Running: Springdale hosting 41st annual Hogeye Marathon today

NWA Democrat-Gazette/ J.T. WAMPLER -- Competitors in the 5K race get started during the 39th Annual Hogeye Marathon, Half Marathon and Relays Sunday March 29, 2015 in Fayetteville. For more images from the event go the internet at www.nwadg.com/photos
NWA Democrat-Gazette/ J.T. WAMPLER -- Competitors in the 5K race get started during the 39th Annual Hogeye Marathon, Half Marathon and Relays Sunday March 29, 2015 in Fayetteville. For more images from the event go the internet at www.nwadg.com/photos

SPRINGDALE -- The 41st running of the Hogeye Marathon will introduce a fresh new twist today.

In November, it was announced the marathon would chart a new course in 2017, moving from Fayetteville to Springdale. The race primarily will take place in Springdale, but runners also will venture through parts of Johnson, Fayetteville and portions of Lake Fayetteville and the Razorback Greenway.

At a glance

41st annual Hogeye Marathon

WHEN 7 a.m.

WHERE The race begins on Emma Ave. in Springdale’s Downtown District before taking competitors through parts of Johnson and Fayetteville as well as portions of Lake Fayetteville and the Razorback Greenway. The race will conclude on Emma Ave.

NOTABLE Race Director Tabby Holmes says runners from California, Oregon, New York, Virginia and other states will participate in the race today. There will also be a runner from Australia taking part in the event. … Water and aid stations will be located throughout the course. … There is one early start time at 6:30 a.m. … Timing will end seven hours after the race begins.

Road Closures For Hogeye Marathon

Motorists should be aware of the following road closures for today’s Hogeye Marathon:

• Emma, From Shiloh to Railroad Tracks 6:50am to 1:30 pm

• Emma to Old Missouri 6:30 to 7:30 am

• North bound Johnson Rd from Johnson Mill to Don Tyson until runners have cleared 7:45 to 10 am approximate

• Elmore from Main St to Johnson Rd 7:45 to 10 am approximate

• Hewitt from Main St to Elmore 8 to 10:15 am approximate

• Watkins from 56th St to 48th St. 8:15 to 11:15 am

• Chapman St. from 40th St to Carley closed to through traffic 8:15 to 11:45 am approximate

• Chapman from Carley to Johnson Rd 8:15 to 11:45 am approximate

• Spring St between Emma & Johnson 7 to 10 am

• Holcomb between Meadow and Emma 6:50 am to 1:45 pm

• Johnson Ave from Shiloh to Spring open, but limited until runners have cleared

• Meadow from Main to Commercial open, but limited until runners have cleared

For more information on road closures and other marathon-related news, visit www.hogeyemarathon.….

"I think there's a lot of buzz going on," said Tabby Holmes, the Hogeye Marathon's race director since 2008. "There's a lot of excitement to just see what the course is like and everything else."

Holmes says the course is much flatter than in years past when competitors raced from Fayetteville to Hogeye and back.

"Especially in the beginning," Holmes said. "In Fayetteville, the first two miles were very, very hilly and at the end there were a couple of big hills. The first 3.5-4 miles this year are fairly flat. It's not without hills, but at the end it's a pretty flat finish."

Asked if a flatter course could propel some runners to potentially break a marathon record, Holmes joked, "This year everybody gets a course personal record."

She added that she and her team got a late start promoting the event at a national level, but will have runners coming in from across the country and one from Australia.

Holmes often is contacted by runners from across the globe who are looking to break records. This year there wasn't as much of that, but competitors from California, Oregon, New York, Virginia, Minnesota and others are hoping to place their names in the marathon's history book.

"It's fantastic," she said. "We're all very proud of what we have here in our area and its one more way to kind of show it off. We always receive comments from people who come from other states about how friendly people are, especially our volunteers. I'm very proud of that, too."

Another change to the marathon is the day of the race. Moving from Sunday to Saturday has the event running up against other events in the area, but Holmes believes the move will be beneficial moving forward.

The race also will showcase the revitalization of downtown Springdale and the work being done to improve the city.

"I think that part is going to help tremendously," she said. "There are so many people from our area that have really just been hearing that it's happening or haven't heard it's happening. Hopefully when they get down there and see Shiloh Square or the Razorback Greenway, its really some of the prettiest miles around.

"I think they're going to be very pleasantly surprised if they don't already know about it."

The race will begin at 7 a.m. and end on Emma Avenue in Springdale. The marathon and relay ceremony will take place at Shiloh Square on Emma Avenue at noon.

"We have experienced great support from the city and residents of Springdale. We've been embraced," Holmes said. "And that's nice being a charity event. We don't have a fully paid staff for anything like that, so its been nice."

Sports on 04/08/2017

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