Those hoping to run the 92nd Mount Marathon Race in Seward, which will take them from 4th Avenue up about 3,022 feet to the mountain’s race point, have until Sunday night to register for the race and race lottery.
Registration for the race closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, and no late registration is allowed.
Each year, the first 225 eligible finishers from the previous year’s race gain priority racer status and are invited to register again. Previous first place winners, those with 10-year racer status and junior-to-adult racers who age into the adult race are also invited to register as priority racers.
As of Thursday, 291 men and 254 women had registered under priority racer status. There are 350 bibs available for each race. Nearly 200 juniors have registered for the 300 race spots. The remaining spots in each race will be filled through the lottery selection.
Registration for the lottery, which also closes Sunday night, has reached just over 1,000 applicants but that shouldn’t discourage anyone from applying, according to the Seward Chamber of Commerce’s Communications Director Jen Leahy.
“New runners get entry to the race every year,” Leahy said. “If you’re remotely interested, put your hat in the ring.”
The lottery system is weighted, giving those who have entered to run the race previous years have more of a chance to win a bib.
“An overwhelming majority of runners are getting in (to the race in) three to four years,” Leahy said. “And the lottery rewards consecutive entries, so it is particularly important to keep applying.”
The fee structure for this year’s race changed, lowering lottery application fees from $35 to $20 and increasing race registration fees from $65 to $85.
“These changes do not significantly change our revenue,” according to the chamber’s website. “We’re simply shifting more of the expenses to runners who are getting to enjoy the race experience, as opposed to unsuccessful lottery applicants. We have kept the cost of the junior race the same to encourage entire families to continue participating.”
