Marathon course on unsteady ground

Adjustments may have to be made to Capital City Marathon route

MIKE BURGESS, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- The course for this spring's Capital City Marathon may need to be adjusted in the wake of damage from last week's major earthquake in South Sound.

Deschutes Parkway, part of the route for the annual 26.2-mile race through Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, was heavily damaged in Wednesday's magnitude-6.8 earthquake.

Organizers for the May 20 event, which last year drew more than 1,000 runners for marathon, half-marathon and five-mile races, are scrambling to find answers on whether the parkway will be available.

"I think there is a portion that is possibly usable," race director Lesley Roberts said Monday. "We just need one lane. We're hoping that they will allow us to use it."

The parkway provides a very scenic area early in the race and also helps get runners, who start and finish at Sylvester Park downtown, out of the city and on toward Tumwater quickly.

Race organizers have not been able to contact the state, which is responsible for the parkway, but has to deal with numerous other earthquake-related problems.

"No one from the state has contacted us," Roberts said. "I can see where it is a very low priority to them.

"We are taking a very optimistic view that we will be up and running and able to go as usual."

Cracks and sunken areas along the parkway have made it dangerous for even pedestrians.

"I cannot emphasize enough that people need to stay away," state General Administration planner David Schilperoort said last Friday. "This is a long-term problem and the area will be closed for an extended period of time."

If the course needs to be changed, the marathon group is looking at 100 to 150 hours of work to remap the course and get changes certified by the U.S. Track and Field Association.

Certification can be a long process and the race is less than two and one-half months away.

"You have to send in your course for them to approve it and it takes time for them to approve it," Roberts said.

The Capital City Marathon Training Group, which has been meeting since January, also uses Deschutes Parkway for some of its workouts.

"That won't really affect the group a whole lot," said Greg Klein, one of the training group directors. "It is easy for us to get around that for our training."

But it is not so easy for the Capital City Marathon group, which has a $100,000 annual budget and a ticking clock on its hands.

"I realize in the big picture this isn't really important to people, but it is to our little group," Roberts said.

Mike Burgess is the sports editor for The Olympian. He can be reached at 754-5432.

On the web:

Capital City Marathon.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

back to main Earthquake Stories index