Stillwater officials on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a proposal to hold the first Stillwater Marathon this spring. The City Council asked Dave Eckberg, head of St. Croix Events, which would stage the event, to come back at the council's December meeting. At that time, the council is expected to vote on final approval. St. Croix Events also organizes the city's Lumberjack Days.
In the meantime, Eckberg was asked to continue working on the details of the marathon, including such elements as parking and traffic issues. City officials and some downtown businesses have raised concerns about possible parking problems on Main Street and traffic issues in the city's neighborhoods because of the race. Eckberg has said he is working to address those concerns, offering to create a park-and-ride for runners so they wouldn't have to park downtown, for example.
The marathon, proposed for Sunday, May 24, would become the metro area's second. Runners already have the Twin Cities Marathon in the fall.
The 26.2-mile course would take runners through some of the most beautiful vistas in the region. The proposed route would travel along the St. Croix River and through the scenic countryside and historic Stillwater neighborhoods before finishing in the city's Lowell Park.
Eckberg has said the Stillwater Marathon would be a boon for local restaurants, hotels and shops. Runners and their supporters are likely to spend the night and spend their money locally, he has said.
Other Midwestern cities hosting marathons in May include Fargo, N.D., Green Bay and Madison, Wis., and Rochester, Minn.
ALLIE SHAH
