Important Information About Half Marathon Course Changes
Due to the imminent threat of collapse of a large stone retaining wall, a portion of the St. Luke’s Half Marathon course between miles 6 and 7 has been closed by the City of Allentown. Engineers have determined the wall could fall over at any time, endangering anyone below it. The City closed the area late last week. We were notified today that the section of the course will definitely not be open by race day. We have rerouted the course around the closed section. It will still measure 13.1 miles, but it will not be certified due to the lack of time until race day. For those of you familiar with the course, miles 1, 2, 3 and 4 will remain unchanged. The turnaround on Martin Luther King Blvd. was moved about 1/4 mile west. Instead of entering Lehigh Parkway on the trail, runners will run on Lehigh Parkway…
A Second Chance To Enter Our Race
If you missed your chance to get into our race this is your second chance. We will be opening up 100 special entries for the St. Luke’s Half Marathon to raise money for the Mobile Youth Health Centers (MYHC) program, a division of St. Luke’s Community Health. The mobile units provide free medical and dental care to local middle-school and high-school students who might otherwise not receive treatment. Through visits made by St. Luke’s HealthStar vans during school hours, thousands of students who do not have a family doctor or insurance are able to receive care that is vital to their health and well-being. In addition to dental exams and sick-visits, the program features counseling on a variety of topics including nutrition, smoking cessation and dating violence. St. Luke’s MYHC is offered to eligible students at select city schools in Allentown and Bethlehem. Each entry will cost $100. All of the money will be donated…
Women’s running pioneer Kathrine Switzer to keynote 2012 St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5k weekend
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Author, broadcaster and accomplished runner Kathrine Switzer will be the speaker at the St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5k Pasta Dinner, April 28, 2012, and will be on hand throughout the weekend to share her inspirational stories as a pioneer in women’s running. Switzer is most famously known as the first woman to run the Boston marathon with an official race number, entering the race as “K.V. Switzer” in 1967 at a time when many believed women were incapable of running the 26.2 miles. Her ruse was discovered by a race official who attempted to physically remove her from the race. Motivated by the incident, she went on to run 35 marathons, won the 1974 New York City Marathon, and ran her personal best of 2:51.33 by finishing 2nd in the 1975 Boston Marathon. At the time, it was the 6th best women’s marathon time in the…
Minimum age limitations on St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5k
Runners, For the 2012 St. Luke’s Half Marathon and St. Luke’s 5k, we have decided to institute minimum ages for each race. The minimum age for the half marathon is 13; the minimum age for the 5k is 10. Youth runners need to be those respective ages on race day to be eligible to register and compete. Instituting minimum ages was a strong recommendation of our insurance carrier, which we arrange through the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). The minimum ages were established from discussions with medical professionals and youth coaches with the intent to (1) keep young runners safe and healthy and (2) provide them with a positive experience that will encourage them to continue running. We understand that some young runners are able to satisfactorily complete the 13.1 and 3.1 mile courses. Many have in the past years. Nonetheless, we are inclined to follow the recommendations of…
Registration opens for 2012 St. Luke’s Half Marathon
Registration for the 2012 St. Luke’s Half Marathon and 5K races, Sunday, April 29, 2012, is now available online at stlukeshalfmarathon.com. Registration opened October 1, 2011.
Registration is also available for the free 1.5-mile St. Luke’s Family Fun Walk on April 29 as well as the St. Luke’s Youth run for ages 3-14 on April 28.
Post-Race News Release
Jobes wins 3rd title, Scranton-area man breaks tape at 2010 St. Luke’s Lehigh Valley Half Marathon. Record number of finishers highlights race’s 25th running; Physical Therapy at St. Luke’s 5k race draws 451 participants