Wineglass Marathon organizers have announced that the popular Wineglass Half Marathon is closed at the maximum 3,100 participants and only 350 slots for the full marathon are available until that race reaches its 2,500 runner capacity. The half marathon waitlist is half full, after one day.
With Wineglass Weekend on October 3-4, this close-out six months before race day is unprecedented in the race's 34 year history.
"To put things in perspective, in the last two years we've sold out in May," added Sheila Sutton, Wineglass Marathon Race Co-Director. "As the race's popularity continues to grow, the demand that runners have to participate and get in is greater and greater each year."
The race's popularity has been boosted by a number of recent national and international recognitions including "World's 10th Best Marathon" (Active Times), one of "Seven International Marathons Worth Traveling To" (From The Grapevine) and the "5th Best Fall Marathon in the US" (The Daily Burn).
"Maybe it's the flat and fast point-to-point run from Bath to Corning, or the picturesque autumn colors of the Finger Lakes region, but this Boston Qualifier is growing at a rapid pace," said Emily Faherty, writer with The Daily Burn.
A website used extensively by runners to evaluate marathon courses, www.findmymarathon.com, launched a March 'Marathon' Madness tournament with 64 of the most popular U.S. marathons competing in four regional brackets.
On Thursday, the Wineglass Marathon upset the Philadelphia Marathon to make it to the Elite 8. In the first two rounds, the Wineglass beat out larger marathons in Houston and Vermont City. The Wineglass is now pitted against the New York City Marathon for the East Region championship and a trip to the Final Four.
The Wineglass Marathon runs from Bath to Corning on Sunday, October 4. The Half Marathon is the same day with the start in Campbell and finishes on Historic Market Street. This year's field to date includes runners from 45 states as well as Canada, Brazil, China, Germany and Switzerland.
Marathon organizers encourage the public to explore the March 'Marathon' Madness bracket and support the Wineglass at www.findmymarathon.com/marathonmadness.php.
For more information on the Wineglass Marathon, please visit www.wineglassmarathon.com.
