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32-597: The race has grown into a weekend of festivities that includes several races, nearly 1,000 runners, and the Be Active Expo at the Sanford Center . The race director is Phil Knutson. The medical director is Dr. Mark Carlson. Live coverage of the race has been provided by local radio station KKBJ-FM , Mix 103.7 . The race is certified by the USATF , thus it is a Boston Marathon qualifier. The race course

64-573: A Most Valuable Player in Tournament which is voted on at the conclusion of the conference tournament. None of the individual awards conferred by the CCHA have been given for the entire existence of the conference. Only the Tournament MVP was awarded in the inaugural CCHA season, but that award was discontinued thereafter until 1982. Several of the aforementioned awards were revived along with

96-594: A game-of-the-week, and signed the first national television contract for colleges in the United States. He brought in cable television partners which included the Pro Am Sports System and Fox Sports Net . He introduced instant replay to the CCHA in 1993, to be used at its league championships, and arranged for the CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament finals to be played at Joe Louis Arena . He

128-481: A new CCHA for the 2021–22 season, citing a more compact geographic footprint and a desire to improve regional alignment, among other reasons. St. Thomas, a former D-III school, joined them later that year as the CCHA's newest member as well as the conference's eighth team. The CCHA began in 1971 as an NCAA conference composed of Bowling Green , Ohio , Ohio State and Saint Louis . After adding Lake Superior State for year two, both Ohio State and Ohio withdrew from

160-459: A partial league schedule in the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons before playing a full league schedule in 2025–26. On May 15, 2024 St. Thomas announced they would leave the league following the 2025-26 season to become the tenth member of the NCHC. This will return the league to eight member schools. Team's records against current conference opponents. (As of the end of the 2020-21 season.) At

192-400: Is a loop, mostly flat with some hills and roughly 300 ft. total elevation gain. All of the route is on paved trails and roads. Runners cite the scenic nature of the course as a highlight of the race. As of 2018, the course starts at the Sanford Center , the convention center and hockey arena, and then heads west before angling back toward the start for an eight-mile loop. The race continues on

224-682: The University of Notre Dame to resurrect its hockey program in 1992. Building on Bowling Green State's national title in 1984, the CCHA established itself further as the Michigan State Spartans won their second national championship and first as a member of the CCHA in 1986, and the Lake Superior State Lakers won the 1988 national championship, their first NCAA championship. The Lake Superior State Lakers would continue their NCAA success by winning both

256-503: The University of Wisconsin from the WCHA , as well as Penn State. The next school slated to leave the CCHA in 2013 was Miami University which became a charter member of the NCHC on July 15, 2011. Western Michigan accepted an invitation to join the new league just over two months later on September 22. The demise of the CCHA was further accelerated when five members decided to move to

288-728: The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), which itself had been depleted by the Big Ten and NCHC. The conference's last game before its hiatus was the final of the 2013 CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit , where Notre Dame beat Michigan 3–1 to win the Mason Cup championship. On February 18, 2020, seven schools who had applied to leave the WCHA announced they would form

320-408: The 1970s, was captain of his Bemidji State Beavers track and cross country teams. He wrote "Run For Your Life ... The Marathon, Minnesota Style" in 2011. In 2012, Bartz worked with a team of co-directors, including Cris Bitker, Jill Bitker, Aaron Riedel, Mark Peske, to plan and launch the first marathon weekend in 2013. Michael Meehlhause, a Bemidji City Council member since 2012, has run in one of

352-535: The 1992 and 1994 NCAA ice hockey championships and finishing as the national runner-up in 1993. In addition to the success of the Lakers and Spartans, the Michigan Wolverines began a streak of 22 consecutive tournament appearances in 1991 and won national titles in 1996 and 1998. While the conference and most of its teams were stable throughout the early 21st century, the CCHA suffered a mortal blow at

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384-558: The 2021–22 season; a previous incarnation, which the current CCHA recognizes as part of its history, existed from 1971 to 2013. Four of its nine members are located in the state of Michigan , with three in Minnesota and one each in Ohio and South Dakota . It has also had teams located in Alaska , Illinois , Indiana , Missouri and Nebraska over the course of its existence. The CCHA

416-496: The Be Active Expo and (most years) the Bemidji State Beavers men's hockey team home games. The marathon and half marathon races offer pacers. Prizes for the marathon have included double-bit felling axes with engraved handles. Local runner Dennis Bartz spearheaded the idea to bring a marathon to Bemidji, a city of nearly 15,000 people. Bartz coached cross country and track for Bemidji High School , and in

448-477: The Sanford Center. The course is a certified marathon distance (USATF #MN18060RR ). Several races take place as a part of the marathon weekend. The first day includes two kids races (a 1/2K and 1K), a 5K run and a 10K run . The marathon takes place on the second day along with a half marathon and a unique 26K (16.16-mile) race that circles Lake Bemidji. Throughout the weekend, the local arena hosts

480-505: The WCHA following the 2012–13 campaign. Northern Michigan University , returning to the WCHA after leaving in 1997, was the first to make the announcement on July 20, followed by Alaska, Ferris State and Lake Superior State on August 26 and Bowling Green on October 4. Notre Dame accepted an invitation to the Hockey East Association in a press conference on October 5, 2011. On June 28, 2019, seven schools from

512-646: The arena began hosting the home games of the Bemidji State Beavers men's ice hockey of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Bemidji State Beavers women's ice hockey team of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association , replacing the aging 2,400-seat John S. Glas Field House . Beginning with the 2014 season, the arena became home to the Bemidji Axemen of the Indoor Football League . The team

