The Salina Crossroads Marathon now has over 5,000 registered runners.

Organizers say with a little over two weeks until race day there are 5,025 runners registered from all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Those numbers will make Salina Crossroads the largest marathon event in Kansas this year. There are over 2,225 runners registered from outside the state of Kansas and over nearly 4,300 from outside of Salina.

Salina Crossroads Marathon Highlights

• Team Take Down, an African American running club with members in all fifty states as well as other countries, will gather for their annual MeetUp event at the Salina Crossroads Marathon. Team Take Down currently has 195 runners registered.
• 100% of the race entry fees are given to five local youth sports organizations: Salina Burn Track and Field Club, Salina Family YMCA, Kansas Youth Sports, Salina Area Youth Sportsmanship Initiative, and the School Marathon Foundation.
• Salina Crossroads Marathon has a 4.7/5.0 rating on RaceRaves, one of the leading national race listing sites, based on reviews from runners. RaceRaves featured Salina Crossroads in July as a Top Rated event with the headline “Fast-growing gem comes alive with hometown hospitality. The Richmond Marathon (4.7) and Salina Crossroads Marathon (4.7) are the only two November marathons featured by RaceRaves with at least ten reviews that received a score of 4.7 or higher.
• With a little over two weeks until race day there are 5,025 runners registered from all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

Why Do Runners Participate in the Salina Crossroads Marathon?

• “I am a single mom of four and I do not get the opportunity to sign up for many races, because I do not have the extra money. So the low cost entries are very much appreciated.”
• “Just wanted to say thank you! For everything you guys are doing, thank you. Honestly, you are rewriting the game on how to run a race.”

• “Thank you very much for deferring my entry. You care a whole lot more than the big city races do.”

• “Thank you for doing an amazing job with race updates and communication. Your communication is on par with big city races.”

Volunteers Needed

This year the Salina Crossroads Marathon will need more than 300 volunteers. Volunteers can sign up for the Salina Crossroads Marathon at https://salinacrossroadsmarathon.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=81121. Volunteer needs include course monitors, finish line and festival, and packet pickup. Course Monitors will ensure safety along the run course by assisting traffic across intersections, providing pedestrians/runners with course direction, and encouraging participants along the course. Festival volunteers will be placed in various areas around the finish line area and assist with the removal of timing chips, handing out participant finisher medals, distributing participant food/beverage items, and cleaning & maintaining a green event. Packet pickup includes assigning runners their bib number and getting them their race shirt. “Volunteers are what separate the very best marathons from other races. We were blown away by both the number of individuals who volunteered for last year’s race as well as their passion and commitment to ensuring that every runner had an amazing experience. We often highlight the number of participants and the economic impact that races have, but the volunteerism aspect is equally important to local communities like Salina. Right now our biggest need is for course monitors.” said Co-Race Director-Daniel Craig.

Safety is the Number One Priority

Runner safety is a primary concern for the Salina Crossroads Marathon. A marathon requires preparation and planning by runners and event medical personnel. We work closely with city service agencies and Salina Family Healthcare Center to ensure we have medical teams led by physicians at the start, throughout the course, and at the finish for thorough coverage. This year the Salina Crossroads Marathon will have five medical teams along the route and at the start/finish line and each one will have a physician on board. Genell Heimer chairs the Healthcare and Safety Committee. She will be working closely with Dr. Andrew Westbrook at Mowery Clinic, Dr. Amanda Rhyne at Salina Family Healthcare Center, City of Salina Police Department, the City of Salina Street Superintendent, Saline County Emergency Management, Salina Fire Department EMS, National Weather Service, the co-race directors, and many amazing healthcare professionals and volunteers to create a safe environment for all participants and spectators.

Changes for 2024

Funding from local organizations including Vortex Company, the Marathon Presenting Sponsor, and Schwan’s Company, the Half Marathon Presenting Sponsor, as well as local foundations and statewide organizations allows the Salina Crossroads Marathon to put on one of the premier marathon events in the Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa region. This year’s course will be 100% paved, there will be fun signs for post-race photos, and a PR bell that runners who run their fastest time can ring. Runners can register at https://register.chronotrack.com/r/77705.

 A Fun Experience for the Entire Family

The Salina Crossroads Marathon strives to be The Most Runner Friendly Marathon in Kansas by allowing runners to switch race distances at any time, transfer entries to the following year, and by providing race day registration and packet pickup. The goals of the Salina Crossroads Marathon are to have a high-quality race that can bring in runners from across the United States, create a significant economic impact for the community, provide 100% of the race entry fees to local organizations, offer volunteer opportunities, and provide fun family friendly events so the entire community can come be a part of a USATF Certified and Boston Qualifying Marathon weekend. The Salina Crossroads Marathon strives to be the most affordable race in Kansas to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate. To help keep costs low the Salina Crossroads Marathon separates the race entry fee from the race shirt fee so that participants can get a lower cost entry by selecting to not get a race shirt. This option has proved extremely popular with runners.

 About the Salina Crossroads Marathon

The Salina Crossroads Marathon began when two local runners (Chris Lehecka and Daniel Craig) started visiting about what it would look like for Salina to have a high-quality marathon and half marathon race. The City of Salina helped develop a fun and scenic course that minimized disruptions to traffic and parking in Downtown Salina. The Salina Crossroads Marathon planning committee includes individuals in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors as well as local runners. Andrew Manley serves as a co-race director and treasurer for the Salina Crossroads Marathon. The goals of the Salina Crossroads Marathon are to have a high-quality race that can bring in runners from across the United States, provide 100% of the race entry fees to local organizations, and provide fun family friendly events so the entire community can come be a part of a USATF Certified and Boston Qualifying Marathon weekend.