the downtown area, goes up and down WKU’s famous hill and includes a lengthy stretch of Fairview Avenue, according to bg262.com, the marathon’s website.
The half-marathon will also start at 7 a.m., and a 6K will begin at 7:30 a.m. A roughly 1-mile kids-only run, called bgKIDS 26.2, starts at 12:30 p.m.
Each event starts at the ballpark, Riherd said.
Anyone wanting to participate must register at bg262.com by midnight Friday, Riherd said.
To qualify for the Boston Marathon, runners must meet time standards corresponding to their age and gender in a qualifying marathon, according to the Boston Athletic Association.
For example, men 18 to 34 must complete a marathon in three hours and five minutes or less. Women in the same age group must complete one in three hours and 35 minutes or less, according to the website.
The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s most prestigious marathons.
“They refer to the Boston Marathon as the granddaddy of all races,” Riherd said.
Registration is $125 for the 26.2 marathon; $100 for the half-marathon; $45 for the 6K; and free for the children’s race.
Reed is expecting about 700 runners to participate in the three adult races and roughly 250 in the children’s race.
Reed said the fact that the marathon is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon and the race’s hilly terrain draw a great deal of people from out of the state and out of the country.
“These hills aren’t everyone’s favorite, but they sign up for it knowing this is going to be a challenging course,” he said.
– Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.
– Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.
