March Madness
- By Doug Kurtis

March Madness is not just an NCAA basketball tournament. This Saturday morning at 8 am, the fourth annual Mizuno Martian Marathon will be invading the streets of Northville and paths of Edward Hines Drive.

March comes from the Latin word Mars; it's one of the few months with a celestial name and is now appropriately used for one of Michigan greenest courses. That is if Spring finally arrives.

Last year almost 800 runners competed in the full and half marathons. Another 200 signed up to do part of the course as an in-training run for other Spring marathons. Many of the in-training runners are collecting donations for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The course is mostly out and back, well marked and certified to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Water stations appear every two miles some adorned with little green men handing out green cups of green Gatorade. Maybe it's for those still in recovery from the from St. Patty's day runs.

The race now starts and finishes at Schoolcraft College on Haggerty just south of 7 Mile Road. Organizers of the event make generous donations to Schoolcraft's running program and the Leukemia Society from their proceeds.

Genetti's Hole in the Wall restaurant in downtown Northville will be hosting a pasta dinner Friday night at 7 pm to get everyone in the right frame of mind.   Organizers have been conducting studies to find the effects of the gravitational pull on runners for that particular day.   It's not likely that runners will have the same energy as gamma rays while traversing 96 million kilometers away from the Red Planet but you never know.

The training run entry is $7 early, $10 race day. Half Marathon $35 early, $40 race day. Full marathon $40 early, $50 race day. Save a few bucks and enter at www.martianmarathon.com until Wednesday at 12 midnight. Or, enter in person by Friday at 8 PM in Northville's Running Fit Store. Call 248-380-3338 for additional information.

Also this Saturday, another race is offering an unusual experience. The No Frills All Thrills Trail Run will be held at Huron Meadows Metro Park in Brighton. Now in its 8 th year, the 5 Mile cross- country race is put on by the Brighton Area Road Striders (BARS). Race time is 10 am and for only $16 you can join 200 plus trail enthusiasts. The event is also part of a race series called the Triple Trail that includes the Road Ends 5 Miler and the Rocket Dog Ankle Biter.   Contact Jeff Goodfellow at 517 546-1694 for more information.