By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
With more than 2,000 people already registered for November's Salina Crossroads Marathon, race organizers jokingly posted on their Facebook page earlier this week that race entries were capped at 35,000!
The inaugural race in November 2022 had 817 registered runners from 30 states. Visit Salina, a division of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, estimated that the event had a local economic impact of $446,296. Additionally, $25,340 was donated to youth sports in Saline County.
So when organizers started planning for the November 2023 event, they set a registration goal of 1,000. That goal was exceeded in early April.
On Wednesday, race organizers reported that more than 2,100 people had registered for the upcoming Nov. 4 race, which also serves as a Boston Marathon qualifier.
"We are excited to have over 2,100 runners with runners registered from all fifty states, Canada, and Mexico," Co-Race Director Daniel Craig told Salina Post. "This year the start/finish for the Salina Crossroads Marathon will be at the City Light Stage which will allow for additional parking as well as plenty of space for the post-race celebration. We are excited for the start/finish to be at City Light Stage as it will allow for continued growth as we strive to become one of the premier marathons in the Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas region."
Also on Wednesday, race organizers announced that the downtown host hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton, 115 E. Mulberry, was sold out, and provided links to other lodging locations in Salina.
"We have a lot of runners registered for the half marathon and marathon. We hope that as it gets closer to race day that we will get a lot of runners and walkers signing up for the 5K and the new Half Mile Kids Run. We think those races will be a fun way for everyone to come out and be a part of a fun marathon weekend," Craig said.
He also praised the efforts of volunteers for bringing back some runners for a second race.
"We appreciate Sgt. Chad McCary and Brent Buchwald who helped make some great improvements to this year's course. Having a flat and scenic course along with amazing volunteers is one of reasons many runners have mentioned is why they are returning to Salina Crossroads again this year," Craig said.
Registration for the 2023 event
Registration fees are as follows.
ā Marathon-$75 ($85 after October 1st)
ā Half Marathon-$55 ($65 after October 1st)
ā 5K Run-$25
ā 5K Walk-$25
ā Half Mile Kids Fun Run-$15
ā Marathon Relay ($25 per team member)
ā Half Marathon Relay ($30 per team member)
To access the event registration, click here.
To find out more about the Salina Crossroads Marathon event, click on the links below.