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Alabama > Mercedes Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay
& 5K
Birmingham,
AL
Date
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Event
Details
Just under 3,000 runners crossed the finish line in the half-marathon
alone at the 2009 running of Birmingham's Mercedes Marathon, Half
Marathon, Relay & 5K, making the event's 13.1-mile race one of
the southeast's most popular half marathon events. Run along a course
that features a combination of terrain that's fast and flat as well as
hilly and more challenging -- and watched over by the famed Vulcan
Statue from the height of Red Mountain just south of downtown -- the
race also offers one of the road racing world's most unique prizes -- a
Mercedes M-Class to the
winning runner.
Both the half and the full marathons in this event share the same
starting line and time, near the Birmingham Museum downtown at 7:00 AM.
From there, runners and walkers in the half marathon (the race is open
to both) follow the course
as it winds along 8th Avenue, 24th Street and 11th Avenue before
turning onto 19th Street, which runners take for a brief
straightaway before heading into the campus of the University of
Alabama-Birmingham.
After running for a few blocks along 1st Avenue, runners then head
south through the university's campus, which they take all the way
through and head to
Green Springs Avenue, which begins the hillier and more challenging
section of the course. Along this stretch, which winds along 10th
Avenue through the UAB Highlands to 11th Avenue, runners experience the
race's first significant rise
in elevation, from roughly 600 feet above sea level around mile 6 to
more than 700
feet above sea level by the time they reach the mile 8 marker.
Runners will encounter the race's peak elevation as they're passing
through miles 8 and 9, which take them through the area of Birmingham
known as Highland Park, past a number of smaller local city parks like
Hanover Park and along the edges of the Highland Park Golf Course. The
race winds through curving neighborhood streets along this stretch, as
the course elevation begins descending again back down to around 600
feet above sea level between mile markers 10 and 12. The home stretch
of the race takes the field back into downtown again, for the finish at
the museum.
Race
Weather & Climate
Known for its mild to cool (and sometimes cold) weather conditions in
the fall and winter as well as its hot, humid summers, the city of
Birmingham tends to experience cool weather in the late weeks of
winter, with moderate precipitation. In February, average monthly
temperatures range between 58°F and 36°F, while
precipitation totals average around 4.21 inches for the month.
Fees
$50 for the half marathon, if registered by July 31, 2009
$60 between August 1 - November 30
$70 between December 1 - February 6, 2010
$90 at the race expo
Registration
To reserve your spot in the winter 2010 running of Birmingham's
Mercedes Marathon, Relay or Half
Marathon, register online at Active.com.
Website
www.mercedesmarathon.com
Half
Marathon Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Birmingham's Mercedes Marathon or Half Marathon? Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Mercedes Marathon
& Half Marathon
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