Motivation Meets Innovation

Andrew Hudis had high hopes when he began his quest to put Bucks County on the running map.

Hudis, a Council Rock High School South senior and long distance runner who completed his first marathon at age 14, wanted to make his stomping grounds home to a world-class race.

So he decided to make it happen. Two years ago, Hudis approached area municipalities, asking for their support. But people were hesitant, he said.  The logistics of blocking off roads and providing enough resources for the many visitors seemed daunting to some. So Hudis went to plan B – a half marathon (13.1 miles) at

“The park was particularly receptive to our idea. People were always questioning our age because I look so young but the park didn’t do any of that. They took us seriously. Three weeks later we had our permit,” Hudis said.

The tradition will continue this year. The second annual Bucks County Half Marathon is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 3 at Tyler State Park.

Hudis was okay with downscaling his initial vision of a whole marathon. “Maybe a full marathon wasn’t totally realistic yet,” he said, adding that logistically, it takes a lot of planning to put on a successful race.

“It’s so much more than a race; it’s a production. We’re putting on a show for the runners,” Hudis said.

This year, he brought friend David Feinman on board to help with the event organization. Feinman is also a senior at Council Rock High School South.

Even with a month and a half to go until race day, Feinman said they’ve exceeded registration levels from last year. More than 300 people have registered already, Feinman said.

While Feinman and Hudis might be young, they certainly aren’t cutting corners when it comes to race organization. The Bucks County Half Marathon will be state-of-the-art, Hudis explained.

There will be chip timers, a tent with plasma screen coverage of the race, and texting technology that allows runners to receive their time via mobile phone messaging as soon as they cross the finish line. Also, supporters can track the runner’s race times instantaneously on the Web, where a site will have continuous updates.

“We wanted to take that big town race feel and put it in a small town,” Feinman said.

Hudis agreed.  “We want it to be a streamlined, modern, almost futuristic race,” he said, noting that the race slogan is “motivation meets innovation.”

Not only is the race tech-friendly; it’s also Earth-friendly. “We’re more or less paper-free. None of our runners register by paper application,” Hudis said.

Runners who sign up to participate get more than just a one-day race experience. Organizers also hold weekly training sessions on Sundays at Tyler Park. All racers can participate. Feinman, who leads the training runs, said he works with athletes of all levels to accomplish their goals as they prepare for the 13.1-mile race.

Hudis said runners new to the sport should not feel intimidated by the distance. To do a half marathon, runners should be able to complete 10 miles comfortably, he said. On race day, all of the excitement and support, combined with adrenaline, will get you over the finish line.

However, the race is not high-pressure. In fact, it’s completely walker friendly and has no time limits.  Plus, all runners receive a custom die cast medal and t-shirt.

“We’re pretty confident the race is going to be stellar this year,” Hudis said.

To register for the Bucks County Half Marathon, visit www.buckscountymarathon.com. Registration fee is $60 until Wednesday. After Feb. 16, the registration fee increases to $64. Check the pricing structure, located on the Web site, for more information.

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