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Alaska > Santa Claus Half Marathon
North Pole,
AK
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Date
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Event
Details
The fast and flat terrain of the "North Pole" serves as the setting for
the Santa Claus Half Marathon, which is run on a combination of paved
roads, dirt trails and bicycle paths through this small Alaska town,
which receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa each December
from children around the world (though it lies more than 1,000 miles
from the actual North Pole). Sponsored by the Alaska-based energy
company Flint
Hills Resources, the race is part of a series of eight local running
events the company sponsors, including the Midnight Sun Run and the
Equinox Marathon, which takes place in nearby Fairbanks in the early
fall.
From the starting line at the Flint Hills Resources North Pole Refinery
on the Old Richardson Highway that connects Fairbanks with the town of
North Pole, the race begins officially at 9:00 AM (though participants
may choose to start an hour early, at 8:00 AM). Runners follow the
highway southward and eastward in the direction of Moose Creek and the
Moose Creek Bluff, where they turn and head northward for a loop that
takes runners along Chena Lakes Recreation Area Road.
After the loop, which lasts for roughly the middle third of the race,
runners follow the course back along the route they've just run toward
the finish line back at the refinery, where they can enjoy the free
barbecue and awards ceremony provided to all entrants, which begins at
11:00 AM. Runners participating in the Flint Hills Resources race
series will earn points from the Santa Claus Half Marathon toward the
rest of the events in the series.
While in town, runners will no doubt catch some of the Christmas spirit
-- it will be pretty much unavoidable (!), as the town receives
visitors year-round to see its world-famous Santa Claus House and
travel along holiday-themed streets like St. Nicholas Drive, Kris
Kringle Drive and Snowman Lane.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled between the banks of the Tanana and the Little Chena Rivers in
central Alaska, about 15 miles southeast of Fairbanks, the town of
North Pole typically experiences moderately warm to cool weather
conditions in the late summer, and some of its heaviest precipitation
on average this time of year. In August, the town's average monthly
temperatures range between 68°F and 45°F, while
precipitation amounts average around 1.64 inches for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the summer 2009 running of Alaska's Santa Claus Half
Marathon is now closed, as the event has completed. Please
check back later for updated information on the 2010 running of the
race.
Website
www.runningclubnorth.org
Course Map
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Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in North Pole's annual Santa Claus Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Santa Claus Half
Marathon
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