WHEELING — The Ogden Newspapers and The Health Plan of West Virginia, primary sponsors of the inaugural Ogden Wellness Weekend, announced today that iHeart Radio Wheeling will serve as the exclusive radio media partner for the Tough as Nails Urban Challenge and also the 43rd running of the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic, to be held Memorial Day weekend.

The Half Marathon is set for Saturday, May 25, while Tough as Nails will begin its first outing on Sunday, May 26. Both events, along with the Ohio Valley Trail Partners Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour, are part of the larger Ogden Wellness Weekend, and iHeart Radio will help promote both days’ events.

Mark Carter, an account executive with iHeart Radio Wheeling, said the local iHeart stations are “extremely excited to be a part” of the Wellness Weekend.

“The Ogden race has been a huge part of this community for so many years, and to now add a second major event to the weekend will just help enhance what has become such a great tradition over Memorial Day Weekend,” Carter said. “The unique aspect of the Tough as Nails Challenge is what has us so excited to be a part of the event. Combining strength, stamina and a whole lot of fun will make the Tough as Nails Challenge a fantastic event.”

Carter also said iHeart Radio Wheeling’s work in promoting other regional sporting events will assist with the Ogden Wellness Weekend. Carter said iHeart’s local stations — WBBD, WEGW, WKWK, WOVK, WVKF and WWVA — serve as the Ohio Valley’s affiliate for Wheeling Nailers Hockey, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Steelers, West Virginia University football and basketball, local high school sporting events and, earlier this year, the Mountain East Conference basketball championship games.

“It is our pleasure to be able to help promote this new event. With the radio stations being a big part of the local entertainment scene, we hope we can attract many of our listeners to not only participate in the Wellness Weekend, but also encourage them to join in the after parties and entertainment going on all weekend,” he said. “We look forward to being a part of the new tradition for the Ogden Wellness Weekend and helping to make it a success for years to come.”

The Ogden Half Marathon is considered one of the toughest courses in the nation, going 13.1 miles from its start at 14th and Main streets.

Adding the Tough as Nails challenge to the Wellness Weekend will only help to attract a new crowd to Wheeling to celebrate the holiday weekend, organizers say.

The 20-obstacle, 6-mile challenge will take participants from the start at 14th and Main streets, through Center Wheeling to Tunnel Green, then a 400-foot elevation gain to Wheeling Heights followed by a 1-mile downhill run on Chapline Street to the finish line, also at 14th and Main streets.

Along the way competitors will face obstacles such as the “Meat Grinder” atop the Robert C. Byrd Intermodal Transportation Center; a climb up the “Corporate Ladder” behind Celeron Plaza; a jaunt through an abandoned railroad tunnel; a run along the “Paper Trail” through the Ogden Newspapers Printing and Technology Center; and the “Slot Machine” on 14th Street.

The obstacles are being designed and built by the team at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, which hosts its annual “Mud on the Mountain” race each year.

“The first-ever Tough as Nails Urban Challenge will be a memorable one for the city of Wheeling and all its runners, and the post-race parties will serve as a great way to kick off the summer,” said Perry Nardo, general manager of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. “We are pleased to have iHeart Radio Wheeling join us as our radio broadcast partner to help get the word out on all the great events that make up the Ogden Wellness Weekend.”

The Ogden Wellness Weekend begins Saturday, May 25, with the Half Marathon Classic, the Ogden Newspapers 5k Run & Walk, the Ogden Fun Run, and the Ogden Tiny Tot Trot, sponsored by Ohio Valley Parent. The festivities on May 26 begin with the bike tour, followed by the Tough as Nails event.

But the Wellness Weekend is about more than just the competition — it’s also about community. Both on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, Wheeling’s riverfront will take on a festive atmosphere following the events of those respective days. There will be live music, a beer garden and multiple food vendors as participants and their friends and families enjoy the scenic views of the Ohio River.

For more information on the Tough as Nails, the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic or the Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour, visit ogdenwellnessweekend.com.