Runners Prepare For Race

BENTONVILLE — “It is amazing what I get reeled into.”

So writes David Wright, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, in a blog documenting his training for the Bentonville Half Marathon.

Wright has stood on the sidelines at the last two half marathons, cheering on participants, making sure there was enough water and scrambling to keep track of stragglers on the course. But come April 6, Wright will join thousands of people who run 13.1 miles around Bentonville in the city’s third Running Festival.

He was coerced into joining the city’s training program for the half marathon after casually mentioning to co-workers he had put on weight since taking over as Parks and Recreation director. Less than two months into training, he has lost 17 pounds and is running four miles on the city trails he helps maintain.

He and Martine Pollard, executive director of communications for Mercy Northwest Arkansas, are detailing their training pains and successes in a blog on the city’s website.

The two said they knew committing to the blog would help them finish a training program and the 13.1-mile behemoth at the end of it.

“I think about women in my same situation, juggling a career and a family,” Pollard said. “They think they don’t have the time.”

The training program is a partnership between the city and Mike Rush, owner of Rush Running. Rush designed a program to ease new runners up to the half marathon from Dec. 15 to April 6. The more than 200 participants train individually through the week and meet on Saturday mornings at the Downtown Activity Center for a group run.

Many of the participants have joined Rush’s Monday and Wednesday runs he hosts through his shops.

Rush said the training program requires about five to six hours each week with five days of running.

Wright and Pollard said the training was rough initially, but they have settled into the program and feel more confident.

“I won’t lie, it hurt when I first started,” Wright said. “I wanted to throw rocks at them for suggesting I do this.”

Wright said he felt he turned a corner after a four-mile run Jan. 12. He dug down to get through a rough patch at about mile three, but found his stride and felt he could have run farther when he finished.

Pollard said she feels the best she has in three or four years. She was a runner about 10 years ago, but motherhood and work commitments seemed to get in the way of running.

“We talk about community wellness,” said Pollard, referring to her job at Mercy and Wright’s job in the Parks and Recreation Department. “We want to be examples of that for our co-workers, community and kids.”

The Bentonville Half Marathon has grown each year since its inception. Last year’s event drew 2,400 participants in the half marathon, 5K and Fun Run. Wright said staff members were “floored” by the response.

Rush said the race has developed a reputation as a quality event, with other cities modeling their programs after the Bentonville race.

“Bentonville is becoming seen as a place for wellness,” Pollard said. “It’s good news for our community.”

The race course will vary this year from previous races. It will start on the bridge on the revamped East Central Avenue and will veer onto North Walton Boulevard for 1,000 yards instead of following Oakwood Drive down a steep hill.

Wright said the slope on North Walton is safer than the steep decline on Oakwood. Most of the injuries in previous races have come when runners fell trying to negotiate the hill. Even without injury, the decline took a toll on racers, Rush said.

“People are just ruined for the rest of the race after that,” Rush said.

City staff will close one lane on North Walton throughout the duration of the race. Start time will be an hour earlier this year, at 7 a.m., to help ease any potential traffic issues. The course will still follow the North Bentonville and Crystal Bridges trails back into downtown and finish at Lawrence Plaza.

Wright said he hopes the community will continue to embrace the race like it has in the past. The half marathon has a fun atmosphere, with the community showing support in sometimes goofy ways. Two years ago, someone dressed up as the Grim Reaper and held a sign at the top of the grueling Crystal Bridges hill that read, “The end is near.”

“No one has any idea who that was,” Wright said.

Another supporter followed roads near the course route blasting Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” the perennial workout favorite from “Rocky III.”

“It’s a community event,” Wright said. “It’s so much more than just the 2,500 people who participate.”