A large police force will staff the annual Eugene race, and existing policies will be tightly enforced With the finish line in sight, Eugene Marathon officials say they’ve made a final push toward ensuring participant and spectator safety at this weekend’s event.
Race organizers announced that they’ve decided to ramp up security in light of the deadly bombings at last week’s Boston Marathon. A number of local police agencies and the Oregon National Guard will be part of the effort.
“It’s something we have to do in the aftermath (of the Boston incident), which really got us thinking about security,” race director Richard Maher said.
Eugene police Lt. Sam Kamkar said last week that “a large contingent” of officers will work the event. Beyond that, police and marathon officials have declined to discuss details regarding the upgraded safety plan.
Part of the strategy calls for tight enforcement of a number of existing policies. In past years, marathon organizers had not been strict about some of the rules, Maher said.
Those policies include conducting random bag checks for participants; limiting prerace shuttles to participants wearing event bibs; promptly towing vehicles parked in “no parking” areas; searching and removing unattended bags; quickly ushering runners through the finish chute into a nearby area; and prohibiting re-entry into a participant-only area near the finish line.
In a prepared statement, marathon officials asked spectators and participants to serve as the event’s “eyes and ears” and to call 911 to report suspicious activity.
More than 8,500 runners are expected to participate in the seventh annual Eugene Marathon races. Scores of spectators will gather inside Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus to cheer on the athletes as they make their way around the historic track and cross the finish line there.
A 5K race and a separate “Kids Duck Dash” are planned for Saturday, while both the half-marathon and full marathon begin at 7 a.m. Sunday.
