PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire — Organizers of the 19th Seacoast Half Marathon announced that Mainspring: The Seacoast Social Service Collective will receive all proceeds raised from this year’s race. Mainspring is a new, bold initiative overhauling how social service partners collaboratively care for the community. The goal is to centralize essential social services in one physical location with shared intake, case management, case conferencing, and aggregate data necessary to help individuals and families navigate a pathway out of poverty.
Mainspring will serve individuals in the seacoast regions of New Hampshire and Maine to address all critical social ills, including food and housing insecurity, veterans’ affairs, medical/mental health, substance recovery, and other essential services. It is scheduled to open by the end of 2024.
“The Seacoast Half Marathon is really excited to have Mainspring Collective as our beneficiary in 2024,” said Bruce Hurley, race director for the Seacoast Half Marathon. “Their innovative approach to providing services to our neighbors in need will be a model for the future, and we are proud to support their work through our event. With M&T Bank returning as our visionary sponsor, our ability to both improve the event for our runners and walkers while raising money for our community keeps growing.”
“Every year, the Seacoast Half Marathon benefits a non-profit that provides critical services for people of need in the local region and this year is certainly no different,” said Tim Wade, New Hampshire regional president of M&T Bank, the race’s visionary sponsor. “The Mainspring Collective and its new facility in Kittery will have an enormous impact on New Hampshire and Maine. We are proud to serve as the visionary sponsor of the Seacoast Half Marathon for the second year in a row and look forward to seeing how the proceeds from the race will help Mainspring’s crucial work.”
Registration is currently open for this year’s race, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 27. Covering Portsmouth, Rye, and the colonial-era island of New Castle, the Seacoast Half Marathon is widely considered one of the most scenic in the country.
Age group awards for the race have been expanded for older runners, and for the first time this year, the New England 65+ Running Club has endorsed the race. Also new this year are awards for team competition to help encourage corporate teams, running clubs, and even groups of friends to compete.
The Seacoast Half Marathon is organized by a small, all-volunteer organizing committee that chooses a new beneficiary each year to receive all proceeds from the race, including registration fees and sponsorship dollars. Over the past 18 years, the event has raised more than $1.6 million for local charities. Criteria for beneficiaries include being a local non-profit focused on direct human needs like food, shelter, or mental health. Every year, a new beneficiary is chosen through a formal application process.
For more information or to register before fees increase on Aug. 1, please visit our website at www.seacoasthalfmarathon.com.
