01 Mar 2017 Soaring Wings Half Marathon to celebrate 10th anniversary

The Soaring Wings of Conway Half Marathon will mark its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 21. The race benefits Soaring Wings Ranch, a Christ-centered home for children needing a chance.

More than 18,000 have registered since 2007 for the event. The first half marathon in Conway soon became a must-do race for both local runners and those around the area. Since its inception, this event has allowed both walkers and runners to train harder, run farther and push their limits – all for a great cause.

Many things have been added over the years, including a two-person relay and a marathon in 2015. “With this being the 10-year anniversary of the half marathon, we have decided to take the race back to its roots and truly celebrate how it all began,” said race co-director Marla Watson.

“In order to accommodate a broader range of participants, the marathon will not return, and the relay will be replaced by a 10K,” added co-director Amanda Castillo. “The marathon is something we are very proud of, but truly 1 percent of the population even runs a marathon in their lifetime, and for that small percent, many want to mark it off a bucket list.”

“We want to reach more of our community (runners and walkers) of all levels and the 10K is a great distance for that,” Watson said. “Plus, participants can run/walk with their running buddies, unlike forming a relay team that requires them to run their distance separately. The 10K course begins and ends with the half marathon course, so friends and family will have tons of locations to cheer on all the participants.”

The Soaring Wings training program begins Saturday, Aug. 5.

The Kids Run for Kids half marathon and fun runs will take place again this year. A date and location will be announced soon.  

“Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this celebration,” Watson said. “Registration opens April 1!”

For more information and to register, visit swmarathon.com.