The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will once again include a 5K event as part of race weekend. The 5K was replaced in 2010 with a 2.62-mile mini-marathon after being part of the event for ten years.

“Last year we started the shorter distance mini-marathon with hopes of attracting a family audience,” said Sean Ryan, race director of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. “We were successful in doing this, but we found that the event appealed almost exclusively to families and competitive short-distance runners really missed the opportunity to run the 5K. With the return of the 5K we hope to draw the interest of both audiences.”

The Cellcom 5K race will take place on Saturday, May 14, with a start time of 8:30 a.m. The course will use the same start and finish line as the distance races and includes just four turns before entering the Lambeau Field parking lot.  

“In our opinion the course design is an improvement from the former 5K,” said John Mory, course director for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. “The previous course had a lot of turns and was a little confusing and could slow a runner down. The 2011 course is as straight-forward as it can get, which makes it fun, fast and easy for the participants to follow.”

Similar to the other events at the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, the Cellcom 5K includes a lap around Lambeau Field and finishes in the stadium parking lot. The event will be chip-timed and awards will be presented to the top three men and women in each age group. Strollers are permitted in this event.

“The 3.1-mile 5K is a popular race for short-distance runners,” said Ryan. “It’s also a perfect distance for the beginning runner and families who are looking to get out and get moving together.”

Registration for the Cellcom Green Bay MARATHON RELAY officially closed at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 23rd, exactly 80 days prior to the event, having reached its full capacity of 200 teams.  Registration for the Cellcom 5K and the WPS Kids’ Power Run remain open.  Those events do not have a capacity limit.

As of February 17, 2011, at Noon, the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon’s 2011 “Run for a Reason” program has reached its full capacity of 200 fundraisers for this year.  Additional fundraisers are no longer being accepted into the program.  Those who are already members of the program remain eligible to continue fundraising and earn a free entry to the event.  Like the distance events themselves, the fundraising program has a capacity limit to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the participants.  Without a capacity, the program would become a limitless portal for registration to the event, jeopardizing its success.  Fundraisers who successfully raise $300 or more earn ONE FREE ENTRY to the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon or Half Marathon.  Last year the fundraising program contributed just over $50,000 to the marathon’s partner charities.  This year’s partner charities include the CP Center, Family Services and Junior Achievement.

“I see that the Half Marathon is closed. Can I register for the Marathon and just run the Half?”

ANSWER: Not surprisingly, we have received this question quite a bit in the past week since the Half Marathon sold out.  The short answer is “NO.”  The capacity limit on the Half Marathon is set at its current level for the safety and enjoyment of our participants.  Allowing people to register for a different event and run the Half Marathon circumvents this effort.  Marathoners who choose to run the Half Marathon course on race day will be disqualified from the results and will not receive a Half Marathon medal or Half Marathon t-shirt.  People who are interested in running in the Half Marathon but did not register in time are advised to seek an entry from registered participants who are unable to participate by posting on the Marathon’s Facebook page and using the Marathon’s transfer process.