-UPDATE-
You can now register for this race here.
You did it! The Kill Cliff Destin Marathon & Half Marathon will take place on April, 17, 2016 as the world's first crowdfunded marathon and half marathon.
What happens now?
We put on a great race for you!
If you are just looking for that $45 basic half or $65 full entry- they are gone, but please go to our normal race entry site. Go to our website, facebook, or blog for current info on our race. Everything below this is outdated, but will be left on this site so you can see how you all built this race.
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The perk that you don't see on the list takes a little math, so we called in an expert. Since we exceeded our goal, we are not just going to put those $$ under our mattress for later. We are going to reinvest them into making your race even better than already planned.
How Can It Get Better? Raise over $50,000, and we will let you vote on how you want to improve your race and make those perks you already purchased worth more. Here are a few suggestions:
- Additional Race Weekend Gift for our Indiegogo Supporters
- Motivational Speaker
- Better Race Swag (nicer shirts, bigger medals, stuffed goodie bags)
- Bigger and Better Bands at the Finish Line
- More Free Beer
- A Full Bar at the Expo for our Indiegogo supporters
- More Live Tracking Points
We have lots of crazy, good ideas. We just need the additional $$ and support to make them happen!
We need a simple favor today: Pre-register for our race
This whole page is created to ask you to do one simple thing: Pre-register for our April 17th, 2016 Kill Cliff Destin Marathon & Half Marathon benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation so we have enough runners committed that we can cover the overhead of putting on an outstanding race for you. You do that and we will take care of the rest*. I promise these are the lowest entry fees you will ever see for this event.
*Running and/or training is recommended
That's great, but why is this on Indiegogo?
First, we aren't your Grandma's marathon (although we love our grandmas). You might see we do things a little differently than you are used to. Second, traditional registration sites don't allow us to meet a set registration goal before accepting your registration fees. Our campaign was all or nothing. Since you funded our campaign, we are going to exceed your expectations by putting on a bigger and better race than you could have imagined. It's not in our DNA to put on a half-assed event; there are plenty of those out there and we absolutely refuse to allow the Kill Cliff Destin Marathon to take that path.
You worked with us by fully funding this campaign in 37 days and now we will create a world-class marathon and half-marathon, in one of the most loved beach towns in America, by bringing each runner into our race family and giving every runner a well-organized and supported event for a fair price.
What are the Perks of registering so early?
In addition to the lowest entry fees ever, we are going to give you more than an empty gel wrapper stuck to the bottom of your shoe or a loud fart from the runner in front of you (those are included free with each marathon registration purchased).
Check out these bonk-proof deals: We have everything from a $1 Fist Bump to the $10,000 Ultimate Running Vacation Week!
Want to know what exactly each perk item is? Go to our "What is each perk item" section below.
After you've previewed all of our perks, we suggest purchasing one because these won't last!
What Costs So Much?
It will cost over $100,000 to put on a high-quality, first-year race for 1,000+ runners. Luckily, for all of us, our amazing sponsors have already agreed to make up almost all the other half since we met our crowdfunding goal. First-year only expenses like a traffic management plan can cost 10's of thousands of dollars. We are not a big corporation with deep pockets, nor do we want you to have to take out a second mortgage to pay a $200 entry fee. In fact, I hate high-priced races just as much as you do. I want to put on an amazing, affordable marathon in my hometown and bring people from around the world to experience this gorgeous place. I'm personally unable to fund all the race expenses until most runners register... long after a lot of bills are due (we know 'you' would never wait 'til the last minute, but 'other' runners do).
Other Ways To Help
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Stalk us all over the Internet: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or whatever other crazy stuff you are into. Go ahead and LIKE or FOLLOW whatever we post, and you'll be helping your friends discover the greatest crowdfunding campaign they'll ever join. Please help your friends be awesome.
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Annoy your friends: We need to reach as many marathon runners as we can, and we can't do it alone. Following us? Help us spread the word. Repost our stuff. Or post your own. We'll share stuff you post -- if you produce your own cool content related to the Kill Cliff Destin Marathon, let us know by emailing
rd@destinmarathon.com or Facebooking us and we'll share it.
- Grab entries for your friends now: You are going to want to run this race and it's going to be way more fun if your running friends are there with you. So go ahead, get crazy, and plan ahead by getting an entry. Then, have your friends get their entries now so that we can put on a better race for everyone.
