President Campbell welcomed those at the Grand Ely Lodge and via Zoom.
President Campbell updated us on the actions of the Board this past Monday, including our financial report, Interact Club report, and a potential donation of $3,972 for benches at the Veterans on the Lake, if matched by the District. We have a new member application form for use, and Todd Heiman was thanked for his work on a Club laptop, and Terri Olson for her work on the Rose Sale. Finally, Kurt Soderberg announced his intent to resign as Secretary at the end of the year, and Lisa Ledel has indicated her willingness to step up to that office.
Wendy Lindsay - Ely Marathon
Wendy provided us a historical overview of the development of a marathon from her days with the Chamber of Commerce, with a date selected to bring tourists to town on an otherwise down weekend.
Ours is not one of the big marathons, but she hopes to move from 700 registrants overall to at least 1,000 or more to make it break even or make money. Our marathon is Boston-certified (a big deal) such that a qualified finish time here can qualify one to run in the Boston Marathon.
She gave us an idea of what it takes to make this a success such as 19 aid stations, 350 volunteers, 1,200 signs, and 800 cones. Each runner brings three people on average along for the weekend and they come from 36 states and Ontario to Ely. She told us why they start where they do and what it takes to properly measure for a certified course.
Thanks to Wendy and her organization, plus thanks to those from Rotary who staffed the Mile 22 aid station!
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