MISSOULA — While the big race may be on Sunday, that doesn’t mean that Saturday wasn’t full of other events, with a 5K, children’s marathon and a running expo leaving tons of fun to be had.
“This is one of the best high-energy well supported races. It's awesome,” said one runner from Michigan.
Starting bright and early at 8 a.m., the Tony Banovich 5K saw hundreds of runners line up, waiting for the gun.
Runners from all 50 states and eight different countries are participating in the marathon this year, with Missoula offering a beautiful atmosphere for both the marathon and the 5K on Saturday morning.
“I'm from Conway, Arkansas. It's a nice 5K, great community support, great weather. We're from down south where it's like 108 degree temperature right now. So I almost needed a jacket, but it was a great race,” said one 5K runner.
“There's so many people cheering you along and as you're running people are smiling and cheering you even as you're running by. It's fantastic,” said the runner from Michigan.
The winners for the 5K are the following: Luke Mest for the men’s category, Zoe Smith for the women’s and Katelyn Melcher for the non-binary category.
The 5K wasn’t the only fun to be had, as the Missoula Kids Marathon drew out roughly 100 kiddos to race to the finish line, 1.2 miles away.
There was also a runners' expo to attend on Saturday, with various companies coming out to show runners what they have to offer.
From headphones to clothing to sports nutrition, the expo was a one-stop shop for all things running-related.
The Missoula Marathon kicks off early Sunday morning, and you can catch our coverage of the marathon at 8 a.m. on KPAX.
