The annual Mt. Marathon race in Seward will see a number of changes in 2016.
Seward Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Clock says the first change approved by the race committee was spurred by suggestions from the racing community for greater gender equality.
Clock: “Especially after last season, I believe it was Holly Brooks who was the voice of the Women’s Race saying ‘Why isn’t the Women’s Race being televised?’, so I’m pretty sure that may happen as well. But as far as alternating race times, they decided for the first time ever that the Women’s Race would be held in the afternoon as the last race, so it’s going to switch with the Men’s.”
She says they are still working on the particulars of televising the Women’s Race.
The Junior Race will be bumped up by 30 minutes to 9:00 am, the Men’s Race will be bumped up 15 minutes to 11:00 am, and for the first time ever women will race last at 2:30 pm.
2016 Start times:
- Junior Race 9:00 AM
- Men’s Race 11:00 AM (second wave at 11:05 AM)
- Women’s Race 2:30 PM (second wave at 2:35 PM)
Recent years have seen the women’s and girl’s events filled to capacity and a press release stated:
“The Mt. Marathon Race committee believes that the women’s competition is of equal value to the men’s. Alternating the start times each year will allow the women competitors to share in the main event status.”
The Mt. Marathon Committee and the City of Seward also approved a “no pets” policy for the July 4th event.
Clock: “For sanitation Downtown, that’s the big thing, and then it is for safety on the mountain. People were on the mountain with their dogs off-leash and we know how steep that mountain is, how hard people climb to get up but coming down, you don’t want to be tripping over a dog.”
Clock says the Chamber received a lot of letters regarding pets at the races last year from both racers and spectators asking what could be done to improve the messy and dangerous situation.