(DALLAS) – With sunshine and start-time temperatures in the mid-30s, more than 17,000 raced across downtown Dallas on Sunday, through stately neighborhoods and around White Rock Lake – on a course lined with thousands of cheering spectators – to finish at Dallas City Hall for the 50th running of the marathon at the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival.
“Congratulations to all of our runners who crossed the finish line in our 50th running,” said Paul Lambert, President of runDallas, the BMW Dallas Marathon’s parent organization. “We were excited to welcome runners from all 50 states and 25 countries around the world to experience our first-class event.” Over the course of the weekend, beginning with the Friday Night Lights Mile, more than 26,000 runners and walkers participated in ten events, up from 15,000 in 2019. The Series Challenge, Ultra Marathon, Half Marathon and the Choctaw VIP Runners Lounge all sold out this year.
The BMW Dallas Marathon Festival includes a 2-day health and fitness expo and ten running / walking events over 3 days. As Paul stated, “the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival now has an event distance for every member of the family to participate in, from children as young a 2 to our oldest runner this year at age 84”. Participants received 50th themed amenities including participant shirts, finisher shirts, themed medals, and Series participants received a bonus medal and an ASICS jacket. An abundance of food and beverages were provided by several area restaurants, and Sam Adams beer.
Every race was started with fireworks and a one minute sizzle countdown video shown on the jumbo video board hanging from the 50 foot high start line. The kids races on Saturday were comprised of a 100-meter dash and 2-mile run. Over 4,000 kids participated and enjoyed pizza, tacos, water and chocolate milk at the finish line along with getting their pictures taken with Santa Claus in front of a 50-foot-high Christmas tree adjacent to the start / finish line structure.
Marathon Moments
● Local Rangers field reporter, Emily Jones, was the very last person to cross the starting line on Sunday, Dec. 12, passing as many race participants as possible in an effort to raise over $10,000 for Scottish Rite for Children. “It’s a first-class production”, says Jones, “I’m just thrilled I got to be a small part of raising money for Scottish Rite.”
● Fort Worth resident, Annabelle Corboy, ran the half marathon 50 years after winning the full marathon during its very first running in 1971. The 74-year-old Annabelle has run 23 marathons. “It’s nice to look back and see the good times I’ve had through running,” says Corboy.
● Title Partner, BMW, gave away a new special edition 2021 BMW 4 Series Coupe at the start line on Sunday. The lucky winner was marathon participant Carolyn Halloway.
● Rio King, 79, of Plano, ran his 45th consecutive full Dallas marathon.
● For the twelfth consecutive year, Santa’s Speedy Helpers won the 5-person marathon relay
The Health and Fitness Expo, which took place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, saw more than 40,000 visitors.
By the Numbers
A dedicated race staff and 2,500 volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure both participants and spectators had the ultimate BMW Dallas Marathon Festival experience, which included:
● 10,785 gallons of water and 7,800 gallons of Gatorade consumed
● 20,000 pieces of fruit at the finish line
● 625 gallons of beer to be consumed at the finish line and post-race party
● 112 bags of discarded clothing collected and donated to local charities
About Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ longest running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon. Now in its 50th running, the marquee event, with 10 event distances to select from throughout the weekend of events, attracts runners from across the globe and tens of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon course highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the City of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $4 million to Scottish Rite for Children. For more information, visit bmwdallasmarathon.com.
