Little Rock Marathon
Encyclopedia
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
held in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. The event is intended to encourage better health and fitness and to raise funds for Little Rock Parks & Recreation. The goal of the event is to hold a community supported and nationally recognized marathon that promotes tourism in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and showcases the superior organizational efforts of its staff, sponsors and volunteers, while attracting athletes of all ages and abilities.
Participants come from all 50 states and 10 different countries (Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
). The Little Rock Marathon is a USATF sanctioned event on a certified 26.2 miles (42.2 km) single loop course. The course is scenic and includes many of Little Rock’s landmarks, it is the first race in the state to be transponder chip timed
Transponder timing
Transponder timing is a technique for measuring performance in sport events. A transponder working on a radio-frequency identification basis is attached to the athlete and emits a unique code that is detected by radio receivers located at the strategic points in an event.Prior to the use of this...
, and also a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
.
Course
The Little Rock Marathon Course is described as relatively hilly. Running great Bill RodgersBill Rodgers (athlete)
William "Bill" Henry Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s...
once said "any marathon worth its salt has a few hills. Little Rock is a little salty." The largest hill is found early in the race with a number of smaller hills throughout. In 2008 The Little Rock Marathon moved the Start/Finish area from the Arkansas State Capital to Riverfront Park. The course shifted just slightly, but was sure to keep all of the old familiar hills...
The elevation change for the entire course is as follows:
- Start = 270 feet (82.3 m) above sea level
- Finish = 260 feet (79.2 m) above sea level
- Highest point = 519 feet (158.2 m) above sea level
- Lowest point = 246 feet (75 m) above sea level
Landmarks
Landmarks along the course include the Arkansas State CapitolArkansas State Capitol
The Arkansas State Capitol Building, located in Little Rock, is the main house of government of the state of Arkansas.-History:In 1899, the St. Louis architect George R. Mann visited the governor of Arkansas Daniel W. Jones, and presented his drawings of his winning competition design for the...
, Little Rock River Market District
Little Rock River Market District
The Little Rock River Market District is the downtown area of Little Rock, Arkansas along the Arkansas River. It consists of the area east of Cumberland Street to the William J...
, the Clinton Presidential Center
William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park
The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park is the presidential library of Bill Clinton. The center was established by Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, is located in Little Rock, Arkansas and includes the Clinton Presidential Library, the offices of the Clinton Foundation,...
, Governor's Mansion, MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
Birthplace/Military Museum, and Historic Little Rock Central High School.
Little Rock Marathon Events
- Full Marathon
- Half Marathon
- Relay Half Marathon
- 10K Race
- 5K Race
- Little Rockers Kids Marathon
- Classic Rockers Marathon
Male Winners
- 2003, Anatolie Vartosu, 2:36:53, Stamford, CT
- 2004, Glen Mays, 2:34:30, Washington, DC
- 2005, John Weru, 2:24:10, Mountain View, CA
- 2006, Charles Kamindo, 2:19:48, Superior, CO
- 2007, Przemek Bobrowski, 2:27:09, Poland
- 2008, Tamrat Ayalew, 2:24:46, Marietta, GA
- 2009, Augustus Mbusya, 2:20:41, Albuquerque, NM
- 2010, Moninda F Marube, 2:29:40, Keller, TX
- 2011, Mark Chepses, 2:24:07, Calle Sierra Morelos
Female Winners
- 2003, Joyce Florance, 3:20:25, Bossier City, LA
- 2004, Patricia Langum, 3:17:40, Brooklyn Park, MN
- 2005, Christy Nielsen, 2:58:45, Council Bluffs, IA
- 2006, Claudia Camargo, 2:56:48, Danbury, CT
- 2007, Maria Cleofe' Portilla, 2:47:12, Albuquerque, NM
- 2008, Hellen Rotich, 2:50:33, Manor, TX
- 2009, Leah Thorvilson, 2:44:19, Little Rock, AR
- 2010, Leah Thorvilson, 2:48:28, Little Rock, AR
- 2011, Leah Thorvilson, 2:45:51, Little Rock, AR