Active Endeavors Health & Fitness Expo and Quad Cities Marathon at the TaxSlayer Center -- September 25 and 26.
Saturday, September 25, and Sunday, September 26
TaxSlayer Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline IL
An eagerly awaited autumnal tradition will get the blood pumping on September 25 and 26, as the weekend brings with it the Moline TaxSlayer Center's Active Endeavors Health & Fitness Expo on September 25 followed by the annual Quad Cities Marathon, presented by TBK Bank, on September 26, the latter a Boston Marathon qualifier and the only such event in the country to incorporate five races, four cities, three brides, two states, and one island.
On Saturday, the TaxSlayer Center and Active Endeavors will host a number of preparatory events for Sunday's runners, with this year's expo (open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) boasting more than 40 booths featuring health-and-fitness products and information; official race merchandise; registration and packet pick-up for Sunday's varied races; and a number of guest presenters speaking between noon and 4 p.m. The day will also feature a 7:30 a.m. yoga and stretching session in front of the TaxSlayer Center; a casual 8 a.m. Fleet Feet Shake-Out Run; the 10 a.m. Rudy's Tacos 1-Mile Walk/Run; Orthopaedic Specialists' Pump & Run, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in which participants can bench and curl a percentage of their body weight to earn a reduction in their rare-day run times; the Happy Joe's Kids Micro-Marathon at noon; and a 3:30 p.m. Runner's Speaker Session with race director Joe Moreno, who will talk about the course and the race, along with pace leaders discussing their pace groups and exploring some tips and tricks to running with a pacer.
Meanwhile, on September 23, the TBK Bank's official Quad Cities Marathon events all get underway, with the full marathon, half-marathon, and marathon relay all beginning at 7 a.m., and the 5K starting promptly near the TaxSlayer Center and John Deere Commons at 7:15 a.m. A post-race party with chiropractic care, massages, music, food, drinks, a PR Bell, and more await the runners at the finish line, and award ceremonies will be held at the tent right of the stage area at 9 a.m. (for the Palmer 5K), 10 a.m. (for the Mel Foster Co. Half-Marathon and Orthopaedic Specialists Pump & Run Marathon), 11 a.m. (for the TBK Bank Marathon and Build to Suit Pump & Run Marathon), and 11:20 a.m. (for the Rock Valley Physical Therapy Five-Person Relay).
Admission to the September 25 Active Endeavors Health & Fitness Expo is free, with varying registration prices for the September 26 races, and more information on the weekend is available by visiting QCMarathon.org.
