Pair of Ann Arbor first-timers capture inaugural Ann Arbor Marathon titles
Ann Arbor Marathon winner Marco Capelli of Toledo holds his arms up in the air after crossing the finish line Sunday morning.
Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com
Neither Marco Capelli nor Allyson Weimer had set foot in Ann Arbor prior to this weekend.
But on Sunday, the duo was treated to a more intimate tour of the city than some longtime residents have ever experienced.
Capelli and Weimer were the first male and female, respectively, to cross the finish line at the inaugural Ann Arbor Marathon, capping a rather enjoyable morning sight-seeing tour while making history in the process.
"The city is beautiful," said the 24-year-old Weimer, who finished with winning time of 3 hours, 11 minutes and 41 seconds. "The campus is incredible, we went inside some buildings, it was very impressive."
Marathon runners make their way from the start line on Main Street, next to Michigan Stadium, during the Ann Arbor Marathon on Sunday. Marco Capelli (bib 806) won the race.
Jeffrey Smith | AnnArbor.com
A native of Washington, Okla., Weimer ran Sunday's marathon with her mother, Janet. And though it was her first time in Ann Arbor, it was far from her first rodeo overall.
Weimer, who ran club cross country at the University of Oklahoma, has a personal goal to run a marathon in all 50 states.
Sunday marked No. 25 -- the halfway point, and her third victory overall.
"Boston was probably the coolest one I've ever run," Weimer said. "But Atlanta was probably the hardest, with all those hills and all that heat."
Related content: Notebook | Photo gallery
For Capelli, a native of Florence, Italy, who now lives in Toledo, the race offered a first glimpse at Ann Arbor and also gave him a friendly reminder that at 39 years old, he's still got plenty of gas left in the tank.
"This is the best way to get to know a city," said Capelli, who finished with a time of 2:48:02. "This was beautiful. And, I'm getting older. I thought maybe my time was coming up about two or three years ago.
"But I'm starting to recover my shape. In two months I'm 40, and this seems like it's my second youth."
TOP 10 FINISHERS
.
Top 10 men
1. Marco Capelli, 2:48:02.5
2. Rich Power, 2:55:55.7
3. Brian Hancock, 2:58:28.1
4. Jeff Kobinsky, 2:59:34.1
5. Ditrich Bronner, 3:01:38.3
6. Jarrod Quinlivan, 3:01:49.5
7. Benjamin Gherardi, 3:01:58.1
8. Christopher Valicka, 3:02:52.8
9. Gary Gurgold, 3:03:21.9
10. Josh Gardner, 3:03:38.2
Top 10 women
1. Allyson Weimer, 3:11:36.6
2. Gwen Frederickson, 3:21:00.5
3. Erin Patton, 3:26:39.8
4. Cheyenne Luzynski, 3:27:46.9
5. Meghan Moceri-Denotter, 3:32:29.6
6. Roxanne Patryiak, 3:33:01.9
7. Christine Stead, 3:40:42.4
8. Amy Gingras, 3:41:26.6
9. Christy Booth, 3:41:49.9
10. Lori Sella-Armstrong, 3:44:10.3
The course began with a jog into downtown Ann Arbor, and continued on a jaunt through Michigan's central campus before making its way up the Huron Parkway into North Campus.
Runners then moved south past the University of Michigan Hospital and back through campus before eventually making their way south for a down-and-back loop on Washtenaw Avenue. The race eventually made its way through south Ann Arbor, passing the Briarwood Mall, and doubling back up Main Street before wrapping up at the 50-yard-line at Elbel Field.
The 26.2 mile marathon wasn't the only event, though, as runners had the option of going through a half marathon, a 5-kilometer run or a 1-mile race through town.
In total, an estimated 3,300 runners took part in either the marathon, half marathon or 5K race.
Not bad for a first time.
"This was a very organized, well designed run," Capelli said. "I was amazed by that, because normally the first time you host a race like this, there's always something that goes wrong.
"But this was great."
Capelli's next race will be his first as a 40-year-old, as he says he has plans to take in another marathon in Akron, Ohio in September.
Weimer, meanwhile, says she'll continue her 50-state tour next with a marathon in South Dakota.
She's at the halfway point of her journey and does, in fact, have plans to run marathons in both Hawaii and Alaska -- but perhaps not for some time.
"Those might be a ways off," she laughed.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
Comments
tt1483
Wed, Jun 27, 2012 : 6:26 p.m.
I'm sorry, but the amount of complaining about this event is just pathetic. I get the complaints about Father's Day, that's fine, but one person was complaining about not being able to visit the mall. Seriously...? So streets were shut down for a day, so what? This is why we as a country are so overweight and out of shape. I find it unreal that people are complaining about other people wanting to enjoy their life and their body. Instead of complaining about people participating in a physical activity, why not join them? I'm willing to bet that the majority of the complaints are coming from people that haven't exercised since they were forced to as kids in gym class.
A2D2
Tue, Jun 19, 2012 : 6:11 p.m.
and so, my fellow Ann Arborites, my only advice to the race organizers has nothing to do with the community, road closures, etcc....... . My only advice is to lose the hills, and make the course "flat and fast"!!
A2D2
Tue, Jun 19, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.
I ran the marathon! I finished the marathon!!! I was not last!!!!!! Wow, I did not know Ann Arbor had SO many hills! . What a tough course! Compare the AA Marathon to Toledo's Glass City Marathon - the 2012 winning time in Toledo was 2:05 - - - the winning time in AA was 2:48!! The fact that only 4 runners broke 3:00 and less than 600 of the 800 registered runners finished tells you how hard the course was!
