HALF-MARATHON: Volunteer Search Begins

BUREAU HOSTING INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR 2010 EVENT

By Jeff Mores

Posted: November 10, 2009 at 4:50 a.m.

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BENTONVILLE — On March 13, Bentonville will become the 10th destination on a United States Running Association-sanctioned half marathon circuit. Even as a first-year event here, organizers are predicting approximately 1,000 runners to converge on the area, along with post-run music and festivities, but it isn’t going to happen by itself.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, the Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau office, 104 E. Central Ave., will host a public meeting aimed at gathering the many volunteers it will take to pull of this event. City leaders and bureau officials alike said they believe it will evolve into a huge annual draw for Bentonville.

“I expect we’re going to need between 75 and 100 volunteers for this event,” said Blair Cromwell, vice president of sales for the convetion bureau. “We’ll need volunteers leading up to the event and volunteers the day of. One of the committees we’ll be looking to form is a volunteer-recruiting committee.”

The Bentonville Half-Marathon will be a 13.1-mile race that will begin and end on the downtown Bentonville Square. In addition to the half-marathon, the day will feature a 5K run/walk and a one-mile fun run for children.

“I always estimate conservatively at first, and I’ve been looking at drawing 500 to Bentonville the first year, but then we’ve seen how those projections have been eclipsed in other markets,” said Dean Reinke of Reinke Sports Group, the organization behind the event. “It’s entirely possible we get 1,000 here the first year. Within five years, I see the Bentonville event drawing 4,000 to 5,000 runners, and from more than 17 states.”

MEETING INFORMATION

Bentonville Half-Marathon

Meeting to recruit volunteers for first Bentonville Half-Marathon event is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday.

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