Muddy River Marathon's inaugural race a big win

Earlier this month, hundreds of runners from 21 states participated in the first Muddy River Marathon in Cape Girardeau.

Organizer Brandon Hahs said the number of participants totaled 769. A few weeks ago when interviewed by the Southeast Missourian, Hahs said he was blown away by the interest considering the planning didn't begin until late January.

Along with the event's local appeal and tourism attraction, the marathon served as a qualifying event for one of the country's most famous races: the Boston Marathon. But it wasn't exclusive to full marathon runners -- other distances included a half marathon, competitive team and half marathon relay.

One of the interesting aspects of the event was the opportunity to showcase various Cape Girardeau landmarks and facilities such as the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Common Pleas Courthouse, Dalhousie Golf Course and Old St. Vincent's Church.

The race had a charitable component with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri.

Congratulations to the organizers for hosting a tremendous event. We hope they continue to build upon this year's success in the years to come.