Have you ever felt a little jealous of the elite racers that get driven up to the marathon starting line and dropped off right before the gun goes off? Or maybe all those sponsor types that are sipping champagne while you’re cooling down with a silver space-blanket covering your dripping wet body?
Well, the Portland Marathon is kicking up the pre- and post-race amenities a notch with a package that they are calling the “Celebration Lounge.” For an extra fee, you get access to private pre- and post-race facilities and whole bunch of other stuff that might make you feel a little more like Lance Armstrong at your next race.
Check out some of these perks:
– Access to a pre- and post-race lounge
– Private bathrooms [!!!!]
– Private bag check
– Changing rooms
– An escort directly to the starting line
– A stretching and “relaxation” area
– a 25-minute massage
– Food and beverage that includes breakfast, lunch, and beer and wine
– Entertainment
That should leave you feel refreshed and relaxed . . . well, OK, let’s be reasonable, as relaxed and refreshed as you can be after running a marathon. At least you can have a beer before heading home to crash for the rest of the day.
I’m thinking this sounds like a lot of fun. Tickets are limited and go on sale on August 13th, 2008. For more information, click here.
Coach Joe English, Portland Oregon, USA
Managing Editor, Running Advice and News
http://www.running-advice.com
The Portland marathon is becoming nothing but baubles and baloney; and of course money, money, money.
By: snake oil on September 20, 2008
at 3:58 pm
All comments are more than welcome on our site, but I wonder if you had more that you’d like to add to the above?
Portland doesn’t seem like an aggregious example compared to some races that we see today. Entry fees are sill relatively low compared with other large races and the Portland Marathon has made sizeable donations to local charities.
I was curious if you had something else on your mind.
Joe
By: Joe English on September 23, 2008
at 11:08 am
Thanks for the info! I’ll be running my first Portland Marathon next week!
By: audaciousalbert on September 26, 2008
at 4:01 pm