News

Check out new this year….. the NH Marathon Fest

Hello Runners – This is just an email reminder of our upcoming races!  Saturday, October 5, 2024 marks the date of the 31^st Annual NH Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K Road Race & Kids Race at Newfound Lake.  If you’re on this list, you are registered for an event! Below are some final announcements & reminders:

– All races begin at 9am!  The Marathon & 10K start right on Lake St. in Bristol just outside the Newfound Memorial Middle School (NMMS) where all runners check-in.  The School is located at 155 North Main St. in Bristol, NH  03222.

– Half Marathon Start: Is located just beyond Sculptured Rocks in Groton (13.1 miles away).  We bus half marathoners out to their starting location
REMINDER TO ALL HALF MARATHONERS:  The final bus leaves NMMS PARKING LOT at 8AM SHARP!! Registration starts at 7 am at the Newfound Memorial Middle School.  PLEASE NOTE:  We are asking all half marathoners to ride the bus and not be dropped off at starting line.  The drop off causes road safety issues and bogs down the buses and the runners.
Runners can stay on the bus while waiting for the start if they wish. There will be portapotties at the start line. Please respect the neighbors who are supportive of our race events. You can leave your runner bag on the bus with any items/clothing you want returned to the middle school cafeteria. You can pick the bag up at the end of the race.

– Parking:  We have volunteer parking attendants at the school that will lead you to the first available spot when you drive in.  This can take a few extra minutes – so plan ahead & leave early to give yourself enough time to get parked & checked in, especially if you’re in the half!

– Packet Pickup:  Available Friday 10/4 from 4:30-6:30pm (please no runners on school grounds until 4:30pm) & Saturday 10/5 from 7:00–8:45am both in NMMS cafeteria.

-NH KIDS’ RACERS: Kids Race check-in begins at 8:00 am –in the center of Kelley Park by the Tennis Courts – Look for the Kids Race Registration Banner!  * Please note that kids race registration is separate from the marathon registration site. Registration closes at 8:45 and the Kids’ Race begins at 9:15 am. Please keep an eye out for a separate email from Kids Race Director Wendy Williams with further details.

– Pasta Dinner:  This wonderful pre-race meal is held on Friday night, 10/4 from 5-7:30pm at the Bristol Masonic Hall located at 61 Pleasant St. in Bristol (about 1/4 of a mile from NMMS).  It is not too late to join either – if you want to go to the pasta dinner, just show up & pay $12 at the door to get in!  This dinner has been called the “best pasta dinner in the country” by one of our participants & they should know… they’ve run a marathon in all 50 states! 

– Chip Timing:  The NH Marathon will use the Chrono Track Systems B-Tag to time all runners.  The single-use timing mechanism is on the back of the bib, therefore, the bib number cannot be folded or altered and must be worn on the outer most layer of clothing on the front of the body.  This device will track all runners finish time as they cross the finish line mat.  The start time is off of the gun as we don’t have start mats down.

– Registration for Marathon & 10K is still open!  Feel free to recruit other runners… online registration is open until Wednesday 10/3 at 12pm & we accept race day registration as well.  Same day registration can be paid in cash, check or Venmo.  Registration for Half Marathon is closed as we have reached capacity. There will be no same day registration available.

–Safety: All runners should run against traffic on the left side of the road unless directed otherwise. This is an open course, please be aware of your surroundings. No dogs or strollers are allowed.
Be prepared for New Hampshire fall weather. In late September, we could have temps start in the 40s and end in the 80s.

– Race photography:  We are thrilled that Eptam Plastics has sponsored JV Sports Photo to provide course photos this year.  Photos will be available to view or purchase post-race at https://www.jvsportsphoto.com/
We will not be providing finish line photos, so ask your support team to snap a shot of you reaching your finish line goal!!

– Water Stops: There are water/sports drink stops just about every 2 miles spread out along the course. Please note that water stops do not provide food or fuel. You can view more race details here – https://nhmarathon.com/race-details/ including a course map with water stops & toilet facilities marked out.

–Post-Race:   This year the Plymouth State University Physical Therapy Doctoral students will be offering massages in the middle school cafeteria by donation. First come first serve.

There will also be plenty of refreshments for runners at the finish line, showers are available in the school & there is entertainment in the park. We hope that runners will hang out after the race, cheer on other runners & take advantage of all the NH Marathon has to offer!

New this year!  NH Marathon Fest click here for details: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1NmMQpy2NlbBB8r7lRU45f1nV4pF1H8U&ll=44.240402131332694%2C-71.01020651911402&z=6

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact the NH Marathon at [email protected] or call at 603-744-2713.

Thanks, good luck & we’ll see you on Saturday, October 5, 2024
Karen Schaffner, Race Director