FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who puts on the Mississippi River Marathon?

The Mississippi River Marathon is a non-profit organization run by a board of local citizens consisting of runners and business people in the Lake Village and Greenville Area.

What does the Mississippi River Marathon benefit?

The event is a fundraiser for Washington County Community Foundation and the Southeast Arkansas Community Foundation

Is your course certified?

Yes, the course is certified in Mississippi under USATF rules and regulations as course number MS16003MS. For more information on course certification see: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.a...

Is it a Boston Qualifier?

Yes!!!! According to FindMyMarathon.com it is the #1 ranked fastest course in Mississippi making it an excellent course to qualify for Boston. We always send our results to the BAA afterwards for their records.

It’s a two state point-to-point race, how does it all work?

Yes, the course starts in Lake Village, AR, and ends in Greenville, MS. The morning of the race we shuttle you on school buses from the finish line to your respective start lines for the half and the full.

Do I have to ride the buses, or can I get dropped off?

We don’t mind if you get dropped off, but due to very limited parking at each start line we ask that you get DROPPED OFF well before the start time of 8:00am as local law enforcement start to shut the roads down as we get closer to race time. Getting dropped off too late could leave you with up to a half a mile walk to the start. PLEASE DO NOT PARK AT THE START LINES AS THEY GET VERY CROWDED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND RACE OFFICIALS.

You say it’s a two state race, what if I’m trying to run all 50 states, which state do I get to choose?

According to the 50 States Marathon Club Website: 3. If a race starts in one state and ends in another, it may be counted once for either the state where it started or where it ended. If the same event is run on a subsequent year, the race may be counted for the other state. (Example: The Hatfield McCoy Marathon begins in KY and ends in WV and may be counted for either state. Fargo 2014 began in MN and ended in ND.) The Delta Double allows the participant to get two half marathon states in one day!

Can I switch races from half to full or full to half?

Yes, and we won’t charge you anything like some other races do. However, if you upgrade from the half to the full you will need to pay the difference in the rate. If going from the full to the half we will unfortunately not be able to refund the difference. If you’d like to switch races simply email us at Mississippirivermarathon@gmail.com

Can I defer until next year?

Due to budgeting concerns, we are not able to defer people who have registered for the current year’s race to the next.

Can I register on race weekend?

Yes, if the races aren’t already sold out you can register at the race expo at the Leyser Gallery from 12:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday before the race. You can also register race morning from 5:15am to 6:00am. But why wait that long, go ahead and register early and save that money. You know you’re going to run it anyway!!!

Can someone else pick up my packet?

Yes, a participant can pick up as many as three packets other than their own. You will need to bring a photo-copy of the participant’s driver’s license.

What is the course like?

Flat, with the exception of the Mississippi River Bridge which only gains 80 feet over the 1.25 mile incline. We have rest stops with water, sports drink, and restrooms at every mile, except the first six miles of the marathon have them every mile and a half. There is GU at miles 7, 13, and 20. Plus, no telling what the locals will have out at their spirit stations. We’ve heard they are amazing. At the finish line, you will get more food than you can handle. In the past we have had hot pizza, hot tamales, Shipley’s donuts, Coke products, Powerade, and Michelob Ultra (for those over 21).

Do you have photographers out on the course? Can I purchase the photos afterwards?

Yes, thanks to Marvin Winston Photography, we will have photographers out on the course at various points. Don’t forget to smile when you see them. And, no you can’t purchase them afterwards because they are all FREE. Marvin will have the photos available for digital download within 2-3 days of the event.

If I finish my race, will I receive a medal?

Yes, all finishers will receive a custom made Mississippi River Marathon medal for your respective distances.

If I run really fast, is there a chance you will have an award for me?

Why yes, we will have awards at the finish!!! You don’t even have to be really fast, just fast enough to beat all but two other people in your age group and place in the top three. We have many participants who think they have no chance at winning an award, and they don’t check at the results table after they finish. Needless to say, we ship quite a few awards each year. We have awards for overall (five deep) masters, grand masters, and age group awards in five year increments for BOTH the full and half marathons. That means 192 participants will go home with one of our custom made awards!!!

If I run really slow, will you kick me off the course?

Both race have a 7 hour time limit. We’ve never needed to extend that limit for participants, but if we had to stretch it a little we probably could. We might just ask that you move to the sidewalk to not impede traffic.

What if the weather conditions are iffy for race weekend?

See: http://s2fevents.com/weather-policy

Do you guys use social media or just the website?

We certainly do!! You can like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MississippiRiverMarathon and follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/msrivmarathon

What if I have a question that wasn’t answered here or the entire website?

We like questions, just email us at mississippirivermarathon@gmail.com