Mayor, City Council Welcome 44th Mardi Gras Marathon
Posted October 23rd, 2007 at 9:41 AM by Jeanie Rebb
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The city of New Orleans is welcoming back, for its 44th year, a great New Orleans tradition: The New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon which hits the streets Sunday, February 24, 2008.
“We have watched as the Mardi Gras Marathon has grown over the years,” said Mayor C. Ray Nagin. “As it has grown, the city has welcomed more and more visitors. That is important to us always, and especially in this time of recovery and rebuilding.”
When Councilmember Arnie Fielkow heard the race was being wooed by a nearby city, he reacted quickly and called the city council together. “There was no way we were going to lose this race after so many years,” said Councilman Fielkow. “The council agreed to work with the marathon and provide what was needed to keep the race here.”
The race will offer an exciting new course featuring the historic French Quarter, world-famous Bourbon Street, St. Charles Avenue, the beautiful Garden District and two of the finest urban parks in the country, Audubon Park and City Park. The marathon will start and finish on Sugar Bowl Drive at the Louisiana Superdome, where parking will be available inside. Start time for the marathon and half-marathon is 7:00am, with the 5K race beginning at 7:05am.
To celebrate its 44th year in New Orleans, the Mardi Gras Marathon will offer an extra benefit to those who run the race. Race Director Mike Cambre has teamed up with marathon travel expert Elise Allen to offer a free customized travel service to runners registering for the race. Allen is the author of the first travel guide geared specifically for the marathon runner.
“Each year, we bring more to the race,” said Race Director Mike Cambre. “The travel service, the entertainment and the post-race party this year will make this our best year yet.”
The Personal Travel Advisor service offered by Elise Allen is an extension of what she does in her guide book, The Traveling Marathoner. That book chooses 12 top U.S. marathons, one per month of the year, and gives runners all the information they need to build a perfect trip around each race: the most convenient hotels, great carbo-load restaurants, top post-race splurge meals, the best sights for strong or sore post-race legs, top spa treatments and the best places to celebrate after the race.
The Mardi Gras Marathon got the nod in her book for the best U.S. marathon in February, and to support the race, she’s happy to go beyond the general recommendations of her book, and give specific, customized itinerary suggestions free to anyone entering the Mardi Gras Marathon or Half Marathon.
“I’m incredibly excited to bring this one-of-a-kind service to the Mardi Gras Marathon,” Elise said about the venture. “New Orleans is such a special place, and I want to help marathoners take full advantage of it, while making sure everything in their trip supports their true goal: preparing for, completing, and celebrating their marathon or half-marathon.”
Author Elise Allen will be working closely with the team at NewOrleansOnline.com, the city’s official tourism website, to make sure she has the most up-to-date information for her itinerary suggestions. For runners wishing to stay a few extra days, Elise is offering the opportunity for runners to become voluntourists and schedule time with the St. Bernard Project, an organization dedicated to rebuilding and renovating homes in St. Bernard Parish, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. For info on this project, visit: StBernardProject.org
All Mardi Gras Marathon or Half Marathon registrants can find information about the Personal Travel Advisor service through the Mardi Gras Marathon website MardiGrasMarathon.com, via NewOrleansOnline.com or from Elise Allen’s website TravelingMarathoner.com.
The New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon began in 1965 and has grown in popularity every year since. The event is known for its entertainment along the route and for its post race party atmosphere featuring music and food. The race is an official Boston Marathon qualifier, one of the original qualifiers for over thirty years. The marathon is walker-friendly and offers a four-hour time limit for half-marathoners and seven-hour limit for the marathon.
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Tags: Arnie Fielkow, bourbon street, elise allen, half marathon, Louisiana Superdome, marathon, mardi gras, mardi gras marathon, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Mike Cambre, new orleans, new orleans mardi gras marathon, new orleans online, personal travel advisor, st. bernard parish, st. bernard project, sugar bowl, travel, traveling marathoner
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The Final Sprint
The only Mardi Grass I have been here in the Philippines is in Olongapo City where the drinking never stops and the grass never runs out.
October 23rd, 2007 at 12:13 pm