Runners who register for the 2010 Brooksie Way Half Marathon and 5k by May 1 can save themselves as much as $40 off their entry fees for the third running of Oakland County's premier road race.
The early bird special is offered for those runners who register online by May 1 for this year's Brooksie Way, which is set for Oct. 3 in Rochester Hills. Online registration can be done at
www.thebrooksieway.com.
"Each year the race has gotten better and we expect this year's version to be the best we've ever had," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "The course is beautiful and challenging and in only its third year has become one of the most popular half marathons in the Midwest. We had runners from age 6 to 82, kids in strollers and families competing together. It really is a special event."
The Brooksie Way is named in honor of Brooks Stuart Patterson, a young father and son of the county executive, who died in 2007.
New this year is an expanded post -race festival and a new -look Brooksie half marathon shirt. All entrants who finish the half marathon receive a medal designed specially for the 2010 race.
The Brooksie Way also offers a 15 -week training program to prepare runners and walkers of all fitness levels to participate in either the half marathon or the 5k race. The program, which is modeled after the Crim Fitness Foundation Training Program, begins June 30 and includes a technical racing shirt and entry into the Brooksie Way, the Crim Festival of Races and a third local race. A downloadable training program application can be found on the Brooksie Way website.
The 13.1 -mile half marathon course begins at Oakland University and winds through Rochester Hills and Rochester, parts of the Clinton River Trail and Paint Creek Trail before finishing at Meadow Brook Hall. There is a 5k race and a One Mile Fun Run on the grounds of Oakland University. You may walk or run any of the events.
Former Olympians Bill Rodgers and Brian Sell, and Greg Meyer, a Michigan resident and the last American male to win the Boston Marathon, are among the elite runners expected to be on hand for the race. Sell, of Rochester Hills, won the 2009 race. The list of elite runners will be announced in May.
Other activities include:
- A corporate team challenge featuring chief executive officers who have pledged $1,000 to run in either the half marathon or the 5k. There is also a team challenge for five -person teams who compete against other teams for special awards
- The Detroit Pistons One Mile Family Fun Run. The race is not timed but participants will receive a T -shirt.
- A free Family Activity Zone adjacent to Meadow Brook Hall that features a rock climbing wall and inflatable bounce houses. Food will also be available for purchase.
The Brooksie Way is presented by Oakland County and the Crim Fitness Foundation and is sponsored by HealthPlus. Proceeds from the race support programs that promote healthy active lifestyles through the Brooksie Way Minigrant program.
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