Caribou’s newest event, the Caribou Marathon will celebrate its inaugural year with Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services signing up as its platinum sponsors. The Caribou Marathon, with a USATF Certified Course, meaning one is eligible to qualify for the Boston Marathon, will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2016
The event will be part of a “weekend extravaganza,” said Lydia Kieffer who is organizing the event for the city.
“We are so excited to host this event in Caribou,” said Kieffer, who is the marketing and events coordinator for the city. “We have many running enthusiasts here in Caribou and throughout the County. We expect to draw runners from across the state, New England and Canada. We are very grateful for the sponsorship of Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services, who have taken a leadership position for the event.”
A portion of the proceeds from the Caribou Marathon will benefit Camp Adventure, a summer camp for children ages 12-17 with type 1 Diabetes that is directed by Cary Medical Center.
Kris Doody, RN, and chief executive officer at Cary said that the marathon is in keeping with the hospital’s vision of creating a healthier community.
“This event is very much in tune with our vision as a hospital,” said Doody. “We believe that staying active, walking, running, biking, skiing, it all is part of a healthy lifestyle. We hope this wonderful event will inspire people of all ages to get out and get moving.”
A number of staff members at Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services are runners and many have participated in Marathons. Jim Davis, Chief Executive Officer at Pines Health Services said that partnering with the City of Caribou to host such a dynamic event has multiple benefits.
“We know that a number of our folks are running enthusiasts,” said Davis. “Traditionally they would have to go elsewhere to participate in a marathon and now they can join an event right here in Caribou. We will be inviting our staff members who are not running to volunteer and be part of the event. It will be a great opportunity for Pines to work together with the community representing our organization.”
The planning committee for the marathon considered a variety of options to donate proceeds from the event. Lydia Kieffer said that there was great support for Camp Adventure.
“We know that many children with Type 1 Diabetes from the County attend Camp Adventure,” said Kieffer. “Children also attend from throughout the State of Maine. We hope that by providing a portion of the proceeds from the marathon to the camp it will motivate runners from across the State of Maine and beyond to join our event.”
The Caribou Marathon will feature a number of events including a Pre-Marathon Expo, Half Marathon, Marathon relay, Half Marathon Relay and Caribou Kids Marathon. According to Kieffer, nearly 150 runners have already registered for the Caribou Marathon. Registration is open and can be done online at Caribouraces.com.
