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Minnesota > Sour Grapes "Half & Half" Half Marathon
Brainerd, MN
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Date
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Event
Details
Run along the wooded trails and tree-lined meadows of the Northland
Arboretum in the heart of this central Minnesota town, the Sour Grapes
Half Marathon, 10K Run/Walk and Kids Race celebrates its seventh
annual running this year as a benefit for the nonprofit organization
that cares for the park, a 540-acre oasis of green space that is also
home to a forest of Norway pines, many gardens and 20 kilometers of
hiking trails.
The event got its start seven years ago in an unusual way. It was first
organized as a consolation prize of sorts by a group of runners who
literally had "sour grapes" seven years ago, because they couldn't gain
entry that year into nearby Duluth's much larger and more established
Grandma's Marathon, which draws 4,500 runners each year to its
half-marathon alone. Making a virtue of necessity, and passionate about
their running, the race's first participants chose one of their city's
most loved retreats and created a challenging yet beautiful running
experience.
Refreshingly shielded from the sun for much of the race, the course
features a mixture of hilly dirt trails through the forests and some
paved, flatter trails, especially near the race start and finish and
along the portion of the route along the arboretum's southern edge near
Brainerd's Westgate Mall, which lies just across Northwest 8th Street.
The course itself is a 6.2-mile loop trail -- half-marathoners run the
course twice (with a smaller, extra loop for the final mile), while the
10K runners and walkers complete a single loop.
You're free to sign up for the Sour Grapes races on the day of the
event, which drew a combined 255 runners and walkers for the half
marathon
and the 10K last year. The two longer races start at 9:00 AM, and the
kids race (which includes both a one-mile and a half-mile run for
children under 12) begins at 10:30 AM.
Race
Weather & Climate
Known for its mild, pleasant summers and cold, cold winters when
temperatures regularly reach the single digits, Brainerd tends to
experience mild-to-moderately warm weather around the time of the race.
Average
temperatures in June range between 77°F and 51°F, while
rainfall amounts average about 4.18 inches for the month.
Fees
$25 for the half marathon if registered by May 1, 2008
$35 between May 2 - June 1
$50 on the day of the race
Registration
To register for the 2008 running of the Sour Grapes Half Marathon, 10K
or kids race, print out and mail in the downloadable application at the Sour Grapes website.
Website
www.sourgrapesrun.com
Course Map
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Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in the Sour Grapes Half Marathon? Share
your
impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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