Thousands of runners are preparing for the 22nd annual Grand Rapids Marathon on Sunday, an event that has already required significant adjustments from organizers.
Race Director Don Kern confirmed that the marathon and its associated courses had to be completely redesigned and recertified ahead of the race. “We’ve had to redesign our courses, recertify our courses, put our mile markers in the same place again,” Kern said.
Organizers may face another challenge, as rain and storms are forecast for West Michigan over the weekend. Despite the potential for inclement weather, Kern is confident the race will proceed, citing the 2017 marathon as an example where participants ran in the rain.
He stressed that the athletes’ dedication will triumph over the conditions. “If it rains all day, runners are going to run,” Kern stated. “They’ve been training forever so a little bit of rain is not going to stop runners from being out there.”
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