Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon

Route Changes for 2010!

2010-01-12T10:02:00.001-05:00

Jan. 5, 2010 – LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce some exciting new changes to the race route of the 2010 Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon, presented by Walmart. The races, which will begin simultaneously at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, will now start near Iroquois Manor Shopping Center and will finish at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville, a 500,000-square-foot entertainment venue located within Waterfront Park. The Marathon course will also include a slightly longer loop in Jeffersonville, Ind., with competitors running alongside the Ohio River.

“We’re very excited about the new race course, especially the finish line location,” said Mike Berry, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Festival. “The start line should flow more smoothly and the finish will be much more welcoming for both runners and spectators. The overall experience for runners at all levels of competition will be greatly enhanced with the changes that we are unveiling today.”

Combined entries for both the Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon were capped at 12,000 runners for the past two years. In 2010, the number of registrants will cap at 15,000, setting the stage for the largest annual day of road racing in Kentucky history. Berry said the expanded race field is part of the overall growth of the races in recent years, which in 2009 attracted runners from all 50 states and 13 foreign countries.

“Our goal is to be one of the premier springtime races in the United States,” said Berry. “We’ve gotten tremendous feedback from both local and out-of-state runners and we want to build on that momentum. The support of sponsors such as Walmart allows us to add new components to the races that bring it to a world-class level.”

Berry said the new start location will eliminate any congestion among elite runners exiting Iroquois Park and slower runners and walkers.

“The runners won’t be ‘doubling back’ on each other leaving the park as they have in the past,” he said. “We definitely wanted to keep the start in the south end of the city because of the tremendous fan support those neighborhoods have offered for more than 35 years. The finish at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville will feature a more comfortable and scenic reunite area for runners and their loved ones. There will be food and other concessions available starting at 8 a.m., followed by a concert at the site later that day.”

Registration for the 2010 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon, presented by Walmart, is now open online at www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com. Entry fees are $50 for the mini and $65 for the Marathon if registered by Jan. 31. All runners will receive Asics “technical” t-shirts at packet pickup, which will be held April 22-23 at the Kentucky International Convention Center. In addition, runners will receive a limited edition race poster, complimentary admission to the Derby Festival’s entertainment venue, Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront, and free admission for two to Churchill Downs on April 24 or 25.

Training Program Starts January 5th

2009-12-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

The introductory meeting of the Jewish Sports Medicine Healthy Lifestyle Training Program is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Bellarmine University’s Frazier Hall. This free 16-week program is intended to benefit runners training for the Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon Presented By Walmart on April 24, 2010. The program will give runners an opportunity to talk with professionals regarding nutrition, training tips, injury prevention and education.

The Training Program meeting will include distribution of a free training packet and technical shirt for the first 600 attendees; introduction of the race doctor, athletic trainers and nutritionists; an overview of the miniMarathon and Marathon; guest speakers and a question-and-answer session. Runners may register for the Training Program online at www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com. A pre-meeting run schedule, which includes weekly Saturday morning runs, may also be found on the race website. The deadline to sign up for the Training Program is Jan. 31. The Training Program is sponsored by Jewish Sports Medicine with contributing sponsor Swag’s Sport Shoes and 102.3 The Max.

Early registration for the 2010 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & miniMarathon presented by Walmart continues through January 31st. Current registrations are up over 200% from this same time last year!

Sorry to miss you

2009-09-28T16:08:00.002-04:00

The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Presented by Walmart was to travel to the Akron Marathon over the past weekend. However, due to some circumstances beyond our control, we were not able to make the event this weekend. I am sure everyone had a great time and the weather cooperated. Our next event is scheduled for October 9 - 11, 2009 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We will be in booth number 572. Come See Us!!!

Registration Now Open

2009-09-16T15:51:00.002-04:00

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2010 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & miniMarathon. The race will once again be held on the LAST SATURDAY IN APRIL (April 24, 2010). The race is now looking at a new record field of 15,000 runners. Please note that registration is much ahead of 2009 pace so register now before it is too late.

NEW for 2010, ALL runners will be receiving a FREE Asics Technical Shirt.

If you are running a Fall race, please see the list below and see where the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon will have an expo booth.

