Peninsula Pacers Announce 2015 Events

The Peninsula Pacers welcomed 4,450 participants, plus their friends and families, to Door County in 2014; 2015 promises to bring even more.

The Pacers, the people behind the Door County Half Marathon, the Peninsula Century bike rides, the Door County Beer Festival and the Door County Pond Hockey Tournament, are excited to release their 2015 calendar of events.

The Door County Half Marathon returns in May. Photo by Len Villano.

“Nothing makes us more proud than driving through this community on an event weekend and seeing hotel and restaurant parking lots full,” says Pacers co-founder Brian Fitzgerald. “Our sponsors and volunteers have helped us build a buzz among runners and cyclists throughout the Midwest about Door County as an active destination, and we want to continue to build on that with pond hockey and the beer festival in 2015.”

The economic impact of the events is seen in local cash registers, public coffers, and widespread publicity in regional and national publications.

A survey of 2014 Door County Half Marathon participants revealed that nearly 46 percent of participants stayed overnight in a hotel or B&B on half marathon weekend. At Northern Door County’s average May daily room rate of $113 per night, that translates to $117,000 in lodging expenditures on race night alone, and an additional $12,870 in local room taxes.

Each year, between 6.5 and 10 percent of runners say that their trip to the Door County Half Marathon is their first ever visit to Door County. That means at least 150 people experience the Door for the first time in the county’s most beautiful venue, Peninsula State Park. Once there, they are welcomed by more than 200 of our most dedicated local volunteers and business owners.

The Door County Pond Hockey Tournament takes place on Kangaroo Lake in Baileys Harbor. Photo by Len Villano.

All told, Peninsula Pacers events raised or donated more than $145,000 for more than 60 charities since the Door County Half Marathon was launched in 2008.

“This county thrives because we support each other,” says Pacers co-founder David Eliot. “We spend our money in each others stores, we support the arts organizations that make this place so great to live in, and we help our neighbors in times of need. We’re extremely proud to create events that bring dollars into our county and raise funds for our vital nonprofits, all while creating new, fun events our local community can enjoy.”

Here are the dates for 2015 Peninsula Pacer events:

Feb. 7 – Door County Pond Hockey Tournament

May 2 – Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k

June 20 – Door County Beer Festival

June 20 – Peninsula Century Spring Classic

Sept. 19 – Peninsula Century Fall Challenge

Sept. 26 – Hey Hey 5k

For more information on any Pacers event contact Brian Fitzgerald at 920.421.1518 or email [email protected].