Registration Numbers Already Ahead of Last Year

April 19, 2010

The number of people registering for the 8 a.m. Saturday, June 12 Bellin Run is steadily growing and has race organizers braced for another record-breaking registration year, planners say.

Recent figures showed 2,913 registered Bellin Run participants. Last year at this time there were 2,546 registrants. The numbers are up this year even though registration started two weeks later than last year, organizers say. The final 2009 registration tally was 16,746. That marked the fifth consecutive record registration year for the event.

“We’re prepared for another record registration,” said executive race director Randy Van Straten. “One of the changes we instituted last year, wave starts, should help us accommodate any new growth we might have this year. Our goal is to see 2,000 to 3,000 people maximum in each of the eight waves. That’s a quantity that can comfortably fit in the start corral.

“Registration typically starts off steady and picks up the closer we get to the event,” Van Straten said. “Online registration has made it increasingly easier for people to sign up so we’ll see how that influences things. It was pretty much the same deal last year.”

The 34th annual Bellin Run is one of the largest mass participatory events in Northeast Wisconsin with about 93 percent of its participants coming from the area, race organizers say. The 10K (6.2-mile) run/walk winds through the streets of Green Bay and through parts of the village of Allouez.

The race started in 1977 as a one-time event to celebrate an expanded hospital with an inaugural 880 registrants. It has since grown to record-breaking numbers.

Road races like the Bellin Run tend to attract throngs of participants in part because of the inexpensive cost, Van Straten said.

“Participating in an event like the Bellin Run is relatively cheap when compared to a host of other participatory events,” he said. “Unlike other summer sports that need equipment – some of it expensive – you don’t need much to run. A good pair of shoes and you’re pretty good to go.”

The Bellin Run traditionally draws participants of all abilities. For years it has drawn elite runners – including Olympic-caliber registrants – as well as amateur and casual runners and walkers.

“It’s an experience for everyone,” Van Straten said. “There is no intimidation factor here. We welcome all participants regardless of ability level. Our goal is simply to get you more active and to encourage you, through the experience of the Bellin Run, to embrace a healthier lifestyle.”