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Trevor Uyemura and Abigayle Money claimed victories at the 2024 Little Rock Marathon

On a day that showcased the epitome of endurance and speed, Trevor Uyemura and Abigayle Money emerged victorious at the 2024 Little Rock Marathon. Uyemura, hailing from Vienna, Virginia, clinched the men's title with a blistering pace, clocking in at 2:42:58.8. Meanwhile, Abigayle Money, representing Fayetteville, Arkansas, dominated the women's division with her impressive finish time of 2:51:37.4.

Race Day Highlights

The Little Rock Marathon, known for its challenging course and enthusiastic community support, did not disappoint this year. From the early hours, the streets of Little Rock buzzed with excitement as runners from across the nation gathered to test their limits. Uyemura's and Money's victories were not just personal triumphs but also inspirational achievements that underscored the marathon's competitive spirit. Their performances set a high bar for future competitors and added to the event's growing reputation as a must-participate race for marathon enthusiasts.

Behind the Victories

Both Uyemura and Money trained rigorously in the months leading up to the marathon, their victories a testament to their dedication, strategy, and resilience. Uyemura, at 40, proved that age is but a number when it comes to long-distance running, while Money's win highlighted the growing prominence of female athletes in competitive sports. Their successes are a source of inspiration for aspiring marathoners and a reminder of the physical and mental fortitude required to conquer such a demanding race.

Looking Ahead

The 2024 Little Rock Marathon may have concluded, but the stories of Uyemura and Money will undoubtedly fuel the aspirations of many future participants. As the dust settles on this year's event, the focus shifts to the next race, with athletes around the world already setting their sights on Little Rock for 2025. The marathon's ability to draw talent and foster a sense of community among runners is a testament to its enduring appeal and the unifying power of sports.

The victories of Trevor Uyemura and Abigayle Money at the 2024 Little Rock Marathon are not just remarkable achievements in their running careers but also significant milestones for the event itself. Their performances, underpinned by sheer determination and hard work, set new records and exemplify the spirit of marathon running. As the Little Rock community and the wider world of athletics celebrate their accomplishments, the anticipation for next year's marathon is already building, promising another chapter in the storied history of this beloved race.

 

(03/06/2024) Views: 721 ⚡AMP
by Salman Khan

Colin Boerger and Jessy Sorrick win 2023 Little Rock Marathon

Colin Boerger and Jessy Sorrick are the winners of the 2023 Little Rock Marathon.

Beginning shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday and continuing into the afternoon, finishers of the 21st Little Rock Marathon will trickle across the finish line on La Harpe Boulevard.

Their legs plenty tired after completing the 26.2-mile course, runners will take a couple hundred more steps, following the signs directing them inside the back of the Statehouse Convention Center.

The runners will pose for pictures, then go grab a snack to refuel or some more water. Others might go for a celebratory Michelob Ultra -- or two -- before seeking out their friends and family for a hug.

But before any of that, each finisher will find a smiling volunteer and bow their head, awaiting one of the hundreds of oversized, sparkly, brightly-colored medals that will be placed around their neck.

Since its third edition in 2005, the Little Rock Marathon has awarded those who complete the race with a distinct, intricate prize -- enormous in size while also extravagant in detail.

This year's medal is no different, measuring in at more than 8 inches wide and nearly 3 pounds. Inspired by the theme, "Peace, Love, Little Rock Marathon," it features an interlocking peace sign and heart surrounded by symbols associated with the hippie movement such as flowers, doves, music and a van, brought to life with an array of bright, sparkly colors as is tradition for executive director Geneva Lamm.

Year after year, Lamm attempts to one-up herself with a unique and elaborate design, ensuring that each runner -- everyone from Searcy native Tia Stone, winner in five of the last seven women's races, to the final finisher -- has something to appropriately commemorate their accomplishment.

The idea spawned from a race Lamm ran in southern Texas shortly after beginning her role with the Little Rock Marathon in 2002. Lamm had just finished the marathon and her friend had completed the 5K race.

"When we finished, we got the same medal, and I was like, 'Oh, no, no, I did the marathon. I didn't do the 5K,' Lamm recalled. "They're like, 'No, that's the medal for everybody.' "

That didn't sit right with Lamm. She believed that everyone should get a medal the size of their individual achievement.