Terry Reilly
Tue, Jun 19, 2012 : 11:31 a.m.
I think part of coordinating a race (particularly an urban marathon) is having a thick skin. My biggest question was the wisdom of scheduling a marathon in mid June in Michigan. Everyone totally lucked out on weather conditions, thank goodness. I marshalled and assisted with cone placement on Main St. near the Huron St turnaround for the marathon and we really had only a few hiccups mainly with disgruntled drivers who were seemingly oblivious to a secondary route a block or two off their usual driving route. Didn't seem like a big deal to me. I do wonder if anyone looked at the schedule and saw it was Father's day, but then again, what about the families and Dads who ran it because it WAS on Father's day? Can't be perfect, I guess. We will see what next year might bring.
Meral
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 9:48 p.m.
It is unfortunate but timing was really bad. Why was that held on Fathers Day of all the days? It did in-conceived some of us. With all the streets being closed it was still difficult to access through the traffic. Maybe next year with better planning we could do it better.
Josh H
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:47 p.m.
I must say I'm a bit shocked by the "me-first" attitudes on display in this comment stream (on both sides of the issue). As both a participant in Sunday's Half-Marathon and an AA resident who lives directly on the race route, I was completely impressed by the professionalism of, foremost, the men and women of the AAPD who acted to keep us (runners) safe on the course while simultaneously redirecting traffic in a respectful manner. Comments from runners claiming that a sedentary lifestyle is to blame for resident's inconveniences yesterday are far from constructive. Knock it off... you completed an amazing race yesterday, so be proud of it, and don't tarnish your accomplishment by insulting others. Furthermore, I must agree with some of the earlier comments that the organizer's of this year's inaugural race did an amazing job at planning the event. Bravo. As noted by others, it certainly can be improved upon, but regardless, there were far more positive things to say about the Marathon than negative. Keep it constructive Ann Arbor!
Bababooey
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
I awoke early Sunday to the infernal pitter patter of highly cushioned and stabilized feet! Soon after I realized the gravity of this horrific event I prayed for flood causing rain for at least five minutes. I was prepared to build an Ark if need be to safely float to a proper place of worship. Alas the rains never came, but I remembered a vision from Saturday that begot me to buy a family sized bag of Cheetos. I spent the next 5 hours (seemed like 7 days and nights) munching away on these little orange gifts from heaven and was in turn blessed with a Dale Jr. win!!
Jen
Tue, Jun 19, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.
Now this is a funny post. :)
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:37 p.m.
Must have went to the store for more orange gifts...sounds like you missed Webb Simpson's victory.
jfrey1
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.
As far as the noise goes, have you considered ear plugs? As far as not being able to get to your worship service, have you considered attending one at a different time? As far as not being able to get to wherever you are going, have you considered making alternate plans? If you lived next to the stadium, would you walk over and tell them to keep it down on game day? You'd get laughed out of town, and that's how I'm reacting to some of these comments. Sometimes in life, things aren't going to go your way, but they can be fixed with easy solutions, like the ones listed above.
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
As far as having a marathon: Could you have at least picked up your trash? The streets looked worse than football Saturday's. Couldn't you have at least had the volunteers bend over to pick up the cups after the runners had discarded them? Could you have provided more publicity so people actually knew there was a marathon? And knew the course? Could you have designed a coherent course to minimize the effect on people who need to transit the city for whatever reason? Could you have scheduled the race for a Friday?
Z
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:33 p.m.
As a former AA resident and a UM Alum, it breaks my heart to see all the negative comments from current residents. Some things I do not understand: - If you admit to posting negative comments about this event before the race, how can you then claim to be unaware of it and blind-sided by the street closures? - Ann Arbor accommodates 100,000 (largely inebriated) football fans for several Saturdays each fall but was overwhelmed by 3,000 runners? Really?? - Soon our lovely town will host 500,000 Art Fair visitors. Streets will be closed for 4 days during that event. How can a few hours on one Sunday be more disruptive? - This event benefitted Ann Arbor Public Schools; it also brought patrons to Briarwood as well as area hotels and restaurants. How is raising money for education and local businesses a bad thing for residents and taxpayers? It is simply untrue that Briarwood was inaccessible on Sunday. I was there around 11:00 and cars were able to drive in an access the mall. The race was still going on but the marathoners had thinned out enough that cars could pass through. I have run several inaugural races across the country and, quite honestly, they are usually train wrecks the first year and improve from there. THIS race was incredibly well-organized, and I'm sure will only get better. To the extent that post-race clean-up left something to be desired, I am sure the race organizers can improve upon that next year. In spite of the negativity posted here from what I hope is just a small fraction of Ann Arbor's resident population, I found the event to be a joy. It was a treat to run through the town I love and remember all the good times I have had in local restaurants, on campus, in the Arb and of course, at the Big House!
John Fingerle
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:35 p.m.
Fingerle Lumber Co. sends a BIG THANK YOU to Sargent Sartori and Interim Chief Seto with the AAPD, Administrator Powers, Councilperson Teal and other city employees. Their planning and actions allowed our customers to reach us during the event.
JRW
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.
Monday morning and I'm still seeing flags laying on roadways from the race YESTERDAY and plenty of litter (cups) along portions of the route. Nice job, organizers.
Cecilia Spencer
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.
Great race! Hopefully the participation will grow every year. My family will be there!
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
I don't get the necessity of running it through town. I thought the challenge was running 26 miles. Why does it matter which 26 miles? I hate to break it to you, but as far as a spectator sport it's right up there with watching paint dry.
vivian
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:19 p.m.
