Owensboro-Daviess County is now home to a USATF-certified marathon, offering locals and visitors alike an opportunity to qualify for some of the most prestigious marathons in the world, including Boston. Slated for November 16-17, the event also features a 5K, 10K, half marathon, casual marathon, and 50K.
Owensboro locals and founders of Run your Race (RYR) Endurance team Paula and Dean Roberts are currently attempting to complete 50 marathons across all 50 states. They’re about 50% complete and want to take what they’ve learned to create a unique experience in Owensboro.
“There is a huge running community here, and we want local athletes to be able to accomplish great things here in our community,” Dean said. “Right now, if you want to qualify for Boston, you have to travel a good distance. We also think the event will attract runners from all over to visit Owensboro for the weekend.”
All six races will begin and end at Horse Fork Creek Park, offering ample parking and space for the race headquarters. The route is the same for each race, starting on Fairview Drive and running to Old Hartford Road on the scenic greenbelt, increasing the number of loops required for each distance.
Dean admitted some downfalls to the loop system but explained how the positives would far outweigh the negatives.
“We love the venue because there are 500 free parking spaces on site. In cities we visit, navigating parking and finding the starting line is often tough,” he said. “This will be a very scenic course. The marathon will be 9 loops.”
Race organizers are able to manage the lap system with an advanced timing system. Dean said the athletes will have some responsibility, but they’ll have a timing map that documents their lap every time they cross the starting line.
Paula added that another goal in planning the route was to avoid disruptions throughout the city. She also said it offers ample spectator opportunities.
“We wanted to keep the event from being disruptive by causing road closures and redirecting traffic,” Paula said. “We really like it from a spectator point of view. There are several times when our family will go watch each other run, and it’s really hard to be a spectator. This course makes it easy.”
Dean began creating a USATF-certified course several months ago. Now, he’s dedicating his time to ensuring that all distances are certified.
Both Paula and Dean ran seven marathons last year, and they are on track for 10 this year. They’ve each run more than 30, so it’s safe to say that endurance running is in their blood. One time, they checked off marathons in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming in three consecutive days. Their long-time friends Suzanne and Lee Anderson have embarked on the 50 marathons in 50 states journey with them.
The Roberts are looking forward to hosting an event of this caliber in their backyard.
“Everyone seems extremely excited about it, especially the running community,” Paula said. “With it being only 16 weeks away, we’re interested to see how many people will register. Regardless, this will be a great learning experience for future years.”
The couple also mentioned that the casual marathon was conducive to people intending to ruck, which is the action of walking with a weight on one’s back. They added that they set the entire weekend up for runners to participate in all the events if they choose.
The Roberts launched RYR in 2019 to share their knowledge of endurance training and offer customized plans to runners and triathletes nationwide.
Click here to learn more or to register for one or more races. RYR is also seeking sponsors and volunteers for the event.
