New Years Double

After an inaugural running on New Year’s Day of 2011 through this northern suburb of Dallas in North Texas, the New Year’s Day Half Marathon expanded for New Year’s 2012 to feature a full, 26.2-mile marathon, two-person half marathon relay and a 5K in addition to the individual half marathon, for a race that’s been newly renamed the New Year’s Double Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K.

Runners will follow an out-and-back course that starts in Allen’s Celebration Park and takes runners along the paved walking, running and biking trails that both wind through the park and extend outside the park and into the neighborhoods beyond the park, roughly in parallel with the Angel Parkway. Those running the half marathon will run the 6.55-mile course twice, while those running the full marathon will make four loops around the course.

The course is set to be certified by USA Track & Field, and organizers plan to have three aid stations set up out on the course — at the start/finish line area, a second station in Celebration Park, and a third station at the turnaround point near Country Brook Lane.Interested in participating? You’re encouraged to sign up early, as the 5K is limited to 400 runners on each day, while the half and full marathons are limited to 1,000 runners each day. You can combine races too, by say running the 5K one day and the half marathon the next, or the full marathon one day and the 5K the next. See the race website for full details.

Two days of run events (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day), with technical running shirts and finisher medals for everyone. There’s also a special perk for those who complete multiple running events over the two days – we know how runners love their bling!

The course starts and finishes in one of the City of Allen Parks Department’s crown jewels, Celebration Park. Celebration Park is 99 acres and Allen’s newest Community Park. Phase I was completed in 2003 in time for the 50th Anniversary of Allen’s charter. Phase II was completed in 2010. The park’s amenitiesinclude lighted baseball and soccer fields, the enormous Kid Mania community-built playground and adjoining sprayground, lighted tennis courts, and a large sport court. This is the park where Allen hosts anywhere from 50,000 to 85,000 area residents each year for its AllenUSA celebration around the July 4th holiday.The Kid Mania playground looks like about 5 or 6 large playgrounds all connected together. This is extremely close to the start/finish and a great place for the kids to play (supervised) while a parent is running the race.