Saturday, November 11, 2017

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

U2

The Lockport Rivers Edge Run is proposing a full marathon option to their very successful 1/2 marathon/ 30 km event.  They are requesting our feedback so here goes.

What's not to like? I think it's a great idea and it will be an nice addition to a busy autumn race season. Let's not forget the Treherne full marathon or the recently announced MEC full marathon, plus the many half-marathon events and 30 km events in and around Winnipeg and Grand Forks including Chicago, Minneapolis and Regina.

Will the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Run finally take the leap to 26.2 in 2018 and upset the proverbial apple cart?  Only Jonathan knows for sure, but my money says yes.

With due respect to the RDs and planning committees of Rivers Edge marathon and MEC marathon their events are local community events that will attract 25 to 50 runners at most.  I'm not sure why MEC is even considering a marathon event given they cater to trail runners. If they want to expand they should be looking at a 50 km ultra... not a marathon which falls clearly in the domain of road runners.

The point is, and admittedly it's a selfish one, quite simply I still haven't found what I'm looking for. The Lockport and MEC marathons will never be destination runs.  They will forever cater to a small market in an very crowded field. It's a lot of work to pull off a marathon (if done right) and the payoffs can be intrinsically rewarding but financially less so.

Would I run their marathon? Sure, providing their event fits in with my training schedule and budget. Neither event would be a destination, more of a goodwill community event.

This blogger suggests MEC and Lockport enter this field with eyes wide open, especially their first year.  Runners have come to expect minimal requirements.  The weather can make it or break it so consult your crystal ball. And for goodness sake, whatever you do, don't have participants run two loops of your half marathon event and call it a full!

The Lockport Rivers Edge Marathon and the MEC Marathon will never be 'destination' runs. You need look no further than Treherne. That's not a bad thing, it's just the reality.

I'm looking for a big city marathon that attracts international elite runners with cash prizes.  I long for a Winnipeg autumn Marathon that is at least as big as Regina Marathon (can the bar be set any lower.. kidding, I love Regina). I wait with baited breath for the courage of a race director to step forward and yell

Yes! We can do this!

The trouble with Winnipeg is we think small.  We need to start thinking big.

It's a good day to be alive.

Mike