Steamtown Marathon introduces additional 2.62-mile race and train ride experience

The 29th Steamtown Marathon is this Sunday, October 11.

SCRANTON, Pa. — Race registration is up more than 300 this year for the 29th running of the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton. 

But this year has something new and a bit more manageable. Instead of 26.2 miles, a shorter, 2.62-mile race is also planned on Saturday morning.

“What we’re really trying to do is bring everyone to Northeast Pennsylvania to really experience all that it offers,” said Jeremy Komasz.

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Assistant race director Jim Cummings says the shorter race makes the weekend a family affair instead of just for the dedicated runners. “When you run the marathon, you have to be 18 years old. We are letting younger kids run short lines. Quite often we’re seeing his families are registering. So mother, father, and their two kids are running the short line.”

Something else new, “If you register for the 2.62 mile or the marathon, you can park at Steamtown and get on the train and get to take the train to the University of Scranton for the race expo,” said Komasz.

Komasz says all of this could boost the race’s economic impact. “What we’re hoping is people come on Friday, come early on Saturday. They’ll get a chance to experience the park. Steamtown is free, so they’re gonna be here. They’re gonna do the run. They’ll have about an hour to walk around the park, and then they’ll have the opportunity to take the train ride see what we do to preserve railroading history here in northeast Pennsylvania.”

Saturday’s weather is looking great; Sunday, not so much, as rain is possible during the race. That’s been a dark cloud on Jim Cummings’ mind all week. “We’ve had, I think, two Steamtown Marathons in our history, which it was raining the entire time. Runners survived that. Marathoners are tough. They’ve trained through rain. They race in rain. It’ll be a minor inconvenience,” he said.

So if the rain does make an appearance, Cummings says runners should make sure their race bibs are visible, not hidden under rain gear.

Marathon registration ends Thursday night. The shortline race registration continues until race morning. 

For more information on how to register, click here.