After two years of assessment the date was changed due to multiple factors including a better fit into the race calendar, a chance for better weather and more. Our change to Saturday/Sunday races will allow the opportunity for a full weekend of events and growth in all events.
Location Changes
The 5K and KidsK will move from Sibley Park to the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus due to growth.
“Sibley Park just wasn’t big enough to hold all the runners and spectators we had for the Mankato Marathon 5K and KidsK in 2011,” said Race Director Mark Bongers, Final Stretch, Inc.
“Having all of Saturday’s races and activities right on campus will make for a convenient and relaxed environment for the race participants,” said Bongers
Minnesota State University has already proven to be a gracious and accommodating host.
“The University welcomes the opportunity to partner in this important community endeavor, as it offers a unique and exciting chance for us to showcase and share the campus with a multitude of participants and race supporters,” said Kevin Buisman, Director of Athletics at Minnesota State University. “We look forward to working with others and to our role in the continued growth and success of the Mankato Marathon.”
Logistics, logistics
The KidsK will be divided into age categories of six and under and ages seven to 12 and will be opened up to 400 participants in order to accommodate the growth of the event. The 5K will be opened up to 1000 runners and the 10K race will be opened up to 1200 people in 2012.
The Mankato Marathon will release more information about the 2012 races in the coming weeks.
The Greater Mankato Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) leads the development of the visitor economy in Greater Mankato by actively promoting Greater Mankato as a premier destination for conventions, tournaments and tourism. These activities bring a steady flow of visitors and business activity to Greater Mankato resulting in a flood of spending that benefits local residents and future visitors. The work of the CVB helps strengthen the hospitality industry which provides jobs, a diverse tax base and amenities for everyone to enjoy.
Final Stretch, Inc. is a race management company that has been promoting events in the upper Midwest for 16 years. The company is managed by Mark Bongers, who took over ownership of the company in 2002. Final Stretch has a business philosophy of marketing fun, unique, high quality races to the running community. Final Stretch’s experience and quality management processes combine with each race’s “community feel” to provide runners with an experience different than any other events. We are continuously looking for new events to compliment our current events at Final Stretch. Additionally, Final Stretch continues to improve the service provided to each runner in order to ensure every participant can say, “Today was a great day to run and I had a fabulous time!”
