COEUR d'ALENE - Word's getting out on a wacky new marathon.

Well, more unique than wacky.

And new is a relative term, of course.

But the medals for finishing the first two St. Joe River marathons, for example, look more like handcrafted souvenir's from a tourist shop than your run-of-the-mill medals.

This year, runners will have a silver tug boat placed around their neck for crossing the finish line Sunday, June 9 in St. Maries.

The tugboat plays homage to St. Maries history, the town on the St. Joe River celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

As for the marathon, it's in its third year. It was started by a group of running enthusiasts who wanted to have a race on their home turf. Like the medals, the local race is different than almost any other "road race" out there.

"I think that's one of the coolest things about our race," said Devon Barta, one of the race's organizers helping spread the word on the third annual event. "It's unlike anything else in the sense that you really are in the middle of no where, you've got mountains and you've got the river and you're on a dirt road."

The out-and-back course sticks to the famous river and the dirt road, so you're far more likely to get passed by a deer than pass by a building.

Scenic, peaceful, perfectly St. Maries.

The goal of marathon organizers is two-fold: They want to encourage a healthy lifestyle, but also raise money for local families affected by cancer. This year, organizers formed the St. Joe River Marathon Foundation to raise the money after one of the original founders, Dr. John Thomson, passed away from cancer last year.

He was a beloved figure in the community, Barta said.

About 500 runners participated in the race each of the first two years. Past medals were a bear and a fish.

"Quirky," she called it.

Wanna run?

On Saturday, June 8, a kid fun run will blast though downtown St. Maries at 11 a.m. Kids 12 and younger should dress like super heroes for the run. It costs $10 and lunch and a carnival will follow.

On race day Sunday, the St. Joe River Marathon will start at 8 a.m., with an early start option for slower runners/walkers. Half marathon and 5K options start 15 minutes later. $50, $45, $15 respectively. Add $10 on race day. Info: Devon Barta (208) 568-1412 or stjoerivermarathon.com