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Missoula Marathon Race Details

Latest Race News....

Missoula Kids Marathon

Too Hot to Run? The Missoula Marathon ran its inaugural event this year on Sunday, July 15, 2007.  It came in the middle of a record-breaking stretch of heat.  Missoula logged more 100+ degree days last summer, both consecutively and otherwise, than in the history of the city.

When our committee picked mid-summer for the marathon, we factored in the probability of hot summer temperatures.  We don’t expect it to be 100+ on race day, but we are in tune that it certainly can be that warm.  Typically we expect 50’s in the morning and 80’s in the afternoon.

Fortunately, Missoula has low humidity.  Our medical director tracked the WGBT (Wet Globe Bulb Temperature) from race start through to the final finishers.  The WGBT is a number that combines both temperature and humidity into one number that is used to estimate the risk of heat injury at an event. The  American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has used this number to develop a recommendation system for determining risk of athletic events.  Even though temperatures eventually reached over 100 degrees, our WGBT  ranged from a “ low risk”  58 at 0730 to a “moderate risk”  67 ( temp 94 deg F,humidity19 %)  at noon. The WGBT would have had to climb to 73 to be considered “high risk” and 82 “extreme high risk”. The ACSM recommends canceling the race when the WGBT is 82 or above.

So as you can see, on the hottest July 15th that most of us long time Missoulians can remember we were still well within the ACSM guidelines to safely run a race. This is all thanks to the wonderful and unique ability of the human species to cool itself by sweating. Very few animals have this ability and it is ruined by high humidity when no evaporative cooling can take place.

Is it too hot to run the Missoula Marathon?  When you compare the Missoula Marathon to any event in a location with higher humidity, the Missoula Marathon is a great race to run.

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Packet Pick-Up
Saturday, July 12, 2008, 8 am- 6 pm. Caras Park in downtown Missoula.

Packet pick-up will coincide with the Missoula Marathon Event Expo. Come and see displays unique to the Montana experience, including retailers, trainers, and more in downtown Missoula, at Caras Park.

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Getting Around Missoula -- FREE

Missoula’s Mountain Line bus system will be offering FREE bus rides to anyone – absolutely anyone – all day Saturday, July 12th in honor of the Missoula Marathon and its attendees.  If you are interested in the bus schedule, simply log on to www.mountainline.com.  Have a free ride due to the courtesy of Mountain Line!

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Missoula Marathon Photographers

Your individual race photo will be by www.racephotos.net.

Neil Chaput, Rocky Mountain School of Photography: Race Photographer www.rmsp.com Professional Photographer Neil Chaput will be documenting the Missoula Marathon from the starting line to the finish.

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Consider the benefits of a massage before and after the marathon. On the front end, massage can help improve circulation and get your muscles limber before you beat the pavement. After the race, massage can help clear your system of lactic acid, while helping to establish healing of the soft tissues.

Our physical therapists at Alpine Physical Therapy are anxious to work with you before and after the race. A 10-minute session with our team will literally speed your recovery time by days.

Very beneficial pre-race massage is available at the Race Expo on Saturday on a first-come first served basis.


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PowerBar

The Missoula Marathon is proud to announce that we will be using two PowerBar products to aid athletes to the finish line.  PowerBar Endurance Drink will be available at every aid station (along with Culligan Water).  Aid Stations are located approximately every two miles.  PowerBar Gel is available at two locations:  the Southgate Mall Super Aid Station and one other location earlier on the course, still to be determined.

PowerBar Endurance Drink in Lemon-Lime:

  1. -  Contains C2MAX, an optimized ratio of two different carbohydrates that gives your body 20-55% more sustained energy when you need it most.
  2. -   Each 8 ounce serving delivers 190 mg of sodium to replace this key electrolyte lost in sweat

PowerBar Gel in Vanilla (non-caffeinated) and Strawberry-Banana (caffeinated):

  1. -  Advanced C2MAX higher octane carb blend delivers more energy to working muscles
  2. -   Provides 27 g of carbohydrates that are rapidly absorbed and hit the bloodstream fast
  3. -   The first carbohydrate gel to provide the carbohydrates and electrolytes of a high end sports drink

In the Missoula area, PowerBar products are available at Runner’s Edge, (325 N. Higgins, downtown Missoula) and Bob Wards (Southgate Mall and Hamilton).

