UPDATE (2/3): The Elkhart Truth ran a feature on Doug Yoder and the upcoming event.  Check out their website to read the article and see video from the feature.

GOSHEN, Ind. – For the second-straight year, Goshen College head cross country coach Doug Yoder will be hosting an indoor marathon with the purpose of raising funds for charities.

This year, proceeds from the event will be split between Haitian Earthquake Relief and local charity LaCasa, Inc.  With nearly $1,000 raised a year ago, Yoder would love to continue to see the event grow and bring in more than $3,000 this year.

The Second Annual Maple Leafs Indoor Marathon will take place on Saturday, February 27 at the Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center on the campus of Goshen College.  Contestants will complete 204 laps on the 210-meter upstairs track in the venue.

Registration forms are currently being accepted by contacting Yoder at (574) 535-7495 or dougy@goshen.edu.  The cost of to run in the event is $50 if registration is received by January 31 and $60 up to the event date.  The field will be limited to the first 25 paid registered runners.

As part of the Goshen College Athletics program Leaf Relief, all proceeds from the event will go to LaCasa, Inc. and to relief work in Haiti following the recent devastating earthquake.  LaCasa provides housing and other human services for the benefit of Goshen’s low-to-moderate income households.  Some of their programs include: training, counseling and loans for first-time home buyers, community and neighborhood building and organization projects, and immigration and language services.  For more information, visit www.lacasagoshen.org.

Runners will begin their 204 laps at 7:00 a.m. and will have six hours to complete the marathon.  All participants will receive an official Maple Leaf Indoor Marathon shirt and all finishers will get a 2009 Finisher’s Medal. The first two males and two females will be presented with unique awards.

Yoder, however, will once again go beyond the 204-lap threshold.  He will attempt to go even further than his 242 laps (50K) of a year ago and see how many laps he can complete in the event’s six-hour time limit.  Pledges are being accepted for each lap he completes past the marathon distance.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 and is filed under Features.