September 26th: Akron Marathon
October 11th: Chicago Marathon
October 18th: Columbus Marathon
October 25th: Marine Corp Marathon
November 21st: Philadelphia Marathon
January 10th: Disney Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Weekend

Please feel free to e-mail me at miniMarathon@kdf.org for any questions or comments you may have. We look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Chad Pickering
Race Director

Welcome First Timers

2009-03-20T12:13:00.002-04:00

“The trick is to not mind that it hurts”
T.E. Lawrence (as played by Peter O’Toole) – “Lawrence of Arabia” - 1962

I want to talk to the first timers. You veteran marathoners and half marathoners can stick around too, but talk among yourselves, please.

With less than six weeks to go until the big day, you have no doubt started to get into some of your longer training runs. If it is the first time you have gone 10 or 20 miles respectively, you have probably started to notice it hurts. In fact, it probably hurts quite a bit. You are possibly wondering what you got yourself into. You may be thinking “If I can just get through this, by race day my body will be able to deal with it and it won’t hurt so much.” I know what you are thinking because I have been there myself.

In the Summer of 1998, I was living in Lexington. My running partner and I decided to run our first marathon - the LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon. To execute our long runs, usually what we did was park one vehicle at a bank in Versailles, Kentucky and then drop water bottles every two and a half miles up a ten mile stretch of U.S. 60 to Frankfort, Kentucky. If you happen to know that stretch of road, you know it is not flat and there is no shade. Once we reached Frankfort, we would start our run heading back to the first car, changing out bottles etc., then run back down 60 to finish in Frankfort. Since the Chicago Marathon is in early October, we were doing these runs in August and early September which are (for those of you not from here) pretty damn hot and humid.

The first stretch – Frankfort to Versailles – was not so bad. It was ten easy yet hot and rolling miles past some lovely thoroughbred farms. I say it is “rolling”, but that is really deceptive. That road goes up hill for about a mile or so, then down hill for about a mile, then up for a mile, and so forth. The return leg, however, was never quite so pleasant. I recall one particularly hot day making the return. As I was passing the farm then owned by the late Allen Paulson (Cigar, Arazi, Azeri), I was watching a duck pond near the highway. The pond has a small island in the middle and there is a duck house on the island built to match the stud barns lining the landscape. I was so hot, so sore, and so wiped out, I began to fantasize about being a duck and diving into that pond. It is the first and only time in my life I envied a duck.

After completing the course the first time, I was seriously concerned I had bitten off more than I could chew. Every part of my body ached. All I wanted to do was sit there in the shade of tree where we parked and drink water. I had already done the mini a couple of times and had hurt late in those. But, that was nothing compared to what I was feeling after my first 20. But, we pressed on. Subsequent 20 milers went better. But they too hurt . . . a lot. I took solace in the fact that my running partner was dying as much as I was. I also thought that with cooler weather in October and this tough conditioning behind me, I would be okay come race day.

You too may be hoping that by race day, the conditioning will pay off and you can get through the race without at some point just wanting to die. Well, forget it. The ugly truth of the matter is that virtually no one can train for and run a marathon without suffering. That is just the way it is. Your body was not built to handle that kind of stress.

So, if pain is inevitable, why do it? My answer is that pain is certainly inevitable; but so is success if, like T.E. Lawrence, “you don’t mind that it hurts”. Endurance athletes have a common bond – whether it is marathoners, Ironman, ultra-marathons or just about anything else. When you complete your first full or half marathon, what you and I and so many before you will have in common is not that we have run races of equal distances (ever heard of 5k runners sitting around swapping war stories?). What we will have in common is that we both know the other is capable and willing to suffer like a dog through weeks of training and the 26.2 miles (or 13.1) of race day just to reach the finish line one time. Call it mutual respect. To an outsider, that sounds silly. To you, it may even sound pointless. If it hurts now, and it will hurt on race day, why bother? I know the answer, but there are not words to explain it. But, when you hit the finish line April 25th, trust me, you’ll get it. Until then, suffer . . . and don’t mind that it hurts.

Wendell L. Jones
Race Chair

Pace Makes The Race

2009-02-25T10:56:00.002-05:00

In horse racing there is an old saying that “pace makes the race”. Come to think of it, there are lots of sayings in horse racing. But, that is perhaps a topic for a different time.

In recent years, it has become common place for pacers to appear in marathons to assist less experienced runners at the distance. As runners we all want to run fast (“fast” being a relative term, of course). But in the marathon discipline, fast early means crawling late. That is where the more experienced runners that pacers are become valuable – they help runners dole out their effort over a course longer than they have ever run. If all goes well, pacer and followers alike hit the finish line more or less on time and more or less still alive and kicking.

