Q-C Marathon searching for more spectators

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By Don Doxsie | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:46 PM CDT | () comments

While many fledgling marathons and road races around the country are beating the drums to get more entries for their events, the Quad-Cities Marathon is going to take a different approach this year.

Instead of drums, it’s ringing cowbells. And instead of more runners, the goal for this year’s race will be to add spectators.

Race director Joe Moreno announced Wednesday that the Sept. 28 race, which winds its way through all four of the Quad-Cities, will include a “party zone’’ program designed to more heavily populate areas along the 26-mile course. The announcement was greeted by a chorus of clanking cowbells distributed to the crowd at the race’s kickoff news conference at the River House in Moline.

“We’re going to strategically locate parties throughout the course and we’re going to encourage large groups of people to come out,’’ Moreno said.

“All you need to do is get your group together, check in with the Quad-Cities Marathon, and we’ll provide bands, we’ll provide entertainment, we’ll provide porta-potties. We want to go above and beyond to get people out along the race course. We’ve got to really lay it on thick this year.’’

Moreno said there are a select few marathons that have spectators cheering and encouraging the runners almost every step of the way. But it’s mostly big races in big cities. Boston. Chicago. New York.

In most other marathons, you can go miles without hearing a word of support. Although the Quad-Cities event has grown and blossomed in its first 10 years of existence, it has been like most of those other smaller marathons in that respect.

“With a community our size, I think it’s time to step up and give runners the same treatment they get in bigger races,’’ Moreno said.

He said it will help to do it in a structured way. He pointed to a long stretch of River Drive in Moline in which the race starts and finishes. Logistically, it has been hard for spectators to get into that area because much of it is blocked off.

“And yet it’s probably the most critical 6 miles of the race,’’ Moreno said. “We’re going to load up that area with parties.’’

He said he already had one party area established in downtown Rock Island even before Wednesday’s announcement.

He hopes the added fan support will lead to more runners in years to come.

“I’ve always said we want quality,’’ he said. “The numbers will come later.’’

Don Doxsie can be contacted at (563) 383-2280 or ddoxsie@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

Quad-Cities Marathon

When: Sept. 28, 7:30 a.m.

Where: Main race starts and ends at John Deere Commons, Moline, but also circulates through Bettendorf, Davenport and Rock Island.

Events: Marathon, marathon relay, half-marathon, 5K and Isle Mile. (The Happy Joe’s Kids Micro Marathon will be Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m.)

Information: qcmarathon.org.