JFK 50 Mile Race Considers Location Change

Julie E. Greene reporting for local news Herald-Mail:

Organizers of the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon are considering moving the race to Frederick County due to the lack of financial support from Washington County government for this year’s event, co-race director Mike Spinnler said.

This is not just a conversation around a course alteration, like we’ve seen at Snowdonia, but the event would move counties, essentially creating a very different event:

The Frederick County route has been a backup route for the JFK 50 Mile for years in case some kind of issue cropped up with the Washington County route.

If the race moves to Frederick County, the proposed route would have participants use the same stretch of the Appalachian Trail and then go to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park towpath, exiting the towpath at Lock 29. Instead of heading west on the towpath, runners would go east for 16.7 miles and then make a U-turn to come back up the towpath for 9.5 miles. Then they would take back roads for about 5 1/2 miles to finish the race by Brunswick High.

This is a tough place for an event with such history. Runners want to run the same trails, compete at the same history event to create equal competition.

As to where the money they race org asked for comes from:

“Hotel-motel tax (revenue) was intended to kick-start things. It was never meant to be a long-term financial support,” Barr said. “I think, in light of all the budgetary restraints and pushback from the state — everything that we’re obligated to, we’re turning every page over and looking for every dollar we can find to support the community.”

This is a common sentiment in US local politics and a classic example of how Euro races are different. In the Alps the economics around tourism are part of a long term thinking. Here in the US tourism dollar generating businesses are seen just as another single unit without considering the larger impact the event has on the community. I bet the same politicians would roll out the red carpet if some mega corp chain store would ask for tax breaks to open their first drive thru in the county.

[The] JFK 50 Mile could have an economic impact of about $1.5 million based on 1,300 people spending three days here for the event.

Those are estimated numbers, and without a study behind hit, but clearly these dollars generated don’t just go to the race organization, but to the businesses in the region benefiting from tourism. Further the event supports local nonprofits:

The JFK 50 Mile website lists over 40 charities the race supports. Many of them are youth cross country and track programs. The list includes other local charities as well as others like the C&O Canal Trust, The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The V Foundation, The Special Forces Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

If this event is forced to move it, it’ll hurt the community in many ways not captured in a spreadsheet.