REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) – The city of Rexburg hosted the Teton Dam Marathon and Races on Saturday, which saw the highest number of participants ever in the event’s history.
“Today was super special for me. My day starts real early. I was up at three o’clock to drive the course to make sure it was ready to go for 6:30 a.m. when the marathon started,” Race Director Jake Linford said.
“We headed up to the marathon site and there was about 300 people there, about 120 runners, and then friends and family, other people there just to support and the atmosphere was just insane. Something I’ve never seen, specifically here with this race in my three years being involved with it, but at any of the races it’s been super unique today especially. That was a memory that I will keep for a long time.”
The 26.2 mile marathon started at the site of the Teton Dam and ended at Smith Park in Rexburg. Athletes had other options to participate such as a 13.1 mile Half Marathon, 10K (6.2 Miles) and the 5K (3.1 Miles).
The event is a way to commemorate how Rexburg was able to recover after the Teton Dam flooding disaster on June 5, 1976.
The winner of the Marathon was Aaron Withers who ran the race in 2 hours and 23 minutes. Withers, who ran the event in previous years, said this time “felt a little harder.”
“Once you get to the end, it’s all adrenaline and that kind of just carries you to the finish,” Withers said.
Kayla Nicholls, who volunteered in the event, said, “This race is a special one because the Teton Dam Flood happened in 1976 and that was a big deal for the community. The community was able to overcome the challenges that came with the flood.”
She also said that in addition to the community remembering the tragedy that happened in 1976, runners can reflect on their own personal trials. “Each of our runners have their own flood to face. So we really think it’s special that each of our runners can come out and challenge themselves physically to face their own flood,” Nicholls said.
