Friday's Shawnee Marathon Expo kicks off Saturday run

The party is Friday; the race is Saturday.

Today the Shawnee Marathon Race Expo kicks off at 1 p.m. at the Rebecca Wyatt-Nevitt Fitness Gym, 540 N. Commercial St. in Harrisburg.

It is located on the south side of the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation Building.

Race sponsors will be showing their wares, entrants can pick up their packages or register.

Registration for the races closes on Saturday morning at 7 a.m., only 30 minutes before the full marathon runners start their 26.2 mile run.

The overall male and female winners of the full marathon and half marathon will receive $250 each. Total purse for the event is $1,000.

This is the second annual Shawnee Marathon and there are 191 entrants counting all events. There are 50 entrants in the full marathon at 26.2 miles; 80 entrants in the half marathon at 13.1 miles; nine entrants in the full marathon relay and 50 entrants in the half marathon relay.

The full marathon is to begin at 7:30 a.m. from the Southeastern Illinois College south parking lot. The other events will start at 7:45 a.m. for the half marathon; 8 a.m. for the relays; and walkers will start at 8:15 a.m.

This year the race is a credited Boston Marathon Qualifier Race.

John Okerson, an Army veteran and chapter leader of Team Red, White and Blue, said his goal is to get veterans involved in events like this.

"Our goal is to keep vets active. Sitting around is not good for you," Okerson said. "We have over a million people who have served in the middle east - Iraq, Afghanistan and Desert Storm. We are concerned about them. So we formed Team Red, White and Blue. It is about one half vets and one half civilians."

The group is running an American flag from coast to coast and the flag will spend Friday night in Carbondale and reach Harrisburg by midday Saturday.

"We hope to make a difference in veteran lives," he said.

Motorists out enjoying fall color should be aware runners will be on College Road near the college, Horseshoe Road, Forest Road, Van Buren Street in Equality, Clinton Street in Equality and McHenry Street in Equality.

The course will remain open until 4 p.m., but race organizers will be handing out awards for the shorter races starting at 1 p.m. and expect the full marathon runners to start finishing at around 2 p.m.