CMARA

Blues Marathon Announces New Course for 2010

Competitors in the 3rd Annual Mississippi Blues Marathon and Half-Marathon, scheduled for January 9, 2010, will enjoy a faster layout as well as a new start/finish area in downtown Jackson. Race organizers are moving the start and finish lines to the intersection of State and Capitol Streets, in front of the Old Capitol.

“This redesign was done based on a combination of things,” said John Sewell, Director of Corporate Communications for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. “A big factor in the move was a request from staff at the Old Capitol, who wanted to offer the building as a historic backdrop for our start/finish area. Feedback from runners was also taken into consideration, and we’ve tried to change the course to eliminate some of the hills, especially in the final miles.”

The new course will run west on Capitol Street, take in the Metro Parkway out to Jackson State University, and come back through downtown on Pascagoula Street before picking up the original course and winding through Belhaven. The stretch along Lakeland Drive has been shortened, and runners will also enjoy a less crowded course through the Eastover area. The final miles will run south along Old Canton Road from Briarwood Drive, crossing over Interstate 55 and continuing south to State Street before finishing downtown.

“The changes to the course will also offer competitors more convenience with regard to accessing the Expo and starting line, and we see this as a great opportunity to highlight the exciting progress being made in downtown Jackson,” said Sewell. “Runners will be able to stay in hotels, walk to the Expo and starting area, and enjoy the nightlife of downtown after the race.”

More than 350 runners from 31 states and the District of Columbia have already registered. Registration is offered online through the marathon’s website at www.msbluesmarathon.com.

The Central Mississippi Amateur Radio Association will once again provide course communications. See WM5A, Mike, to sign up for this event. We will meet at Primos on Lakeland Dr at 6:00 PM to go over assignments.