So, Lamm set out to make that the case for her race in Little Rock. She sketched out what she wanted of the first medal -- mostly in stick figures -- but quickly discovered that the companies bidding to produce them had a different idea of what it would actually look like.

That led Lamm to teach herself how to use the Adobe Creative Suite so she could specifically design the medals on her own. In 2006, she produced a sparkly version of the race's corporate logo, which Lamm calls "The Shield."

From there, the medals took on a life of their own, and each year, Lamm tasks herself with designing something one-of-a-kind to fit that race's theme.

In 2008, it was "Six in the City" to celebrate the race's sixth edition. In 2012, the theme was disco. The 2015 race was pirate-themed -- perhaps Lamm's favorite to date -- and as is the case each year, Lamm and race organizers encourage runners to dress in costume.

But idealizing and designing the medals is one thing. It's another to produce them, especially as the race has grown as large as 10,000 total runners across the different competitions -- marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K.

Steve Hasty, owner of Hasty Awards in Ottawa, Kan., has worked in conjunction with Lamm on and off for the last 12 years. It's not guaranteed Hasty will be the one chosen to produce the medals each race -- because the Little Rock Marathon is a fundraiser for the City of Little Rock's Parks and Recreation Department, Lamm has to run an annual blind-bidding process to determine who will get the contract for a given year.

But Hasty holds a special place in his heart for Little Rock because the medals are such a passion project for Lamm.

"There's no question that the Little Rock Marathon is the most fun race," Hasty told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "[Geneva] is an educated customer, which makes it a lot easier."

The bidding typically begins in June, and for an early March race, Hasty likes to begin production no later than September.

For the marathon medals, the die-casting process begins by forcing each of the different colors of zinc-based alloy into the molds. Each of the different colors, many with glitter -- a Lamm specialty -- is allowed to dry before Hasty moves on to the next color.

All told, creating the Little Rock Marathon medal takes about 50 days. That's before the ribbon is hand-sewn on, all adding up to a cost of $13 per medal and leaving little profit margin for Hasty.

The goal is then to have all the medals completed and in Little Rock no later than January. Across the different competitions, that's between 9,000 and 10,000 medals -- almost a 400% increase from the 2,502 that participated in the inaugural race in 2003.

Lamm keeps a notepad on her desk at home with ideas for future themes, and she's already thinking about concepts and designs of medals for at least the next five years.

After 19 years, it's nothing but "a labor of love."

"It's always on my mind," Lamm said. "We're always trying to figure out how to do something better and new. ... The payoff for me and my staff is seeing those people cross the finish line."

(03/06/2023) Views: 1,225 ⚡AMP
by Mitchell Gladstone

2022 Little Rock Marathon calls for volunteers to help celebrate its 20th anniversary

The Little Rock Marathon is calling on the community for volunteers to help celebrate its 20th anniversary.

According to the Marathon executive director Geneva Lamm, it takes more than 2,000 volunteers and 60 sponsors to make the event happen each year.

“The Little Rock Marathon is one of the biggest events in Arkansas, and we couldn’t make it happen without the help of our tremendous volunteers,” Lamm said. “Volunteering is one of the best ways to experience all the excitement of race weekend.”

Organizers are asking volunteers to fill positions like registration workers, marathon aid stations workers, health and fitness expo volunteers, entertainers on the racecourse and workers for runner services and gear checks.

The weekend includes multiple races, including a free two-day health and fitness expo, the Little Rock Marathon, the Little Rock Half Marathon, the Little Rock 10k and the Little Rock 5k, organizers said.

(01/11/2022) Views: 1,020 ⚡AMP
by Alexis Nalley

2021 Little Rock Marathon Unveils its Medals

The Little Rock Marathon unveiled its 2021 finisher’s medals this weekend as it continued preparing for another sell-out event in the fall.

The 2021 Little Rock Marathon Race Weekend was originally slated for March 5-7, but was pushed back to November 19-21 to accommodate necessary changes due to COVID-19. This year’s race will again be held in downtown Little Rock and will benefit Little Rock Parks & Recreation.

“For many years, the Little Rock Marathon medals have set a standard in the marathon industry,” said Geneva Lamm, Executive Director of the Little Rock Marathon. “Our medals are an extraordinary keepsake that celebrates each participant’s finish.”

The 2021 family of finisher medals feature the race’s whimsical Runderland theme. This year’s marathon medal weighs more than 3 pounds. According to Lamm, the medal is a significant factor in the event’s growing popularity and sold-out races each year.

