Well, maybe they’re talking about something else going on Sunday, but it is a big day for the Half Marathon. For the first time, the 2010 race is capped, with a limit of 1,200 participants for the Half Marathon and 400 for the 5k. The cap will ensure that the race grows at a pace that is sustainable for Peninsula State Park, but also the great experience runners have raved about in the first two years.

Jenny Hadfield of Chicago Endurance Sports and Roy pirRUNg, a USA Track and Field Masters Hall of Famer, have hailed the course as one of the best half marathon courses in the country.

The road course, certified by the USATF, is closed to traffic for the race and provides runners and fans with panoramic bluff-top vistas of the peninsula shoreline.

The closed course is a welcome relief to those weary of overcrowded courses on busy city streets, and the scenery can’t be beat.

To register for the race and get all the information you need, visit www.doorcountyhalfmarathon.com. If you still have questions, call Assistant Race Director Mary Knutson at 920.421.1519.

Jenny Hadfield, coach and co-founder of Chicago Endurance Sports and the author of three books on distance running, brought a squadron of her club’s members to the race last year

“The Door County Half Marathon is a real treasure,” Hadfield said. “The course winds through picturesque Peninsula State Park and is closed to traffic, which makes for a uniquely authentic journey from start to finish.  The Chicago Endurance Sports Team loved it so much, they’re coming back in 2010 to run it again!”

USATF Masters Hall of Famer Roy pirRUNg called the course “one of the best half-marathon courses I have ever run. It was like running on a track through the forest.”

Peninsula State Park is one of the region’s most popular and revered destinations for golfing, boating, camping, and wildlife. The course, certified by the United States Track and Field Federation, is closed to traffic for the race and provides runners and fans with panoramic bluff-top vistas of the peninsula shoreline.

The closed course is a welcome relief to those weary of overcrowded courses on busy city streets, and the scenery can’t be beat.

Off the course, the Door County community welcomes runners to charming inns and resorts, warm independent coffee shops, a thriving arts community, and friendly local eateries.

To watch a video of the course and see interviews with 2009 participants, visit www.doorcountyhalfmarathon.com. For registration information contact Assistant Race Director Mary Knutson at 920.421.1519.