I have never used a pacer. Well, I have never used one in the traditional sense. Last November in New York I felt like my training was adequate to get me around the five boroughs in about 3:45. When problems set in at mile eight and then mounted thereafter, I knew I was in some trouble. Hitting the half in 1:47 was little consolation as the problems continued to mount. What hitting the half in that time really did was tell me I had messed up. But, where the pacer came in was later on about mile 18 or 19 when the 3:45 pacer went by (with group in tow) I was able to use that information to confirm what I had expected earlier in the race. It was now confirmed I was cooked.

I said all that to say this: pacers, to my knowledge, have never been used in a half marathon. Nevertheless, I have received a few e-mails from runners planning to do the half (the “mini” as we like to call it) who wanted to know about pacers for that race. My advice to them so far has been to double your goal time then follow the marathon pacer for that time. In other words, if your goal is to complete the mini in 1:45, follow the 3:30 marathon pacer. That advice did not sit too well with at least one e-mailer by the name of “John”. He was pleasant about it though. In fact, he suggested I ask you. So I am. Do we need pacers in the miniMarathon?

Now, before you answer, be advised KDF does not control the pacers in our race. It is a group who came to us offering their services and we were thrilled (and still are) to have them. So, I cannot guarantee pacers for 2009 or, for that matter, 2010. So, the real question I am asking you the runners is: Should I ask for them? John certainly thinks so. Is he way off here?

By the way, (and off subject here), did you see this article? http://www.nola.com/news/?/base/news-1/1233296650238120.xml&coll=1

Check out page 8. They got the name wrong, but for those of you from here you can take some pride; those of you not from here have something to look forward to. Hopefully, our other 12 and 25 miles will be just about as “ultimate”.

Okay, back on subject: send me your comments. What do you think about pacers for the miniMarathon? You can comment below or you can e-mail me at racechair@kdf.org.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled goofing off at work.

Wendell Jones
Race Chair

Have A Stress Free Weekend

2009-01-22T13:55:00.003-05:00

As I write, it is thirteen weeks and two days until race day. In looking forward to the race, I cannot help but reflect back on the historic event of this very week. As you are all no doubt aware, Tuesday, January 20, 2009 marked an unforgettable and historic day in the world – the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia got underway with seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong returning to the professional competition after a three year absence. Lance, as you know, is a two time finisher of the ING New York City Marathon. But, I digress.
I assume everyone’s training is also underway and I certainly hope it is going well. Having run a couple of Spring marathons and, prior to my involvement in planning the KDF Marathon and miniMarathon, having run this event seven or eight times, I understand training this time of year can be somewhat difficult. Of course, training for a Fall marathon invariably means running 18 and 20 milers in high heat and humidity. But, somehow that does not seem as daunting to me as doing it with temperatures in the 20’s. Either way, having a training partner or group makes all the difference in the world.
As a runner and a marathoner, I realize there are two stress components to preparing for any race – especially a race you have not done before. The first is, of course, logging the miles and the right kind of miles. The old rule of thumb is when training to run a race over a hilly course, train in the hills; when training to run a race over a flat course, train in the hills. If you live in and around Louisville, you have no problem finding good ground to train on. If you live in a flat area of the country, that may be a bit more difficult to accomplish. You can get some training on up hill grades using a treadmill. But, my experience is training for the down hill grades is equally important - especially if you want to walk normally for the two to three days after the race.
The second stress component is all the questions running through your mind about the day or two prior to the race and getting to and from the race itself. Where is the expo in relation to my hotel/home? Where is the start line? The finish line? How do I get to the start line? What should I take with me? How will I get back to my hotel/car/home? You start running through those questions early (at least, I do) and start pre-planning in your mind and, to some degree, worrying.
There is not a lot I can do for you on the first stress component. We have available for free on our website a training guide you can utilize. Other free ones exist elsewhere on the net as well. As for the second, however, hopefully you can find all the answers you need on the website, especially accommodations in Downtown Louisville (Discounted Rates!!!). The Bluegrass Family Health Running Wild Expo and Pasta Dinner will be held this year at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For those of you new to the race, that is not a change at all. For you regulars, it is quite a change. For those of you who will be coming from out of town, it means you probably need a rental. KEC is located just off I-65 at the Watterson Expressway (I-264). It is only a few miles from downtown and right across the expressway from the airport. Luckily, it is only about a ten minute drive from downtown.
The bigger change which regulars need to account for is packet pick up rules. Those from out of town will not notice the difference (unless you have relied on locals to retrieve your packet for you in the past). Every runner (except teams) will have to appear in person with your confirmation and ID to get your packet – no more sending the pal in the next cubicle. I know . . . it is sooo inconvenient. The bottom line is that over the years, a few people ruined it for everybody. Every year someone picks up a packet for someone and fails both to tell them about it and to sign the sheet saying they got it. Shortly thereafter, the lucky recipient of this kind gesture shows up and goes headlong into panic mode when there is no packet for him. He then gets to wait in a line over what he figures must be our mistake and leaves at the end of it all frustrated. Although they never call to say so later, I am assuming they feel silly about the whole affair when they get home only to discover their training partner was the actual culprit.
So, now you have two changes and, for you out there prematurely worrying, two questions are answered. The other questions I posed are all on the website as are the answers to many other questions. But, if you have a question and cannot find an answer, e-mail me at racechair@kdf.org. If I don’t know the answer, I will either find out, refer your e-mail to someone who does, or just make something up. (Just kidding on that last part.)
So, enjoy your training. In the end, it will be worth it. If you come across a day when it just seems to be too much, just reflect back and try to remember my philosophy of life: When the going gets tough, that means things have gotten harder.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-05T13:27:00.002-05:00

