Ready-set-start! Off goes the Wellness Connection of Okitibbeha County with its annual Frostbite Half-Marathon. Tomorrow marks the 18th year of the run, which starts at noon.
“It all started years back when local Starkville runners came together wanting to create a run for the winter, hence the name Frostbite Half-Marathon,” said race director Cindy Orrick.
Last year’s race yielded about 180 participants who braved the cold winds and sleet for the 13.1 mile course. This year Orrick anticipates even more participants to turn out with temperatures expected in the mid-40s.
“[The marathon] is just a challenge for runners because a lot of them are trying to go longer distances or looking for more. We have participants from all over Mississippi and other states as well,” said Orrick of runners who normally run in 5K races. Orrick commented that MSU students are encouraged to attend as well as other Starkville residents.
Frostbite will begin with the famous bus ride to the starting point-Pheba. Participants will leave The Okitibbeha County Hospital HealthPlex at noon. The event is unique in that most marathons have the participants run what is called a loop. Instead, the Wellness Connection will bus participants to the starting point and have them race back. The course runs south on Miss. Highway 389 through rolling hills with a turn west onto Hospital Road for the last one-half mile.
The marathon will also feature a relay competition. Relay teams may be made up of three people in any male/female combination. Each team member will run one-third of the 13.1-mile course. Awards will be given to overall male/female participants in various age categories. It is recommended that no one under the age of 12 participate in the Frostbite Half-Marathon.
Registration deadline is today at 6:45 p.m.; there will be no race day registration.
The $20 non-refundable registration fee includes a commemorative long-sleeve t-shirt, fruit and beverages at the finish and invitation to the post-race party sponsored by Starkville businesses Rick’s CafZ and Old Venice Pizza Company.
For more information or to request a registration form, contact Cindy Orrick at [email protected]; or call 323-9355 or fax 615-3196. Oktibbeha County Hospital is located at 400 Hospital Rd. For more history and facts on the Frostbite Half-Marathon, log on to http://www.ece.msstate.edu/harden/frostbite/.