Millinocket Marathon gets town 26.2 miles closer to being rec destination
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The second Millinocket Marathon & Half Marathon, set for Dec. 10, could help boost the city's economic recovery.
Millinocket’s economic recovery is expected to get a boost this weekend with the second running of the Millinocket Marathon & Half Marathon.
About 960 runners from across the country have signed up for the marathon, which is set for Dec. 10, Gary Allen, the race director, said Wednesday.
Allen, an accomplished distance runner and director of the Mount Desert Island Marathon, founded the race last year as a way to boost Millinocket’s economy, attracting 50 runners.
It is held as a fundraiser for the struggling former mill town, which has high unemployment combined with a shrinking population and tax base.
With nearby Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument and other attractions nearby, Millinocket is rebuilding and diversifying its economy, with a larger focus on outdoor recreation tourism and small manufacturing, the marathon organizer said.
The race has no entry fee. Allen claims it is the only free marathon that is also a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
While the race is free, runners are expected to come up with ways to contribute in some way, Runner’s World reported last year. In an email to Mainebiz, Allen said he urges runners to “spend money in town in lieu of an entry fee.”
Allen himself will run the race. He’s established a gofundme page and to date has raised $1,000, besting his goal of $750.
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