CARIBOU, Maine — City officials announced last week that they will be hosting the first Caribou Marathon next September, a local event in which competitors can qualify for the Boston Marathon.
“This is pretty exciting, as a marathon runner, it’s great to have something in our own backyard,” said 2011 Maine Marathon winner and Caribou resident Evan Graves.
“We train on these roads and oftentimes have to travel a little distance for races. To have something right here is going to be great for the community. The economic impact is amazing when you talk about marathons. People come and they have to stay and eat. Certainly, it will put Caribou on the map and help some businesses out,” he added.
Registration for the race opened on Dec. 1 and will close on Sept. 1, 2016. The race will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18.
The race course is 13.1-mile loop, which runners do twice to complete a 26.2-mile marathon. The course starts at the Caribou Wellness Center on 55 Bennett Drive, where racers run on back roads and then return into Caribou, eventually finishing at the Wellness Center.
Chris Bernier of Sub 5 Race Management will be the race director for the event, and put in hours of work measuring distances in order to certify the race as a Boston Marathon qualifier.
“This is going to be the most northeastern Boston Marathon qualifier in the United States,” Caribou Marketing and Event Coordinator Lydia Kieffer said. “We’ll be running a full marathon, a half marathon, relays of the full, relays of the half, and a kids’ run. … The Caribou Marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. Therefore, if you meet the qualifying time in Caribou, you directly qualify for the Boston Marathon.
“Aside from the running portion of the event, we will have a pre-race exposition, a dinner on Saturday the 17th. A street festival will take place during the race, featuring a live band, food and craft vendors, similar to the Thursdays on Sweden Street events,” she added.
This event will benefit the city of Caribou by bringing people together regionally and locally, she said and the city is partnering with a number of organizations to help get the event off the ground.
Kieffer said the names of these organizations “will be revealed at a later date.”
Caribou City Manager and race committee member Austin Bleess believes the event will have a positive impact not only on Caribou, but on Aroostook County and northern Maine.
“Being able to have a Boston Marathon qualifier event is huge,” said Bleess. “It’s going to attract racers not just from our area, but from around the state, Canada and elsewhere. My hat’s off to Lydia and this venture. I’m looking forward to seeing the great results that come from it.”
Racers interested in signing up can do so by visiting runsignup.com and typing “Caribou Marathon” in the search field. Tickets for the marathon cost $60, half marathon tickets are $55, marathon relay tickets are $25, half marathon relay tickets are $20, and Caribou Kids Run tickets are $25. Ticket prices are set to increase on Jan. 31.
Top male and female athletes will receive a $500 cash prize and those who qualify for the Boston Marathon will receive a special medal. In addition, all participating racers will receive a goodie bag for participation.
The Boston Marathon is held each year in mid-April.