Run in Marine Corps Marathon

If you're planning to run in the inaugural Marine Corps Historic Half half-marathon on May 18, you'd better set an alarm for noon on Nov. 1.

That's when Web registration for the event will begin. Fredericksburg Tourism Manager Karen Hedelt said Marine Corps Marathon officials have said the 5,000 race slots could fill up in as little as three hours.

The Historic Half will be the companion event to the Marine Corps Marathon--the seventh-largest marathon in the world. That event will take place today in Washington.

Hedelt said city tourism staff will be at the pre- and post-race exhibitions at the marathon to promote the Fredericksburg event.

"This is a pretty big deal for us," Hedelt said.

How big? The 5,000 runners in the race are expected to bring with them a large cadre of family, friends and other supporters.

Event organizers estimate as many as 20,000 spectators could come to the event, providing a large base of customers for city hotels, restaurants and businesses.

"It's a huge opportunity," Hedelt said, noting that it has gotten Fredericksburg notice in some nationwide publications it's not usually mentioned in.

For example, Runner's World recently ran a blurb in its race reports section urging readers to mark their calendars for the Nov. 1 sign-up date for the half-marathon, warning that the spots are expected to fill up quickly.

The race will start at 7 a.m.--city officials asked organizers to push the starting time back from 8 a.m. to ease any impact the run might have on downtown churches.

It will pass through Central Park, snake through downtown and surrounding neighborhoods and swing by the Rappahannock riverfront.