City of Gary to Host First-Ever Marathon

gary-race-map-1Gary’s first female Mayor announced the city’s first ever marathon. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson joined other city officials, event organizers and sponsors at a press conference to share details about the “Dawn of the Dunes” Marathon at Marquette Park. The event is the first of its kind for the steel city and will also include a half marathon, 5K and fun run for children.

“We believe this marathon is another opportunity to show that the City of Gary is open for business and able to accommodate large scale events,” said Freeman-Wilson. “It also builds on our efforts to promote Marquette Park as a tourist attraction and is another chance to feature Gary’s positive attributes.”

The event will take place Sunday, October 27th at 7:30a.m. in Marquette Park.

Tom Taylor, Portage native and founder of Cause 2 Compete, approached the city several months ago with the idea to host the “Dawn of the Dunes” Marathon. Am awards brunch will also be held at Marquette Park Pavilion following the races. Tickets are $25, and the brunch is open to the public.

“While in high school, I always enjoyed running near the beach in Gary,” said Taylor. “Once I heard about all of the renovations that had taken place at Marquette, I knew this would be an ideal place to host a marathon.”

gary-race-mapTaylor worked with the city to secure sponsors and partners such as the Gary Community School Corporation, Majestic Star Casino, Prompt Ambulance and the Methodist Hospitals Foundation among others.

Those who are interested in participating in one of the races, volunteering or attending the awards brunch can visit dunesmarathon.com for more information or call Taylor directly at (219) 395-4503.