Way to Go Cleveland!

I had thought about doing this race today as my peak Spring race, but instead opted to sign up for a certified 5 mile race next Saturday. Good call on my part. Looks like a lot of the top runners got directed off the course and ended up running closer to 9 miles instead of 6.2! Below is an account from Cleveland.com, which even got posted on the Drudge Report! Below that is a funny first hand account by 'Thor,' which I found on the Team Good River message board.

Rite Aid Cleveland 10K takes a wrong turn

A wrong turn sent between 200 to 300 runners off course in today's Rite Aid Cleveland 10Krace. So instead of running 6.1 miles some of them ran close to 9 miles. And now the results of the 10K race are in chaos. According to racers and race officials, a police officer at the two-mile mark of the race (see a map of the route) diverted the lead car guiding 10K competitors through the course. Highway cones had been misplaced in the area, and some racers in the Cleveland marathon who were walking the area had also created a bottleneck. So instead of going onto the Shoreway, the car's navigator sent runners through the Flats, tacking on as much as 2.7 miles to the race. Jack Staph, the race's executive director, said he had never seen such a fiasco. Some runners ran less than the extra 2.7 miles, race officials said. It's unlikely to change the outcome of the men's results. However, the women's results and the results for the top-Ohio finishers and masters (runners older than 40), may be altered. Runners in these categories are awarded cash prizes between $100 and $1,500.

A First Hand Account from 'Thor'

For the record (totally telling the truth!), on the "alternative" 10K route I saw a 3-legged dog, 2 condoms (potentially used), a homeless guy with an old-school Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket and I ran past the Larry Flynt Hustler's Club. I think the 10K "mistake" was actually a purposeful attempt to draw potential young, investors into the Flats area. If you look closely, the race organizers have strong ties to some local developers. Screw any race that goes into the Flats!!!! See ya in Columbus for a legitimate 10K in a couple of weeks.