Now that 2009 is here, the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & miniMarathon is only 109 days away. Currently, registration is up 32% from this time last year and we look to sell out by Mid February. So....Get your registration in now before we sell out and registration goes up on February 1st. Click Here to Register Now.

The 2009 Jewish Sports Medicine Derby Festival Healthy Lifestyle Training Program will be held tomorrow night at 6:00 pm at Bellarmine University's Frazier Hall. We are almost at the 600 registration mark which will guarantee a t-shirt to those registered. If you would like to register, please click here.

I certainly hope everyone is training well and we look forward to hosting you on April 25th. Please remember that the location of the Packet Pickup has changed. The new location is the Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209.

ALSO NOTE: ALL Participants will be required to show valid photo ID and confirmation to pickup their runner packet. No packets will be given to participant family members and/or friends. All runners are REQUIRED to pickup THEIR OWN race packet for 2009. Packets will not be mailed under any circumstances.

2009 Is Upon Us

2008-12-17T15:11:00.005-05:00

Well....2009 is upon us and that means the 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon is only 128 days away (April 25, 2009). Remember to signup early for the race as registration fee rise on February 1st, 2009. We are currently tracking 25% higher on registrations than we were at this time last year. Be sure to register now as we will cap the race at 12,000 runners again for 2009.

Race: REGISTER NOW

As many of you know, our organization travels to various races to promote / market the event. We will be attending our last promotional event in January at the Houston Marathon. Please come by and see us at booth #155 on January 16th - 18th.

Finally, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that the 2009 Jewish Sports Medicine Derby Festival Healthy Lifestyle Training Program is scheduled for January 6, 2009 at Bellarmine University. This FREE program will have a meeting where you can meet with Fitness experts, as well as Saturday group runs that will guide you through your weeks of training for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon or miniMarathon.

Local Training Perks:
- Technical Training Shirt to FIRST 600 Registered (must attend Training Orientation)
- Orientation Meeting with Running Experts
- Scheduled daily runs with groups
- Information booklet including Nutrition, Stretching, Route Maps, Daily Run Information, and
Shoe Fitting Information
- AND MORE!!!

The training program orientation information:
Date: January 6, 2009 at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Frazier Hall
Bellarmine University
2001 Newburg Road
Louisville, KY 40205

Local Training Program: REGISTER NOW

That is all for now.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon Organization!!!

NEW SITE LAUNCHED!

2008-10-22T11:33:00.002-04:00

Runners.....The NEW Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & miniMarathon website has now launched. We hope you enjoy the site more user friendly. We welcome feedback from your experience at the website. Please e-mail me at minimarathon@kdf.org.

Finally, I hope to see some of you at the Marine Corp Marathon this weekend. We will be at booth number 727. Good Luck to those participating!

Best,

Chad Pickering
Race Director

Travels of the KDF Marathon

2008-10-07T08:24:00.004-04:00

With the Fall running season upon us, the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon & miniMarathon travels to various races throughout the year to promote the last Saturday in April race. This year we are going to attend several races that we have not attended in the past along with a couple that we have attended and received a lot of traffic. Please see the list of cities we will be coming to and feel free to stop by and talk with us about our exciting race.