I was out of town, so I missed this whole thing, but after reading the comments, I have one simple question: were flyers indicating the timing and route of the marathon and the showing the related street closings distributed to every home and business along the route a week or two in advance? If they weren't, why weren't they? That would have been an easy way to give everyone affected a heads-up and time to plan alternate routes to church, work, and activities, wouldn't it? I don't feel strongly about marathons one way or the other, but I don't see any reason that having one has to become a source of animosity among Ann Arborites.
Bababooey
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
'their' way....
Bababooey
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:52 p.m.
It was a complete surprise. Race organizers rounded up 800 able bodied looking men and women the morning of and nudged them on there way.
Michigander74
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:57 p.m.
This blog style of reporting has led to a ridiculous amount of animosity and personal attacks. It's pathetic that runners can't respect the opinions and experiences of Ann Arbor taxpayers and it's sad that the race planners were unable to post flyers or create a race plan that would not disrupt such a large portion of the city for 5+ hours. Some roads were completely closed (like mine), some were apparently passable but very very slowly. Not everyone has the ability to stay home for 5 hours due to job or family obligations. I don't think this is the appropriate forum to have constructive ideas, based on the comments I have seen that are mostly personal attacks. Given the quality of the reporting and the commenting on this site, I will find another source for local news. On the upside, I did answer my own question and find that my councilperson has someone running against him this term, Jack Eaton. I hope he will be more responsive to both sides of this marathon experience and other issues and manage the city's money better.
Carole
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:08 p.m.
To all the complainers -- not a runner, but think this was a great event. Please for one day, if needed re-route if you have to move around Ann Arbor. Kick back and relax --
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
What if I want to sleep in my bed. How do I re-route that?
Mark
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:28 a.m.
If Ann Arbor had a whine marathon, it would definitely be filled with winners from you jokers online. I swear, it could be a perfectly a beautiful day, and you would complain that it wasn't crappy. These events are positive things for our city, even if a lot of us do not participate.
cagazote
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:16 a.m.
Do to the lack of a real newspaper, I did not find out about this marathon until a few days before it happened. I was confused at first...didn't we just have the half-marathon? Luckily my home was not in the race route and I was not impacted by this (non?) event. Why not expand the A2-Dexter Run to a full Marathon? Hard to beat running along the Huron River!
TNB
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:33 a.m.
A2.com: I'm just curious what happened to about 10 of the comments. When I first started reading this article, it said there were 109 comments. It took a few minutes to read them all, and when I went to the home page, it now says 99 comments. Were comments removed by you, without showing as deleted, which are counted?
Kyle Mattson
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:40 p.m.
Hi TNB- No comments were deleted, the variance you noticed was most likely a hold on the count of comments during that time span due to our weekend moderation system. Also, we are currently conducting a commenting survey if you would like to give your feedback here: http://conta.cc/commentsurvey12
lebron
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:42 a.m.
Come on Robert. Call and complain with full knowledge I will be calling to support the event. A very well done first event that will only grow. Get used to it.
Gob bluth
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:06 p.m.
I want to know where Robert lives so next year we can put the steel drum band there.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:54 p.m.
I've got no problem with THE event. My dad was a marathon runner and if not for the multiple knee surgeries he's had I probably would run them too. I have a problem with the time and the location. Judging by the reaction, there is no way it will be done exactly this way next year. And like I said... I'll keep it quiet around my house regardless.
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2 a.m.
I don't have a problem with a marathon in Ann Arbor. I will offer these observations: I read a2.com daily and did not hear about this marathon until this past week. The course layout was ridiculous. The plastic cups strewn about should have been picked up by the volunteers handing the drinks to the runners...the streets don't look that trashed on football Saturdays. Next year have the marathon on Saturday. I'm not a church-goer but Sunday has been church day for the last 2,000 years.
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 8:22 p.m.
Irwin, I didn't forget them. But I figured if I said have the race on Friday to inconvenience the synogogues and mosques my comment would have been deleted. By the way what religion have their holy day on Saturday? Jake: trouble comprehending engris? I said i'm not a church-goer.
Irwin Daniels
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 6:06 p.m.
@a2citizen Don't forget about other religions that also have services on other days of the week - including Saturday's. Some religions are a lot older (using your 2,000 years an an example)
Jake C
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:41 p.m.
You have a right to worship on Sunday, or whatever day you want for that matter. But you don't have a right to sole ownership of the road to get to whatever church you feel like going to. You *could* have made it to your Church on time this past Sunday had you planned ahead properly. Maybe take a bike next time instead of a car, that's far easier to get past the road blockades that were set up. Maybe go to Saturday evening mass, if your church offers one. Maybe just walk to church and leave an hour or two early. You know, when in Rome...
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:08 a.m.
Yes, I go to Saint Francis almost every Sunday. But last week was sick. Never knew about this event and spent 55 minutes trying to get to mass this morning. I made it to communion. What about the right of Christians to worship on Sunday. Do we count??
ivotedtoday
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:48 a.m.
I live in Ann Arbor and ran the half marathon. What a fantastic, well-organized event! My family and I went out to lunch downtown after it was over and I saw dozens and dozens of people eating, drinking and shopping with their marathon and half-marathon medals on. I can only assume that many of these folks were out-of-towners or wouldn't otherwise have been patronizing the downtown businesses. Congratulations to the organizers.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:03 a.m.
I'm going to complain to every city group with a phone number and email about this. Downvote me all you want. This time next year there will not be a group of spectators yelling and screaming outside my house before the city's noise ordinance allows. The city can make sure of that or I will do it myself. I will shovel piles of manure on my lawn if I have to. I just want a good night's sleep.