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Google 'Destin' then send your friends photos of our amazing beaches: Put something witty in the subject line like "This Marathon looks like a real beach". Then, make them come to this page and donate, even if it's just $1.
Who is putting this race on?
I am Zane Holscher, the Founder and Race Director of the Kill Cliff Destin Marathon and Half Marathon benefiting the Navy SEAL Foundation (and the voice on the video). Having served as an Air Force Officer for 14 years, I know what it takes to produce a well-organized and precisely executed operation. Coupled with over 6 years' experience directing races, ranging from 5K to 6 Days, and nearly everything in between, I have the knowledge required to bring the best of short races, marathons, and ultra marathons together to the make this event one-of-a-kind, just for you!
Over the past 5 years, I've volunteered thousands of hours of my time to direct the Destin Beach Ultra Runs and facilitated our runners raising over $190,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Read all about how this new marathon has come into being on my blog. Now, it's time to bring the amazing experience our ultra runners receive to the paved roads for marathon and half-marathon runners!
When will I get my perks?
The stickers, training shirts, and planks will be mailed approximately 1 month after the close of the campaign (July 11, 2015). Please allow another 5-10 days for shipping. All Race Day perks will be collected the weekend of April 17, 2016.
What is each perk item?
Below are the details of each individual item and icons indicating the perk package that contains each item. The perk packages are on the top right of this page.
FAQs
The race is funded, why is this site still up?
We are giving those who missed out on getting us to $50,000 a few extra days to sign up while we set up regular registration. Keep in mind, regular registration fees will be higher than the $45 & $65 on here and there will not be any package deals similar to our perks.
How do I get the registration that was part of the perk I purchased?
For now, get to training! We are in the process of setting up a marathon registration page that will look much more like you are used to. Once that is setup, you will receive an email with exactly how to input things like your birthday into normal registration and get signed up for the race you purchased!
Are rewards available in all countries? How will you know where to send my perks? What happens if I move before you send out the perks? How do I change my address?
Those who purchased perks have started receiving more details about how to get your perks, change your address, tell us your preferred perk details, and so on.
Please note that we will not ship perks that require shipping to areas outside of the United States. If you are located outside of the continental US and choose a perk that requires mailing and a race registration, we will have your perk packet at pickup during the weekend of April 17, 2016. Otherwise, please don't purchase a perk that requires mailing if you live outside the US and are not planning on attending the event.
What if I want more than one perk package?
You can make multiple pledges on Indiegogo using a single account. Just please make sure you use the same email address and login, so we’ll know that all of your perks are meant to go to the same person.
If I buy a perk with several entries, do I need everyone's name now?
No, we will just need the final names 2 months prior to the race. Certainly, if you have a beach condo it won't be too hard to find some folks to join you!
What if I want one of the perks, and it’s sold out?
Snooze you lose, bub. You gotta get these perks while they’re hot. So, pre-register now. If possible, we'll increase the number of a few limited release perks and we’ll be adding a few more awesome perks throughout the month. Stay tuned.
What if I get a perk now then get hurt or can't attend?
You can transfer your entry and race weekend perks 1 time and it must be completed at least 2 months prior to the race. This is only an option for Indiegogo supporters and will not be available once normal registration starts.
What is the race course?
We are currently working on approval for a point-to-point course from the Ft. Walton Beach area, finishing in east Destin. The Half Marathon will start at the 13.1 mile point of the full marathon on Okaloosa Island.
Is this a charity race?
This race will benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation. The Navy SEAL Foundation provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare Community and its families. Runners will be encouraged, and given resources, to use their running to raise funds for this great charity. The Kill Cliff Destin Marathon is not a 501(c)3 public charity- we hope to be able to pay ourselves and a small staff for the long hours they put into planning the event.
I see sand, is your race in the sand?
No sand for this race. All road to keep you moving fast! If you want sand (and a lot of it), check out the Destin Beach Ultra Runs.
You already have a few major sponsors, why do you have to crowdfund?
We are very lucky to have talked a few amazing sponsors into supporting our first year event and crazy crowdfunding idea. But they don't want to spend money on an event where the only runners are my 3 friends and 4 relatives...so they have agreed to provide the sponsorship money ONLY if we meet our $50,000 crowdfunding goal! We did that, so please show them you support this event by posting on their social media or buying there good or services!
Your question isn't answered here? Just ask us by email at rd@destinmarathon.com
Thank you for your time and support of our successful campaign. We can't wait to see you in Destin on April 17, 2016!