Atlanta and Los Angeles: A Tale of Two Cities

I am sitting in a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon (actually, Lake Oswego, Lola’s Cafe Bar). Into my second cup of coffee, enjoying the crisp air, outside, under a heater, and life is very good this morning. I am nearly packed up after a week visit in Portland, now off to New York for the NIKE Indoor Nationals.

I wanted you, dear readers, to consider the recent happenings of the past week, the USATF Half Marathon and the City of Los Angeles Marathon. I wanted to consider how quickly things can get out of hand. It is also fascinating to see how events are dealing with the situations.

1. The USATF Half marathon was an event inside an event. The Publix Atlanta Half Marathon, hosted by the Atlanta Track Club, knows how to host events. I believe that this year, Atlanta Track Club, under CEO Rich Kenah and his team, will put on 20-23 road races. They also put on track meets and sponsor an elite club, with the support of the brand, adidas.
2. The ASICS City of Los Angeles Marathon is now in its 41rst year. Owned and hosted by the McCourt Foundation, with ASICS as the major sponsor since 2019, the LA Marathon had a field, in the 5k and Marathon of 27,000.
3. In the USATF Half Marathon, the womens’ leading athletes, via a perfect storm, including a Police officer injured in line of duty, were taken off course.
4. In the Los Angeles Marathon, the leading male marathoner followed a flag waving fan, plus a vehicle, and with 400 meters to go, was taken off course. Exhausted, he was directed to the finish. He succumbed to the incredible finish of a high school cross country coach, who won by .01, the closest finish in the marathon’s history.
5. The USATF Half Marathon crisis was reported by athletes, managers and event management quickly and promptly. Within several days, a remedy for th prize purse was developed that all concerned seem to appreciate. The final decision, on whether the athletes will be allowed to compete at the World Half Marathon championships, needs to be voted on by the World Athletic Council, in their upcoming meeting, prior to the World Athletics Indoor Championships, to be held March 18-19.
6. In the ASICS LA Marathon, the news of the incredible finish of Nathan Martin, a high school cross country coach from Michigan, has made many of the major news networks. Mr. Martin, an African-American, is the first African American male to win a major marathon in at least a couple of decades.
7. Kudos to the USATF Half marathon, Atlanta Track Club, USATF and sponsor, Publix. Also, kudoes to Brooks running for taking care of Jess McClain, who was clearing winning the half marathon. Jess McClain’s thoughtful social media posts and her agent, Josh Cox, synopsis of the situation, was helpful in the running community learning more of the story. Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club, a World Indoor medalist at 800 meters, promptly and thoughtfully reacted to what was a very charged situation.
8. Nathan Martin is all over the running world for his brilliant win. A video on Kenya Sports shows Micheal Kamau, exhausted from his brilliant run in the heat, a bit confused when he was drawn off the course, and trying to respond, was unable to hold off the charge of Nathan Martin. Some has suggested that Mr. Kamau could have held off the charge of the flying cross country coach. I am not so sure, however, I do note that the finish line area of the LA Marathon, in the future, should be much cleaner and corrections should be made to keeping enthusiastic, or perhaps, overly enthusiastic fans off the course near the finish. That is why marathon fences were used. However, could not see, on the video, if LAM staff were nearby to protect from such situations.
9. Both events are far from over, but I thought it would be good to put all in one note and welcome corrections additions and suggestion on covering this fascinating story. We take for granted, race organization, and when this happens, twice in one week, at national events, the running culture needs to appreciate the amazing organization and precision in road race management, and how, when the perfect storm erupts, various race organizations react.
10. Stay tuned.