St Joseph Sports Commission hosts press conference for St Joseph Marathon

ST JOSEPH, Mo (News-Press NOW) -- With the St. Joseph Marathon scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, the St Joseph Sports Commission (SJCC) hosted a press conference to further explain the details of the St Joseph marathon.

The third annual St Joseph Marathon in addition to the full 26.2 mile marathon, the event also features a half-marathon (13.1 mi), 10k race (6.2 mi), 5k race (3.1 mi), and a five-person relay that incorporates the full marathon route.

The route is considered an "out and back route" meaning the runners will run 13.1 miles, then turn around to run the same route back to the finish line.

The full marathon, half marathon and relay portion of the event begin at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday Sept. 17 while the 5K and 10K portions begin at 7:30 a.m.

The St Joseph Sports Commission director Brett Esely says the marathon has runners from 18 different states, including a runner from Alaska.

With this only being the third annual St Joseph Marathon, Esely says that the runners give the best feedback on how to improve the marathon as a whole.

"We've learned that runners are brutally honest," Esely said. "If the experience is good, word travels quickly in which we have laid a very positive foundation for sustained success of this event."

In a press release that was put out on Wednesday, the estimated economic impact for the event is upwards of $200,000.

Civic Center Park behind City Hall will serve as the headquarters for the event hosting pre and post race activities. Including live music, food and drinks and the Post Race Chill Out presented by Hy-Vee.

Esely says that he is grateful for everyone who is helping make the event a reality.

"There are many moving parts with an event like this," Esely said. "We are extremely grateful for the many entities that have bought in to making this event a success."

For more information on the St Joseph Marathon, you can visit stjomosports.com/marathon.