'I was wishing that we had a local marathon and decided to create my own.'

— Stacey Pilling

Spill keeps race creator on sideline

By MIKE COULING
Gazette Writer
HANCOCK — Local runner Stacey Pilling has been planning the very first Copper Towns Marathon since the beginning of the summer.
She just didn’t expect to be working on the sidelines instead of out on the trails.
But that’s where the Lake Linden resident will be for Saturday’s event after she suffered a motorcycle accident while measuring the course recently. Pilling, 32, severely sprained her foot and ankle, forcing her out of the very race that she created.
“I’ll do at least one water station and be at the end of the race when runners come in,” Pilling said. “I was really disappointed, but if I can get this going, there’s always next year.”
The germination of the idea for a marathon started early this summer.
“I started it because I wanted to run a marathon this year,” Pilling said. “I was wishing that we had a local marathon and decided to create my own.”
The 26.2-mile event will start Saturday at the George Gipp Arena in Laurium, moving through the trails into Hancock before finishing in Lake Linden at the Lake Linden Park Pavilion.
The race will start at 8 a.m and should finish between 1-2 p.m.
“It’s beautiful, flat running,” Pilling said. “It’s about three miles of road running, through the snowmobile trails and railroad ties. It’s very runner friendly. It’s like a tour through the Copper Country. ”
Thus far, 12 people have signed up , easily surpassing Pilling’s goal of five.
Registration will be open until the start of the race, and those interested can e-mail Pilling at sapillin@mtu.edu or call 370-9472. Cost is $10 and includes a t-shirt.
Door prizes and special wooden awards will be given at the end of the race.
“There is a lot of people in this area that run marathons,” Pilling said. “If this year goes well and people are excited about it, next year will be bigger and better.”

DAILY MINING GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 9, 2003, SECTION 2B: PAGE 2.