EMAIL: thebizrunner@gmail.com
-
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A 5K and MARATHON COURSE COLLIDE
(December 8)
It’s not Pretty. In this case it will end up costing the organizers of the St. Jude Memphis Marathon an extra $11k. That’s what happens when the top four runners in your race are DQ’d.
Here’s what happened according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal:Due to cones that were inadvertently left in place from the previously run Memphis Grizzlies House 5K, Basweti and the next three runners
did not run the ''true course.'' After evaluating the distance ran by the three runners, it was determined that the distance they ran was 647 feet short of the required 26.2 miles, the standard length of a marathon.
It’s a bad mistake for organizers to make but to their credit they are stepping up and offering the best possible solution given the circumstances. Organizers are still paying the DQ’s runners their prize money, including paying out an additional $1,000 in bonus money for what would have been a course record. Unfortunately, that time will not be officially recognized because of the DQ. The new winners of the race will also receive prizes of $8k, $3k and 2k respectively. Kudos to the race organizers and taking the financial hit in doing their best to make everyone whole.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/dec/07/top-four-male-finishers-disqualified-after-st-jude/
0 comments: