Running News Daily

2022 Louisiana Marathon returns for 11th year

Get your running shoes on, the 11th annual Louisiana Marathon takes place this upcoming weekend.

The weekend-long event is filled with local food, live music and fun for everyone in the family. The marathon’s route includes running from downtown Baton Rouge through the University Lakes, the LSU campus and through historic river town neighbors, according to marathon organizing officials.

Runners can choose to compete in the Full Marathon (26.2 miles) or Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday, Jan. 16 or the Louisiana Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles), Louisiana Marathon 5K (3.1 miles) and a Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kids Marathon (1 mile) on Saturday, Jan. 15.

“Runners who compete on both days receive a Déjà vu Award if they competed in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon in Dec. 2021, the Louisiana Marathon’s sister race, they are awarded the Beach~2~Bayou medal,” according to Louisiana Marathon officials.

Louisiana Marathon winner Alex Hebert surprises himself after foot injury

Neither a two-month delay to the Louisiana Marathon nor a foot injury could stop Alex Hebert of Thibodaux from winning the 10th Louisiana Marathon men's race Sunday in downtown Baton Rouge.

Hebert, 28, ran a time of 2:27:16 to cross the finish line first.

“I went into it differently than I normally do,” he said. “I came off a pretty serious foot injury about a month and a half ago and I called it quits. I was not going to do it (marathon). About a week ago, I thought I will roll with it.”

Lydia McRae of Jacksonville, Florida, set the pace for the women with a time of 2:47:34.

Jarrett Leblanc of Jennings set a Louisiana Marathon record in the half-marathon with a time of 1:05:04.

“I had my eye on this race for a little while,” he said. “I normally run the Houston Half Marathon, but I was glad I was able to stay here at home and run. I actually wanted to go a little faster today, but I did not have it. I am glad to have my name on paper for the record.”

Leblanc, 30, is a doctor and has spent the last year helping fight COVID-19 in southwest Louisiana.

“I took about six months off of running,” he said. “I worked full time and overtime in the hospitals in Jennings and Lafayette during the pandemic. Working 55-60 hours a week, it is tough to train.”

The women’s half-marathon was won by Kristin Wenstrom of Covington with a time of 1:25:16.

“I felt really good today; the weather was perfect,” she said. “I was smiling through the whole thing. I had a lot of fun today.”

The event, which usually takes place in January but was postponed because of coronavirus concerns, finished smoothly after precautions were set up to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Louisiana Marathon still running this weekend with safety protocols

Like most things this past COVID-riddled year, the Louisiana Marathon will look a lot different when it kicks off this weekend.

Luckily for runners, the race is still on, with events beginning Saturday morning leading into Sunday’s full marathon. But unlike years past, there won’t be streets lined with supporters or spectators handing out waters at the aid stations.

Safety protocols have given the 2021 edition a much different look. Runners will be grouped into separate “start corrals,” where cones will be placed 6 feet apart to encourage participants to maintain social distancing. The first corral of runners starts at 8 a.m. for Saturday’s quarter marathon and 5K, and 7 a.m. for the full and half marathons, with the following groups moving to the starting line in order.

Masks are not required while running the race, but runners are required to wear a mask before starting and after crossing the finish line. Runners are also encouraged to bring their own personal hydration in order to reduce potential contact. Cups of water will still be available at the various aid stations throughout the course, but will not be handed out to runners.

Awards will be based on chip timing, and the results will be posted online after the race. Winners can still claim their hardware from the award’s table, but will be required to verify the results on their phone.

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Louisiana Marathon, which has grown substantially since its inception, having featured participants from all 50 states as well as more than 32 countries. The course takes runners on a scenic route through downtown Baton Rouge, the University Lakes, LSU’s campus and several historic neighborhoods along the way.

2021 Louisiana Marathon moves event to March

The Louisiana Marathon announced Tuesday, Dec. 22 that the annual event is moving from January to March.

According to the organization’s website, the dates are now set for March 6 and 7.

“If you are currently registered, please check your email for important instructions and options you have.

“We certainly did not want to make an event change such as this, but we are energized and optimistic about what this change means for our runners, our communities and the event itself. Thank you in advance for supporting us. Like so many, we are trying to navigate these times as best we can with what we have,” states the website.

Thousands of people participate in the marathon annually. The event features a 5k, 10k, the half marathon, and the full marathon. In past years, the event has included live music, food, and additional vendors.

The Louisiana Marathon is a USAT&F Certified course and an official Boston Qualifier route. It’s a popular race because of the “fast, flat, runner-friendly path through the lakes, along the river, and around downtown, on the university campus and in historic neighborhoods.”

Louisiana Marathon readies to welcome thousands of runners

Now in its ninth year, The Louisiana Marathon is expecting to draw close to 8,000 runners & walkers to Baton Rouge. Projections for the 2020 event include runners from nearly all 50 states and as many as 10 countries.

Starting on January 17th the expo opens at the Raising Canes River Center then continues through the weekend with two-days of running, walking, and celebrating healthy living at the Finish Festival near the State Capitol.

“It’s become the premier event,” says Pat Fellows, who helps organize the annual marathon. “People know what they’re getting—a great course and a great post-race party.” Previous studies indicate that the Louisiana Marathon weekend generates between $2 million and $4 million in economic impact each year. “We’ve sold out every downtown hotel every year,” Fellows says.

