Coeur D’Alene Marathon Features Revised Course

After more than two decades of aging, the Coeur d’Alene Marathon needed a course-lift.

“The biggest reason is that there is so much more traffic in Coeur d’Alene,” race coordinator Kelly Knapp said. “The course was run for 20 years. Twenty years ago, there weren’t so many cars on the road.”

The changes made to today’s 22nd CdA Marathon now extend the course around Lake Coeur d’Alene along the Centennial Trail, paralleling Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive. Runners can expect significant hills at miles 19 and 22.

Starting and finishing at North Idaho College, the 26.2-mile race begins at 5 a.m. for walkers, at 6:55 for wheelchair racers and at 7 for marathon runners and half-marathoners.

Despite the changes, there will be familiar faces competing.

For the men, Mark Tarr, the 1994 champ, could be called the favorite because five-time champ Mark Brady will not be racing.

Brady ran the Capital City Marathon in Olympia two weeks ago and didn’t have time to recover. Brady said he expects a good race between Tarr and Bryan Shultz. “Shultz isn’t as fast as Tarr,” he said, “but Shultz is in really good shape.”

Shultz won the Spokane Marathon in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 33 seconds. He finished 89th in Spokane’s 12K Bloomsday run (47:13), which Tarr completed in 41:07.

The women’s race didn’t have any standouts registered as of noon Saturday, but some contenders registered late last year, Knapp said.

In the wheelchair division, Jerry Martin of Cheney and Tyler Byers of Spokane are the expected favorites so far, Knapp said.

According to Knapp, the course changes improved an already very scenic race, and the course has been certified - runners can use it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. As of noon Saturday, 700 had registered for the half-marathon, while 420 signed up for the full.

Ash from Mount St. Helens halted the event in 1980, but it has been run every year since.