SLO Marathon + Half announces new courses for 2017
Event qualifies runners for the Boston Marathon
– The SLO Marathon + Half Marathon has announced new 26.2 and 13.1 mile courses for its upcoming 2017 event. The sixth annual SLO Marathon event weekend, an Endurance Town USA running tradition produced by Race SLO, will be held on Saturday & Sunday, April 29-30. The Race SLO Team organizes and produces both fun and competitive running and cycling events that create a positive impact on both our participants and local communities. The event’s faster USA Track and Field certified courses qualify runners for the Boston Marathon and showcases San Luis Obispo.
“Our two new and improved courses best showcase what Endurance Town USA has to offer road runners from our new start line at the iconic Madonna Inn, a complete circle around the entire town and through the seven sisters region, into the rural Eden Valley wine country, past Cal Poly as well as twice into the historic downtown district,” said Samantha Pruitt, Race SLO Founder and CEO. “The marathon course is still a Boston qualifier, and all athletes will experience our elevated ‘#RaceSLO’ town festival and post-race celebration with live music, free activities, vendors, food and beer on the Madonna Meadows all weekend long.”
The new, beautiful loop designed courses for 2017 feature fast and scenic tours of San Luis Obispo both starting and finishing in the meadows at Madonna Inn. Runners will head south toward the beautiful Irish Hills Natural Preserve, passing by Madonna Mountain and Bishop’s Peak, then loop toward historic downtown to enjoy victorian and craftsman homes, the Fremont Theatre and the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. In addition, runners will also experience a spectator and entertainment lined route through the Railroad District, Islay’s Street lined with charming bungalows and victorians and, finally, a scenic downhill finish line along the white picket fence at Madonna Inn Meadows with the Race SLO Festival crowds awaiting to mark the day.
With an average starting temperature of 54 degrees and finishing high temperatures hovering between 66-69 degrees, race day weather can be ideal for the largest road running event on California’s Central Coast. For the marathon and half-marathon runners, there will be chip timing with tracking and social media capability, Pace Groups and fully supported courses with aid stations every two miles that will include sports drinks and energy snacks. Elite athletes will also race for prize money and the entire community will be out in full support with non-stop entertainment, free festival activities, live music and cheering fans.
Race SLO 2017 event line-up includes the 6th SLO Marathon + Half and 5K (Spring 2017), Additional 2017 events include the Healthy Running Sports Medicine Conference in the spring; the SLO Ultra trail races and Mountain Bike Race at Wild Cherry Canyon and the SLO GranFondo cycling and VIP event in the fall.
Registration and more event information is availble on the website.
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