Rachel Ridgway has been involved in every Frederick Marathon, first as a runner, then as a volunteer, and for the past five marathons, as race director.
"It's been my baby for the last six years," Ridgway said to a gathering of mostly non-runners at the Frederick Rotary Club on March 25.
One of those non-runners and Rotarians is her husband, Fred Ridgway, who introduced his wife to the luncheon gathering at Dutch's Daughter.
The Frederick Marathon has come a long way since several hundred miserable souls slogged their way through snow and slush at the inaugural Frederick Marathon in March of 2003.
This year's marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. May 3 at the Frederick Fairgrounds. Ridgway expects 1,500 people to register for the full marathon, with 2,500 runners running in the half-marathon. Five hundred four-person relays are expected. The night before the marathon on May 2, she expects 1,000 people will run the Frederick Running Festival Twilight 5K race.
It's a group of people that will treat Frederick businesses kindly, Ridgway said. "We draw a mature audience with expendable income," she said.
The 2009 Frederick Running Festival, as the marathon is formally called, is one of Runner's World magazine's picks for "must do" in May.
Last year's 897 marathon finishers completed the 26.2-mile course around Frederick and in neighboring Spring Ridge in an average time of 4 hours, 22 minutes. Finishers were 57 percent male, 43 percent female, with an average age of 38. Sixty percent were from Maryland, another 20 percent from D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The other 20 percent came from 35 states and abroad.
The race has a $2 million economic impact. Host hotels filled 600 rooms with race participants and their families during last year's race weekend. Runners consume 500 gallons of Gatorade and 2,000 gallons of water. They use 78,000 cups, and weave among 2,500 orange traffic cones. They will also go through 5 gallons of Vaseline.
The race is certified at 26 miles, 385 yards using a jones counter, which is attached to a bike wheel. Any course changes mean the entire course must be re-certified to be sure the distance is exact.
"It's a several-day process with me on my bike," Ridgway said.
Ridgway meets with officials from the city of Frederick , Frederick County and area police agencies to coordinate road closures and police coverage. All police officers providing coverage are paid, and this money comes out of race fees and sponsorship dollars. Ridgway also met with 12 Neighborhood Advisory Councils in Frederick and the Spring Ridge Conservancy Board to ensure that residents of neighborhoods on the course are aware of the race.
"You need to be aware that your driveway may be blocked for a little while," Ridgway said.
The start time, 6:30 a.m., is early enough that church services won't be affected, although traffic in other parts of Frederick may be delayed.
"Our runners want a course that is scenic, flat, fast and free of traffic, with low entry fees and great swag," Ridgway said. Most of the course is scenic, although it does pass by the loading dock of Wal-Mart. That's because using nearby roads involved more road closures.
Future challenges include recycling of trash produced by the event, and providing a satisfactory event when local budgets are being cut.
Ridgway approaches the marathon with a runner's outlook. She has run 35 marathons, the JFK 50 Mile and the Catoctin 50K.
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The Run For Congo Women is 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Talley Recreation Center at 121 N. Bentz St. Last year's event raised about $7,000 to help women in the Congo become educated and set up small businesses.
Organizer Geni Donnelly hopes the third annual race will encourage some people to sponsor a woman in the Congo. Congolese women have faced gang rape and torture in their ravaged homeland. The country is the world's main source of coltan, which is often mined illegally. Coltan is used to produce laptops and cell phones.
Similar runs take place in Colorado and Oregon later this year. "It's a rough time, but people still need help," Donnelly said.
Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. The course will follow the Baker Park 5K course. The Frederick Steeplechasers will provide the timing. Registration is $20 for those who register by Wednesday.
For information, check the website, www.runforcongowomen.org.
