LAKE HAVASU CITY — Lake Havasu City is getting ready, for perhaps, the largest competitive road running race that the city experiences all year in the Havasu Half Marathon.
Runners and walkers are set to toe the starting line this Saturday in the London Bridge Beach parking lot. The half marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. A 5K run/walk starts 9:30 a.m. There also is a so-called Lighthouse Challenge which has runners competing in both the half marathon and 5K, as well as virtual racing options and a Doggie Dash 3K on Friday.
This is the sixth year for the Havasu Half Marathon, organized by Mercury Events, a Southern California based race organization. Mercury Events is in its 11th year organizing races and has led races in a plethora of mostly Southern California locations including Los Angeles, Anaheim, Camarillo, San Bernardino and Long Beach.
So far, about 300 have signed up for the half marathon and 450 have signed up for the 5K, said Gavin McKiernan, race director with Mercury Events. He said he expected the final tally of participants to be similar to last year with additional competitors signing up on or close to race day.
Competitors come in from Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles to run in the Havasu Half Marathon, McKiernan said.
The out-and-back half marathon course offers ideal views of Lake Havasu and the London Bridge. It’s relatively flat.
Just like the half marathon course, the 5K starts at London Bridge Beach and heads over London Bridge.
All finishers and those in the virtual run get shirts, bibs and medals.
Regionally, Mercury Events was an organizer for the Laughlin Half Marathon for seven years. That December race was last held in 2022.
Havasu residents had approached McKiernan at the Laughlin Half Marathon in past years asking if his organization could put on such a race for Lake Havasu City. The race director agreed and held the first Havasu Half Marathon in March 2021 as many local and national events were returning after the shutdown from the covid 19 pandemic.
Featured photo: Competitors head out in a previous year’s Havasu Half Marathon. This year’s event is set for Saturday, March 7. Photo courtesy of Mercury Events.