Other events taking place during race weekend include the Little Rock Marathon Health & Fitness Expo, the Little Rock Marathon, presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Little Rock Half Marathon, presented by Baptist Health, the Little Rock 10K, the Little Rock 5K, presented by Arkansas Federal Credit Union, and the Little Rockers Kids Marathon, presented by the Hatcher Agency.

The 2021 Little Rock Marathon is also sponsored in part by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Heart of Arkansas, Premium Refreshment, Little Rock Marriott, Golden Eagle of Arkansas, Rock City Running, Loreal USA, KTHV Channel 11, Fence Brokers, and DataMax Office Systems.

Registration will be available online through 11:59 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 or the race is sold out. 

(04/06/2021) Views: 1,907 ⚡AMP

2021 Little Rock Marathon changes date from March to November due to pandemic concerns

The annual Little Rock Marathon that was originally scheduled for March 6-7 has been changed to Nov. 20-21 due to coronavirus concerns.

If you have already registered for the marathon, you can move it to the race in November or defer your registration until 2022. 

The 19th annual race brings thousands from across the nation and world to compete in Arkansas's capital city.

(01/12/2021) Views: 929 ⚡AMP

Jeremy Provence, cross country coach at the University of North Alabama, won the Little Rock Marathon clocking 2:42:24

Runners with Arkansas ties won the 2019 Little Rock Marathon. "I was running by myself so I just wanted to settle in and find a pace I could handle.

I just grinded it out, mile by mile," he said. "My goal this year was to win, I just wanted to do that, so I am excited to win. I was just focusing on staying even with my splits, and it paid off."

Little Rock Central High School graduate Jenny Massanelli was the first female (3:14:43).

"I like running in the cold and wet, so it didn't bother me," she said. "It was not as bad as I thought it would be. I was so happy, I could not believe it. I usually finish 7th or 6th and to be first, I feel like I'm going to wake up soon. Hometown girl - I can't wait to go to work tomorrow."

An estimated 12,000 runners participated in the weekend's festivities, including the marathon, half marathon, 5k and 10k.

(03/04/2019) Views: 1,981 ⚡AMP

Little Rock Marathon forecast predicts cold rain during the race this weekend

lt will have some roar in the form of rain and arctic air invading the Natural State going into next week, and it may be the start of meteorological Spring, which is broken down into 3 months for weather records, but temperatures will be below average after Saturday.  

As a system develops to the west and cold front approaches from the north the weather will be changing going into the weekend.

Rain will move in through Saturday afternoon, March 2 into Saturday evening, March 3, and there could be some thunder and lightning mixed in at times. 

By Sunday an area of low pressure system moves SE of the area and colder air pours in from the NW with gusty winds of 10 to 20 mph. Temperatures will be falling through the day and it is expected that rain will change to a mix then to all snow for north Arkansas.

Minor accumulations of a Trace to 1” are possible in the higher terrain of north Arkansas. A sleet pellet or a flurry is possible for central AR Sunday afternoon before the moisture moves out.

Little Rock Marathon Forecast, 7 a.m. - Rain is likely with possible thunder. Chance of rain 90%. Temperatures in the upper 40s. Winds N 10-15 mph

10 a.m. - Rain, heavy at times, windy. Chance of rain 90%. Temperatures in the low to mid 40s. Winds N 10-20 mph

(03/02/2019) Views: 2,128 ⚡AMP

Little Rock Marathon race officials announced Heifer International will serve as sponsor of the 2019 Little Rock Marathon Expo

“Heifer International is proud to sponsor the Health and Fitness Expo for the 2019 Little Rock Marathon,” said Carly Samuelson, Heifer International Peer-to-Peer Program Manager.

“This great city is home to our world headquarters and it’s a privilege to partner with the marathon in order to showcase one of our fundraising programs, Team Heifer. Our finish line is the end of hunger and poverty for all.”

“We are honored to have the support of Heifer International for our Health and Fitness Expo,” said Little Rock Marathon co-director Geneva Lamm.

“The city of Little Rock is fortunate to be home to such a wonderful program that encourages others to “pass on the gift” by sharing animal offspring in their effort to eradicate hunger and poverty around the world.”

The 17th annual Little Rock Marathon weekend will be held March 2-3, 2019 and will include the Little Rock Marathon and Half Marathon, the Little Rock 10K, the Little Rock 5K Fun Run/Walk and the Little Rockers Kids Marathon.

