8th Annual Heartland Half Marathon Registration is Now Open

From Local Sources 

JASPER -- The eighth annual Heartland Half Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, September 21. The event will once again include a half marathon, 5K, and team challenge. Cash prizes will be given to the top three male and female half marathon finishers. First place will receive $500, second place $250, and third place $100.

The races will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET in the shadow of the Jasper Train Depot along the Patoka River and will finish in the shade at Dave Buehler Plaza, just a stone’s throw away from the starting line. The hilly, scenic course takes runners through commercial and residential areas with challenging peaks midway through the route. Please be sure to prepare yourself for this challenging portion of the course. After the midway point, the course largely flattens out through to the finish.

The 5K starts and ends in the same location as the half marathon, but splits to take a different course very close to the start of the race. The team challenge is a relay comprised of a four-person team, and follows the same course as the half marathon. The first team member will travel 3.8 miles, then pass along his/her timing chip to the second member. The second member will travel 4.05 miles, the third member 2.5 miles, and the final member 2.75 miles.

The registration fee for the half marathon is $50 if registered before June 24. The fee will increase to $60 on June 24 and to $70 on August 16. The registration fee for the 5K is $20 if registered before June 24. The fee will increase to $25 on June 25. The registration fee for the team challenge is $20 per person/$80 per team if registered before June 24. The fee will increase to $25 per person/$100 per team on June 25. Pre-registrants will receive a shirt, and the first 500 half marathon registrants will receive a special gift.

Join our free 14-week training group starting on Sunday, June 23, made possible by Downtown Fitness & Running. All paces and faces are welcome! Training schedules will be made available for all Heartland race participants, whether they are running the half marathon, 5K, or team challenge. Mileage can be adjusted based on what individuals want to train for. The training group will meet on Sundays at 7:00 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. at Downtown Fitness & Running, located at 331 Mill Street in Jasper.

The Heartland Half Marathon, 5K, and Team Challenge are being coordinated by DC Multisport, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting health and wellness while giving back to local communities. Lodging information is being coordinated by the Dubois County Visitors Center, and race-day event volunteers are being coordinated by Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, the event’s corporate sponsor. The majority of the proceeds from this year’s race will be given to the Phillip R. Dawkins Heart & Vascular Center at Memorial Hospital to be utilized for new integrative medicine services provided to cardiac patients. Ten percent of the proceeds will go toward the DC Multisport Endowment to ensure future stability of the organization and to continue in its efforts to give toward worthy causes.

To register for the Heartland Half Marathon, 5K, or Team Challenge, visit www.heartlandhalfmarathon.com or www.runsignup.com. For more information, or to become a volunteer, please call Memorial Hospital’s Marketing Department at (812) 996-2338.