On Sept. 18, Caribou is going to host the first Caribou Marathon. Have you signed up yet? There are some options for race day, that will be here in a few short months. There will be a relay which could consist of up to eight people, a half marathon relay option, a half marathon (a great distance and should prove to be a great run) and the full marathon, which will be a 26.2-mile adventure through the great city of Caribou.
The marathon distance is a Boston Marathon qualifying run. What does that mean? If you are able to run a qualifying time based on your age group, then you would qualify for the historic Boston marathon. (For age group times, check out the website www.baa.org) There is also a kids’ race which will promote youth running and allow our future to experience this great event. And of course volunteers are needed to make this great weekend a success.
This marathon can have a great impact on the city of Caribou with the people that will come to run, spectate and enjoy the active lifestyle that comes with the marathon event. There is already a large group which has signed up who will train for the event and improve their health and well-being by improving or changing their lifestyle. People will come to the area to scope out the race course to be better prepared for race day in September, which will be good for the local economy. It’s an opportunity for people throughout New England, New Brunswick and beyond to visit Caribou and Aroostook County and allow the area to shine for race weekend, where if people have fun they will be back to run again.
There are a lot of different strategies out there to improve one’s fitness, to lose weight and to improve one’s wellness. One strategy to get the benefit of all of these is to sign up for a race like the half marathon as a starter or go big with the marathon. Having a goal to finish is a perfect place to start. Get out and start running even just a few days a week with some walking mixed in. Slowly increase the time and distance, improve your nutrition so you will have the energy you need to move and as a result your fitness will improve, weight loss will come and your overall health and wellness will be improved.
Have a friend join you in this adventure and you’ll hold each other accountable for reaching your goal. Already run a few marathons? That’s even better as this will be a true local marathon during harvest time in Aroostook County. What better experience could there be?
If you are on the fence about running, think hard about it. It’s a true benefit of one’s health and it can change one’s lifestyle for the long term. Sign up before Feb. 1 when the prices increase. To find out more, check out the race website at www.caribouraces.com. Think about your plans for Sept. 18 and make sure you are around during that weekend to see Caribou shine.
Whether you run, volunteer or cheer, we’ll see you on race day!
Evan Graves resides in Caribou and is a veteran marathon runner, a physical education and health teacher for RSU 39 and the boys’ cross country running coach at Presque Isle High School.
