The Marathon Project came to be in 2020 to help American marathoners and others run a fast time almost one year into the pandemic. As some fans know, running brands pay their athletes based on performances, with time bonuses. With so many marathons canceled in 2020, The Marathon Project gave many athletes a chance to fulfill their contracts and see what the long-distance runner’s loneliness was doing for elite athletes.
Ben Rosario, founder of NAZ Elite and one of the kings of running social media, has left the club and is now focused on The Marathon Project. If you are a serious marathoner, I suggest you consider this fantastic event, knowing that Ben and his team will make this a wonderful weekend celebrating our sport!
THE MARATHON PROJECT IS BACK
The professional-only race held during the Pandemic in December 2020 will return in 2025 as an annual event for amateurs and pros.
CHANDLER, Ariz., December 18, 2024 – The Marathon Project ownership group announced today that the race will return in 2025 as an annual event for amateurs and professionals. The event will take place at Wild Horse Pass Resort in Chandler, Ariz., on the same criterium-style course that The Marathon Project 2020 was held. The 2020 race saw Sara Hall run the then second-fastest American women’s marathon of all time (2 hours, 20 minutes, 32 seconds) and lead 12 athletes under 2:30:00. On the men’s side, seven U.S. runners broke the 2:10:00 barrier led by Marty Hehir’s 2:08:59.
The Marathon Project 2025 will include an entire weekend of events, including The Gold Wave Marathon on Saturday, December 20—a premier amateur marathon open to the top 500 men and top 500 women who enter. All Gold Wave participants will be treated like pros with amenities that include pace groups, an indoor warmup area and bathrooms, bag drop-off at the start, and two giant fluid stations on each 4.26-mile loop.
The TMP 5K, open to runners of all ages and abilities, will immediately precede the Gold Wave. A post-race party with music, beer, and food, as well as the TMP Awards Ceremony, will follow both races.
The culminating event of the weekend will be the Professional Race on Sunday, December 21. With 100 men and 100 women, race organizers hope to produce the most profound, fastest marathon in the United States. The aim will be to entice top Americans and athletes from across the globe to come to Chandler to try and set personal bests on the same flat course that produced such fast times in 2020.
2020 men’s champion Marty Hehir said that the race provided all the support of a major marathon.
“I’ll never forget crossing that finish line and joining some of the fastest Americans in history,” Hehir said.
Sara Hall, whose personal best remains her 2:20:32 set at The Marathon Project 2020, said chasing the American record in her home State was one of the highlights of her career.
“The roads are pristine, the course is lightning fast, and you can’t beat Chandler in December,” Hall said. “I’m so excited the race is back, and more people will get a chance to chase a PR at this unique event.”
The Marathon Project ownership group comprises the event’s original founders, Josh Cox and Ben Rosario, and Big River Race Management’s Matt Helbig and Festival of Miles Foundation President Katie Sutton.
Rosario said the team members have worked nearly every day for two months to prepare for the re-launch and share a collective vision for the event.
“We know we have proof-of-concept from 2020, but this version is going to be much bigger and better,” Rosario said. “We want to provide something for athletes looking to run as fast as possible that they have never experienced before.”
For more information, visit www.themarathonproject.com
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www.themarathonproject.com/tmpisback