Log on to www.powerbar.com to find retailers in your area, or to get more information.  The Missoula Marathon believes these are superior products and we are proud to be serving them to our athletes.

 

 

 

New for 2008:

Marathon
Date: Sunday, July 13th, 2008
Start Time: 6:00 am
Start: Frenchtown, MT
Finish: Downtown Missoula on the Higgins Ave. Bridge

Half Marathon
Date: Sunday, July 13th, 2008
Start Time: 6:00 am
Start: Blue Mountain Road
Finish: Downtown Missoula on the Higgins Ave. Bridge

 

Kids Marathon
Date: Sunday, July 13th, 2008
Start Time: 9:00 am
Start: To be announced
Finish: Downtown Missoula on the Higgins Ave. Bridge


Relay Division Sign up for the four-person marathon relay! Teams are men, women, or co-ed (2 men and 2 women only). Each leg is approximately 10K in length. Team members will pass a chip. There will not be official chip timing for each leg. $180 is the fee for the team. More Info and application coming soon..

 

Age Divisions for Marathon & Half Marathon
0-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+

Wheelchairs are welcomed on the course, but there is no official wheelchair category.

Packet Pick-Up and Late Registration
Saturday, July 12, 8 am - 6 pm. Packet pick-up & Late Registration will coincide with the Missoula Marathon Event Expo.

 

RACE DAY SUNDAY July 13, 2008

TIMING AND RESULTS

We are proud that in our second year we have already gone to chip timing. Timing and results will be provided by Accu-Split Timing Company. www.accu-split.com

 

BUS SHUTTLE TO THE STARTING LINES

The Missoula Marathon will provide a free bus shuttle from downtown Missoula to the Marathon starting line in Frenchtown, and the Half Marathon starting line on Blue Mountain Rd. in Missoula. Athletes board the bus on Main Street in front of the Missoula Parking Garage (in between Higgins and Ryman).

Transportation time to the Half Marathon starting line is approximately 15 minutes. Transportation time to the Marathon starting line in Frenchtown is approximately 30 minutes.

Bus service to both the Marathon and Half Marathon starting lines will begin at 4:20 am.

The bus ride to the Marathon start is approximately 20 minutes.  The bus ride to the Half Marathon start is approximately 15 minutes.

They will be designed to have athletes to their respective starting lines no later than 5:30 am for the 6:00 am start.

There will NOT be a shuttle bus from the finish area back to the starting line for runners to retrieve their vehicles. 

GEAR BAGS

The Goodies bag that you receive at registration can be used as your gear bag. Just leave at the shuttle bus area and we will get it back to the Finish Area.

GETTING TO THE STARTING LINE via FRIENDS AND FAMILY

For those of you planning on having a personal chauffeur in the form of a friend or family member, here are the drop off locations, rules and parking spots:

MARATHON DROP OFF POINT
“Staging area is our sponsor, Clark Fork Valley Bank located in the Bronc’s Shopping Center in Frenchtown.” (Really, you can’t miss it. Frenchtown is that small.)

From Missoula take I-90 West. Take the Frenchtown Exit and cross the freeway to the Conoco Station. Turn left. Clark Fork Valley Bank is 100 yards down the road on the left hand side.

For those of you being dropped off, your chauffeur may park virtually anywhere at this point. This is assuming that the vehicle will be leaving after the race starts.

For those of you planning to leave your vehicle until after the race, THERE IS NO SHUTTLE BACK OUT TO THE STARTING LINE FOR VEHICLE PICK UP! You will be on your own to find a way back to the starting line to pick up your vehicle. That being said, PLEASE PARK ONLY IN THE GRAVEL PARKING AREA ADJACENT TO AND PROVIDED BY OUR SPONSOR, BRONC’S GROCERY. In the back – not the front. Bronc’s Grocery parking area is not very big and is very busy during the day, and they are very supportive of our event. Let’s be gracious and park well out of the way so their customers can get into the store.



HALF MARATHON DROP OFF POINT
Take Highway 93 South towards Lolo. Turn right at Peak Wellness Center at Blue Mountain Road (there is a light). The staging area is in the Peak Wellness parking lot. Buses will also be dropping off athletes at that parking lot.

