ELY- The Ely Marathon and half-marathon gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 23. And this is no ordinary marathon. In truly “only in Ely” fashion, the marathon is also the home to the only canoe portage division.
This year there will be added excitement for those who have signed up for the full marathon portage. Piragis Outdoors is sponsoring a $5,000 prize if the winner of this year’s full marathon portage sets a new world record. The current world record stands at 4:23:20, and was set by Anthony Peter in 2021, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Last year’s winner, Sunshine Gardner, ran the course in 4:45:45, and was the only full marathon portage finisher. There are seven runners signed up for the full marathon portage this year, as of Aug. 18.
Other changes this year include the renaming of the half marathon to reflect the new name of its sponsor (formerly Boundary Waters Bank) to the Highland Bank Half Marathon. Dogs will also now welcome to run alongside their registered runners in the Highland Bank Half Marathon.
There will be water bowls located at each aid station along the route. Dogs are allowed on the buses to the start line.
There is still time to get your elementary aged child registered for the Dorothy Molter Root Beer Run. Children log 25 miles (one or half-mile at a time) prior to race day, and then run the final 1.2 miles on the last section of the official marathon course, finishing on the official finish line. Finishers receive a medal, bottle of Dorothy Molter root beer, and a finishers shirt. The race is done in coordination with the Dorothy Molter Museum.
Registrations for the marathon and half marathon are open until Friday, Sept. 22. As of Aug. 18, there were 117 marathon entries and 247 half marathon entries. The weekend also includes a 5K Glow run on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. The marathon starts at 7:30 p.m. and the half marathon at 8 a.m. Both races start on the Echo Trail and finish in Whiteside Park. Runners will be transported to the starting line from Whiteside Park/Ely High School starting at 5:30 a.m. There will be food trucks, a bounce house, beer and Dorothy Molter root beer tent, and live music at Whiteside from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. The awards ceremony for the run is at 2 p.m.
New this year is a VIP package for the marathon, which includes Ely Marathon swag, local goodies, a 20-minute post-race massage, VIP biffy at the starting line, and a VIP shuttle for the starting line. See the website for details.
For more information on the race, visit https://www.elymarathon.com.