Saturday, May 2, marks the third running of the Prairie du Chien Half Marathon. Event organizer Linda Hansen has seen the race grow into a successful annual event, highlighting the natural beauty of the Prairie du Chien area. “The air is clean and fresh, the scenery is spectacular, the rivers provide a sense of tranquility,” says Hansen, “the hills offer variety and challenge, the bluffs give a sense of grandeur, and it is not uncommon to see bald eagles, deer, wild turkeys, and a variety of other wildlife while running.”

The race begins and ends near the Mississippi River on St. Feriole Island. The course passes though various parts of Prairie du Chien, including the historic downtown and the Villa Louis.

Hansen combined her love for long distance racing, the Prairie du Chien area, and her flair for marketing to envision what a Prairie du Chien Half Marathon would be like, long before the innaugural race in 2007. Hansen says, “I had envisioned the race for many years as I thought it would be a great event to not only encourage fitness, but to promote tourism to the Prairie du Chien area.”

Drumming up support for the first year brought some challenging moments. “I was a bit surprised at how few people in the area had heard about this type of race and the positive economic impact it can provide to a community,” Hansen said, “Athletic tourism is a booming market. Racing tourists travel far and wide to attend races.” Case in point, the first registrants for the 2009 race are from St. Louis, Missouri and found out about it online.

Hansen hopes this event can have a positive impact on the overall health of Prairie du Chien’s citizens, too. She is beginning to see some positive results already. She says, “Many people have told me they started a new running or walking program after being inspired by the race.”

The Half Marathon receives support from the Tourism Council, Prairie du Chien Downtown Revitalization, The Chamber of Commerce, and the city in addition to their sponsors and crew of volunteers. “The race would not happen without them,” says Hansen.

Future plans include the addition of a 5-K, so families and friends with different fitness levels could all participate.

Runners can register online at active.com. View more photos from the very first PdC Half Marathon at runningintheusa.com. The PdC Half Marathon website is www.pdchalfmarathon.com.