Bababooey
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:59 p.m.
When I was in grammar school I had to walk 10 miles, barefoot, up a hill both ways, snow in the morning, 100 degrees plus at night.
Gob bluth
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
How will the piles of manure affect your sleep?
CLX
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:42 a.m.
There are a good number of races that shut down some Ann Arbor streets each year. I think it is quite fair for residents to question how many races should shut down streets, and how often it is reasonable to do that. Art Fair shuts down a very limited number of streets, and the football games cause a lot of traffic but the schedule is very obvious and streets are still pretty accessible. The marathon shut down a larger number of streets than a 5 or 10k.
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:17 a.m.
No never has any event impacted the right of Christians to Worship on Sundays. we should unite in this. This was massive road closings. there is no right to block going to Sunday Service. Shame!!!!!
Tag
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
I guess I'm a bit surprised by the negative reaction to this event. It seems as if not enough was done by organizers to get the word out about the event date, route and how it would effect everyone. This is yet another example of how not having a printed daily newspaper leads to people not knowing what's going on in their city. Everyone knows about the big events and plan for: Art Fair, Football Saturday's and Hockey in the Big House. This is the first time for this event. When it happens next year no one should be surprised by the road closures and can plan for it. Everyone needs to step back and recognize that many people were inconvenienced, some may have even lost business and also recognize that many people had a really good time running a marathon a difficult task to accomplish (I've completed one). Many of those runners came from out of town and spent money . It's a one day event with up to 6 hours of road closures.... big deal... sarcasm. It's a one day event without enough publicity.... big deal ... seriously.
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:28 a.m.
We do know about big events. This isn't one.
smokeblwr
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:06 a.m.
Every church in the marathon zone knew about this and all parishioners I'm sure were made aware. Some churches even moved services to Saturday. If you didn't know Ann Arbor was having a marathon today you must be living under a rock or you don't go to church often enough.
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:33 a.m.
Not true
Matt Irelan
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:02 a.m.
Great event today, especially for the first time
Josh Skodack
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:56 p.m.
Congrats to all of the finishers! Thank you to all of the volunteers and race promoters for such a great event! I can't wait for next year's race! Don't mind the whiners who chose to not prepare for an event that was marketed on AnnArbor.com and throughout the city.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:08 a.m.
I obviously don't plan to do anything. The point is that I pay to live where I do and it is my sanctuary. No matter. I'm done with this. I'll make my complaints tomorrow and if the event goes on the same way next year the entire area around my house will smell so bad that no one will be there to annoy me. Problem solved.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:59 a.m.
The race may have started at 6:45 but that is not when the noise outside my house started. But yet again. You don't live here so it doesn't matter to you. No matter. If it happens again, it'll be the spectators here complaining about what I did to inconvenience them.
Sandy Castle
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:08 a.m.
Right on, Josh! I grew up here and I have never felt as connected to the city as I did running and walking through the streets. What a great event that brought us all out, from near and far, to Ann Arbor!!!
Lisa
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:56 p.m.
So, as long as a few people got to get out and do their thing and have their fun, it doesn't matter who was harmed by the event? Is that really how we want to live? Time to get out of the entitlement bubble and care about the lives of others. So very sad.
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:12 a.m.
Lisa, You are very right. For many going to church is unimportant. What better way to celebrate Father's Day. We basically missed mass in the chaos. Spent 55 minutes looking for a way to get to our church. Some people disregard the right to worship on Sundays as trivial. Others have twisted priorities in life. What a shame!!!
a2runner
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:22 a.m.
And that's all it was "an inconvenience". Almost every major city "inconveniences" it's residents with a marathon event on an annual basis.
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1 a.m.
Nope, this just doesn't rate closing a bunch of streets. There's no reason you can't run somewhere it doesn't inconvenience the town to this extent. And football games and Art Fair you ain't.
Sandy Castle
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:06 a.m.
I don't think 3300 counts as a few. Chuck this up there with the other inconveniences like UM Football games and the Art Fair.
A2newbie
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.
Congratulations to all runners, running that distance is a challenge, and good for you for taking the initiative! If you even scan the annarbor.com site before the race you would've known about the race. Obviously, you visit the site since you've decided to post negative comments about it. Tell me, what do you people do when the Art Fair, Summer Festival, and football games mess with your travel plans? You could call the inconveniences these events bestow on residents the same as you did the marathon, but nobody does. I'm impacted by these other events, maybe I should raise a big stink over them too and try to have them eliminated, as one suggests on the marathon. You know, events like this bring more money to the city in the form of revenue from hotels, restaurants, shops. Maybe there were 4000 or however many people registered, but the finish line total will always be different in races of this distance due to the heat, injuries, etc...people drop out.
RedSchwinn
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.
All three of the events you mentioned are 1) more familiar, 2) better publicized, 3) better cooredinated with AAPD for traffic control and 4) more localized. The marathon spread through most of the city, leaving few alternatives for nonparticipants to get around. There IS always some grumbling about Art Fair and Football Saturdays (I've never heard Summer Festival traffic complaints), but most folks in Ann Arbor have had time to develop alternative strategies for dealing with those particular inconveniences. So if it survives, wait 20 years or so for that complaints about the marathon to start to subside.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:33 a.m.
Nobody has ever stood outside of my house from 6-8am screaming at least once a minute for any event Ann Arbor has hosted in the last 3 years. I've never dealt with such disrespect for a residential neighborhood because it hasn't happened before.
Oldmaniac
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:50 p.m.
