On Thursday, St. Croix Events President Dave Eckberg has a conference call with the director of the Boston Marathon to learn the ins and outs of planning a successful marathon course.

Having no experience putting together a marathon - and with his first-ever marathon possibly less than eight months away - he may need all the help he can get.

"I want to learn the specific characteristics that make a great course," he said this morning. "We are going to go with the best course we can."

The Stillwater City Council on Tuesday heard an update on the planning process for the Stillwater Marathon, which is scheduled for May 24, 2009. In addition to the marathon, 20-mile and half-marathon races are also scheduled.

The marathon is tentatively scheduled to wind through the surrounding communities and end in downtown Stillwater, though Eckberg said the final route has yet to be determined.

The council took no action Tuesday night, but scheduled Eckberg to come before the council at the Nov. 18 meeting, at which point he may get the official go-ahead. In April, the council gave Eckberg preliminary approval to move ahead with the race.

At the meeting Tuesday night, Mayor Ken Harycki said before he would support a "blanket yes" he would like to know the impact the race will have on the community.

Because the race is during Memorial Day weekend, Eckberg said it would have a "minimal impact" because many people will be out of town. Moreover, the race will be complete by early afternoon, which may lessen the hassle to the neighborhoods, Eckberg explained.

In a phone interview this morning, Eckberg said the course would likely run through some of Stillwater's historic neighborhoods. He plans to meet with Stillwater Police Chief John Gannaway and Washington County Sheriff Bill Hutton next week to gather their input.

As for the amount of people he expects to participate, Eckberg is still guessing. To the council, he said he would be "astonished" if more than 2,500 participated in the three races.

If the council approves the race, Eckberg said he would start accepting applications soon afterward. The fees for the race would be similar to other races, he said.

Beyond the racecourse, Eckberg said he didn't have any numbers on the economic impact the race will have to the community. He said the Twin Cities Marathon brings in around $10 million each year.

The event will fall under the umbrella of Lumberjack Days, Eckberg explained, but it will have a corporate sponsor yet to be determined.

The marathon is also expected to be a Boston qualifier.

When the dust settles, Eckberg said it could be a great event that fits into the growing health and wellness movement gaining traction in the state.

"We have been thinking about this for a long time ... it seemed like the logical next step," he said.

In other business, the council...

• heard an update from Chief Gannaway on the status of the administrative citation initiative. He said the initiative has been going for 20 days and his officers have handed out 29 citations.
  
  
• unanimously passed the second reading of an ordinance amendment to allow large construction projects to extend past two years if tied to a development agreement.
  
  
• heard un update and was given a review of the city's comprehensive plan.

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Steve Morris covers crime, Washington County and the cities of Bayport and Stillwater for the Gazette. He can be reached at 651-796-1108.