Weeks after the 24 Hours of Daytona and hours before qualifying for the Daytona 500 some NASCAR star drivers will be competing in a different type of race.
Those drivers will mark their debut in the fifth annual Daytona Beach Half Marathon, which will start and end at historic Daytona International Speedway. Among the NASCAR drivers that have submitted applications to compete in the Daytona Beach Half Marathon are five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola. “My wife and I really like to run and stay fit,” Almirola said. “Sammy Johns, our Director of Competition at Richard Petty Motorsports, is really into running, triathlons and being competitive. So, we all decided this was a perfect run to do. It’s during Speedweeks, it’s going to get the race fans involved and it just seems like a lot of fun. We are looking forward to it.” Runners will begin the half marathon on pit road at Daytona International Speedway. The course will circle around the first two miles of the track, exiting the track at Gate 7 and heading east on International Speedway Blvd. Runners continue over the bridge getting their first glimpse of the Halifax River and the beach, finally reaching “The World’s Most Famous Beach” at approximately the 7.1-mile mark. Runners will then run on the beach for a 10th of a mile, getting an unobstructed view of the ocean as the sun rises on the beautiful horizon, Returning to the roads of Daytona Beach, runners will then head back to the Speedway for the finish and a trip to Gatorade Victory Lane. The Daytona Beach Half Marathon is open to runners and walkers, at least 12 years of age or older, who can complete the course in less than 3 hours and 30 minutes. Recent Articles
|
Racing Multimedia
Recommendations |