The race is already two months away and we are hard at work making it a great experience for you. We have had some route challenges over the past few months, but have worked through the issues. The major challenge that we had to overcome was getting approval from the Sheriff's Office to support our event with law enforcement officers. We contacted them in June of 2015 and started the process. For our other running events, the process was complete in only a few months time. Before our request could be reviewed, we had to submit a certified, engineered traffic management plan. The plan for the original 26 mile route cost us $18,000. It was determined that this route was not suitable for runner safety and exceeded the number of officers available. As discussed in our last post, we cut the route down to 13 miles and submitted another certified, engineered traffic management plan for that route with an additional cost of $2,100. It was determined that this route was also not manageable with our limited law enforcement resources. At this point, we cut the route in half again to a 6.5 mile out & back course. Also part of our agreement with the Sheriff's Office to support our event was the stipulation that we move it to a non-profit event. This means that myself (the Race Director) will not get paid for the hundreds and hundreds of hours I have put into making this event happen. I did not anticipate making a profit this year, but was hoping that would be an option in the coming years. We have moved this event under our 501(c)3 public charity, Destin 50 Beach Ultra Inc. This is our outstanding charity that just raised $60,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation this past weekend with the Destin Beach Ultra Runs (with only 150 runners!). We hope we can exceed that amount for the Navy SEAL Foundation with this marathon. Although not ideal, this shortened route offers great beach-side running, the stunning views of the Destin Harbor when crossing over the Destin Bridge, a run along Destin Harbor and the opportunity to change races at the mid-point if someone decides not to continue for the full marathon. That change to switch mid-race makes it an idea event for first time marathon runners. We are still working with The Boardwalk and Harborwalk Village to determine where the start/finish of the race will be. This will mostly be determined by parking and facilities for the post-race party. We want to thank you for sticking with us and being positive through all these changes. As a runner, I know it is tough to have these changes so close to the race, but we are determined to put on a great event for you no matter what. It is going to be a very busy couple of months working with this new route. We will keep you updated constantly on our Facebook and here as often as possible. Shortly the votes for your bib design and shirt design will be up for you to choose. Keep on running and we will keep on working hard for you!
Full marathon route updateAs folks always say, "if it was easy- everyone would be doing it." This saying applies very well to those of you training for our marathon and it also applies to those of us building the event. Although there are no changes planned to the Half Marathon course, I have decided to make a change to the Full Marathon Course. After hours of meetings with local law enforcement, traffic engineers, and the Florida Department of Transportation I have decided to make the Full Marathon an out and back run for 2016 and continue to plan for a point to point full marathon for the next year. As a runner, I know this will disappoint some people and I did not come to this decision easily. Several factors were considered when making this decision: -The complete closure of Eglin Blvd in Ft Walton Beach would have had a major impact on local traffic and may have made it difficult to gain approval for our race in future years. -Due to the large amount of intersections in the Ft Walton Beach route area, the number of police required for that section was extremely high. -It was impossible to close to traffic the areas on the route where it passed through neighborhoods, without trapping people in their homes and certainly raising some ill will toward our event. As I have stated from the beginning, it is my #1 priority to put on the highest quality event possible. This change allows us to concentrate on making 13 miles of course, aid stations, and support perfect for all the runners. Thousands of hours of planning are going into making this an outstanding first year event and we thank you all for your support. If you have any questions or concerns about the change to the full marathon course, please email me directly at rd@destinmarathon.com. This updated route is not yet permitted, but I believe it is an excellent example of a route that is both beautiful and safe, while at the same time limiting the impact to the non-running public. It will now have to be approved by the City of Destin, Okaloosa County, and the Florida Department of Transportation. We will keep you updated as it progresses through the various agencies. upcoming race votesShortly, all the registered runners are going to face some difficult decisions! You all will be voting on the design of the race bibs, the design of the race medals, and the design that will be on your race shirts. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page and on your email for the vote announcements.
What a great time of year this is on the Gulf Coast! I don't think any runner would complain if the clear skies and pleasant temps stuck around all year. Lucky for you, this is very similar to the weather we usually see in April. So what have we been up to in the Kill Cliff Destin Marathon world? COURSE On Friday the Florida Traffic Engineer traffic management plan was sent out to all the local, regional and state authorities. If you could see the detail required in this book of papers, to meet Florida Dept of Transportation guidelines, it would make more sense why it was such a costly and time consuming product. (I'm so happy this is a one time thing!). After spending several days reviewing it, I am confident that it will both ensure the smooth flow of traffic and a safe course for the runners. The review process by all the authorities could take up to a few months. We will keep you updated with any news. EXPO Our expo coordinator has been working to ensure the best experience for you picking up your packet and enjoying the booths of our sponsors. It is a priority of mine, that your packet pickup process is smooth and easy and that you have an expo that you want to spend some time at- rather than just get back to the hotel as quickly as possible. To this end, we are working to provide a runners lounge, where you can kick back with a drink with your fellow runners and enjoy meeting the folks you will be running with the next day. If you, or someone you know, is interested in having a booth, please contact MaryEdith at expo@destinmarathon.com. We have set our booth prices as low as possible to allow our local businesses and other races a chance to meet our runners. POST RACE Although the best part of your race might be crossing the finish line, we want to ensure what happens next is just as enjoyable. Our staff is working hard with Destin Commons and other sponsors to put together a great post-party for you. We are not quite ready to share the exact details yet, but here is an overview of what we are working on: A very special food and drink experience for our Indiegogo Campaign Plank Owners. Those folks took a big risk on us, so we look forward to rewarding them with something special. A little larger, but also great, culinary and drinking experience for our VIP party ticket holders. You can purchase these VIP tickets, for you and your guests, with your race entry. But do not worry if you are not a plank owner or cannot afford VIP tickets, we will ensure everyone gets something to quench their race thirst and put a dent in your hunger once you catch your breath. Finally, we have been in discussions with some national acts (bands) for the post-party. Hopefully we can put together a compensation package for them that they are happy with and meets our budget requirement. Sorry for such a short post. We hope to be making some big announcements and firming up a lot of details over the next few months. Subscribe to this blog to always receive our updates. Enjoy this fall weather and start thinking about your Kill Cliff Destin Marathon training plan!
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AuthorZane Holscher tells you what it takes to put on a successful running event, including a step by step checklist. In archived blogs, you are taken behind the scenes for a peek into the making of a marathon through the eyes of the race director. Categories
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January 2019
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