Mobile’s largest annual road race is entering its 18th year with a new name. What began in 2001 as the First Light Marathon will be rebranded as The ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon presented by Infirmary Health, with the race set for Sunday, Jan. 13.
From a New Year’s Arts Festival to a Certified Marathon
The race traces its roots back to 2001, when a nonalcoholic New Year’s Eve arts festival called First Night Mobile was held downtown. L’Arche Mobile, a Christian community that shares daily life with people who have intellectual disabilities, joined the celebration that year to help raise funds and launched a certified full marathon as part of the effort. The event took the name First Light Marathon as a nod to the original First Night festival, even though First Night itself has since been replaced by the MoonPie Over Mobile New Year’s celebration.
In the years since, the marathon has grown into one of Alabama’s largest sporting events. Figures from the Mobile Sports Authority show the 2017 race generated close to $1.25 million in economic impact, drawing more than 1,000 competitors from 39 states, the District of Columbia and 16 foreign countries.
A New Name With New Sponsors
Starting with the 18th annual race on Jan. 13, 2019, L’Arche Mobile announced the event will run as The ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon presented by Infirmary Health.
“L’Arche Mobile is excited about the name change of the marathon to The ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon presented by Infirmary Health,” said Emily Callaway, president of the L’Arche Mobile board of directors. “We have appreciated the support of our sponsors, all the volunteers who have made this a successful event and the potential future growth of this event which will benefit L’Arche Mobile.”
Marty O’Malley, who has served as executive director of the Mobile L’Arche chapter since 1980, said the race was originally built around three goals: establishing a certified 26.2-mile course, showcasing the city of Mobile, and raising awareness for L’Arche’s mission. Along with the organization’s annual Football Preview Dinner each May, the marathon has become a key source of funding supporting L’Arche Mobile’s residents.
As a gesture of appreciation, L’Arche members hand-make wooden medallions for every participant across the full marathon, half-marathon, relay race and Fun Run, producing roughly 3,000 medallions each year. Around 1,200 additional special awards are hand-painted canvases, each with a short biography of the L’Arche resident who created it, on the back. Residents personally present the mementos to finishers at the end of the race.
What the Mayor Said
“The First Light Marathon has become a landmark event for Mobile, benefiting an incredible organization, L’Arche Mobile,” said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson. “Rechristening this race as The ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon presented by Infirmary Health further establishes our city as a destination. Racers from across the region travel to Mobile and experience the beauty of our city throughout the course.”
The Course
The full marathon, half-marathon and five-person relay will start at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of Government and Claiborne streets, with the finish line located near Bienville Square. The Mobile course also serves as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, a draw for competitive runners from outside the region.
“The Mobile Sports Authority has been a proud partner of the marathon for many years and has welcomed thousands of visitors to Mobile through this event,” said Danny Corte, executive director of the Mobile Sports Authority. “With the fine sponsor partners which the marathon committee has continually attracted, we believe the sky’s the limit for this event.”
Runners and volunteers seeking more details can contact O’Malley at 251-438-2094 or visit MobileMarathon.org.
South Alabama Sports Notes
Two University of South Alabama football players, kicker Gavin Patterson and punter Corliss Waitman, have been named among 30 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision student-athletes under consideration for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes seniors who excel in community involvement, academics, character and competition.
Patterson ranks second in USA program history in field goals made (28) and extra points (77), and fourth in career scoring with 161 points, the second-most among Jaguar kickers. He was also named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the nation’s top football scholar-athlete, and earned first-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors last season. An exercise science major carrying a 3.98 GPA, Patterson has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics and the First Light Marathon.
Waitman, also a first-team all-Sun Belt selection at punter, led the conference and ranked among the nation’s top 10 punters last fall with a school-record 45.24-yard average per punt. His career average of 43.17 yards is the best in South Alabama history. Set to graduate in December with a communications degree, Waitman has volunteered with Special Olympics, the Wilmer Children’s Home and a Christmas toy drive, and has spoken at special services events.
Fishery Council to Meet in Mobile
Separately, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet in Mobile later this month to continue discussions on giving individual Gulf states more flexibility in setting their own red snapper fishing seasons. Alabama Marine Resources Division Director Scott Bannon and MRD Chief Biologist Kevin Anson are encouraging anglers who support state-level management of the reef fish fishery to attend when the council convenes Oct. 22-25 at the Renaissance Battle House in downtown Mobile. The council’s Reef Fish Committee will take up Amendment 50, addressing state management of red snapper, at 8:30 a.m. that Tuesday, with a public comment period scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
USA Women’s Basketball Star Signs Overseas
Also making news, former University of South Alabama women’s basketball standout Chyna Ellis has signed with ZKK Buducnost Bemax of the Women Adriatic Basketball Association, based in Podgorica, Montenegro.
“I worked hard to get to where I am and the fact that my dreams are coming true is nothing short of a blessing,” Ellis said. “I’ve overcome obstacles and almost gave up my dream, so I’m really excited to continue playing.”
Over four seasons at South Alabama, Ellis averaged 10.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while starting 116 of her 122 games played. She finished her career with 338 blocked shots, the most in Sun Belt Conference history.
Why the Marathon Matters to Mobile
The Mobile Marathon is one of a small number of certified 26.2-mile road races in Alabama, and the Boston Marathon qualifier designation gives the event a draw that brings competitive runners back year after year. The downtown course, anchored by the start at Government and Claiborne streets and the finish near Bienville Square, has become part of the city’s civic identity, and the L’Arche Mobile residents who hand-make the wooden medallions give the race a distinctive local character that other marathons cannot replicate.
L’Arche Mobile and the Mission Behind the Race
The race’s connection to L’Arche Mobile is one of the things that distinguishes it from typical civic road races. L’Arche, founded globally by Jean Vanier in 1964, is a federation of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities share daily life, and the Mobile chapter is one of more than 150 such communities worldwide. The marathon is the organization’s largest single fundraiser in Mobile, and the wooden medallions, each hand-crafted by a L’Arche resident, give every finisher a tangible reminder that the race supports a specific mission.
Marty O’Malley, who has led L’Arche Mobile since 1980, sees the race as part of a long-running effort to make L’Arche’s work visible in the community. The half-marathon, relay and Fun Run give runners of different ability levels a way to participate, and the hand-painted canvas awards handed out at the finish line add a personal element that organizers say keeps participants coming back. The rebrand to The ServisFirst Bank Mobile Marathon presented by Infirmary Health gives the race a more visible commercial partnership structure, but the core relationship between the race and L’Arche Mobile remains unchanged.
What the Sports Authority Adds
The Mobile Sports Authority, the city’s sports promotion arm, has tracked the marathon’s economic impact and uses the race as one of the marquee examples of what Mobile can host. Danny Corte, the authority’s executive director, has framed the race’s growth as evidence that Mobile can compete with larger Southern cities for major sporting events. With more than 1,000 competitors from across the United States and around the world in the 2017 race, the marathon generates hotel stays, restaurant visits and retail spending that the authority has worked hard to quantify.
The race’s January timing also fills a slot in Mobile’s calendar that is otherwise light on large civic events. The New Year’s Eve MoonPie Over Mobile celebration, which replaced the original First Night festival, provides the lead-in to race weekend, and the marathon itself gives runners and their families a reason to spend several days in the city. That combination of visitors and timing is part of what makes the marathon valuable to Mobile beyond its fundraising role for L’Arche.