GREEN BAY (NBC26) — The Bellin Women's Half Marathon & 5K celebrated the 10th anniversary of the event by bringing in former American record holder in the marathon Deena Kastor to inspire the runners.
- Kastor spoke at a pre-race dinner Friday night, signed copies of her book and will be at the finish line Saturday
- The half marathon course goes south on Broadway before turning north in De Pere and finishing along the Fox River Trail in downtown Green Bay
- The races begin at 8 a.m. Saturday
- Kastor and the race's director say women's running is enjoying a 'boom' of participation in the United States
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
In the nearly 20 years since Deena Kastor set the American record in the marathon, there's been what she calls a running boom among women and girls across the country. We're in downtown Green Bay with how Saturday's Bellin Women's half marathon fits into that trend.
Kastor is a titan of road running.
"She's like, a big wig," one runner said.
Olympic bronze medalist, 24-time national champ. But she values more the impact she's had on the volume of women in the sport.
"I think more so to see mass participation — that half marathons and marathons and 5Ks around the world are breaking records and participation," Kastor said. "Those are the statistics that really warm my heart."
Kastor is in town for the Green Bay area's only women's only road race, which is celebrating its tenth year and also seeing increased participation — around 1,200 registered runners this year, up 8% from 2023.
The race director and a pacemaker say the race is important for promoting women's physical and mental health.
"A lot of women, they look at the people, the people around them, their family, they spend a lot of time, and they sometimes skimp on their own their own health," race director Linda Maxwell said. "So this is something where we give them a goal, we give them the encouragement and that they can really accomplish this great event and really have fun with it."
"I paced an all-gender race the other day, and it's a different experience," Melissa Flucke said. "I feel like there's more camaraderie with the women's-only; there's more support."
Kastor says with great October weather tomorrow — mental battles will be won over 3.1 or 13.1 miles.
"Sometimes we might feel guilty or selfish for getting out the door and prioritizing ourselves," she said, "but we can take any problem out the door with us and and grapple with it in our mind with all those good hormones."
The half marathon course, of course, finishes here Saturday morning, and the 5K course circles around downtown — so if you're at or around the farmer's market, you can come cheer on the women finishing on the Fox River Trail.