Akron Marathon (Akron, OH) - September 26th and 27th
Denver Maration (Denver, CO) - October 17th and 18th
Marine Corp Marathon (Washington, DC) - October 23rd, 24th and 25th
Richmond Marathon (Richmond, VA) - November 13th and 14th
Houston Marathon (Houston, TX) - January 16th and 17th

Finally, we will also be placing brochures in the follow race goodie bags. Be sure to look for information in these cities:

Columbus Marathon (Columbus, OH)
San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon (San Antonio, TX)
Philadelphia Marathon (Philadelphia, PA)
Disney Marathon & 1/2 Marathon (Orlando, FL)

Please feel free to contact us with any questions / comments that you may have regarding our race. GOOD LUCK in your training! See you April 25, 2009.

Best,

Chad Pickering

Give Us Your Input

2008-09-25T09:50:00.001-04:00

With still seven months remaining until race day, many of you probably have not quite gotten your training underway. Not to panic. There is still plenty of time. For us, however, time is very, very short. Since this is my first year as chairman of the race, (though I have a long history with the race route), I am already hearing the clock ticking toward the starting gun – and the clock is getting louder and faster with each tick.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that planning for the next Marathon and miniMarathon actually begins in May of the preceding year. Discussions, both formal and informal, are held among those of us responsible for the planning as we try to identify issues from the just-passed event and anticipate needs for the next one.

The one thing we never get enough of is input from you, the runners. Sure, we get some e-mails and some phone calls from time to time. We read what is posted on websites around the internet such as marathonguide.com. But, unfortunately, most of what we get is specific questions about the upcoming event, or comments about the past event. Both are helpful. What we would like more of is ideas and suggestions about how the race can be improved or made more appealing to you.

Whether you are a local runner undertaking the mini for the first, or tenth, or twentieth time, or a runner from another state thinking about visiting Louisville to tackle the full marathon for the first time, what do you hope to experience? What are your concerns? Tell us. We cannot promise all suggestions will be immediately adopted. But, you never know.

There are two e-mails you can use to reach us: minimarathon@kdf.org will get you to the Event Director, Chad Pickering. If you want to communicate directly with me, you can use racechair@kdf.org . Help us make 2009 the best race ever.

Wendell L. Jones

Registration Now OPEN!

2008-09-09T15:03:00.003-04:00

Attention Runners! The 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon registration is now OPEN! Hurry and sign up for the 2009 race as the 2008 event SOLD OUT! Registration fees are now $35.00 for the 1/2 marathon and $60.00 for the full marathon until January 31, 2009.

The 2009 Race Committee includes the following members:
Race Chair: Wendell Jones
Executive Chair: Denny Simonavice
Asst. Chair: Steve Bale (Coca-Cola)
Asst. Chair: Kim Hite (Jewish Hospital)
Asst. Chair: Norma Oberst (KY Derby Festival Foundation / Charity Module)
Asst. Chair: Marty Storch (Louisville Metro Parks)
Asst. Chair: Louis Waterman
Asst. Chair: Dan Young

Please continue to check out www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com for additional details about the 2009 race.

Race Registration to open September 5, 2008!

2008-08-22T17:59:00.003-04:00

The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon registration opens September 5, 2008. Registrants will notice the new registration system for the race. Active.com has come on board as our new registration and website hosting organization. Persons will notice a more user friendly registration system along with additional help in Training and Nutrition Tips. Please continue to let us know what you think about this blog by commenting below.

Race Committee Meetings will continue in the month of September. We will be working hard on the plans for another race sellout of over 12,000 runners. We look forward to hosting you and your family the weekend of April 25, 2008. Continue to check out this blog, http://www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com/, and http://www.kdf.org/ for additional information on the Marathon / miniMarathon and Kentucky Derby Festival events.

Welcome Runners!

2008-08-15T11:45:00.004-04:00

Welcome Runners to the "New" Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon / miniMarathon Blog. Here you will be able to keep track of race updates, Kentucky Derby Festival event information, and other fun activities. You will be hearing from different persons from time to time including the Race Director and fellow Race Committee Members. Please let us know what you think of the blog and how we can better improve your experience. Thank you and HAPPY TRAINING. Remember, the race is on April 25, 2009. Registration opens September 1, 2008.