Clarence DeMar Marathon Set to Begin Sunday Amid Final Race-Day Checks

The field includes runners from 39 states and five countries.

Organizers say the 48th Clarence DeMar Marathon is ready to go Sunday, Sept. 27, with final preparations focused on safety, staffing and getting runners to the correct starting lines.

Race Director Alan Stroshine outlined the latest race-day planning during an appearance on Good Morning with Dan Mitchell, saying the event remains scheduled even with unsettled weather in the forecast. He said officials are watching conditions closely but do not expect light rain to create major problems.

The weekend begins Friday with runner check-in and bib pickup from 4 to 7 p.m. at Ted’s Shoe & Sport, 115 Main St. On Saturday, a Clarence DeMar shakeout run is planned for 7:30 a.m. at Ted’s, followed by full and half marathon check-in and bib pickup from noon to 5 p.m. at Spaulding Gymnasium at Keene State College. The pasta dinner will start at 5 p.m. Saturday at Monadnock Covenant Church, 90 Base Hill Road, with opening remarks and a program before dinner at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s keynote speaker is Jack Fultz, winner of the 1976 Boston Marathon. He became known for his victory in the brutal heat that year and has since built a long career as a coach and mentor in the sport.

Sunday morning begins early for runners. Full marathon participants are expected at Spaulding Gymnasium between 5:15 and 5:45 a.m. for bib and packet pickup, with buses departing for the Gilsum start between 5:15 and 5:45 a.m. That race begins at 7 a.m. Half marathon runners may pick up their packets from 5:45 to 7 a.m., and buses to Surry Mountain Beach will run from 6:30 to 7 a.m. The half marathon starts at 8 a.m. Runners being dropped off at the Surry Mountain Beach start must arrive by 7:20 a.m.

Stroshine said volunteer assignments are complete. Keene State College student-athletes will serve mainly as course marshals, while another group will staff a water station. Volunteers have already been given instructions on arrival times, course procedures and how to respond if a runner appears to need help. Their role is to alert race officials and direct runners toward assistance, not provide medical treatment.

Medical coverage will include personnel from Cheshire Medical Center, with doctors, physician assistants, APRNs, athletic trainers and physical therapists stationed along the route and in the finish-area medical tent. Keene State College, the City of Keene and Cheshire Medical Center are major event partners.

Stroshine also encouraged runners to treat the final days before the race as recovery time rather than training time. He advised athletes to rest, taper after their last long run and eat familiar carbohydrate-heavy foods to restore energy. He said runners should take any unusual pain seriously, especially if swelling is present, and should not ignore symptoms before the race. After finishing, he said participants should replace fluids and electrolytes gradually and remain alert for signs of heat illness or exercise-associated hyponatremia.

Race-day operations will rely on timing chips attached to bibs, with timing mats placed throughout the course. Runners who decide not to start or who stop early are asked to let race officials know so their records can be updated correctly.

Traffic impacts will affect parts of Keene on Sunday morning. Optical Avenue is expected to close from about 7 to 8:30 a.m., Baker Street will be closed for the entire day, and a section of Route 12A will have alternating traffic from about 8 to 8:45 a.m. Because some runners may remain on the course until around 2 p.m., drivers are being told to use caution near race routes for much of the morning.

The field includes runners from 39 states and five countries. Organizers are also offering a Facebook Live stream for spectators who want to watch the finish.

The first return bus for half marathon runners will leave Keene State at noon, with the last bus departing at 1 p.m. The gate at Surry Mountain Beach will close and be locked at 2 p.m.