By Todd McMahon
News-Chronicle
Organizers, volunteers and the multitude of participants involved with the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon are rolling - and getting up to split-second speed - with the changes.
There's the big change on the calendar, as the fourth annual event is moved up six weeks from its previous late June slot.
Along with that, there's the drastic, yet welcome change of seasons, from unbearable 90-degree temperatures in early summer to the high 60s or low 70s forecast for the upcoming late-spring weekend.
Then, there's a technologically driven change that should appeal to competitors and casual observers.
Family members, friends, co-workers and on-course rivals will be able to receive instant updates on how a particular runner is faring in the featured 26.2-mile race Sunday morning.
Cellcom, in cooperation with Nsight Telservices and NetNet, is implementing a system by which times will be recorded midway through the marathon and at the finish line. Within a few seconds, times gleaned from a computer chip attached to a shoe will be transmitted to an e-mail address or the messaging system on a cell phone.
"I would like to say we came up with the idea on our own and then figured out some other marathons were doing it," said Brad Hansen, chief operating officer of Nsight's Green Bay fixed operations division. "But, it was obvious for us being a carrier that's what we should do."
Hansen said the bigger marathons in Boston, Chicago and Vancouver have utilized similar methods for channeling race results not only across the country but throughout the world.
For the Green Bay marathon, those interested in receiving instant 13-mile and full-race times on a computer or a cell phone must log onto www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com and enter the bib number assigned to the runner.
The more than 3,500 who have registered for the marathon and the shorter-distance events also will be able to tap into results on site. NetNet will have computers available in a tent near the finish line downtown.
By the 7 a.m. start of Sunday's marathon and half-marathon, race director Gloria West anticipates a turnout of 4,000.
The number is down slightly from the first three years, but West attributes it to her decision to hold the event earlier in the year. Consequently, avid runners have had less time to train following last year's marathon. "Next year, people won't have that shock," West said.
Judging by unprecedented interest in training runs organized by West this year, the date change hasn't been a major deterrent. As many as 75 area runners braved the elements from January to April for Saturday morning outings in which the distance was gradually increased from week to week.
"It bonded this community like I've never seen before," said West, citing the name of Helen Klein as an inspiration for many of those participants.
Klein, at 80 years old, will be the oldest entrant in the marathon Sunday. The California resident has gained celebrity status after breaking numerous world and U.S. records.
"It's so much about state of mind," West said. "As we were training on those winter, cold, snowy, blizzard-y Saturday mornings, we were saying that we can use Helen as a vision and kind of a mantra that, 'If she can do it ...'."
Klein, the guest speaker for the pasta dinner Saturday night, won't be alone in leading the pack through the streets of Green Bay, Ashwaubenon, De Pere, Allouez and back to Green Bay on Sunday.
With the expected favorable conditions, the men's and women's course records could be shattered. Moges Taye, the 2001 champion from Ethiopia, owns the men's standard of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 44 seconds. Tatiana Titova, the two-time reigning titlist from Russia, holds the women's benchmark of 2:38.13, also in 2001.
For the third straight year, the marathon is without the previous year's overall winner. Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov broke the tape 11 months ago. In fact, all but one of last year's top 15 finishers aren't running Sunday - the lone returnee is Kenya's Vincent Temu, who placed fifth.
Titova also isn't returning to defend her tiara on the women's side. West, though, sees a worthy successor to Titova residing just down the street. Howard's Carol LeGate has finished in the top six each of the first three years of the marathon, highlighted by a third-place time of 2:52.50 last year.
LeGate recorded a personal-best 2:44.41 in the Chicago Marathon in October. She is preparing for the U.S. Olympic marathon trial next year. Having turned 40 in February, she could realize a $3,000 windfall Sunday - $2,500 for first place among all women and $500 for first place among the masters (40-and-older) women.
"I would not be surprised if Carol LeGate wins," West said. "She has a lot of advantages being from here and knowing everything."
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