I live by the Jersey Shore, and there are a number of bike events in which I have participated over the years that use the main route that goes from Gateway National Park (affectionately known as Sandy Hook, and from which the Sandy Hookers Triathlon Club gets its name) in the north through many oceanside towns to the south.
One of these events is the MS 170, which goes the entire length of the Jersey Shore. My former cycling team has been the course marshalls for this ride for over a decade. This year, one of the towns (which shall remain nameless until I get the details) refused to allow the MS ride use of the road through their town. After scrambling to find a suitable alternative, the MS Society decided to use the "bike path" next to the sea wall to go the couple of miles from Sandy Hook through this town. With something like 2,000 participants, this will make the charity ride rather a mess.
I just found out today that the annual Run-Bike-Run, whose bike leg goes from south of this town into Sandy Hook and back has been cancelled because of restrictions placed on the race by this town. This is a race that has been going on for a decade or more. And now it's gone.
Next up is the Sprint Triathlon in September, which has been going on for more than 20 years, and is a great, low-key, low-cost triathlon that uses essentially the same course as the duathlon above. I can't imagine that it will be spared when the other events have been nixed.
As far as I can tell, this would leave not a single duathlon or triathlon in the whole county.
I will be trying to organize a boycott of this town, if I get the chance. One irony is that the former mayor of this town, who recently died, was a runner and great supporter of the running/multisport community.
Thanks for listening.
----------------------------------
"Go yell at an M&M"
One of these events is the MS 170, which goes the entire length of the Jersey Shore. My former cycling team has been the course marshalls for this ride for over a decade. This year, one of the towns (which shall remain nameless until I get the details) refused to allow the MS ride use of the road through their town. After scrambling to find a suitable alternative, the MS Society decided to use the "bike path" next to the sea wall to go the couple of miles from Sandy Hook through this town. With something like 2,000 participants, this will make the charity ride rather a mess.
I just found out today that the annual Run-Bike-Run, whose bike leg goes from south of this town into Sandy Hook and back has been cancelled because of restrictions placed on the race by this town. This is a race that has been going on for a decade or more. And now it's gone.
Next up is the Sprint Triathlon in September, which has been going on for more than 20 years, and is a great, low-key, low-cost triathlon that uses essentially the same course as the duathlon above. I can't imagine that it will be spared when the other events have been nixed.
As far as I can tell, this would leave not a single duathlon or triathlon in the whole county.
I will be trying to organize a boycott of this town, if I get the chance. One irony is that the former mayor of this town, who recently died, was a runner and great supporter of the running/multisport community.
Thanks for listening.
----------------------------------
"Go yell at an M&M"