Runners getting revved up

MANCHESTER – Talk about a shot of inspiration.

Runners picking up their bib numbers might've bumped into Bill Rodgers or Dane Rauschenberg at the Manchester City Marathon/Half Marathon Sports and Health Expo yesterday.

Rodgers, a four-time Boston Marathon winner and former American record holder in the marathon, chatted up runners as a VIP guest at the Expo, held at the Radisson Hotel.

Rauschenber, a guest speaker at the Expo, ran 52 marathons in 2006 -- one every weekend -- and raised more than $44,000 for charity. Runners can meet Rauschenber and pick up their race packets today at the Expo, open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The third annual Manchester City Marathon, a qualifier for Boston, starts tomorrow at 8:50 a.m.

Mike DeBlasi of Manchester picks up his registration bag from Pat Ballard of Manchester Friday afternoon at the Center of New Hampshire for this Sunday's Manchester Marathon. (THOMAS ROY)

> Official Manchester City Marathon/Half-Marathon Web site.
> Click here to view the Union Leader's gallery of photos from the 2008 marathon.

"This is a beautiful city for a marathon. You've got the beautiful buildings, the river and hills. And the cool weather is a huge plus," said the 61-year-old Rodgers, who ran the Boston Marathon this year. "Running and soccer, I think, are the two biggest sports in the world. And runners want to go to places like this."

Rodgers last night left for New York City. He'll join a 75-year-old friend for the last five miles of the 40th NYC Marathon, an event he won four times. Rauschenberg, 33, of Salt Lake City, will attend today's Manchester Kids Marathon, beginning at 10 a.m. at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

Rauschenberg ran marathons from Bangor, Maine, to Bellevue, Wash., and from Alaska to the Cayman Islands. Why take on such a challenge?

"The short answer is I refuse to live a boring life," said Rauschenberg, who'll run tomorrow's marathon, his 103rd. "The long answer is 246 pages in my new book called 'See Dane Run.' Basically, I found out that I was really good at running with very little recovery time."

Novice and expert runners alike grabbed gel packs and last-minute supplies for tomorrow's event featuring more than 1,600 runners. New this year is a marathon relay, which gives four-person teams a chance to break up the 26.2-mile race.

Carrie DeBlasi of Manchester, who ran the city's Half Marathon the past two years, convinced her husband, Mike, to run the anchor leg for "Team Marital Bliss." They'll be joined on the relay by Mike and Jackie Romps of Dover.

"With the exception of one Halfway to St. Patrick's Day (5K) race, I've never run, ever," Mike DeBlasi said. "However, they convinced me by giving me the glory leg. I guarantee you when I come down the home stretch, it will be like Chariots of Fire."