With the final weeks of online registration nearing, volunteers for course marshals are still needed and corporate race competitors are still encouraged to participate. Monument Marathon Race Director Jennifer Reisig, who also serves as the WNCC Foundation executive director, said she is excited for the 13th annual event to take place on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The marathon events start at 7:30 a.m., with the half-marathon, 5K relay and half-marathon relay start at Five Rocks Amphitheater and the marathon beginning at the Wildcat Hills Recreation Area.
The marathon, which began in 2012, is the major annual fundraiser for the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation. "The foundation board was really looking for a signature event (that) we could do year after year that would not only support WNCC students, but be a real benefit for the whole community," Reisig said. Reisig mentioned four reasons why the marathon was started as a fundraiser over other options.
"(We wanted to) promote the beauty of the area, to build tourism, to encourage a healthy lifestyle and to support WNCC students," she said. "All proceeds from this race stay right here in the Panhandle." To date, the foundation has raised $557,000 for WNCC students.
"We're on pace this year to bring in more than $50,000 again with with this event," Reisig said. With an average of 500-600 runners that travel to the area for the race, Reisig is already set in that area with 501 runners registered. "We have runners registered this year from two other countries other than the U.
S.," she said. "We've got a couple runners coming from Kenya, and we have one runner coming from South Korea (and) runners from 36 different states.
" When half and full-marathon runners run a race in every state, they call those fifty staters," Reisig said. "A lot of 'fifty staters' like to run our race because it's very pretty, because we have a mixed-surface course: it's not just a flat-road race somewhere," she added. "They really like the view and the beauty of the area.
" The most runners Reisig has seen was just over 600 in 2020, but because of COVID, many of those did not come. "So we only had about 560 that came that year," she said. The 5K race is one of the most-popular races at the Monument Marathon.
"(It) usually fills up last because that's a lot of our local runners, because of people who are looking for a shorter distance," Reisig said. "As of right now, we have about 100 spots available yet, out of 250, so likely that race distance will fill up. So if people are wanting to register for the 5K they probably shouldn't wait until the expo day just to make sure that they can get a spot.
" Corporate challenge Back for a second year is the corporate challenge half-marathon relay. "It's a three-leg relay that follows the same course as the half marathon," Reisig said. "As part of that, we have a Corporate Challenge, and info about that is out on our website, at MonumentMarathon.
com/corporate and any Panhandle business or organization can register for that. The team will receive points for different things such as best team names, best race-day outfits and utilizing social media. "Carr Trumbull Lumber is our sponsor for the relay, and the winning team of the Corporate Challenge will get an extra $1,000 from them to donate to the nonprofit of their choice," Reisig said.
Volunteers The event is also still in need of volunteers, particularly in the form of course marshals, who are individuals that stand on the course and make sure runners are going in the right direction. "(They also) are an extra person there to cheer them on, to encourage them," Reisig said. There are two ways to volunteer as a course marshal: Fill out a form under the "Get Involved" tab on momunmentmarathon.
com or send a direct email to [email protected] . Volunteers will also participate in planned trainings leading up to race day.
More information about the race in general can be found at the website, monumentmarathon.com Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
