Richmond Marathon moving to measured course in Henrico

Another famed Richmond running event is moving to Henrico County, at least temporarily.

The 2020 Richmond Marathon, originally scheduled for Nov. 14, won’t be held as a traditional single-day event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead will offer runners the chance to race on the new official course starting and finishing at Dorey Park in Varina during a two-week window, Nov. 7-22.

A virtual option remains in place for participants to take part on a route of their choosing as well. Registration is available at www.richmondmarathon.org.

The announcement came from event organizers Sports Backers just two days after the organization announced that the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k also would shift to four separate courses, including Dorey and Deep Run parks in Henrico, during a three-day window in September.

The official marathon course also will feature distances for the Richmond Half Marathon and Allianz Partners 8k, which were set to take place in conjunction with the marathon Nov. 14. The official measured and marked courses will include a shared start and finish line in Dorey Park before continuing along the Virginia Capital Trail, a paved, 10-12-foot wide dedicated multi-use path providing participants a scenic and protected route. The courses will feature mile markers, bottle refill stations, and restroom facilities; the exact routes can be found at https://www.richmondmarathon.org/race-weekend/course-information/.

“We look forward to the Richmond Marathon every year and we are happy to be able to provide a way for participants to step up to a start line, take on the challenge of a marathon, half marathon, or 8k, and feel the joy and excitement of crossing the finish line,” said Megan Schultz, chief operating officer for Sports Backers and race director for the Richmond Marathon. “We know many participants are already training and many more are looking for opportunities to take part in an event this fall and we think this is an innovative way to meet that demand.”

Sports Backers convened a medical task force to advise on best practices for safe and responsible event management. The group, composed of sports medicine, emergency medicine, emergency management, and public health professionals from organizations around the Richmond region, provided input and advice on the marathon course plan and will continue to serve as a resource moving forward.

The race courses will be open from 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day from Nov. 7 to Nov. 22. The event will use the RaceJoy app to track participant times and compile a race leaderboard, allow friends and family to send messages to runners, and guide participants along the courses. Each of the three distances will have a registration capacity of 3,000 participants.

Registered participants who opt to run the race course in Dorey Park, or take part virtually on a course of their own choosing, do not need to make any changes to their registration.

Those who are registered but unable to take part on the course or virtually can opt either to receive a credit to another Sports Backers event to be used between now and Nov. 1, 2021; defer to the 2021 or 2022 marathon, half marathon, or 8k for free; or donate their race entry fees to Sports Backers to support the organization.

The deadline to decide is Oct. 31.

Registration for all three race distances remains open, with a rate of $85 for the Richmond Marathon, $75 for the Richmond Half Marathon, and $30 for the Allianz Partners 8k. Everyone who participates in any way in September will also receive a $10 credit towards the 2021 Richmond Marathon.

“The Richmond Marathon is a great celebration of our mission to motivate residents and visitors to live a healthy and active lifestyle on a daily basis,” said Jon Lugbill, executive director of Sports Backers. “Every year we are inspired by the determination and dedication of participants to achieve a running milestone in the marathon, half marathon, or 8k, and we are excited to offer participants that opportunity in a new way this year.”