Running: Marathons get ultimatum - Running events must change dates

Wednesday, February 03, 2010 - 02:07 PM

One last chance.

The two competing fall marathons have been given two weeks to agree to change dates, in an ultimatum from the city’s public works committee. Committee members had heard a day of speeches from supporters of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon, which are held just three weeks apart every fall – causing serial traffic jams. The city wants to either move one to the spring or cancel one and go with a single marathon. If the organizers can’t hammer out a deal, the city will issue a formal request for proposals for a single event. In that case, the current organizers could even lose to a third group.

“I want to put the two organizers on notice: You have two weeks,” said Councillor Gord Perks. “If they don’t want to sort those questions out on their own time, we’ll just go to a single RFP, one marathon, and we’re done.” Perks wants the two sides to have a deal in time for the Feb. 22 city council meeting, even though an agreement has eluded them for two years despite the services of a professional facilitator. He said he hadn’t detected much progress in a marathon day of talking. “I guess there are different personalities involved,” said Scotiabank Waterfront race director Alan Brookes. “It could be a little bit like Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien.”

Brookes said his vision is to bring in 12 to 15 top men runners and eight to 10 top women from around the world, gradually building Toronto’s event to premium status like those in Boston, New York and Chicago. “You need an elite race. You need the stars,” he said. Jay Glassman, race director of the GoodLife Fitness marathon, said his event is more grassroots: “Ninety nine per cent of the runners in any marathon – whether it’s New York, Chicago, even Boston – are like you and me: They’re hoping to cross the finish line smiling, hopefully vertical, and really competing against themselves.” The ultimatum did seem to encourage each side to be more flexible. “We’re open to moving,” Glassman said after the meeting. Brookes said he was looking forward to rolling up his sleeves and getting down to business. “We’re completely open to sitting down and discussing what’s possible,” he said.