The event includes distances for every age & ability. Saturday, Jan. 18th starts with the Ochsner 5K (3.1 miles) & Ochsner Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles) and is followed by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Kids Marathon (1 miles).

Sunday features the half marathon (13.1 miles) and the full marathon (26.2 miles). This year the event has joined the second edition of the Abbott WMM Wanda Age Group World Championships in 2021 as a qualifying race.

Launching in Sept. 2018, the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Rankings aims to raise awareness of the sport of marathon running by highlighting the achievements of age-group marathon runners, that otherwise might go unnoticed.

The weekend also hosts the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Corporate Wellness Challenge creating a culture of health and wellness in the workplace. Categories include the Top 3 teams from companies of 1-99 employees, 100-999, and 1000+.

The 9thannual Louisiana Marathon will take place on Jan. 17th – 19th, 2020 in downtown Baton Rouge.

The Louisiana Marathon is expected to attract 8,000 runners over the Jan. 17-19 weekend

The projection for the 2020 event—which begins Jan. 17 with an expo at the Raising Cane’s River Center and continues Jan. 18-19 with a series of races downtown—is a significant jump from the early days of the Louisiana Marathon. It’s already a 183% increase from the inaugural event, which took place in 2012 and drew in 2,830 runners.

“It’s become the premier event,” says Pat Fellows, who helps organize the annual marathon. “People know what they’re getting—a great course and a great post-race party.”

Based on registrations to date and past statistics, runners will likely come to downtown Baton Rouge from nearly all 50 states and from as many as 10 countries. They’ll also bring with them an average of 1.75 additional people, swelling the potential economic impact even further.

Fellows declines to comment on anticipated revenues the weekend will generate. However, previous studies have shown the Louisiana Marathon generates between $2 million and $4 million in economic impact each year, spread among hotels, restaurants and other local attractions.

“We’ve sold out every downtown hotel every year,” Fellows says.

Some runners will arrive as early as the Wednesday before, while the majority will pour in that Thursday. 

Over the past couple of years, the event has steadily gained more runners after a downturn in attendance that took place at the 2017 marathon, when organizers’ marketing push was interrupted by the 2016 Baton Rouge floods. At its 2016 peak, the event attracted nearly 9,000 participants. 

In the meantime, marathon organizers are continuing a major marketing push that’s evolved over the years to include mostly social media promotions. Currently, they’re focused on getting the word out about the Saturday races, encouraging more people to register themselves and their children for the quarter-marathon, 5K and kids marathon, in particular. Meanwhile, the more publicized full- and half-marathons will take place Sunday.

Weather in Louisiana can be unpredictable, but the Louisiana Marathon has avoided any major issues from Mother Nature since its inception in 2012

Even with warm conditions in 2017 and near-freezing temperatures in 2018, the weather has been about as good as can be expected for Baton Rouge runners.

The 2019 Louisiana Marathon might be different, however, as the city is expecting a roller coaster of a weekend.

“We’ve had great weather for the most part for seven years,” Louisiana Marathon race director Jonathan Dziuba said. “Two years ago, it was really warm and runners don’t necessarily like that. We have emergency and contingency plans in place for warm weather as well as for cold weather, as well as dangerous tornadoes, high winds and lightning and things like that.”

Regardless of the weather, Dziuba and the race production team made sure they could accommodate the injuries that might arise from extra cold or warm weather. That won’t change this weekend.

The high of 66 and low of 35 is forecast for Saturday’s Louisiana 5K and quarter-marathon (that's the good part). Consistent rain and thunderstorms are expected during those morning runs, WBRZ chief meteorologist Josh Eachus forecasted.

The weather is set to be clear and sunny Sunday for the half and full marathons, but temperatures will drop between 35 to 40 at race time.

Dziuba said he's confident the race will run smoothly regardless of the weather.

“I keep hearing (about) this terrible weather, but the weather actually looks fantastic,” Dziuba said. “Other than this rain Saturday, after the races are over, I’m not sure what everybody’s talking about. It looks really good and we work very closely with the National Weather Center. We have direct lines to meteorologists and weather agencies in 15-minute increments (during the races).”

The race production crew takes extra precautions to accommodate the various weather outcomes.

Runner safety is paramount to the Louisiana Marathon team, said race communications director Erin Rosetti, and a color-coded event alert system keeps marathon participants aware of the ever-changing weather conditions.

2018 Boston Marathon Winner Desiree Linden will run the Louisiana Half Marathon in January

The first American female to win the Boston Marathon in 30 years, Desiree Linden, will compete in The Louisiana Half Marathon on Sunday, January 20, 2019.

She will use the race as a tune-up as she prepares for the 2019 Boston Marathon, taking place on Monday, April 15, 2019. Runners and spectators can meet Linden during the Shipt Louisiana Marathon Expo on Friday, January 18, and during a Q&A session with Linden on Sunday, January 20, at The Louisiana Marathon Finish Fest.

The full marathon boasted the highest percentage of Boston Qualifiers for January races last year.  There are four distances including the half marathon. 

“We are thrilled to have Des Linden join us for the 2019 race weekend. As she prepares to defend her Boston title by running The Louisiana Half Marathon, she will experience our fast and flat course, winding through downtown Baton Rouge, historic neighborhoods and LSU’s campus,” said The Louisiana Marathon Strategic Partnerships Director Craig Sweeney.

The three-day running festival, culminating with the nationally-recognized Finish Fest, is a culturally rich event that celebrates both running and the unique culture that defines Louisiana.