She’s fit, fierce and has a closet full of old T-shirts from past races. She probably has neon running shoes and some nice yoga pants, too, when she remembers to do yoga, that is. Who is she?
The powerful new demographic making up more than half of all half-marathons in the United States: the female runner. And she’s coming to Savannah on Saturday — if she doesn’t already live here.
More than 2,200 lady runners will be streaming into Savannah for the inaugural Publix Savannah Women’s Half Marathon & 5K hosted by the Savannah Sports Council, a division of marketing organization Visit Savannah.
The event is a reflection of the growing clout of not only Savannah’s sports tourism but also themed races. Downtown Savannah already plays host to the Rock ’n’ Roll marathon, Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run and Color Run 5K coming up in May.
Ben Wilder, director of Savannah Sports Council, said the idea for a women’s run came up after the success of Rock ’n’ Roll.
“We thought the best fit would be a women’s-only half marathon because that would really bring in that specific demographic that really likes to come to Savannah and come back to Savannah,” Wilder said.
They reached out to Competitor Group International, the organizers of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, who holds its own women’s races, to discuss the idea. Wilder said they both agreed Visit Savannah could do the event itself.
Wilder is already in charge of the Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run and the Savannah Hockey Classic, so last summer he got to work on the women’s marathon and signed Publix as its title sponsor.
“Women’s running has obviously seen a big increase like the rest of the running world, but with color runs and other races that are introducing more people into running, we see that growing,” he said.
Previous races they have helped stage were comprised of 60 percent or more women, mirroring national trends, Wilder said.
A Wall Street Journal article from October 2014, highlighting the popularity of marathons among women, said women are more likely to treat the half-marathon as a social event and use it as an excuse for a weekend getaway.
The Sports Council has collected stats so far that support this, with registrants from more than 40 states, many in chunks or pairs. The majority of registrants for the Publix race are from Georgia, at 66 percent, followed by Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
As a bonus, these runners will be treated to mimosas at the finish line and a free New Balance tote bag instead of the usual T-shirt.
New Balance is the race’s presenting partner and is holding a Fashion Fitness Expo at the DeSoto Hilton where a large chunk of out-of-town runners are staying. That expo will feature local vendors like Satchel, Savannah Bee Company, Chocolat by Adam Turoni and Leopold’s Ice Cream.
Of course, none of this is cheap to put on. Wilder said the expense of holding the women’s marathon is in the six-figure range and they mostly hope to break even this year.
He said their goal is to keep this women’s race a boutique event and keep attracting the same runners back next year who enjoyed the course and their free swag bags.
“The female runner really hits every check mark when thinking about what you want for a race, for a visitor, for your sponsors — she’s the decision maker of the household,” he said.
Of course, the race is open to both genders so women can expect to see a few men at the finish line, flutes of mimosas in hand.
“They will get everything the women get at the expo,” Wilder said.
IF YOU GO
Last chance for registration today at New Balance Fashion Fitness Expo, Desoto Hilton, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. $50 for 5K/$105 for Half.
More info at savannahwomenshalf.com