Darlington Marathon courses officially certified

Below is a news release from the Darlington Raceway regarding the upcoming Bojangles' Darlington Marathon, proudly sponsored by WMBF News:

RACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS' DANNY WHITE OFFICIALLY

CERTIFIES BOJANGLES' DARLINGTON MARATHON COURSES

Registration taking place at DarlingtonMarathon.com

DARLINGTON, S.C. (August 15, 2014) – The race courses for the Sept. 26-27 Bojangles' Darlington Marathon Presented by Sam Carbis Solutions Group have been officially certified by Danny White of Race Management Systems.

The certification ensures all the distances are exact and allows the competitors to qualify for other signature events such as the 2015 Boston Marathon.

USA Track & Field (USATF) will recognize times from the Darlington Marathon as official finishing times. The USATF/RRTC certification numbers are SC14059DW for the half marathon and SC14060DW for the full marathon. A certification number for the 5K will be available the week of August 18.

"Certifying our races for the Bojangles' Darlington Marathon Presented by Sam Carbis Solutions Group is an important step in the process," Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile said. "It guarantees that all the courses are accurately measured and gives the racers the ability to qualify for Boston and other major racing events throughout the running season. We appreciate having Danny White on board to assist us in this process."

White, who is the official State Certifier for South Carolina, also holds national certification credentials for all 50 states. With over 35 years of experience in the sport of distance running, White enjoys the certification process.

Certifying the multiple Bojangles' Darlington Marathon courses took several days of White riding his bicycle through the city of Darlington's historic districts. He cycled over 90 miles throughout the Darlington community over a week's time. The process to certify a course is a complicated formula measuring distance, in addition to other metrics such as mathematic equations and ambient temperature.

White works alongside his wife, Lesa, to certify each course. He has also personally raced in 29 marathons throughout his career.

"My wife and I have enjoyed our time in the Darlington community and Darlington Raceway over the last several days," White said. "Certifying a course is very complex and takes a great deal of time and precision. I think all the courses for the Bojangles' Darlington Marathon are fun and challenging. The marathon course in particular really does showcase some wonderful places in the city of Darlington and at the track Too Tough to Tame. We were honored to have certified this course for Darlington Raceway."

The marathon weekend will kick off under the lights on Friday night, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. with a 5K and 1.366-mile fun run, which encompasses one lap around the Lady in Black.

Saturday's activities (Sept. 27) will begin at 7 a.m. ET and feature half and full marathon events, along with a marathon relay. The races start inside the iconic Darlington Raceway and make their way through the city, which features five historical districts and the beautiful Williamson Park. The event concludes at the historic start-finish line.

Early registration for the marathon is set to expire today, August 15. Non-refundable prices of $90 (full marathon), $60 (half-marathon), $30 (5K) and $10 (Friday night fun run) are being offered until midnight. A marathon relay team (2-4 participants) is also being offered at a cost of $200. After today (August 15), prices for all events will increase.

Area racers who participate in the Pee Dee Grand Prix will also benefit by earning 10 points to run the half-marathon and 15 points for the full marathon.

Academy Sports & Outdoor, Bojangles', Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Fitness World Gyms, Georgia-Pacific, Honda of South Carolina, Palmetto Staffing, Papa John's, Raceway Ford & Chevrolet, Sam Carbis Solutions Group, Sonoco Products, Weaver Media and WMBF News are all current partners of the Darlington Marathon. Partnership opportunities are still available by calling Darlington Raceway Director of Corporate Partnerships Jeff Taylor at 843-395-8877.

For more information on the Darlington Marathon or to register visit www.DarlingtonMarathon.com. Updates are also available at Facebook.com/DarlingtonMarathon