City Puts Best Foot Forward: Akron Makes Its Case to Host Olympic Trial

By Paula Schleis, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Jan. 10–Now we wait.

On Monday, Akron mailed its official bid to host the 2007 U.S. Marathon Championship and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trial.

The proposal outlines a fan-friendly route and plans for securing $1 million in operating costs, and throws in a unique timing feature that organizers say runners are sure to love.

But the icing on the cake is a 10-kilometer race that will allow everyday runners to compete on a portion of the course a mere hour before the Olympic-level athletes come through.

“Think of what the average golfer would give to be able to compete on the same course as the pros on the last day of the Masters,” said David Hunter, one of the local race organizers.

The city learned a month ago it was in the running, along with New York City, Boston and Minneapolis, for the prestigious races.

After U.S. Track & Field officials visit each of the four cities and review the proposals, they will choose one city to host the women’s event and another for the men’s races. The announcement is due in mid-April.

Here’s what they’ll get if they choose Akron:

— MONEY: Race organizers — the same folks who put on the annual Road Runner Akron Marathon — negotiated tentative agreements with Akron and Summit County officials to chip in $150,000 apiece.

The city has promised to guarantee another $450,000 if organizers fall short in their fund-raising efforts, and three local foundations are considering grant applications.

“Everybody I’ve talked to has been very, very supportive,” said Steve Marks, another race organizer. “Nobody has dismissed it out of hand. They know this would be great for the region.”

— DATES: The U.S. championship would be held the same weekend as the Road Runner marathon — Sept. 29-30, 2007. It’s possible the Road Runner would be moved to Sunday so competitors can come to town and relax on Saturday while enjoying the U.S. Championship.

While Road Runner attracts about 4,000 runners, the U.S. Championship would probably feature fewer than 50 athletes.

The Olympic trials would be held April 12, 2008, and involve about 100 runners.

— WEATHER: As requested by U.S. Track & Field officials, race organizers had to prognosticate on the weather. Using historical data, Hunter offered up “an ideal day” of 40 degrees at the start and approaching 50 degrees at the end.

— ROUTE: The first seven-mile leg would start at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, weave through the historic neighborhood, and bring racers to Market and Main streets.

That would begin a 10-kilometer loop that would head down South Main at least as far as Bartges Street, swing back north via High Street, cross the All-America Bridge and dance around North Hill, then return over the bridge to Market and Main. Runners would take the loop three times.

After the third loop, runners would continue south to Canal Park, entering the stadium from center field and finishing at the first-base dugout.

— FANS: Because of the looping segment, fans could easily walk from Market and Main to both sides of the All-America Bridge, viewing the entire field of racers seven times with minimal effort.

— TIMING FEATURE: The loop would be 10 kilometers to allow organizers to place a pair of timing mats and digital clocks at two locations to give runners and race fans meaningful split times.

As runners cross the mats wearing tiny computer chips in their shoes, they would log their time at exactly 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 kilometers.

“The runners and knowledgeable fans will be able to understand the pace they’re on. That’s never been done before with this kind of precision on a loop,” Hunter said. “That’s something we’re showcasing in our proposal.”

— 10K RACE: Organizers are proposing that at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the Olympic trials, a 10K race open to all be run on the downtown loop.

That event should finish an hour before the Olympic contenders arrive at the downtown segment of their race.

The 10K runners could “finish at the ballpark, cool down, put on dry clothes and then stay there or go out in the street to watch the Olympic trials,” Hunter said.

Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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