OPPORTUNITIES

Little Rock Marathon already chock-a-block

Presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the 15th annual Little Rock Marathon is this weekend.

Fundraisers for the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department, the 5K and 10K begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday; the marathon and half-marathon start at 7 a.m. Sunday.

The long races will start at the intersection of Scott and Fourth streets in downtown Little Rock.

Bad news for anyone hoping to register last minute at the Health and Fitness Expo: Marathon directors announced Feb. 18 that all distances (except the kids race) have sold out.

For curious, number-minded folks, the 26.2-mile marathon had 2,500 spots; the 13.1-mile half marathon had 4,200; there were 1,600 entries available for the 6.2-mile 10K, and the 3.1-mile 5K had 1,400 openings.

The inaugural Little Rock Marathon on May 4, 2003, admitted about 2,200 entries, counting all of its events, according to Democrat Gazette archives.

The cap on the number of entries is decided by marathon organizers based on industry trends "and the money we need to raise for Little Rock Parks & Rec," co-organizer Geneva Lamm says. Lamm and fellow race manager Gina Pharis aim to increase the number of entries by 10 percent each year.

The expo is still open to the public at no cost and packed to the gills with exhibitors. It will be at the Statehouse Convention Center, 101 E. Markham St. in downtown Little Rock from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The marathon's women's record is 2:37:26 set by Leah Thorvilson of Little Rock in 2012. The men's record is 2:19:45 set by Mark Chepses of Des Moines, Iowa, in 2013.

For full course information and road closures, visit littlerockmarathon.com.

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ActiveStyle on 02/27/2017

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