Training through Dave’s Running Shop begins May 19
TOLEDO – If you missed running in the 48th Mercy Health Glass City Marathon in April — or perhaps you want to compete in two marathons here in the same calendar year — don’t fret. You’ll get another chance to navigate Toledo’s fast, flat terrain when Garmin hosts its first Garmin Marathon Series on Sept. 21.
Garmin, a Kansas City global company known for its GPS running watches, satellite communicators and vehicle dash cams, is partnering with Run Toledo to host “a world-class event right in your own backyard,” according to Elliott Scott, Garmin’s lead public relations specialist, who was in Toledo last month to scout out the area and meet contacts.
The premier running event will include a full marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K, and is designed to accommodate runners of all levels, from beginners to elite athletes. The USA Track & Field (USATF) certified course will take runners to the Toledo Zoo and Toledo Museum of Art, and through the Glass City Metropark, Rossford, Perrysburg and Maumee. The race will start and finish at Promenade Park in Downtown Toledo.
The series will be preceded by a free two-day expo at the Glass City Convention Center and will culminate with a finish line festival featuring food trucks.
Scott added that Garmin is also exploring a charitable partnership to give back to the community, and “to identify a cause that makes sense and is something we can support.”
He noted that the idea to host Garmin’s first marathon series sprouted during a discussion among Garmin executives about how to celebrate runners. He explained that their conversation focused on doing something meaningful and authentic that would allow them to tell the Garmin story in a new way.
“We sponsor races all over the world – and that’s great, we’ll continue doing that – but let’s produce something on our own,” he said, recalling the company’s decision to produce their own race. “Let’s have the freedom to dream big and create something really unique within running, and so that’s where it started.”
From there, Garmin surveyed several U.S. cities and considered various cultural and aesthetic factors, like a fast, flat course terrain which would attract a wide variety of runners of all skill levels. They also took existing race schedules into account; Garmin wanted to be an additional race and not a substitute.
Scott noted that the race heavily depends on collaboration with public entities in Toledo as well. He said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Lucas County commissioner Pete Gerken, Destination Toledo and Run Toledo were all enthusiastic about the idea, and shared a vision for what it could become a driver of awareness and tourism for the city.
When we came to them [city leaders] with this idea, they bought into it very quickly. You really need your city and county partners to be enthusiastic and engaged in it, and that was, I think, what put Toledo over the top.
Elliott Scott
“Toledo has a great running community and a beautiful river front, and that’s exciting. Think about people coming here and experiencing a city they might never have been before. I can say from the races I’ve ran that there is no cooler way to discover a city than to run a marathon and see 26 miles of it,” Scott exclaimed.
Run Toledo oversees ‘nuts and bolts’
While Garmin will handle marketing and atmosphere, Run Toledo will be the race management company in charge of the “nuts and bolts,” according to Clint McCormick, Run Toledo’s senior event director and chief operator.
A division of Dave’s Running Shop, Run Toledo has been managing and developing short and long running and multi-sport races in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan since 2009.
Run Toledo, which also manages the Glass City Marathon, Run the 419 Series and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure signature events, will oversee course design, operations, logistics and coordination with law enforcement. Run Toledo will also play a key role in recruiting local vendors and volunteers, and bring in other partners, like sports medicine and pace teams.
Aside from the timing — one in spring, the other in fall — McCormick noted a key difference between the Garmin and Glass City marathons will be the level of corporate sponsorship with the Garmin brand. Garmin will not only focus on running, but also highlight its wide range of products and divisions during the two-day trade show, which McCormick likened to Jeep Fest. It will be a celebration of lifestyle, technology and community.
“While Garmin is an international name, the focus will be on the local community,” he emphasized. “I think that’s where we [Run Toledo] play a huge role in making that happen. I think our partnership plays out nicely.”
Run Toledo is also providing a tailored training program for the Garmin Marathon Series. Through Dave’s Training Programs, the largest training program in the region, runners can sign up for a training program beginning May 19.
Registration for the Garmin Marathon Series, expected to attract 10,000 participants, is currently open for all distances; Scott advises that runners should sign up now for two reasons: There’s an incremental price increase as the race date nears, and certain distances could sell out.
“So, it’s better to secure your spot now because it is completely possible, and even likely, that it will be sold out by the time race day comes around,” Scott noted, adding that the cost to enter the race is competitive.
“We see [the series] as an opportunity to make it a really special environment that people remember, and we hope it becomes one of their favorite races.”