544-429: The conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each CCHA team vote which players they choose to be on the three All-Conference Teams: first team, second team and rookie team. Additionally they vote to award up to 9 of the 12 individual trophies to an eligible player at the same time (depending upon the year). The CCHA also awards a Perani Cup, a Humanitarian Award, which are awarded rather than voted upon, and

576-462: The conference, leaving the CCHA with a scant 3 members. Despite the trouble, the three teams rode out the rough patch and the league began to grow with the addition of Western Michigan and the return of Ohio State. Up until 1976 the NCAA had only offered bids to the tournament from teams in either ECAC Hockey or the WCHA . Because those were the only two Division I conferences for most years there

608-408: The end of the decade. Pennsylvania State University announced on September 17, 2010 the transition of its men's and women's American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) programs to NCAA Division I status in 2012. Just over a month earlier, then-commissioner Tom Anastos publicly stated that the CCHA would strongly consider adding Penn State as the conference's 12th member. Instead, the league

640-426: The move; the remaining three WCHA members, Alabama-Huntsville , Alaska and Alaska–Anchorage , all geographic outliers in the WCHA, were notably absent. On February 18, 2020 these seven schools announced they would begin competing in a new CCHA in 2021–22. Later that year, the University of St. Thomas , a former D-III school who had been granted a waiver by the NCAA earlier in the year to transition directly to D-I,

672-606: The races every year. His best times are 3:52:08 in the marathon (2013), 1:45:30 in the half marathon (2018), and 2:16:12 for 11th place in the 26K (2019). 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Key:     Course record All cities in Minnesota unless indicated otherwise Key:     Course record All cities in Minnesota unless indicated otherwise Key:     Course record All cities in Minnesota unless indicated otherwise * A "virtual" race

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704-610: The shore of Lake Bemidji and follows the tree-lined Paul Bunyan State Trail over the Mississippi River before doubling back (for just a mile) after reaching Big Bass Lake. The route continues through the pines, poplar and spruce trees of Lake Bemidji State Park , back around the west side of panoramic Lake Bemidji, through the city's downtown, and past the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues before returning to

736-410: The ten-member WCHA began the process of withdrawing from the conference, with the intent of forming a new conference for the 2021–22 season. These seven schools were Bemidji State, Bowling Green (who had retained the rights to the CCHA name), Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and Northern Michigan. The seven schools cited a more compact geographic footprint as one reason for

768-531: The tournament in its first three season of CCHA play but it was founding member Bowling Green that won the conference's first national championship in 1984 . Bill Beagan served as commissioner of the CCHA from 1985 to 1998. He implemented a pre-season training camp for referees, despite the officials going on strike in protest. He developed a working relationship with the NHL to develop future officials in collegiate hockey. He sought to have CCHA games televised as

800-430: Was announced to be joining the new CCHA as a member on July 29, 2020, bringing the membership up to an even eight teams. Don Lucia , a former head coach at Alaska, Colorado College , and Minnesota , was named as commissioner of the new CCHA on June 17, 2020. A new league logo was introduced shortly thereafter. On May 17, 2022, Augustana University was announced as the league's ninth member. The Vikings will play

832-651: Was credited with coining the phrase, "Road to the Joe", in reference to end-of-year tournament culminating at the Joe Louis Arena. Prior to Beagan's arrival, the CCHA had not been a profitable association. After 10 years as commissioner, the league had made $ 4 million. Profits were shared with the schools, which were reinvested into hockey programs and new arenas. On-ice results improved during his tenure, and CCHA teams won six NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament championships. In addition, Beagan convinced

864-520: Was disbanded after the 2012–13 season as the result of a conference realignment stemming from the Big Ten Conference (of which three CCHA schools; Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, were primary members) choosing to sponsor Division I ice hockey beginning in the 2013–14 season. The remaining CCHA members received invitations to other conferences, such as the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), Hockey East , and

896-551: Was disbanded after the 2015 season. This article about a sports venue in Minnesota is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA 's Division I as a hockey -only conference. The current CCHA began play in

928-496: Was left to deal with the imminent departures of Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State when the Big Ten Conference disclosed on March 21, 2011 its intention to establish a men's ice hockey circuit to begin play in the 2013–14 season, as the conference now had enough hockey teams to earn an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament for its champion. Joining the existing CCHA members were the University of Minnesota and

960-470: Was no controversy but, after the CCHA had proved to be more than just a flash in the pan, the tournament had to change. Beginning with the 1977 Championship the NCAA allowed itself the freedom to add up to four additional teams to the tournament with the understanding that the CCHA tournament champion would receive one of the additional bids. Bowling Green won the first tournament game for the conference but it

992-498: Was not until Northern Michigan reached the championship game in 1980 that the league began to gain acceptance. 1981 saw a major shift in college ice hockey with four teams from the WCHA defecting to the CCHA. The move was done as a way to reduce travel costs as well as provide the new team with a better chance at making the NCAA Tournament (many of the CCHA teams were still seen as lesser programs). Michigan State made

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1024-612: Was scheduled. Sanford Center The Sanford Center is a 4,700-seat multi-purpose arena and convention center in Bemidji , Minnesota , United States that opened in October 2010. On October 18, 2010, the venue was renamed from the Bemidji Regional Events Center to the Sanford Center after Sanford Health Systems purchased naming rights for $ 2 million over ten years. On Friday, October 15, 2010,

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