2006 Meijer Derby Festival races will include segment at racetrack
The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce an exciting change to the course for the 2006 Meijer Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon. At the 8.5-mile mark of the route, runners will enter Gate 3 at Churchill Downs and run approximately six-tenths of a mile around the racetrack’s infield before exiting through Gate 2 onto Central Avenue.
“This will be the first time that runners have actually been able to enter Churchill Downs and run around the most famous racetrack in the world,” said Mike Berry, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO. “We think both local and out-of-town runners will be excited about this new addition to the races. We’re grateful to Churchill Downs for allowing us to use their facility on the opening day of their Spring Meet. This is a great way to help showcase the city during the most beautiful time of the year.”
Berry said the route change is a way to enhance the course and make it more appealing, especially to runners from outside Kentucky.
“We have faced some pretty stiff competition from spring races in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Nashville, and we believe that adding Churchill Downs to the course will make the Meijer races more of travel destination for runners looking to add another marathon or half-marathon to their resume,” said Berry. “We hope runners will rest up after they finish and return to Churchill that week/files/storyimages/to watch the four-footed racers.”
Runners will enter Gate 3 at Fourth and Oakdale and run through the tunnel onto a circular asphalt surface inside the track’s infield. They will run six-tenths of a mile in the infield before exiting through the tunnel onto Central Avenue. To account for the added mileage to the course, the simultaneous start of the races will move from New Cut Road to Southern Parkway near Iroquois Middle School. The rest of the miniMarathon course will remained unchanged from there, but there likely will be a change to the Marathon course at approximately Mile 22.
“We’ve received permission to have the marathon runners cross the Second Street Bridge and run a segment in Jeffersonville before returning across the bridge into downtown Louisville,” said Berry. “The course change will require a new certification but we’re confident that can be done. This will give marathon runners a welcome change to the route and allow them to say they’ve run in both Kentucky and Indiana on the same day, highlighting both communities.”
The Meijer Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon will start at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2006. This will be the 33rd consecutive year for the running of the miniMarathon and the fifth year for the Marathon.
Runners may register at www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com.