There is NOT enough parking for drivers to remain in the parking lot. Anyone wanting to wish athletes off to a good start, will have to park along side Blue Mountain Rd., and that space will probably run out darn quickly.

Again, you will NOT be allowed to leave your vehicle in the Peak Wellness parking lot except to drop off an athlete. It is the staging area and will be filled with runners, port-o-potties, and the shuttle buses need to turn around there.

MARATHON PACERS

Hello all you marathoners out there trying to reach a time goal -- we have pacers for you! Pacers will have balloons. Some of our pacers will switch at the halfway point, some will cheerfully take you from start to finish. Many of these runners are Missoula's very own Team Stampede triathlon team members. Others are from our running club, Run Wild Missoula.

AT THE START LINES

Warm Up Exercises at the Half Marathon start will be provided by Alpine PT. Race Announcer is Glenn Moyer, The Clothman.

Warm Up Exercises at the Marathon start will be provided by Golds Gym. Race Announcer is Dave Norman, Oldies 106.7 , Dave then runs into the Finish line and is the Finish Line Announcer

CANNONS SIGNAL THE STARTS at 6:00 AM

AID STATIONS

Aide stations will be provided along the course for the Missoula Marathon! All will have water and POWERBAR Endurance sports drinks. PowerBar Gel is available at two locations:  the Southgate Mall Super Aid Station and one other location earlier on the course, still to be determined. Port-o-Potties will be located at each aid station. We are adding additional Port-o-Potties to the starting lines, aide stations & finish line for 2008. Medical teams will be at the start, along the course and at the finish.

THE FINISH LINE

Finish Line Announcer is Dave Norman, Oldies 106.7 of Cherry Creek Radio.

The New 2008 Finish Line is in downtown Missoula at the Higgins Street Bridge and Front Street with post race festivities down in Caras Park complements of the Missoula Downtown Association. Cool down, enjoy the food, music and awards ceremonies from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Music, food, beverages, results and awards will be available at our post race party. Alpine Physical Therapy will provide massages for runners; sprinklers will be hooked up to help people cool down; and root beer floats will be given to children who participate in the kids marathon.

AWARDS & PRIZES
The awards ceremonies for first, second and third, men's and women's overall winners will be held after sufficient numbers have completed each race.
 
Age division awards will be held at 10 a.m. for the half marathon, 11 a.m. for the marathon. Top overall master's division prizes will be given for the marathon and half marathon events.

Overall marathon, half marathon and master's winners will receive a pair of running shoes from Runner's Edge. All finishers receive a dri-fit short-sleeve shirt, a medal, excellent post-race food provided by Good Food Store, and more.

GLORIOUS FOOD

Good Food StoreAll the marathon runners we know love to eat. That’s why we asked the Good Food Store to sponsor the Missoula Marathon and provide the food for athletes. In our inaugural year marketing director Layne Rolston, himself a runner, set the bar high. Finishers accustomed to the usual imagination free dry bagel accompanied by orange and banana bits, which would then prompt them to go in search of REAL food, left the Good Food Store booth full and delighted.

This year the Good Food Store has waiting for you at the finish line:
Lemon Pasta Salad
Fruit, including watermelon, bananas, apples
Bagels
String Cheese
Fig Bars
Salty snack mix
Frozen juice bars (Last year it was coconut – this year?)

The Good Food Store also keeps runners moving along the course with Gummi Bears and Orange slices.

We want your entire experience at the Missoula Marathon to be great. How often can you say that you ran a marathon for the food? Register for the Missoula Marathon today and come hungry!

RUNNERS SPA

What better way to pamper yourself after running a marathon than with the Missoula Marathon Runner's Spa! From the finish line you'll be ushered to the refreshing coolness of the Runner's Spa room, located immediately near the finish line in the Florence Building of downtown Missoula. There you will receive:

Be sure to register for the Runner’s Spa on-line with ACTIVE, at the EXPO, or with the separate downloadable form on this website.

The Missoula Marathon Runner’s Spa is made possible by ALPS, a Missoula business. alps

 

 

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Missoula Average Low & High Temperatures for Mid-July the past six years:

Lows in the 50s & Highs in the 90s.

 

Click below for current Missoula weather info


Come. Run. Stay. Play.

©2008 Run Wild Missoula