Registration starts for Frostbite

Registration has officially begun for the 33rd Frostbite Half-Marathon to be held in January, and a special early signup event has been scheduled for this week.

Presented by Chick-fil-A Starkville, the Frostbite has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 20, 2018.

From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, Chick-fil-A will host an early registration event at the restaurant for runners, said race organizers Brad Jones and Wes Gordon. Those who register at the Chick-fil-A event will receive a discounted registration fee and some official race attire.

As with the 2016 and 2017 races, the half-marathon course will begin and end in downtown Starkville while weaving its way through the city's historic district, the Cotton District and the Mississippi State University campus, said Jones and Gordon. The race course will be certified at an accurate 13.1 miles long, they said.

The 2017 Frostbite attracted more than 550 runners, and Jones and Gordon say they would like to substantially increase the number of runners this year.

“The last couple of years, the downtown location really helped with the overall turnout and feel of the event,” said Jones, a commercial relationship officer with Renasant Bank. “We believe that we accomplished making this a Starkville event instead of just a race that took place in the Starkville area.

“Our hope is that we continue to grow into eventually having 1,000-plus runners participating.”

Separate 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer races are also being planned as part of the Frostbite event to allow for participation by more intermediate and novice runners and families, said Gordon, director of planned giving for the MSU Foundation.

Runners can register for the half-marathon, 10K and 5K races on the Frostbite website – http://www.frostbitehalf. com – immediately. The registration fees for the half-marathon, 10K and 5K races are $55, $40 and $25 respectively, but those fees will increase by $5 increments two times – on Nov. 30 and on Jan. 2, 2018 – the longer runners wait to register, Gordon said.

“The earlier runners get registered, the lower the cost,” Gordon said.

A bonus for Frostbite runners and spectators is that the annual Souper Bowl – an event where several restaurants come together for a soup tasting competition for charity – will be held in downtown Starkville immediately following the races, Jones said.

“Holding the Frostbite in conjunction with the Souper Bowl should make the overall atmosphere that much better with good food and music after the race,” Jones said.

As with previous Frostbite events, a portion of the proceeds from the 2018 races will go to a charitable cause. The 2018 races will benefit the Starkville Fire Department.

“The Fire Department is such a vital part of our community,” Jones said. “We wanted to show our support of the SFD and what our firefighters do to help protect us.”

In addition to Chick-fil-A, major sponsors for the 2018 Frostbite races include Paul Davis Restoration, McDonald's, SkyLake Construction, Columbus Orthopedics and Kelly Cutshall, CPA.

For more information about the Frostbite Half-Marathon, 10K and 5K races or to register to compete in one or more of the race events, visit the website at http://www.frostbitehalf. com or send e-mail to starkvillefrostbitehalf@gmail.com.