In the city’s effort to spread out races that require major road closures, a negotiated change in dates that bumped Sporting Life Toronto 10K from its usual slot has put former collaborators, Alan Brookes of Canada Running Series, and David Russell, of Sporting Life, at odds.
Brookes, executive director of Canada Running Series, is behind the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and four other local annual races. He said he has run a spring 10-kilometre race in Toronto for the last 26 years. Sporting Life came on board as a sponsor 14 years ago. When Brookes spoke with city staff, he said he learned that Jay Glassman, who runs the other major fall road race, was volunteering to move the Toronto Goodlife Fitness Marathon to the spring. But Glassman wanted the Sporting Life 10K date.
Russell of Sporting Life was upset when he found out that Brookes gave it up without consulting them. He said he then applied for a permit to move Sporting Life’s 10K to May 13 and approached Brookes about remaining involved in the race, but in a different role as a contractor. Russell later found out that Brookes had applied to the city for the Toronto Yonge Street 10K, on the same route, on April 22.
“We sell running shoes. I’m all for races … but the problem is, these charities have become such a big part of these things that it’s not fair in terms of putting two or three alongside of one,” he said.
Brookes said that what Russell had in mind didn’t fit with his format. But he added he would be happy to have Sporting Life and Camp Oochigeas rejoin his 10K.
“We went back to all of our sponsors … and said we need to do this in order to create peace in the valley,” Brookes said. “We were trying to be the good guys in all of this and make the whole system work.”
After the change in dates, Russell felt that Sporting Life needed greater control over the event, but his main concern was donor fatigue. In the event that there is a second spring 10K, he would like Sporting Life’s to be first, so he has also applied for a permit for April 22. Through the run, his company has supported Camp Oochigeas, a camp for children with cancer, since 2004. Last year, it raised $1.3 million.
Brookes didn’t think a change in dates would impact Camp Oochigeas’s fundraising ability, pointing to its rapidly rising figures, up from $100,000 about five years ago. Local councillor Karen Stintz would prefer to see one 10-kilometre spring race.
“I told them … the stakes are high. There are charities that rely on this race. It is imperative that you work this out,” she said.
Steve Johnston, a media spokesperson for City of Toronto: Transportation Services, said all permit applications for 2012 road races are currently under review.