Loco Great Bay 1/2 Marathon

Race Details

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FAQ

PARKING RACE DAY

PLEASE CARPOOL! We have 800 parking spaces at or near the start and finish. These will be filled by 10:00 AM or earlier. If you arrive after 10:00 AM, you will be directed to the Municipal lot 8 tenths from registration.

There will be a shuttle from this lot.

2008 Packet Pickup Saturday & Sunday

Saturday April 5 12:00 -5:00 pm
Sunday April 6: 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Location: Newmarket High School (both days)

What distance is this race?
The Great Bay Half Marathon is 13.1 miles long with about 1/3rd of the race running along Great Bay Estuary in scenic Durham and Newmarket New Hampshire. The course is a certified accurate course.

ARE WALKERS ALLOWED?
YES! Wallkers are very welcome to our event. All we ask is that you obey the rules of the course and walk no more than two people abreast so that others may pass easily. Walkers will start officially 30 minutes before the runners.

What is the course like?

Our course starts in a small picturesque New England mill town, Newmarket, and takes a winding course through very rural and rustic roads that follow the Great Bay Coastline. This is a loop course with the first and last mile being run on the same roads. From the start to about mile 2.5 you will experience some small to medium hills and then the road turns into a very nicely graded gravel road (in Durham, NH) for another 3 miles. This dirt road has very few houses on it, so you will have to be content running by century old stone walls, large hay fields, beaver ponds and mature maple, oak and pine forests.

At mile 5 you go back onto tar onto a “designated scenic road” that follows the Great Bay Coastline. The next 3.5 miles are the most challenging with two good sized steep, but short hills. After each hill you will have a chance to recouperate on very gradual rolling downhills On this road you will see dramatic overlooks of the Great Bay Estuary where you might even glimpse gret birds of prey like a Bald Eagle or Osprey.

Mile 9 will be the end of any real hills as you enter the Moody Point area, also called Lubberland. This flat and easy section is about 2.5 miles long and runs through a very classy Cape Cod style neighborhood with grand views again of the Bay again bringing you out to about mile 12.

The last mile brings you back through town, past an artsy series of murals, field stone houses and to the finish at the Newmarket High school.

WHERE ARE THE WATER STOPSc
Water stops are planned at mile 3, 6, 9 and 11.5- Also Acellerade energy drink will be available at two stations

Custom medals will be awarded to all finishers.

WHERE IS THE START & HOW DO I GET THERE?
The start is in front of the Newmarket Elementary School in Newmarket. It is located 600 yards from the finish, at the Newmarket High School. There is plenty of free parking at both the start and the finish for early runners. Additional parking aivailable at a free municipal lot 6 tenths of a mile away. A free shuttle will be provided rom the municipal lot parking area.

WHERE CAN WE FIND PARKING ON RACE MORNING?
The parking lot for both the High School finish and start are located within 200 yards. Parking is FREE on Sundays.

Note: Late arrivals will be parking in the town municipal lot about 6tenths from the finish and 1 mile from the start - plan accordingly.

ARE THERE SHOWERS AFTER THE RACE?
There will be a limited number of shower stalls available after the race in the High School.

HOW CAN I DRIVE THE COURSE?
All of the race course is accessable by car before the race begins. Follow the race map for best results.

WHERE ARE THE BEST LOCATIONS TO SEE THE RACE?
Probably the best and only spot is the start and the finish. Because this is a loop course on a small windy road, we strongly discourage cars on the course. No cars, except local residents, will be allowed on Bay Road during the race. Safety concerns for the participants prevents our allowing anyone on the middle 4 miles of the course. However, you can easily get to the 5 mile mark by going all the way into Durham on Rt. 108 and following Durham Point Road back to Dame Road. To do this, you should leave in your car before the race starts and be past the 1 mile mark.

WHAT DOES CHIP TIMED MEAN?
Each walker or runner will receive a small light “Chip” that they place onto their shoe. When you start the race you will travel over a matt that takes a reading from this chip. This records your start and finish time automatically into a computer so we can get results out to you faster. Please remember to return this chip at the end of the race.

NOTE: There is a $35 fee if you fail to return your chip.

Health & Fitness

EXPO Flyer

Register by mail(PDF)

USATF Official Map (PDF)

Register Online

Register by mail (PDF)

Mile 5.5 on Bay Road, Durham

WILL THE RACE ENTRIES BE CAPPED?

For the safety of our race participants, the entry numbers will be capped to control the numbers at the half Marathon starting lines. We would love to be able to let everyone in, but safety requires that we limit the field. The number of participants is capped at 2000 for the half Marathon

HOW DO I REGISTER?
You can register for all events online on our page, see the registration link. OR, Register by mail using our PDF Entry form and mail it to: Great Bay Half, C/O LOCO Sports, PO Box 423, Newmarket, NH

HOW DO I GET MY PACKET?
All packets and chips must be picked up before the race. The best way to insure you hae everything is to visit us at the free Health & Fitness Expo on Saturday April 5 (12:00 pm - 5:pm) and Sunday Race Day (9:00 am - 10:30 pm) before the event.

WHERE IS THE START & HOW DO I GET THERE?
The start is in front of the Newmarket Elementary School in Newmarket. It is located 600 yards from the finish, at the Newmarket High School. There is plenty of parking at both the start and the finish, but there may need to be extra parking at a free municipal lot 7 tenths of a mile away. A free shuttle will be provided for the municipal lot parking.

Where is the Expo and early number pickup?
The Exeter Hospital Health & Fitness Expo and packet pickup is located at the Newmarket High School on South Main Street in Newmarket.

WILL THERE BE A BAG CHECK SO THAT I CAN RETRIEVE MY BAG AT THE FINISH?
For the Half Marathon you can place your bag in the High School Gym However, we strongly suggest that you bring nothing breakable or valuable with you to the start of either race. We are not responsible for anything that you check as we have 1500 bags to move in only a short time. Small bags would be appreciated.

WHERE CAN I STAY IN OR NEAR NEWMARKET?
There are several wonderful places to stay in nearby Durham, Exeter or even Portsmouth. See our lodging page!