Published: October 03, 2007 11:39 pm         

A decade and running

It’s hard to believe, but when the field takes the starting gun Saturday morning, the Beckley Half-Marathon will mark a decade of taking to the streets of downtown Beckley.

To the organizers of the event, it seems like only yesterday that the first event was run.

“It’s really hard to believe it’s been 10 years,” Beckley-Raleigh Chamber of Commerce sales director Kip Buchanan said. “We’ve gone from 96 runners and walkers our first year to going into (Wednesday) we had 149 runners, 37 walkers, 46 5-Kers and 63 half-marathoners. That’s the biggest number of half-marathoners we’ve ever had pre-registered. Add on to that five Corporate Cup teams running this year, so that’s another 20 runners. That’s 169 runners we have.”

The 10th annual Beckley Half-Marathon, 5-K Run and 5-K Walk presented by the chamber of commerce, Mountain State University and Verizon will once again wind its way through downtown Beckley. Although the course has been tweaked a little over the years, competitors continue to return to challenge the rugged 13.1-mile course.

“I think we have over 60 volunteers right now,” Buchanan said. “Maybe close to 70, and we could still use 30 more.”

Among those who could return this year is the Kenyan trio of defending champion John Tarus, 2005 winner Albert Okemwa and Sammy Kosgel that went 1-2-3 last year.

Tarus ran the event in one hour, seven minutes and 45.1 seconds in a cool, steady drizzle. Whether the Kenyans participate, though, is always unknown until the morning of the event. For the last two years they have registered just before the Saturday morning deadline.

“Normally, they start calling a week or two before,” Buchanan said. “I haven’t heard one thing. As of right now, I don’t have a Kenyan registered.”

Aside from the Kenyans, though, response has been greater than expected for this year’s event.

“We have runners coming right now from eight different states,” Buchanan said. “I got one (Wednesday) from Illinois. We’ve got a family of eight coming from Tennessee, so we’re doing great.”

The half-marathon begins at Mountain State University’s Learning Resource Center on South Kanawha Street. It winds on a picturesque and challenging course that includes the YMCA Youth Sports Complex and the Rails-to-Trails as the runners proceed through downtown Beckley to the finish behind the MSU Cougar Den.

Registration will be available 6 to 8 p.m. Friday during the annual pre-race pasta dinner for all paid entries at the Learning Resource Center. It will continue from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. Saturday with the race starting at 8 a.m.

Trophies are awarded to the top three in each male/female age division of the half-marathon and 5-K Run. Cash prizes as well are awarded to the top three male and female runners overall in the half-marathon and the 5-K Run.

There will also be an added set of cash prizes to the top two male and female runners ages 55 and up.

“We’re giving prizes for the 55 and up crowd, cash prizes for first and second place only this year,” Buchanan said. “We’ll see how it works out and what kind of feedback we have. That’s something new this year. As far as I know, we’re the only race attempting this.”

The Corporate Cup portion of the event continues to grow each year as well. The relay event has four-member teams competing against each other over the 13.1-mile course.

The 304th Military Police Company relay team will return to defend its title. It will be challenged by L.A. East and Raleigh Center, along with Corporate Cup sponsor Bodyworks Health, Fitness and Rehabilitation.

With a favorable weather forecast for the weekend, it looks like last year’s record number of 288 participants could be challenged. Projections are for close to 300 participants on race day.

“I think we’re finally going to get the weather to cooperate this year,” Buchanan said. “It was supposed to last year and it didn’t. So I’ve still got my hopes up. If we have rain this year, at least it will be warm.”

— E-mail:

rjett@register-herald.com