For all of you complainers: the fact that Ann Arbor hosted a Marathon is a HUGE deal - in a very positive way! It is good for the city's image, economy, and overall health of the population. Think of other cities, like Chicago, New York, and Toronto that host marathons. And there are Michigan cities that do it too! Like Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo, just to name three. This is a big deal, and a good thing. Ann Arbor is not a podunk town anymore. We have a marathon now.
RedSchwinn
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
I don't think that hosting a marathon is a necessary condition to move out of "podunk" status. There a few other things that happen in Ann Arbor that might attract a little attention. All of the other cities you mentioned, including those in Michigan, are larger, with much more available street mileage, and alternative routes for vehicular traffic. Add the restrictions of roadways such as Stadium Boulevard, Dexter Road and Packard Road, unavailable due to construction, and it's pretty clear that Ann Arbor really isn't big enough for a marathon, especially if it's set up completely within city limits. And I'm just wondering... is it good for the economy because it brings in so many visitors from out of town, or good for the "overall health of the population" because so many locals are motivated to participate. Seems you're making a claim that one and one add up to three or four or five.
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:26 a.m.
You do realize that this town is about more than generating business for the restaurants and hotels, right? That isn't the answer every time. If you want that, move to Disney World or something. Who wants to live in a tourist trap?
Roger
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:21 a.m.
I think you may be wrong about the positive impact on the economy. Yesterday evening, we went downtown, and it was empty. The Summer Festival had about half the normal attendance on a great weather day. It was even easy to park. It may have been a misperception, but the only thing I could think that would have caused the emptyness is people avoiding the mess due to this marathon. It would be interesting to see an economic statement from the affected businesses for that day to see if the marathon was, in fact, worth the hassle.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:05 a.m.
Nobody minds having a marathon. It was poorly planned and caused a lot of people a lot of trouble.
Robert Granville
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:45 p.m.
If you typed a complaint, be sure to call the city clerk's office tomorrow morning. They granted the noise permit for the marathon. They open at 8. Here is the number: (734) 794-6140
a2runner
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.
I will also call in support of the granted noise permit
Sandy Castle
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:04 a.m.
3300 registrants for the race. 5 complaint calls. Doesn't really even out, does it?
Robert Granville
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:43 p.m.
This event won't happen again. Not if the people impacted by it have anything to do with it. Good riddance.
a2gretta
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:48 p.m.
Robert, welcome to the Dexter/Ann Arbor run. Those of us who can only leave homes via Huron River Drive deal with this every year. The first morning in our new home in 1985 we were awakened very early by loudspeakers in Delhi Park. I think that the Ann Arbor marathon will be more tolerable when those running the event get more organized and residents near the route figure out alternatives. It may take a year or two. While this is fresh in your mind, I suggest you spend your energy thinking of work-arounds for this one morning a year. Some day you may even feel like going out to cheer the runners.
Darwinia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:12 a.m.
Some suggestions since City Council can clearly be bought: Find out what candidates would support the neighbors first. Or also support appropriate permits for events and proof with annual applications as to neighbor outreach, and course adjustment for construction to minimize impact http://www.annarbor.com/news/ann-arbor-area-candidate-forums-to-put-spotlight-on-local-primary-races/ Contact organizers to explain why there is a problem and how it affected you. Suggest alternate starting points such as parking lots if possible. If all else fails, make sure on your own that neighbors know when the marathon is. Organize to show the impact on neighbors; large numbers of people lining route with backs turned, signs saying "shhhh children sleeping" or "please pick up after yourself". Then there are some of the other options you've thought of. Some work, as long as your neighbors are aware of why.
Toxi
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:10 p.m.
God forbid we miss church or our 10:00 am coffee. How 'bout this: spend the one day you miss church because of the marathon enjoying the outdoors. Next year put your walking shoes on and take your father for a nice stroll. Your collective grumpiness will dissipate.
OldHuron
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:56 a.m.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa. Quit your complaining. Most of these complainers are the same ones that have nothing to do but complain. They sit in their houses thinking of things they might have done if not inconvenienced for a few hours for a day.
johnnya2
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.
Halter, you reasoning is ridiculous. You lost ONE day of business. (though you have not sad what the business is, so it's hard to confirm what you are saying). For EVERY thing that happens in life, it effects people. I suppose we should ban all parades, art fairs, athletic events, construction, presidential visits, concerts and even some natural disasters because YOU might get effected. I am not a runner, and did not participate. I DID know about this for several months. The fact that you run a business and do not know what is going on in the city you claim to serve is YOUR issue, not anybody else's. To help running your business, I suggest buying a calendar. Please mark some of these dates Ann Arbor Art Fair July 18-21 UM football September 8, 15, October 13, 20 November 10, 17 UM graduation December 16th Ann Arbor Summer festival is going on NOW. through July Of course, if avoiding these kinds of things is really that important you could always relocate your business, or keep it open later on days that might have issues and conflicts. There will be an Art Fair coming to Ann Arbor
Halter
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:28 p.m.
OMG -- Toxi that has to be one of the most misinformed comments I have ever read --- Are you going to pay me the 3000 dollars in lost income I had today because of this event? Or provide services to the 10 elderly patients that couldn't be seen this morning? Shameful.
RUKiddingMe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 10:45 p.m.
Well God forbid I don't make any sense. Just read all of my posts carefully, multiple times, even if it makes you late to a job interview. God forbid you miss one job interview a year. It'll make you a better person, trust me.
cooperwe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
I am sorry but "what?" RUK you aren't making any sense.
RUKiddingMe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:47 p.m.
This is one the most selfish, shortsighted responses I've ever seen, and I would have assumed it's a joke if it ended after the second sentence. "God forbid we miss church?" Seriously? I don't even go to church, and that's still the most blatant (and probably accidental) admission of complete ignorance, selfishness, and myopia I've seen outside of a Far Side comic. As much as the negative comments could be called whining, this type of response clearly shows who has the higher moral ground, or at least the stronger leg on which to stand. Aside from the obviousness of how poorly worded that self-defeating "God forbid" phrase you used is, how about I come and have a party on your porch the day before your baby is due, and we all play death metal for 7 hours and accidentally let your dog eat a bunch of chocolate? I mean, God forbid you lose some sleep before the baby's delivered, and God forbid your dog misses out on playing in the yard for a few days. Next year just buy us a keg and try and live young for once, and take a day to appreciate how tenuous the life of your dog is, so you learn to love him.
bedrog
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:03 p.m.
boy...from some of the comments of the runner crowd that are contemptuously dismissive of the concerns of neighbors of this event the term "aerobofascist" comes to mind. p.s. i'm an exercise nut too...more so when i was a bit younger.
Jen
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.
Congrats to the runners who finished this amazing accomplishment! Races are a great way to encourage young people to exercise and possibly even get some lazy couch potatoes off their butts and do a little exercising themselves. Showcasing Ann Arbor to visitors can only bring good things. Many very large cities close down roads for marathons and somehow people get by. Most of these comments just proves my belief that there are people who just sit at home waiting to complain about things.
Darwinia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 10:55 a.m.
All we are asking for is to show respect for the communities and neighbors where the marathons are run. How residential are the "big city" races? A look at this years course map for the Detroit Marathon shows predominantly commercial districts. If people want to start marathons or keep the existing ones, then respect the people who have to live and work around your event. Is it REALLY necessary to blast Foreigner at 6 a.m.? Do spectators REALLY need to scream or bang cowbells outside peoples homes? Are there clear maps posted and is the police department able to assist people around the route? There are legitimate problems inflicted by this event. Please feel free to give the push back momentum by continuing the couch potato comments instead of any constructive suggestions. Tooting your own horn with claims of money spent and inspiring others won't cut it. Respect the neighbors or lose your race.
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:01 a.m.
Really! the right to go to church is unimportant. I conplain because it was chaotic to attend mass and luckily made it for Communion.
Linnda G
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
Incredulously impressed by the woman running her 350th marathon!
Jake C
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:43 p.m.
Whine whine whine... Awesome event Ann Arbor!
Linnda G
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:29 p.m.
As a volunteer, I had no problem entering the city at 7 am, parking, and walking a mile to my designated course location. It was thrilling to see my first marathon. The 3 barefooters had to have bionic feet, running uphill over a mile in occasional sharp gravel, their 14th mile. Did they finish?
Colleen Hood
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:22 p.m.
This was a GREAT event and for all of you who were inconvenienced driving out of your way for a few hours these races are run all around the world where they also close streets (and have many more runners than we had) Chicago, NY, Atlanta, Traverse City for example. Us runners were out there at 6:30 am and too bad if you had to go out of your way to get your coffee at 10. Get over it. I will run it next year and every year after! Kudos CFC!
a2runner
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 2:14 a.m.
wow i'm surprised aa.com allows veiled threats in the comments
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
There won't be a next year. Not through the Lower Burns Park neighborhood. Not at 6 am. Period. It won't be permitted.
Brad
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 10:33 p.m.
You're welcome. Thanks for visiting.
Major
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.
Yu can "run" but you can't hide....read the comments! http://annarbor.com/news/road-closures-to-take-place-for-inaugural-race-sunday/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:459d4242-dacc-4235-96e0-08b5ad2223e0
Brad
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 10:32 p.m.
Another article with too many comments critical of the city has been "disappeared". Not the first time, either. I asked the question about where the article went above and AA.com responded with a non-answer.
Steve
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.
It's a conspiracy! We were changing the world with those comments.
gladys
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:03 p.m.
What happened to the first story with the complaints on how disruptive it all was and how to contact city council members about it. Now we see glowing comments on how wonderful it all was. Censorship takes on a new meaning for this story-shame on you! I expect this comment will be quickly deleted.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.
And it wasn't even the runners creating the noise... it was spectators screaming their heads off.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.
Rude to all the runners? Screw the runners. You were rude to the residents of the neighborhood and you won't be welcomed back.
RUKiddingMe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:37 p.m.
Sandy, I just scrolled back through 2 days, and don't see this lane closure article in the list anywhere, and I have my category thing set to "ALL." I can find it following links provided above, but something definitely WAS done with the display and/or placement of that article. A2.com, I would like to know what the policy in effect there was. Seriously; not trying to make a big deal out of it, would just like to know how it is that that article doesn't show up anymore, while older ones do, and it doesn't seem to be an issue of category. I'm really quite curious about this.
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:30 p.m.
Pay attention, gladys, it's still there. You just might have to look a little for it since it's moved down the news line.
Townie
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:02 p.m.
'In total, an estimated 3,300 runners took part in either the marathon, half marathon or 5K race. Not bad for a first time.' Funny but the published results say for the 5k, half and full marathon the total finishers totaled 1,118, not 3,300. Slight difference.
Nick Baumgardner
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:54 p.m.
Townie, There was an estimated 3,330 runners who signed up to take part in the event in one way or another. Race results are actually still being posted now, at 6 p.m. Some runners may not have finished, while others may not have been posted just yet. Sorry for the confusion, Nick
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:32 p.m.
Either they haven't posted all of the results yet or there was a problem with the timers. I ran the half marathon and granted I was slow, but my name and results aren't showing yet.
Townie
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:03 p.m.
1,818 I meant. Still a long way from 3,300.
Major
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8 p.m.
Real slick A2.com, remove the original story that had OVERWHELMING comments against this offensively rude, disgustingly disrespectful and clearly not wanted "event" crammed down the throats of the good people of Ann Arbor and those trying to do business, celebrate Fathers Day, going to church, or simply caught in the act of attempting to navigate an already outrageous maze of road closings. This should be the straw that breaks the camels back as far as the self serving, out of touch mayor and city council goes...and go they must!!! Please PLEASE someone...anyone run for mayor...I seriously doubt anyone could mess a town up like these incompetents!!!!! WOW!!!!!
Kyle Mattson
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:46 p.m.
Hi Major- The original story had not been removed, it was replaced on the homepage with this more current posting. Links to all marathon coverage can be found here: http://bit.ly/aadc-a2marathon12
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:58 a.m.
Right!! Some people are so selfish to disregard the right of Christians to worship as trivial. Shame on them!!!! We are Catholics and nearly missed mass in the chaotic event.
snark12
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
You win for the most over the top, out of proportion rant. Congratulations. You may pick up your trophy, which features a statue of an old woman yelling at kids in front of her house.
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:22 p.m.
RUKidding, I too have experienced articles not appearing after their initial time on the home page before. I don't know why that happens. When I have experienced it before it was on articles that didn't pertain to Ann Arbor. My thought is that perhaps sometimes when they post the articles they don't "link" them to all the places they should appear. The articles I was looking for were in regard to Ypsilanti, but were not on the Ypsilanti page. But the one you're talking about is in the "most commented" on section on my aa.com home page AND I found it when scrolling through the "news" link. I hope this helps.
RUKiddingMe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:32 p.m.
I don't see the original rod closure article either, and I went back 2 days, Sandi. I can find it if I use the Search for "marathon," but not scrolling through ALL news stories. Something definitely WAS done with the placement of this story.
peg dash fab
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:18 p.m.
stop whining!
Major
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:47 p.m.
You are partially right, what's in front of my nose is...the comments...a lot of them, from the people of Ann Arbor impacted by this....revealing the overwhelming NASTY side of this story!!! Also noted is the whine whine whine portion of your comment...completely removing ANY of YOUR credibility Ms Castle!
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:28 p.m.
Well, everyone, there we have it. This person obvioulsy only sees what's in front of their nose which since they don't seem to pay attention, gives them no credibility in their complaints. The original article about traffic closures not only didn't get removed, it's on the comment board as receiving alot of comments. Whine, whine, whine....
cooperwe
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:49 p.m.
When did Ann Arbor become that city? I live on the route for this marathon as well. I was actually running part of the race around the Gallop Park loop. I saw very little traffic at Huron Pwy/Geddes/Fuller Rd area at 7:00 am or on the way back. I doubt all of the complainers on this site had to put up with all of the horrors they have described. I heard the music and the cheering from my house- it was actually nice to hear everyone having fun. BUT, then again, I don't hate everything like the commenters on this site. Get up and go outdoors once and awhile and not in your car. Get some fresh air, it might make you less of a crabby so-and-so and stop hating people who do exercise.
AnnaH
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 12:31 p.m.
I had to go to work. Luckily I was driving in as the cones were going up. My co-workers who came in after the race started were late to work and very frustrated. Not everyone has Sunday off!
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:55 a.m.
Really!! It took our family 55 minutes driving to figure out how to get to mass. Is this fair? We missed it. We have a right to worship.
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.
I exercise regularly. You probably wouldn't know that because I'd never inconvenience you as part of it. Why? I'm not that important.
Robert Granville
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:17 a.m.
I love people who exercise. I hate people who disturb the peace before the city charter allows such noise.
Topher
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:12 p.m.
I agree. I am happy that Ann Arbor businesses are pulling revenue - it's worth the 5-6 hours of disruption that Crabby McCraberson's are posting about. Are these the same people that complain about Art Fair? Michigan football games? Is it because it is something new? Is it because they feel they weren't informed (even though it's been all over AA.com for months)?
Brad
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:56 p.m.
No, just people who feel that they rate closing down city traffic to get their exercise.
Michigander74
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:21 p.m.
This is apparently the page that the runners are looking at once they get back home from where ever they came from. Those of us who were impacted by the event have commented on on the other article. I emailed my City Council people to let them know that I won't be voting for anyone who supports this event. No notification, huge impact. I wish I had been a runner who drove in for the morning from Canton or Chelsea, then I would be making happy comments too.
kejamder
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:54 a.m.
i'm supportive of this type of event and even this event specifically, but i certainly understand the frustration from a large segment of the population. I rode my bike in to work today because my apartment complex was nice enough to notify us what was going to happen by Thursday or Friday. Next year the marathon will undoubtedly be more efficiently and effectively advertised, run, and cleaned up after, especially if we continue to offer specific feedback from today
arbormike
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:58 p.m.
I've lived in Ann Arbor 10 years. I shop and frequent the west side on a daily basis. Alas, I am not a runner. I found out about this event yesterday.
Halter
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:25 p.m.
Michigander74 couldn't be more correct -- the event was marketed to RUNNERS not to the residents of Ann Arbor -- I was one of those people impacted negatively by this event with zero notification of the event. Unless you ride a bus (very very few residents) or read A2News YESTERDAY which was the first time it was even mentioned, you had zero idea. I lost a good 3000 dollars in income today because neither my employees NOR customers could get to my work, which was directly on a blocked off intersection in State and Eisenhower...That's not 2 minutes out of your way -- that is NO BUSINESS AT ALL this morning because of the block off....I too called the police, as well as wrote the City Council to assure this does not happen again next year.
SMC
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 10 p.m.
Who held the gun to your head and forced you to run, Josh? You make it sound like running a marathon was something other than a personal choice, and quite frankly, your baseless attacks on the health and physical activity of others does nothing to strengthen your position.
Michigander74
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:59 p.m.
I wish I had time to focus on myself to train for and run a marathon. I wish I had the audacity to assume something about YOUR life. In fact, I take care of an elderly person and THAT is what I could not do this morning. In fact, I could not leave my home (thus my drive was not 2 minutes longer, it was 5 hours later). I'm not sure obesity is as much a problem as your Dairy6 and Josh Skodack type of judgmental and assuming attitudes.
dairy6
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.
Wow cry me a river. ann arbor.com posters crying about everything per usual. boo hoo hoo. i feel so bad for you.
a2citizen
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
Question: Who is going to pick up the plastic cups that are now littering the the course?
a2citizen
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:48 a.m.
No sandy, I was out well after the race was over. I eventually saw a lone person picking up the cups on Eisenhower. Wouldn't it have made more sense for the people handing the runners the cups to reach down and pick them up after the runners discarded them?
48104
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.
I was riding up Eisenhower and saw people out picking up cups around 4:30.
huh7891
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 8:30 p.m.
Just drove by the stretch on Eisenhower by Olive Garden and the side of the road is still loaded with litter.
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:15 p.m.
You must have been out while the race was still on. The volunteers clean up their individual aid stations. They did a great job, too! Lots different from a football Saturday, though, no beer pong in the yards ;o)
Linda Peck
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 6:57 p.m.
I like the idea of an Ann Arbor Marathon! I hope it will be an annual event! Congratulations to the winter, Mr. Capelli
Brad
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 6:56 p.m.
AA.com - what happened to the other article about the road closures?
Brad
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 11:36 a.m.
The question related to why the article suddenly no longer appeared in the chronological stream of articles. There were still other ones as old as older that were there, just that one seemed to suddenly go *poof*. Is that normal? It wouldn't seem so.
David Martel
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.
Road closures were provided in this article the day prior to the race. http://www.annarbor.com/news/road-closures-to-take-place-for-inaugural-race-sunday/
Brini L
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 6:17 p.m.
It is now after 2pm ... and there are STILL orange roadblocks blocking the entrance to Briarwood Mall. (entrance off State Street into the mall) I imagine the stores at the mall and local businesses love that. Perhaps the race committee/city need to make sure all their stupid road blocks are taken down promptly once the event is over. What a mess this was for A2 residents who wanted to drive anywhere around town today. Trying to get to church or a Fathers Day brunch was near impossible. It would take hours to try to find some way around the barricades set up all over town. BAD IDEA. I
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 5:29 a.m.
Yes!! What about all of us taken by surprise. My family only wanted to go to mass as usual. And during this special day more is important to give thanks to the Lord for our beloved fathers. I wonder how all Christian Churches fell about such disruptive Marathon route. Just wondering!!
Sandy Castle
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.
I'm sure Briarwood Mall DID love it. All runners had to pick up their race packets inside the mall yesterday from 10-4. In case you missed it in the article, there were approximately 3,300 people who came to Ann Arbor to run in this race. LOTS of foot traffic for the stores at the mall and lots of people spending money in A2. THAT is great for A2! I have to say it was awesome to run around the city I grew up in, nothing but pride here ;o) Also, you may not have realized, but the mall didn't open until 11 a.m. today. A large majority of runners were past that point by that time, with road access being adjusted as needed for the numbers. For such a large event, this was managed very well.
brimble
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 5:55 p.m.
The race may have been well-organized for participants, but it was an unmitigated disaster for residents who live on or near the route, or who wanted to attend worship services or eat Father's Day brunch in Ann Arbor today.
brimble
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 1:49 p.m.
My wife and I are both runners. Dexter-Ann Arbor is our perennial favorite. We knew about this race, and we knew about the route. We also knew that our very young children would be woken by noise in our neighborhood. We also knew that getting to church this particular morning would be uniquely challenging. None of that knowledge made our kids any less grumpy from lack of sleep, made it easy to get anywhere, or made it possible to eat at our choice of restaurant yesterday morning. Maybe there was a net positive economic impact. Maybe Ann Arbor gains some cachet for having a full marathon (because a half held two weeks earlier is insufficient). Maybe many of the detractors are whiners. But the fact of the matter remains: this event had an unprecedented impact on roads and residents at a time of the day when peace and quiet and an ease of movement are to be expected.
Ilia
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:52 a.m.
You are very right. We were never told in church about this event or which routes to take to get to church and for my family the right to worship on Sundays is sacred. Organizers should do a better job contacting members of Christian churches and distributing maps indicating road closing well ahead of such event.
Belisa
Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 3:24 a.m.
deomgraphics of father's day ... which is really just a marketing tool ... but it's always nice to have a special excuse spend some time with your fam. Played golf with my son yesterday and racquetball with my daughter today ... bbqed some ribs for us all ... wife got me some nice shirts, kids with cards .. I mean, come on?? fathers day is for kids, get over yourself.
johnnya2
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.
Give me a break. It was very well organized, it is YOU who was not organized to realize the world does not revolve around you and your plans. If YOU had planned as well as the organizers had, you could easily have done the things you wanted to do. You just prefer to whine