Okay, okay.  I know it's only June.  But.........how do you not get excited about the best weekend of the summer in Missoula.  That's right - the buzz is starting to build about the Missoula Marathon weekend of July 7th, 8th and 9th.  We expect to have close to 6,000 participants (plus their families and friends) in town for the weekend.

 

Clearly, we love to see everyone out there on the roads running and walking in one or more of the events - whether that be the beer run, 5K, kids marathon, half marathon or marathon.  It's just such a great way to encourage people to take part in the fit, active, healthy, outdoor lifestyle that is such a large part of the charm of Missoula.   However, marathon weekend has become more than just a run.

 

It will draw some 1,900 local participants, 1,500+ from elsewhere in Montana and around 2,500 from other parts of the U.S. (and the world).  All these people will be spending 2 or 3 or more days exploring all that we have to offer in Missoula and Western Montana.  Retail businesses, restaurants and hotels will be "hopping".  Add in air travel, rental cars, marathon expo vendors, breweries and tour operators and it makes for one big economic boost to our community.  Based on feedback from Destination Missoula, the impact is approaching $2 Million - not bad for a run along the rivers. 

 

Further, showing off Missoula in connection with such a positive event gets people excited about moving here and becoming part of our community.  That's good for businesses, schools and more.  In the end, we're extremely proud that we can be such a big part of promoting and supporting a strong, vibrant and healthy Missoula.

 

To put our best foot forward on marathon weekend requires support from hundreds and hundreds of volunteers.  To that end, we're asking for your help.  Spread the word among friends, families, co-workers, casual acquaintances, Facebook friends and more - we need their help.  Volunteer registration will open beginning Wednesday, June 7th.  Send people to this link in order to register:    https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/MT/Missoula/MissoulaMarathon .

 

Lest we forget in the post-race fog - Thank you in advance to all of our runners, volunteers, sponsors and spectators.  It's because of you that we're able to host such a successful community event.

 

See you on the roads, tracks and trails.

 

Starting this month, we'll share some running related podcasts for you to check out.  If you have a suggestion for a podcast that you enjoy, let us know.  We'll check it out; and, if it seems suitable for our members, we'll pass it on.

 

With no further ado, here's our list for June.

 

Over the last couple of months, I've been listening to a couple of podcasts that discuss wide ranging topics within the sport.  The first is the BibRave Podcast.  They have a wide ranging array of topics; and, it's not uncommon for them to digress and get into some stream of consciousness discussions - just like what can happen on a long group run.  The hosts take a fun approach to the way they present the information.  They also typically have a workout of the week that describes a new running and/or strength workout that you can incorporate into your program.  They can be found on iTunes and at bibrave.libsyn.com.

 

The other one I've been listening to is The Runner's World Show.  In many ways, it's an audio extension of their magazine in that they discuss relevant current topics from within the sport (training, the sub 2 hour marathon attempt, nutrition, etc.).  They also interview top figures from within the sport (Nike CEO Mark Parker, Shalane Flanagan, Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena, etc.).  Their presentation is a bit "drier"; but, has some great information.  It can also be found on iTunes.

 

Ashley has been listening to Run, Selfie, Repeat.  The product of female runner Kelly Roberts, this podcast is more of a conversational, self-reporting style that touches on topics such as body image, confidence, goals, life balance and more.  You can access Kelly's blog and podcast at http://www.runselfierepeat.com.

 

Happy podcasting.