Boys and Girls Club marathon Saturday
A wave of runners take off after a verbal starter's pistol at the 2012 Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin's Marathon and Fun Run. The 2013 marathon is Saturday.
MOSES LAKE - Runners will take to the roads south of town Saturday for relatively short, long or really long runs to raise money for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin. Participants have their choice of a marathon - the full 26 miles, 385 yards - the half-marathon of 13-plus miles, or a 10-kilometer or five-kilometer run, Brant Mayo, Boys and Girls Club executive director, said. The marathon starts at 7 a.m., the half-marathon at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K and 10K runs at 8 a.m.
The course for the marathon and half-marathon include the Dune Lakes area, along country roads before turning around and finishing at the high school. The Grant County Fire District No. 5 station on Potato Hill Road is the turnaround point for the 10K
It's a very flat course, almost no hills, which leads to the possibility of fast times, Sheila Chilson, Boys and Girls Club board member, said. The marathon course is certified and times can be used as qualifiers for marathons that require qualifying times, Mayo said.
The money raised is used to pay for Boys and Girls Club operation, Mayo said. Club dues are $20 per year per child, but the cost of maintaining programs and facilities actually is about $2,000 per year per child, he said.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny weather with a high of about 82 degrees.
For more information, visit www.mlmarathon.com. People can still sign up for the race at the event, but are not guaranteed a T-shirt.