Thousands to attend big weekend events

With the 26th annual Fountain City Classic football game leading the way, thousands are expected in the Chattahoochee Valley today for events scattered from Pine Mountain south to Fort Benning.

The Soldier Marathon kicks off at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Fountain City Classic Parade at 9 a.m. and gates open at 10 a.m. at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain for the annual Steeplechase.

Cecil Cheves, director of the Soldier Marathon, said 2,300 to 2,400 runners are expected for a series of five races.

"We are very pleased," Cheves said Friday.

With runners from 30 different states, Cheves expects 700 runners for the 26.2-mile marathon, 1,000 for the half marathon, 60 for the relay marathon, 150 for the kids marathon Friday night and about 300 for a 5K race.

"It's a national race," he said.

All races won't end until 2:30 p.m. Parking for the event is at Oxbow Meadows and South Lumpkin Road. Forty-two volunteers are helping to organize the race along the Chattahoochee RiverWalk and Fort Benning.

"We got a good team of people coordinating parking," he said. Spectators can find spots along the RiverWalk to watch the race.

"If they want to go down to the Woodruff Green, the trade center area or Bull Dog Marina, those would be good places to kind of watch," he said.

The Fountain City Classic parade starts in Phenix City on Broad Street and moves north to 13th Street before it enters Columbus. The parade ends on Ninth Street, but that's just the beginning of a day filled with tailgating in the South Commons before the 2 p.m. game at the A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium between Albany State and Fort Valley State.

"It's going to be a great day," said Calvin Smyre, chairman of the classic and an alumnus of Fort Valley. "It's a big rivalry. The winner will advance to the SIAC Championship next week in Montgomery."

Smyre said 30,000 to 32,000 may fill South Commons. "Last year, we had around 40,000 but the weather looks like it's having an effect on us," he said. "We just don't know yet. We know some of the numbers are down. We never had rain on Fountain City Classic so we are hoping that the rain will pass us by again."

What started as an opportunity for Smyre to chair the event only in 1989 has turned into a 26-year effort. Moving the event to Columbus has helped both universities. "That is why we look forward to it each year," he said. "It provides funds for athletes and scholarship money for students to attend Fort Valley and Albany State. It sure was a good move to bring the game here."

Before the classic parade downtown ends, gates are open at Callaway Gardens for horse races and other events to raise money for the arts.

Kim G. Jinks, executive director of the Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens, said this year's event features more tents and horses than ever.

"The course has never been as green and beautiful as it is this year," Jinks said Friday.

The event is expected to attract 8,500 spectators. There will be an "I Love Juice Bar," a Fancy Pants Contest for men, a Southern Views Hat Contest, and an SEC football tent to keep track of the games. Between horse races, you can shop at a Wells Fargo auction arcade.

"We got all kinds of food vendors and shopping vendors," Jinks said. "We are ready for people to come out and have a good time."

On the field, Jinks said three pony races with local riders are on the schedule and five races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association.

There are 54 horses and $162,000 in purse money up for grabs.

Despite a chance for showers during the day, Jinks said the Steeplechase is rain or shine.

"Don't let a little rain scare you away," she said. "We race rain or shine. Come prepared for whatever weather and have a good time."

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Thousands to attend big weekend events."