First news release for 2008 event
Eisenhower Marathon

Runners from across the United States and several foreign countries will travel to Abilene April 5 for the sixth annual Eisenhower Marathon, with race profits benefitting numerous nonprofit organizations in Dickinson County.

“Members of the R.H. Viola host family are returning again to Abilene this year to help in organizing the event, and the Abilene area is gearing up for all the volunteer activities needed to run the day,” Viola Family Foundation board president Dustin DeWeese said. “Since the course is sanctioned and certified by USA Track and Field, it will once again be a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.”

In addition to the marathon and half-marathon races which begin at 7 a.m. and 5K/10K races, which begin at 7:30 a.m., the event includes a community walk, beginning at 9 a.m., and a children’s walk/jog which begins at 11 a.m. Runners in the major events receive event T-shirts and medals are given to the top three runners in each age category. Children receive colorful certificates and ribbons for their participation.

“Overall winners in marathon and half-marathon races earn trophies and cash prizes totaling $2650,” DeWeese said. “The male winner for 2006 and 2007, Gannon White, is returning from Colorado, and we have a teacher from Alaska who is going to challenge last year’s female winner, Melissa Lehman, for her first place, if Melissa decides to return this year.”

Runners will follow the same course as in previous years, winding through territory cattlemen followed when bringing herds to Abilene on the Chisholm Trail in the 1800s. The race begins on Buckeye, between the Eisenhower Center and St. Andrews Catholic Church, goes south on Highway 15, through Brown’s Memorial Park, south to Rural Center and west on 1400 Avenue for 2.2 miles to the turnaround point, then returning to Abilene on the same route.

Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Highway Patrol, Dickinson County Sheriff’s office, Abilene Police, Abilene City Commissioners, Dickinson County Commissioners and Central Kansas Amateur Radio Operators all join in meeting marathon needs as traffic is detoured from Highway 15 for a 6-hour period on marathon day.

In addition to several hundred volunteers assisting with the event, many nonprofit organizations will join in the activities. The Daughters of Isabella and Knights of Columbus will provide the Friday evening pasta dinner at Parish Hall, 311 S. Buckeye, where motivational speaker Howard Shore will share his experiences after a life-threatening accident, later returning to marathon running. In addition local Kiwanis Club members will provide the race-day pancake and sausage brunch Saturday morning from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for both meals.

In 2007, 15 nonprofits also joined in sharing marathon profits, most by coordinating and working different portions of the event. Leos coordinated the total security at intersections, Holland 4-H and various church youth helped with Kansas Department of Transportation sign pickup, and First Methodist Passion In Action committee members and Dickinson County Arts Council members both worked at the turnaround points for the marathon and half.

This year Kansas Kids In Crisis volunteers will hold positions at registration and help at Parish Hall informative tables, a Beta group will coordinate water/aid station training and supervision, breakfast Optimists will assist with sign placement on the marathon course, and volunteers from Children and Families Coalition will supervise the team of volunteers needed in Brown’s Park.

“This outsourcing of work areas needed to have the marathon run smoothly has been a tremendously effective addition to our marathon event,” DeWeese said. “Each group gains some financial revenue from the event in return for their assuming a leadership role, and their dedication to serving the runners has been admirable!”

Other nonprofits assisting during past years have included the Faith Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Newbern 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Masons, Lions, CHS FFA and AHS National Honor Society.

Ambassadors from the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce assist with welcoming runners and distributing information about area attractions. Likewise, members of the R.H. Viola family serve in leadership roles for numerous areas required to run the event.

“Information about our marathon is now listed on many thousands of websites,” DeWeese said. “Readers can spend hours reading about the event by simply typing Eisenhower Marathon into any search engine using the Internet. Readers will find articles from newspapers, running club newsletters and runner websites all over the country that mention the Eisenhower Marathon and Abilene.”

Interested individuals can access information about the event plus pictures of runners and volunteers at www.eisenhowermarathon.com, and those readers who would like to see comments from the runners about the Eisenhower Marathon can go to www.marathonguide.com and read runner comments.

“Runners often praise local businesses and volunteers for the tremendous welcome they receive when coming to Abilene,” DeWeese said. “They mention businesses by name and highly compliment those volunteers out on the course for the assistance provided during the race.”

Corporate sponsors for the Eisenhower Marathon include Brierton Engineering, KABI/KSAL radio, Duckwall-ALCO Stores Inc., Pinnacle Bank, West’s Plaza Country Mart, DS&O Electric Cooperative, Central National Bank, Land Pride (a division of Great Plains Manufacturing), Warren Wilson Hay, Inc, Wilson Transport, Inc, La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, T-Works (Chapman High School) and the Viola Family, with many local businesses sponsoring other event needs. All donors will be recognized in a race-day pamphlet and in a display newspaper ad concerning the event at a later date. Corporate sponsors are listed on the backs of runner T-shirts, on signs at the finish line and on the marathon website, as well as the race-day pamphlet and press/broadcast releases.

“We tremendously appreciate the sponsors and volunteers who help us with this important event for Dickinson County,” DeWeese said. “Nearly S100,000 is generated annually for Abilene-area businesses and nonprofits, and we’re delighted for all the assistance given! We hope everyone will come out marathon day and help us cheer the runners.”