New Starting Line, New Course Design for Lehigh Valley Health Network Marathon for Via
January 27, 2009
 BETHLEHEM, PA – Runners take your mark… the Lehigh Valley Health Network Marathon for Via (LVHN Marathon) has a new start and a new look. The LVHN Marathon presented by WFMZ – Channel 69 and Wegmans announced today the 26.2 mile course will start at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest and take runners through the Lehigh Parkway to the Lehigh River Canal Towpath continuing through Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. Runners, walkers and volunteers can register now at www.ViaNet.org.
“Typical marathon courses are a coordination of getting out of the way,” said Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer, Runner’s World Magazine and LVHN Marathon race director.
“This is a really rare course designed with all the cities and townships giving us the opportunity to run on the most scenic spots in the Lehigh Valley. We recently received approval from Salisbury Township and PennDot and continue to receive outstanding cooperation with the rest of the municipalities to execute our new design.”
The LVHN Marathon, on Sunday, September 13, 2009, starts at 7am at Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest and takes runners onto Fish Hatchery Road through the recently finished LVH employee entrance. Runners turn left onto Fish Hatchery Road, cross over Cedar Crest Boulevard and enter the Lehigh Parkway just after the Fish Hatchery. Runners will enter the Lehigh Parkway by approximately 7:10am.
Runners continue through the Lehigh Parkway and exit onto Martin Luther King Drive. The course continues through Allentown to Hamilton Street, turning left just after the Hamilton Street bridge onto Albert Street where runners pick up the towpath in the Allentown Canal Park at the same point as in previous years.
Along the way, runners will enjoy the scenic beauty of the Lehigh Parkway and the Lehigh River, pass through Bethlehem’s Historic Quarter, utilize miles of beautifully canopied trails including cinder, paved and grass surfaces, and end at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers at Scott Park in Easton.
“Because our race uses the canal path, we have natural limits on how many runners can run on the course,” said Yasso.
“In last year’s design, runners hit the towpath at mile 1. With a pack of hundreds of runners, a mile simply is not enough space to allow runners to spread out before they hit the towpath. The course went from four lanes of traffic wide on Hamilton Street to the 8-foot wide towpath.”
By starting at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest, runners enter the towpath at mile 7, allowing ample time for runners to spread out. The LVHN Marathon will be able to accommodate more runners and based on their growth over the last two years, expect their numbers to double, Yasso added.
With the new course design, Yasso said they have the opportunity to add a Half Marathon starting on Main and Spring Streets in Bethlehem. “The Half Marathon is the most popular distance among runners and this gives us the opportunity to add something of value to this already robust event,” said Yasso.
The Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay finish at Scott Park in Easton on Larry Holmes Drive, providing a picturesque backdrop for the Finish Festival. The 5K Walk, location TBA, starts at 10am.
“There are many things that make our new course design attractive to runners,” said Yasso.
“For our relay teams, under this new design, relay legs range from 6.1 to 3.7 miles. This new shorter leg, run from Hugh Moore Park to Scott Park in Easton, will appeal to novice runners as well as elite teams who may have their fastest team member sprint the last leg.”
This new design eliminates a substantial hill at mile marker 16 on Hope Road in Bethlehem Township. From an operations standpoint, this section of the course was difficult to manage. By moving back the starting line and removing this section of the course, water stations and exchange points are in areas that are much more accessible.
This year, the LVHN Marathon also moves to chip timing to accommodate the larger number of runners and various registration options. This move will further streamline the timing process, offering runners the latest in timing technologies.
In 2008, 22% of LVHN Marathon runners qualified for the Boston Marathon. Amenities for runners include 15 water stations and five Power stations, featuring Power Bars and Power Gels, along the course. More than 400 volunteers support the race, a large number of volunteers for a race this size.
“This is a Lehigh Valley-wide event that engages our community on many different levels,” said Paul Pierpoint, LVHN Marathon committee chair.
“More than 1,650 runners and walkers participated last year and there is tremendous volunteer support with 400 volunteers coming out on race day. Our medical team is outstanding; Lehigh Valley Health Network provides the knowledge, expertise and staff to provide unparalleled medical support for our participants.”
The LVHN Marathon raised $30,000 in 2007 and more than $90,000 in 2008 to benefit Via. Via hopes to increase the number of participants and encourage more fundraising around the event. Via relies heavily on the support of the community to provide services for children and adults with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.
The money raised from the LVHN Marathon is specifically marked for Via’s Community Connections program. Via’s Community Connections helps people with disabilities live and connect in the neighborhoods where they live through recreational and volunteer activities. Community Connections strengthens the community by providing opportunities that enrich people’s lives, including a summer program for teens with disabilities. Teens participate in job shadowing and career counseling, volunteer activities in a variety of inclusive settings, and a series of recreational and team-building activities.
“The LVHN Marathon for Via helps strengthen our community by providing opportunities for children and adults of all ability levels,” said Pierpoint.
“Together we can help provide resources to help people live, work and connect in their neighborhoods and nurture a community that embraces all of its members.”
More than 1,650 walkers and runners participated in the 2008 Lehigh Valley Health Network Marathon for Via supported by 400 volunteers. This unique event features a five-person Team Relay, individual run, Half Marathon and 5K Walk. Registration for runners closes on August 23, 2009. Walker registration continues up to 10am on Sunday, September 13, 2009. Volunteer, register or donate online at www.ViaNet.org. Email or call with questions Via@ViaNet.org or 484-893-5389.
The LVHN Marathon raises funds for Via’s services for people with disabilities so they can connect and live in their communities. Via of the Lehigh Valley is a non-profit human service agency that provides services for children and adults with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome. Serving the community since 1954, Via’s staff help individuals and families from birth through retirement focusing in Children’s Services, Community Connections and Employment. Visit www.ViaNet.org to learn more about Via’s services.
For more information, contact:
Lisa Walkiewicz, Communications Director
L.Walkiewicz@vianet.org | 484-893-5390 |
