Runners from around the southeast are gearing up for the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon, which will take place on Sunday, March 17th, 2013. The action-packed weekend gets underway on Friday, March 15th. That’s when registered runners can pick up their race packets at the Mayfaire Events Field from 4pm until 8pm. If you can’t make it there on Friday, packet pickup has also been scheduled for Saturday the 16th from 11am until 6pm at the same location. Please note that friends or family members are allowed to collect your registration materials if neither of those times work. Just be aware that on Sunday-Race Day, no packets will be distributed, so make arrangements prior to the 17th.
The real festivities will begin on Saturday morning at 8:45am with Eli’s 1 Mile Fun Run. Event organizers are pleased to announce that on Saturday evening, they have added a 5K race, which will get underway at 5pm at the Mayfaire Events Field. Following the 5K, the Wrightsville Beach Marathon Pasta Dinner will be held just adjacent to the race Finish Line in Mayfaire Town Center.
The serious challenges begin on Sunday morning at 6:15am, when the first race starts. The next starting waves will be at 6:30am and 6:45am. It should be noted that this event is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon and is USATF sanctioned. Friends and family will be pleased to know that this year, they will have access to the “Living Tracker,” so they can check their runner’s progress. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, be aware that the marathon is capped at 800 participants and the half marathon is capped at 2200.
By the end of December, the marathon was over half full and Saturday night’s WBM Pasta Dinner was already completely sold out. Well-known runner Dave McGillivray, will be the guest speaker at Saturday night’s dinner. Over the years, he has raised thousands of dollars running thousands of miles for charity. He also has the distinction of running the 1982 Boston Marathon while blindfolded, to raise money for the Carroll Center for the Blind.
For details on how to register, see all of the racecourses, and get updates, visit this official link: http://www.wrightsvillebeachmarathon.com