Keene braces for 48th Clarence DeMar Marathon as runners fill hotels and roads

Drivers should expect some closures Sunday morning, including sections of Route 12A and several downtown streets.

Keene is preparing for one of its busiest race weekends of the year as hundreds of runners arrive for Sunday’s 48th Clarence DeMar Marathon. Hotels and inns have reached capacity, brunch spots have been booked solid and mile markers have already started going up along streets and trails throughout the city.

The event has long drawn runners looking for a scenic New Hampshire course, especially those trying to complete a marathon in all 50 states. It also serves as a qualifying race for next spring’s Boston Marathon.

The marathon honors Clarence DeMar, a former Keene resident who overcame early medical warnings about running to become a seven-time Boston Marathon winner and an Olympic medalist. He remains the most successful Boston Marathon runner in history.

Runners will take part in the full 26.2-mile race, the 13.1-mile half marathon, and youth and Super Seniors events. The children’s races are open to students in kindergarten through 5th grade, while the Super Seniors category is for athletes age 70 and older. Everyone in those groups had to complete 25 miles of running or walking before race day, and their final 1.2 miles will finish on Appian Way.

Saturday’s annual pasta dinner will feature Jack Fultz as keynote speaker at 5 p.m. at Monadnock Covenant Church in Keene. Fultz, who won the 1976 Boston Marathon, competed at Georgetown University, served in the U.S. Coast Guard and later became known for coaching, mentoring and teaching sports psychology.

Packet pickup begins Friday at Ted’s Shoe and Sport on Main Street in Keene from 4 to 7 p.m. Additional pickup will be available Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at Spaulding Gym at Keene State College, and again Sunday morning from 5:15 to 5:45 a.m. at the college. Half marathon runners may check in at the college between 5:45 and 7 a.m. Sunday.

The Clarence DeMar Shakeout Run, which includes coffee and bagels, is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Saturday and will begin at Ted’s.

On race morning, buses for full marathon runners will operate from 5:15 to 5:45 a.m., taking participants from the Spaulding Gym lot to Gilsum Elementary School, where parking is also available. The marathon begins at 7 a.m. in the center of Gilsum village.

Half marathon runners will ride buses to Surry Mountain Beach from 6:30 to 7 a.m., or can be dropped off by family or friends, but they must arrive by 7:20 a.m. The half marathon starts in Surry at 8 a.m. and joins the marathon route near Surry Mountain Dam. The Super Seniors and kids races begin at 8 a.m. on Optical Avenue in Keene.

Drivers should expect some closures Sunday morning, including sections of Route 12A and several downtown streets.

Race sponsors include Cheshire Medical Center, the City of Keene, the Hoffman Family Foundation, members of the Elm City Rotary Club, New England Chevy Dealers and Savings Bank of Walpole. Local businesses also provide support by staffing water stops along the course.