The 27th Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, to be held Sunday, October 7, will be a race of Olympic proportions and certainly one to remember.

This year's race -- the fastest edition to fill in the event's history, which reached its capacity in June -- will include two special relay teams, both built with one goal in mind: to raise awareness, dollars and support for Jenny Crain, the Milwaukee area runner injured in a car accident in August.

One team will consist of four Olympians, most with ties to Wisconsin. It will include Jim Heiring, a three-time Olympian race walker at the University of Wisconsin Parkside; Lucia Rosa, also former UW-Parkside walker and current track coach, accomplished marathon runner and a 1976 Olympic team member; Bill Rodgers, a four-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons and 1976 Olympian, and Wisconsin resident and five-time gold medal winning speed skater Bonnie Blair.

A second team will consist of local Milwaukee area runners, including Dan Held, Tim Keller, Kevin Setnes and Lynn Fitzsimmons, all among the elite in the country in mid to long distance.

"We're so excited to have two talented relay teams to be a part of the day and help encourage Jenny and her family along the way," said race director Kris Hinrichs, who was instrumental in arranging the teams. "We really hope people come out and cheer on these talented runners and all runners to make this year's event the best yet."

The 2007 Lakefront Marathon will begin at 8 a.m. at Grafton High School and will wind along Milwaukee's northshore area for 26.2 miles, finishing at Veteran's Park in Milwaukee. For the first time, the race falls on the same day as two major running events in the upper Midwest -- Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon (8,200 participants) and The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (45,000 runners).

This year's race will also feature the first Kids Mini-Marathon, featuring kids from local YMCA branches who have participated in a training program to stay fit, running several miles per week leading up to the race. They will complete their own marathon by running the last 1.2 miles on the course and cross the finish line like any other runner.

For more information, visit BadgerlandStriders.org/lakefront