31 years and still running

This weekend marks the 31st running of the New Prague Half- Marathon, which is now part of the bigger “Run New Prague” event.

The Half-Marathon was the brainchild of a group of community boosters looking for ways to promote New Prague and its businesses.

Then, as now, hundreds of runners, along with family members and friends, flock to the community for the event. It has grown to include a 10K and 5K race as well as a Kid’s Fun Run. People do come to New Prague from all over the state, and some from out of state, and quite often, they return because of the great experience they had at the races.

This race couldn’t be held without the many volunteers who help hand out race packets, set up the course, man the aid stations and take care of the many small but significant tasks that go into a project of this size. It also wouldn’t happen without the effort of the Chamber of Commerce employees and board members - both past and present - who put in many extra hours to make sure the event goes off without a hitch.

Back in the 1980s, many people thought distance running was a fad, and weren’t sure an event like this would last. Now, after 31 years, the New Prague Half-Marathon still has legs, and looks like it’s going to keep going for some time to come.