The Community First Fox Cities Marathon is two months away. Here's what you need to know about race weekend.

The 32nd running of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon presented by Miron Construction is a little more than two months away.

Race weekend is Sept. 15-17, with the Guardian Kids Fun Run, Huggies Diaper Dash and Toddler Trot at Fox Cities Stadium on Sept. 15, the Scheels 10K Run/Walk and Ascension 5K Run/Walk on Sept. 16 at Riverside Park in Neenah, and the Community First Fox Cities Marathon and ThedaCare Half Marathon on Sept. 17.

Julie Johnson, who took over as race director last year, said registration has been strong for all events and numbers are rebounding since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I do see more people feeling comfortable to do a large group event again,” Johnson said. “Some of the bigger events in the nation have been seeing increases and so I’m hoping that we’re recipients of that as well. We’re a great hometown race.”

Johnson said the Fox Cities Marathon’s staying power is a testament to the support of local communities.

“The legacy of this event and the fact that the community has welcomed it for so long is such an awe, and I think that it’s one of our premier events that the Fox Cities should be proud of,” she said. “I think there is some pride there of how long we’ve been around.”

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s race weekend:

Shoutout board debuts

For the first time, there will be a “shoutout board” delivering messages of inspiration to participants during Sunday’s full and half marathon. The shoutout board is sponsored by Sure-Dry.

The board will have recorded videos from family, friends and community members cheering on participants with personalized messages. It will be positioned near Arrowhead Park in Neenah on the part of the course known as “The Wall.”

“It’s very personal, which is something that the Fox Cities Marathon is all about – just adding personal touches to the participants and their experience,” Johnson said. “So this shoutout board, when you cross this timing mat, hopefully there will be a video for you to encourage you to continue on and finish the race. It can be very emotional. It’s a big surprise and we’re excited to bring it this year to our event.”

More information will be announced with details on how people can record a video.

What about the Business Challenge?

Amcor is the sponsor for this year’s Business Challenge. Businesses and their employees can sign up to participate in any of the Saturday or Sunday events.

Businesses will be matched against other organizations of similar size and the top three finishers in three divisions will win an award.

“This is a way for businesses to dip into their health and wellness programs and create some camaraderie,” Johnson said.

What about the School Challenge?

Schools can sign up for free and their students can register for the Kids Fun Run or the 5K. Based on participation, schools can win first-, second- and third-place cash prizes in their division.

“It’s a great way to encourage students to be active,” Johnson said. “I also talk about having good mental wellness and this might be a great way for a child to begin running or participating in group events.”

All participants in the Kids Fun Run receive a medal.

U.S. Venture is the School Challenge sponsor.

Other sponsors for 2023

Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists is the new sponsor for this year’s relay event, Nutritional Healing of Appleton is the new sponsor of the Health and Wellness Expo and Tundraland is the new VIP tent sponsor.

Any changes to the course?

There are no changes to the course this year. The Fox Cities Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier, so the course is certified.

“I think people sometimes don’t know that it has to be a certified course and so we take that very seriously with how the course is, the elevation, the flatness, to provide a good experience for all of our participants,” Johnson said.

Interested in volunteering?

About 2,300 volunteers are needed for marathon weekend and leading up to the event. The volunteer push will begin July 20 and anyone interested in volunteering can go to foxcitiesmarathon.org and click on the volunteer button at the top right.

“Organizations can volunteer, families can volunteer, it’s a great way for students to have their community service hours,” Johnson said. “We have church groups, companies who volunteer, so it’s a great way to get engaged with your communities and include your family, include your friends.”

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Here's what's new with the Community First Fox Cities Marathon