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Redington Beach approves road races
By MELISSA LATTMAN
| Article published on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 |
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REDINGTON BEACH – The Board of Commissioners gave a thumbs-up to a new road race planned down Gulf Boulevard in the fall.
The board voted to allow the closing of one side of Gulf Boulevard for two hours on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 31, for the inaugural running of the Halloween Halfathon, a 13.1-mile half-marathon.
Approval is still pending in other communities along the beach.
The race would start at Sand Key and head south down Gulf Boulevard through the Redingtons ending at Archibald Park in Madeira Beach.
Runners would use the southbound curbside lane of Gulf Boulevard in Redington Beach from about 8:10 to 10:10 a.m. The truck picking up race cones would follow immediately behind the last walker, race promoter Chris Lauber said.
Lauber said there would be some inconvenience to residents on the west side of Gulf Boulevard. They should be able to get out through the gaps, as runners should be spread out more at that point in the course, he said. It’s not like a triathlon where cyclists are zooming past; the runners would go slower than bikes and could potentially stop easier, Lauber said.
Lauber hopes people will embrace the event. He envisions many runners in costume with residents welcome to come out and watch, he said.
The commission approved a resolution allowing the Halloween Half-athon to come through town during the last weekend in October for a five-year period.
There is a clause in the resolution allowing the commission to review having the race pass through town on an annual basis. Mayor Nick Simons said he appreciated the clause for the annual review of the race, which would be discussed at the Nov. 3 regular commission meeting.
The new Halloween race will be the first of three proposed races by Lauber on the Gulf Beaches, about six weeks apart. Lauber said it is cost-effective and efficient for him to market the races together and the grouping of races encourages more runner participation.
The Halloween race will join the Holiday Halfathon, which has gone through Redington Beach since 2002. Lauber said that race has grown from the initial 541 entrants to 1,247 in 2008. He said he anticipates 1,500 participants in 2009 with more than 50 percent coming from outside Pinellas County, which he said means an influx of tourism dollars.
The Holiday Halfathon, a northbound race, starts in Madeira Beach and ends at Taylor Park in Largo. The holiday race passes through town by about 8 a.m. The third proposed race of the series, the Clearwater Half-athon in January, does not go through Redington Beach.
The commission also approved the return of the Holiday Halfathon on the second Sunday of December. That resolution was also for a five-year period with an annual review clause.
In other business:
• Commissioner Michelle Fox said there would be extra coverage from the sheriff’s office on July 4 because of the holiday.
• During the public comment period resident Paul Madsen suggested cutting commission meetings to just once a month, instead of the current twice a month, to save money.
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Article published on Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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