LAYTON -- The first Layton Marathon, a 26.2-mile qualifier for the Boston Marathon and 2012 Summer Games, will have more than 1,000 competitors Saturday running from Antelope Island to Ellison Park in west Layton.
The marathon, with a starting point north of the historic Fielding Garr Ranch House, begins at 6 a.m. with 1,020 contestants registered for the race, said Joe Coles, marathon coordinator and director of On Hill Events, the race sponsor.
Based on the number of runners registering for the race and the preparation that has gone into it -- medals, T-shirts and volunteers to staff the water stations -- registration is closed, Coles said.
"We would love to have spectators come out," he said of the marathon, which qualifies as an Olympic time trial event.
The event also includes a half-marathon, a 10K run and a 5K run, said Coles, a Bountiful resident.
Coles is pleased with the number of runners participating in the first-time run -- with an original registration fee of $55 per entry -- considering the Ogden Marathon, which attracts thousands, attracted about 600 runners in its first year.
With marathons, course selection is important, Coles said, and the Layton/Syracuse area provides a scenic route with less traffic impact than what other areas in Davis County could.
"We at Layton city are so excited to be part of the Layton Marathon," said Parks and Recreation Special Event Coordinator Michelle Howard.
"We have several city employees who have volunteered to come in and help that day," Howard said. "A lot of us are waking up at 4 o'clock in the morning to help with this."
The runners will be bused to Antelope Island, with buses leaving for the island at 5 a.m. from Ellison Park at 700 N. 2200 West, Layton, Howard said.
Mayor Steve Curtis said he looks at anyone who runs a marathon with admiration. He's pleased with the route selected. He said the generally flat course, with a change of elevation of only 200 feet from beginning to end, lends itself to be certified as a world-record qualifier.
"To have that in our community is big," said Curtis, who appreciates the cooperation of Syracuse in what he envisions as a community effort.
"I think it is a great thing for our city," Syracuse Mayor Jamie Nagle said of the event. "Honestly, I am really happy that Layton would let us be a part of it.
"It brings a spirit of cooperation between the two cities," Nagle said. "It shows we are partners, invested in each other's success."
Event organizers have also been able to work with State Parks in utilizing Antelope Island as part of the marathon course.
About 17 miles of the 26.2-mile marathon takes place on the island and its causeway, Coles said, before reaching the streets of Syracuse and Layton.
"It really is a joint effort," he said.
He hopes to make the marathon an annual event during the second week of October.
"We don't want to conflict with the St. George Marathon," Coles said of the popular Southern Utah run. "We figured we could take some of their spillovers and everybody else."
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