The Dallas Marathon today released the much anticipated course maps for the December marathon and half marathon.
The full marathon will cross the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge before heading east.
“The West Dallas loop has the entire neighborhood rallying together with enthusiasm to be included in our race for the first time,” Lear Johnson, race director of the Dallas Marathon says. “They are planning unique entertainment representative of the area, such as a Tejano band and a local church gospel choir to cheer on the 25,000 runners.”
The full marathon will still wind around the north side of White Rock Lake and will still feature the famous Dolly Parton hills of Lakewood in its final portion. The half marathon will begin and end with the marathon downtown, but will circle the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, the event’s beneficiary, and not reach White Rock Lake.
The marathon faced some criticism for changing the name last week from White Rock Marathon to Dallas Marathon, but organizers say they are doing the best thing for the event, for the city and for the race beneficiary.
To date, the marathon has contributed more than $2.8 million to the hospital, they note.
“We are looking forward to what will be our biggest and best event yet,” Kevin Snyder, chairman of the Dallas Marathon board of trustees says. “As one of the largest sporting events in Dallas each year, we recognize an opportunity to showcase all this city has to offer to both visitors and locals, runners and spectators alike.”
Registration for the race begins today at dallasmarathon.com. Registration is capped at 6,000 marathon participants, 13,000 half-marathon participants and 6,000 relay participants. Event fees for the marathon, half marathon and five-person relays are $100, $85 and $250, respectively. Fees will increase on August 1. The marathon is December 9.
