EDITORIAL: From the start, Med City Marathon seemed built for the long run

May 16—It began 30 years ago as a "big dream," in the words of one of its founders.

Very quickly, the Med-City Relays and Marathon — today known simply as the Med City Marathon — grew to be one of Rochester's signature community events. Its first-year participation, 916 runners, grew to about 1,100 runners in 1997, its second year. Organizers said then they believed they'd have to cap participation at 1,500 runners in Year 3.

Fast-forward 27 years, and this weekend's running events — a marathon, half-marathon, 20-mile race, relays, 5K fun run and kids' runs — are expected to attract some 3,200 runners in all.

And if you're not the runner type, the weekend offers other attractions — family-friendly events, a health expo, live bands, and the opportunity to volunteer or cheer — making the Med City Marathon in effect our region's first big annual summer festival.

Suffice to say, it's all come a long way since it was dreamed up by founding organizers Wally and Peg Arnold, and, under new leadership today, at three decades old this event is just picking up steam.

The economic impact from the two-day event isn't calculated, but safe to say, it's not a small figure.

More importantly, the marathon and related events are a nice fit thematically for a city known internationally as a beacon of health and longevity.

Now, more than ever, one could say that the Med City Marathon is built for the long run.

Say you want to get involved. Depending on when you're reading this, it might not be too late to sign up to volunteer at the starting line or along the course. And, it might not be too late to sign up to run. (If you're reading this in print, the website to sign up as a volunteer or runner is www.medcitymarathonmn.com . Or, you can investigate your options in person at the Health Street Expo, 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Chateau Theatre downtown.)

You don't have to sign up to cheer runners along the course. This year, several designated "cheer zones" are set up along challenging stretches of the course — at Bamber Valley School, the John Withers Sports Complex, along South Broadway near Soldiers Field, at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Quarry Hill, Silver Lake Park, Cook Park, Kutzky Park, Cascade Lake Park, and other public locations. The west frontage road along U.S. 52 near Saint Marys Hospital is a good place to shout your encouragement to runners as they stare up a particularly heartbreaking hill.

Maybe you'll be inspired by the spectacle to become a runner in next year's race. Training tips, published by the Post Bulletin in the runup to the 1996 marathon and compiled by experienced runner Lin Gentling, offer advice that's as good now as it was then. Wear good, comfortable shoes. Don't push your body through injury. Stretch your muscles. Run with friends. Eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.

Soon enough, you too might be able to say you're built for the long run.