Mill Race Marathon runner registration surged by 623 in the week leading up to Thursday’s price increase. That compares to a 500-runner increase for the same time period last year.
Total runner registration continues to run at 5 percent above year-ago numbers, with the biggest gains in the 5K (up 10 percent) and Kids Fun Run (up 15 percent).
Typically, the biggest single-week surge comes before the first registration price increase on July 1. This year, the final week of June saw an increase of 971 runner registrations, similar to 2014 and 2015 trends.
It is one of three scheduled price increases — the others being Sept. 1 and Sept. 23. And each one — in $10 increments for the marathon and half marathon, and $5 for the 5K — brings a rush of runners to sign up.
“Money helps, even though it’s not that much,” said Laura Chasse, a member of the marathon organizing committee.
And now comes the final push for the Sept. 23 and 24 races, which are less than three weeks away.
The organizing committee continues to work toward a goal of 5,000 finishers for the three Saturday races. The inaugural race had 4,109 Saturday finishers in 2013, with drop-offs in 2014 (3,576) and last year (3,495). There are no official finisher counts for the Friday Kids Fun Run.
“We’d love to get back to the first year,” Chasse said. “If we had 5,000, we would be thrilled.”
Every week this year, Mill Race Marathon runner registrations have been running ahead of the prior year.
“We want to continue to see the growth,” she said.
The committee has been buoyed by feedback it continues to receive from the community, including stories about personal triumphs, Chasse said.
“That’s why we do it. We want it to be around for years and years. Our underlying goal is just to help people get healthier,” she said.
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Through Sept. 22, runner registration costs are $85 for the full marathon, $70 for the half marathon and $30 for the 5K race, all on Sept. 24. There is no cost for youth to enter the Sept. 23 Kids Fun Run.
Registration price increases at the packet pickup Sept. 23-24: $95 for the full marathon; $80 for the half-marathon; $35 for the 5K.
Register at millracemarathon.com/register.
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Through Sept. 1, registration counts for Mill Race Marathon running events compared to the same period a year ago are as follows.
Marathon: 281 vs. 299, -6 percent.
Half marathon: 1,591 vs. 1,567, +2 percent
5K: 1,015 vs. 919, +10 percent
Kids Fun Run: 412 vs. 357, +15 percent.
Total: 3,200 vs. 3,142, +5 percent
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