This morning Ruth Anne needed to return her rental car and I needed a run, so I followed her in her new Honda Insight to Enterprise then ran home. I didn't look at a map and tried to estimate a 10 mile run. When I got home and mapped it out, it came out to 9.72 miles in 1:11:36 for a 7:21 pace. If you are curious, here was my route.
In the bigger picture, I wrote my letter to our city leaders regarding the Street Event Closure Ordinance being considered this week. The last one I wrote was pure rant. I tried this time to express my opinion in a more positive manner in hopes that it will not be disregarded or discarded. Here is the text of that letter:
City of Austin Mayor and City Council Members:
I have been closely following the work of the Street Event Closure Taskforce and the now proposed Street Event Closure Ordinance 14-8. In the past 5 years I have participated in many races in Austin from 5K to the Marathon. I have participated in the Austin Marathon as a spectator, participant and coach for the past 5 years. I have also participated in marathons in Boston, Sacramento, St. George Utah and Wynne Arkansas. These cities range in population from 4,400,000 in the Greater Boston Area to 8,364 in Wynne, Arkansas. Each marathon has a unique atmosphere associated with it that reflects the host community. I can tell you in two words what each of the other marathons I have run have that Austin does not: Community Support.
This community support is not the result of a greater percentage of runners in these communities than in Austin. This community support is not the result of a better or bigger race management group. This community support is a direct result of LEADERSHIP. Leadership that recognizes the value of hosting events capable of bringing a community together. Leadership that recognizes the value of hosting events that can elevate the stature of the community on the national and world stage. Leadership that recognizes the positive financial impact of events of this size.
Can you imagine a 26 mile race through the 5 boroughs of New York happening without the active support of city leadership? The New York marathon gives each community the opportunity to show its pride through enthusiastic support of the race as it passes through. Can you imagine the Boston Marathon starting in the town of Hopkinton and passing through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline before finishing in downtown Boston without overwhelming support of the leadership in each of these communities?
I am embarrassed to live in a town that bills itself as Fit City whose current leaders seem to be openly hostile to a vibrant segment of its own population. Austin clearly needs an ordinance to reduce the negative impact of street closures for events including races. I am fairly certain that Boston, New York, Sacramento, St. George and even little Wynne Arkansas have ordinances governing such events. But the one thing that Austin needs even more than a new ordinance is leadership. Leadership that emphasizes the importance of these events to the community. Leadership that seeks to build consensus instead of confrontation. Please take this opportunity to show YOUR leadership and vote no to the current ordinance before you. Please take this opportunity to show YOUR leadership by asking for a new ordinance built on the premise that community events are COMMUNITY events. I can assure you that MY vote in upcoming elections will be based on YOUR vote on this matter.
Sincerely,
Charles “Geezer” Collins
Austin native, voter, runner, coach
Humans were Born to Run Barefoot
14 years ago
