Kalamazoo Marathon is Returning With New Locations, Sponsors
There's been a major change to one of the area's major Springtime events. Zeigler Auto Group is now the title sponsor of the Kalamazoo Marathon. For 2022 there will be no full 26.2 mile marathon, just a half marathon this year. And there will be new locations for most of the other events during the Marathon weekend.
This annual event was known as the Borgess Run for the Health of it. But with the start of the Covid pandemic, it became a virtual event in 2020, and was cancelled entirely last year, but most of the events are returning for 2022 although not the full marathon, until 2023.
Arcadia Creek Festival Site Starting Line
The most noticeable change on race day will be the starting line location moving to Arcadia Creek Festival Site. The parking situation may be interesting.
As in past years, the kickoff event will still be a kids' 1K fun run and with that an expo on Friday, April 22. But now those events will be at Mayor's Riverfront Park. The main sponsor event expo and race packet pickup will occur in downtown Kalamazoo on Saturday, April 23rd. The half marathon will commence at Sunday morning, April, 24th at 7:30 am. And following that are the 10K run at 7:45 am. and the 5K run and walk at 8:00 am.
New slogan; spirit stations return
The new website for the Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon has the event's new slogan, "Driving a Healthy Community", and promises the return of "spirit stations throughout the course including the Infamous Bacon Station, of course."
Organizers still haven't announced the full details of this year's event, but say they are partnering with Classic Race Management of Ada for race timing.
Zeigler Auto Group is the latest automotive dealer to take over a local civic event. Last year, Maple Hill Auto Group has taken over the Kalamazoo Christmas Parade.