Racers to arrive from across the country
CARIBOU, Maine — On Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016 Caribou will host its first ever Boston Marathon qualifying race. With over 400 runners registered for the event, and some coming from as far as California, Texas, Florida, and Ontario, the race is likely to draw a sizable crowd.
Caribou will also host a festival similar to Thursdays on Sweden, which will last from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on the day of the race. The event will be free to the public and includes over 80 vendors along with performances from Common Crossing and Turning Point.
According to Lydia Kieffer, Caribou’s marketing and events coordinator, approximately 50 percent of the racers are coming from north of Bangor, 70 percent are from Maine, and the other 30 percent come from out of the state, or beyond New Brunswick.
“Caribou is the country’s most northeastern city,” said Kieffer, “and people like to run in all four corners of the United States, and now they can go to the northeastern corner.”
Coordinating Caribou’s inaugural marathon event requires a significant amount of work and planning, and each of the city’s departments, from fire and police to recreation and public works, have assisted in making this event a reality.
Gary Marquis, superintendent of Caribou’s Parks and Recreation department, says he is confident the event will be a success and believes some of the runners have a strong chance at qualifying for the Boston marathon.
“This will likely be a signature event for the city,” Marquis said during a Sept. 12 City Council meeting. “It’s sure to be big, and luckily we have the course set up for the next 10 years, so this should be a great ongoing event.”
The town will close off some roads during the race, a small section Bennett Drive will close for most of the day while others will be rerouted. Police and volunteers will escort runners and direct traffic to ensure safety during the event.
“Safety is our biggest concern,” said Marquis. “Thankfully, we’re running a lot of rural roads, which is good.”
Both Marquis and Kieffer encourage people to enjoy the festivities, welcome racers into the city, and cheer them on throughout the event.
