FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Don Kern Grand Rapids Marathon Race Director
Phone 616 293-3145 cooladventure@aol.com

Alan Headbloom Grand Rapids Marathon Media Relations
Phone 616 892 3400 alan@headbloom.com
Grand Rapids Marathon Gains Registrations Following Chicago Heat Wave

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 09 October 2007. On October 7, Chicago sweltered in record-high temperatures and race organizers closed down the second half of the Chicago Marathon, forcing runners to walk the final miles to the finish line. “It was really like just a long training run [instead of a marathon],” said Jenison runner Mickey Marx, a physical therapist who was running his third Chicago Marathon. The unprecedented closure of the race has frustrated many runners who spent 4-6 months and hundreds of miles in training. Marx finished an hour and a half over his goal time of four hours.

All that frustration is good news to Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon (GRM) race director Don Kern. "People are signing up [for the GRM] like crazy, many citing the Chicago Marathon being cut short as their reason for coming. They're not willing to do all that training and then not do an official marathon." Of the 200 registrations which have come in over the past three days, Kern estimates that 150 of them are from runners who never got to finish Chicago. That number represents approximately 15% of the race’s total registration in half a week’s time.

With the rebirth of a marathon in Grand Rapids four years ago, the GRM has had steady growth in its numbers, offering a small-town race with a personalized touch. Its numbers are dwarfed by the size of Chicago’s field of over 30,000, but runners are discovering the ease and charms of a marathon run away from the crowds of Chicago. "Runners are coming to our website, reading the online comments, and wondering why they didn't decide to come here in the first place." Kern noted.

Runners wishing to register for the October 28 race, which is sure to offer temperatures lower than the 88º of last weekend’s run through the Windy City, can be done online at www.grandrapidsmarathon.com.
Don Kern, Race Director may also be contacted by cell phone at 616-293-3145
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