Garden Spot Village Marathon Boosts Lancaster County Tourism

Event brings hundreds of participants and spectators to scenic New Holland

NEW HOLLAND, Pa. — Mar. 4, 2010 — Eastern Lancaster County offers many attractions for visitors, but retirement communities aren’t often top-of-mind when it comes to tourism. With registration numbers for its second annual marathon steadily soaring into the high triple digits, Garden Spot Village may be the exception.

More than a month before the April 10 event, the Richmond House bed and breakfast on East Main Street here was booked solid for the night before the marathon.

“Everybody staying with us that Friday night is going to be in the race,” said Dolores Walter, innkeeper, noting that rooms were still available for Saturday. Last year, she said, the Richmond House had guests who were participating in Pedal to Preserve, which also begins and ends on the retirement community campus.

Such events benefit tourism in the region.

“Typically, from a retirement community, we get visiting relatives—but it doesn’t surprise us that a progressive retirement community such as Garden Spot Village, integrating well with the surrounding community by holding events like a marathon with cash prizes, is attracting people to the area,” said Kristina Peters, sales manager at the Best Western Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster, which also had a number of marathon-related bookings for Friday evening.

“They’re a neat partner to the overall tourism community here in Lancaster, and we’re happy to participate with them,” Peters said.

The resort offers a discounted rate to participants for rooms booked by Mar. 9. The Country Squire Motor Inn is also offering a Marathon Special rate and is providing transportation to the starting line.

Although the majority of participants registered to date are from throughout Pennsylvania, the marathon has attracted more than 100 out-of-state participants. Entrants come from New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Virginia and beyond, including Brazil, Canada and Germany.

The Garden Spot Village Marathon is a 26.2-mile, USA Track & Field (USATF)-certified, Boston Marathon qualifier. The event is open to runners, walkers and four-person relay teams. This year, Garden Spot Village added a half marathon for participants who prefer a shorter course, and is also adding a food court for participants and spectators. A variety of foods will be available for purchase.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Garden Spot Village Benevolent Fund, which helps support residents who need financial assistance.

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