Rock n Roll Running Series - where events go to die. "After thoughtful consideration...Sep edition of race will be the last. Oh yeah, RNR Seattle postponed until 2022.
Rock n Roll Running Series - where events go to die. "After thoughtful consideration...Sep edition of race will be the last. Oh yeah, RNR Seattle postponed until 2022.
RIP Virginia Beach
That's a shame. This used to be a major race with 15,000 entrants. Even a few years ago it still got around 5000. It was always a humid race though, some years it was absolute suffering to race this thing. I grew up with this race coming into existence when I was in hs in the early 2000s and would run it at the start of xc season most years. I ran it a couple more times after college before moving away from the east coast in search of better running environs.
Three things ultimately killed this race.
1. Their best days, attendance wise, was when the distance and the concept was still a novelty. A race with music and bands every mile..well, that was just cool!
2. They eventually started a half in Philly literally 2 weeks after this one...basically no one from above Northern VA/DC area was going to come to Va Beach with it's jacked up hotel rates and 2 night minimums over Labor Day weekend.
3. The time of year was not at all conducive to racing it. You're talking ridiculously humid/high dewpoint almost every single year and when the sun cleared the tree lines, you just suffered. To be fair, they did eventually move the time back where almost the first hour or so was before the sun got above the trees.
Few know this, but at least in the first probably 5 years of the race, the organizers of Rock n Roll (was it Competitor Group at that time?) paid zero to have the race there. They weren't charged police OT fees, they weren't charged road permit closure fees, heck they weren't charged for the expo space that got like 15,000+ runners.
Basically, the city "gave" them the race in order to fill hotel rooms and have a family friendly event, because years before, they city had some riots over Labor Day weekend that made national news. After that, tourism over the holiday weekend had suffered every year. This was their way of filling hotel rooms (again, see 2 night minimum) and attract families that weekend.
All of these venture capital backed racing series need to die. Five me the local race and not a conglomerate.
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
2024 College Track & Field Open Coaching Positions Discussion
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
adizero Road to Records with Yomif Kejelcha, Agnes Ngetich, Hobbs Kessler & many more is Saturday