Albany marathon field expected to reach 1,500 by Saturday

ALBANY — Nearly 1,500 runners from 40 different states and five foreign countries will begin pouring into Albany this morning as the 9th Albany Marathon and Half-Marathon Powered by Snickers begins to gear up for a Saturday morning starting gun.

According the Albany Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Rashelle Beasley, as of Thursday, 1,475 runners had registered — 744 for the half-marathon and 731 for the full marathon, which is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. Last year’s event featured more than 1,300 runners.

As usual, organizers worry about the weather, but that does not appear to be a concern Saturday. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee is calling for sunny skies, calm winds and temperatures in the low 60s.

The race will be held in conjunction with the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebration, which will feature six area bands and is scheduled to start at noon after the race is complete. The Mardi Gras will be held on the 100 block of Pine Avenue.

“Weekends in February and March are typically a bit slow for the local hospitality industry. Combining the Albany Marathon and Half-Marathon with the Downtown Merchants’ Mardi Gras celebration is for a perfect partnership,” Beasley said. “We’ve had some rough weather for the past few events, but we are encouraged by weather reports forecasting good conditions for Saturday.”

The combined events are estimated to provide a $1 million boost to the Albany economy.

Elite runner Yolimar Pineda, of Venezuela, is making her second consecutive trip to Albany, seeking to break the course record and win the $12,000 in prize money split between male and female first- through third-place winners. Pineda competed in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics placing 94th with a time of 2:45:16.

Kenyan Abraham Kogo streaked through the 26.2-mile course in 2:34:34 to win last year’s men’s marathon division. Fellow Kenyan Wesley Ochoro finished second with a time of 2:35:48, while Tim Hawkins of Kennesaw was third at 2:48:16

Luidmila Stepanova, a 30-year-old Russian, won the women’s division with a time of 2:38:45. McKenzie Howe of Athens was second at 2:43:34 while Bridget Lyons of Augusta was third with a time of 2:44:12

The 26.2-mile Albany course records for men and women were set in 2011 by Tesfaye Alemayehu, who trains in Antioch, Calif., with a time of 2:17:09, and in 2008 by Janet Cherobon, of Lawrenceville, with a time of 2:37:26.

The finish line will be in located at its customary position behind the Albany Welcome Center.

Beasley said that in an effort to increase community support, residents are encouraged to show pride and spirit by setting up chairs in their front yards along the race route.

“This is a fantastic time to bring out noisemakers and cheer on the runners. The support helps them throughout the route. Tweet pictures to @albanymarathon, share on Instagram at albanygamarathon and Facebook tagging the Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Marathon page while rooting on the runners,” Beasley said.

All marathon proceeds benefit the Willson Hospice House. Those proceeds have amounted to $175,000 to date.

The Marathon Energy and Protein Bars Powered by Snickers has been in production since 2003 and is produced by Mars in Albany. Mars again is the title sponsor.