Inaugural Cheyenne Marathon Expected to Draw Big Crowd, Big Money
Runners from all over the U.S. will take to the streets of Cheyenne on Sept. 23 for the first-ever Cheyenne Marathon.
The inaugural event will feature a marathon, half marathon, four-person relay and a 10K.
"We wanted to ensure that everyone who wanted to participate would have the opportunity to do so," said Race Coordinator Amber Ash.
"We have eight hours for the marathon, half marathon and four-person relay and then five-and-a-half hours for the 10K because it starts at 8:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m," Ash added. "So there's lots of time for walkers, joggers and runners alike to complete the course."
Ash says about 150 runners from 14 different states have registered so far.
"We're hoping for 1,500," said Ash. "That may be very optimistic for the first year, but we're setting the bar high and going to hopefully make it there."
Ash also expects the event to provide a significant economic boost to the area.
"A lot of people are going to be looking at hotel rooms, they'll be looking at probably gas, probably some food," said Ash. "Hopefully they'll stay and roam around Cheyenne and spend some money and do some shopping too."
Ash says they've applied to get the event sanctioned by USA Track & Field and are in the process of getting the course USATF certified. Once the course is certified, runners will have the opportunity to qualify for the Boston Marathon.