(02/27/2019) Views: 2,165 ⚡AMP

Little Rock marathon will be hosting DC Wonder Woman 5K/10K

Wonder Women, Wonder Men and Wonder Children will race through downtown Little Rock dressed as superheroes May 11 when the DC Wonder Woman 5K and 10K arrive in Arkansas.

Featuring costumes for all racers and a party atmosphere, the new footraces are part of the DC Wonder Woman Run Series, a joint project of California-based promoter SON Events and Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC.

Little Rock Parks and Recreation’s Little Rock Marathon team is bringing the series to Clinton Presidential Park.

In 2018, its first year, the series of five races in California drew more than 10,000 participants, according to a news release. This year, the organizers are booking 10 events in cities across the nation and Canada.

Geneva Lamm, co-executive director of the marathon, said the marathon team is partnering with the series in Little Rock. "We are setting it all up and we'll be running it and creating the fun. We are part of the organizing body of the event."

For its work, the marathon will receive a $10,000 fee and possibly a bit more, Lamm said Thursday.

She and marathon co-director Gina Pharis attended a Wonder Woman 5K/10K in Los Angeles in November "to see is this something we want to bring to Little Rock."

(02/01/2019) Views: 2,494 ⚡AMP

Little Rock Marathon Race directors announced today they will be hosting Black Marathoners Hall of Fame honorees

Little Rock Marathon Race directors announced today they will be hosting the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) in recognizing their 2019 National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame honorees. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will occur at the 2019 NBMA Annual Summit banquet at the 17thannual Little Rock Marathon on Sat., March 2, 2019. The honorees include: Herman Atkins, Alisa Harvey, Oscar Moore, and the Honorable Mayor Catherine Pugh of Baltimore, MD. An estimated 700 NBMA members from across the country will take part in the marathon and ceremony. These individuals are recognized for their running abilities from 800 meters to the marathon and for their service and leadership in the African-American and running communities. This is the organization’s fifteen-year anniversary. “We’re very excited about returning to Little Rock to honor standouts in the African-American distance running,” said Tony Reed, NBMA’s Executive Director. “We feel that it’s important that we acknowledge the things our runners have done, even if others haven’t.” (09/06/2018) Views: 1,820 ⚡AMP

Nikhil ran with two numbers at the Little Rock Half in memory of one of his patients

Completing the Little Rock Half Marathon was more than an athletic feat for Nikhil Meena, M.D.; it was a symbolic gesture as well. For the second year in a row, the UAMS interventional pulmonologist wore two numbers on the 13.1-mile course: one for himself and one in memory of a patient. “I want to let the families of my patients know that even though they are gone, they are not forgotten,” said Meena. She ran the March 4 race in memory of Grover West III, a lung cancer patient who died Nov. 20, 2016. Meena was part of the lung cancer team that treated West and remembers him as an upbeat person who always greeted her with a smile. “He knew he was very sick, but he had such a good spirit,” she said. (03/06/2018) Views: 1,672 ⚡AMP

Tia Stone Runs Sub-3, Wins Little Rock Marathon

More than 12,000 runners took to the streets of Little Rock for the 16th annual Little Rock Marathon. Racers competed in the marathon, half marathon and wheelchair events. The 39-year-old Tia Stone of Searcy won the women's race in just under 3 hours, marking her third marathon win in a row. Stone previously ran cross country and track at Harding University and has a daughter who runs cross country in middle school.“This was my fifth Little Rock Marathon and this was my fastest time," Stone said. "I’m 39 and I really wanted to go sub 3:00. I love winning this race, but if I had to choose between winning it and running sub 3 hours, I’d choose sub 3. I saw my kids throughout the course, they have been cheering for me because they know how much I have trained for this.” (03/05/2018) Views: 1,808 ⚡AMP

This race upped the ante for impressive runner bling

The Little Rock Marathon has unveiled its 2018 finisher medals. The marathon has long been known for its epic race bling, and the race has certainly kept up the tradition for its 16th year. For 2018, the marathon medal measures 8.5 inches tall and weighs 2.5 pounds. Besides the medal "our mission is provide a premier event open to athletes of all abilities, while promoting a healthy lifestyle through running/walking and raising money for Little Rock Parks & Recreation." Race date 3/4/18. (01/03/2018) Views: 1,539 ⚡AMP