beachbites
before coming to a conclusion in Mayfaire Town Center. A half
marathon will be held the same day. All races are part of Marathon
Madness weekend. The races are capped at 3,000 runners, allowing
800 runners into the full marathon and 2,200 into the half.
Due to its rise as a spectator sport, cheering onlookers in addition
to the number of runners can cause congested traffic from the
crack-of-dawn starts on Salisbury Street between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m.
until all runners clear the Heide Trask Drawbridge by approximately 7 a.m.
Cash prizes will be awarded to top finishers in a variety of
categories for the male and female divisions of both marathons.
Marathon proceeds benefit The Landfall Foundation and the
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
WBM FILE PHOTO
15
On your mark
Marathon Madness
by Daniel Bowden
The Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon presented
by Landfall Realty is the culminating event in a
two-day weekend that ends on St. Patrick’s Day,
March 17.
On Saturday, March 16, Eli’s 1-mile Family Fun Run begins
at 8 a.m. and the 5k begins at 5 p.m. (For more information visit
www.wrightsvillebeachmarathon.com)
Sunday’s marathon course is flat, with its highest elevation
being only 32 feet, making it ideal for repeat runners looking to
set new personal records. Now in its fourth year, the full marathon
is 26.2 miles long. The race begins on Wrightsville Beach and winds,
for much of its duration, through the gated Landfall community
Kat Long, from left, Cole Nichols, Jennifer Bryson and Erin Kiffmeyer cross the finish line of the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon on
March 18, 2012.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM