Tag Archives: Big River Running Company

BEN ROSARIO: WHAT ARE WE AFRAID OF?

Benn Rosario

Ben Rosario

(Today, we feature a column by guest blogger Ben Rosario)

On February 2 I had the extreme pleasure to serve as meet director for the USA Cross Country Championships in Saint Louis, and we were fortunate to have one of the most talented fields for that particular event in a long, long time. The members of our local organizing committee worked their butts off to promote the likes of Chris Derrick, Shalane Flanagan, Deena Kastor, Dathan Ritzenhein, Matt Tegenkamp and more. I’m biased, but I think we did a pretty darn good job, and though it’s difficult to give an exact number, we certainly had at least a couple thousand fans out on the course that day. That said I believe it could have been even better. I think if the thousands upon thousands of casual runners knew more about the professional side of the sport then having those athletes in their own backyard would have been an absolute can’t miss event.

Earlier this week the Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced that Dathan Ritzenhein, who owns the #3 all-time marathon in U.S. history, will be back to run the storied windy city race on October 13. That’s great news and I’m happy for the folks at Chicago and I’m happy for Dathan. They got a valuable commodity that will bring attention to their event and he will be compensated thusly, I’m sure.

My pet peeve is this; why can’t we find out how much he is getting as an appearance fee? I am a sports junkie and I’ve probably read a thousand articles about professional athletes signing their first contract, signing as a free agent or being traded, etc. and  in each and every one I see something to the effect of , “The deal is reportedly worth $x,xxx,xxx.” And you know why we see that? We see it because people want to know. It is just one of the many things that makes these athletes larger than life to the rest of us. It is what puts them on a pedestal where granted, we sometimes try to knock them down, but they are up there nonetheless.

And yet we continue in our sport, even in the year 2013, to try and seem amateur. It’s leftover from the 60s and 70s and the days when runners would have to get paid under the table or risk their Olympic eligibility. News flash; we don’t have to do that anymore! I think we’ve made a huge mistake in this industry, and I was guilty of it during my days as a running store owner, of trying to make guys like Ritz seem like he’s just like “you.”

We tell people that they feel the same things he feels during a marathon and that’s what separates our sport from all those others. Well guess what…that ain’t true. What it feels like to run 2:07 is absolutely nothing like what it feels to run four hours and you know what…that’s okay. We can idolize the 2:07 guy and still admire and respect our friends, our neighbors, or our customers who run four hours. They are not mutually exclusive. The model is out there folks. Walk into any sporting goods store and go to the football section, then the basketball section, th  en the soccer section, etc. All you’ll see is jersey after jersey of famous players. Look at television ratings and see how NFL football completely rules on Sundays, Monday nights and now even Thursday nights. Sure we might talk about how these guys are overpaid prima donnas but we love every minute of it.

So what are we so afraid of in our sport? Continue reading →

GO! ST. LOUIS

     Since hosting the 2004 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, my hometown of St. Louis had drawn back into its well-established, but less than heart-thumping reputation as a city of running participation,  not racing competition.  So while many other cities in the Midwest had developed nationally (and even internationally) recognized races like the Chicago Marathon, the Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City, The Bix 7 Road Race in Davenport, Iowa, and the Twin Cities Marathon (and more) in Minneapolis, St. Louis maintained little more than a regional racing presence.  Now that may change.

Go! St. Louis, the estimable non-profit that specializes in providing fitness events and programs for the region on a year-round basis, has announced a substantial increase in the prize purse for their popular half marathon – presented by PNC Bank – which is part of the GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, set for April 6 & 7, 2013 in downtown St. Louis.  Next spring the half marathon will award a total of $47,000, with a first-place check of $10,000 going to the male and female champions.

Explained Go! St. Louis president Nancy Lieberman, “Part of it was how to bring excitement back to racing in St. Louis.  We wondered what would it take to make the event a sporting event? And this is what we thought would work.”

While Go! St. Louis had offered prize money in their half-marathon before, it was little more than a token amount; $1000 for the win, $500 to place, and $300 for show.  There were also age-group awards of $100 each, but those, said Lieberman, went unnoticed.

With the added investment the event now jumps up to fourth place nationally in half-marathon prize purses. Only the New York City Half ($100,000 total, $20k for first place), the Garry Bjorklund Half – part of Grandma’s Marathon weekend in Duluth, Minn. – ($82,000, $12K for first), and Houston’s Aramco Half – positioned with the Houston Marathon – ($50,000, $10,000 for first) award more.  By comparison, the BAA Half in Boston offers $38,400 total with $6000 for the win.

“We want to return the sport to St. Louis,” emphasized Lieberman, long-time president of Go! St. Louis, and a nationally recognized leader in the sport.  “We still want everyone to run, but we want to champion the elites. Our mission is to make St. Louis one of the healthiest cities in America, rather than the 99th out of 100 most obese which is where it is ranked now.”

Lieberman admits to struggling to find sponsorship for her Go! St. Louis schedule of events.  “The mind-set in St. Louis,” she says, “values culture and the arts, but to get someone to sponsor a running event is like pulling teeth.”

For that reason, Go! St. Louis, itself, is contributing the extra funds to bulk up their half-marathon purse, hoping to prime the pump in the local business community with the heightened exposure an elite race might generate.  Continue reading →

FESTIVAL OF MILES PRODUCES FAST TIMES

     The 1300-person crowd rose along the front stretch as hip 5, Jordan McNamara of the Oregon Track Club, made his move.  The St.Louis Track Club Men’s Mile was the final race of last night’s Big River Festival of Miles, and in the final 100 meters it had boiled down to a three man fight.  On the inside ran John Jefferson from Team Indiana Elite, a 3:57 man who had charged to the lead at the bell with 400 to go.  In his slipstream the hometown favorite, Stephen Pifer of the Oregon TC, a native of Edwardsville, Illinois from just across the Big Muddy from St. Louis, a 3:56 man with scores of fans urging him on.  And waiting, waiting, waiting was McNamara, who had a PR coming in of 3:59, but had won the “B” heat of the Oxy High Performance Meet in L.A.on May 21st in 3:42. So he was in form, and rarin’ to go.

    I was on the P.A.  It had been a great night of racing, beginning with the Go St. Louis! Healthy Kids mile won by Nick Thatcher in 5:29.  The fourth annual series of races served as a fund-raiser to benefit 2008 St. Louis U. High All-State high jumper Mike Rathmann, who was paralyzed just a few weeks after graduation in a vacation accident.  His mom, Toots, was on hand, as well, celebrating her birthday.  Good night all around for the Rathmann bunch. Continue reading →