2023 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon is Sunday. Here's what you need to know
GREEN BAY – Participants in the 2023 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will take to the streets Sunday in the 24th edition of the event.
As of Thursday, about 2,700 people have registered for all events, which include the marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, half marathon relay and 5K. The number is similar to last year, which was the first in-person event after going virtual in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s event.
Packet pickup and Sunday events
Packet pickup will be at The Bar, 2001 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon. The start of all runs/walks will be on Mike McCarthy Way, between Holmgren Way and South Oneida Street.
Runner registration and packet pickup: 4-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.
MyTeam Triumph marathon and wheelchairs: 6:55 a.m. Sunday
Marathon and marathon relay: 7 a.m.
MyTeam Triumph half marathon and wheelchairs: 7:55 a.m.
Half marathon and half marathon relay: 8 a.m.
5K run/walk: 8:15 a.m.
The course includes lap around Lambeau Field
The course is similar to last year, though road construction has required some adjustments. The starting and ending lines will be on Mike McCarthy Way near the stadium. And all courses include a lap around the not-frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.
Water stations and gel stations will be set up every 1 to 2 miles on the course.
The marathon course starts in Ashwaubenon, on the west side of the Fox River, heads west under Interstate 41 to South Point Road and eventually turns back east, crossing the Fox River on the Mason Street bridge, where it heads south into Allouez and eventually connects to the Fox River Trail. Runners and walkers head north and cross the Mason Street bridge again and work their way back to the Lambeau Field area.
The half marathon and 5K stay on the west side of Fox River.
What's the weather forecast?
Some may call the conditions ideal, according to the forecast as of Thursday evening. According to the National Weather Service, the low Saturday night will be around 50 and Sunday should be sunny with a high near 70.
The weather can wreak havoc on long distance events like this.
In 2019, the full marathon was canceled because of flooding on parts of the course that ran along the Fox River. The half marathon was run because it didn't go through any flooded areas. Those who registered for the full marathon were given the option of running the half.
The 2012 event was canceled because of hot weather. The decision was made at 9:25 a.m., and race officials began notifying those on the course that it was being halted.
The temperature was 70 with a humidity of 63% when the event began. By 9:25 a.m., it was 80. More than half the participants didn't get a chance to finish it.
Sean Ryan, the race director at the time, said that shortly after 9 a.m., signs of health-related illnesses and dehydration reached a critical point. "Our participants' safety is our first priority and at the end of the day, we feel we did the right thing," he said in an email to participants.
This year, the weather forecast looks good, but participants should still watch the Event Alert System, which are alert flags throughout the course.
Who are the beneficiaries of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon?
The event raises money and awareness for other nonprofits.
This year's partners are the Greater Green Bay YMCA, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and the New Community Shelter.
The Cellcom marathon has given back more than $1.7 million over the last 23 years.
What if I want to watch?
Organizers welcome and encourage spectators throughout the course.
They can also watch friends and family take their lap around Lambeau Field.
Post-race festivities will be at The Bar on Holmgren Way, where a band will perform on an outdoor stage.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: What you need to know about 2023 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon on Sunday
