The two men primarily responsible for America`s Marathon/Chicago, race founder Lee Flaherty and executive director Bob Bright, now agree the race`s future will be best served by having the 11th running next spring.
Only a firm commitment from ABC-TV is delaying the move from the fall, when the first 10 marathons were run, to May 8, 1988.
If that move is made, the Chicago Area Runners Association is prepared to offer a pared-down version of America`s Marathon/Chicago so the city will not go a year without a marathon.
The CARA race, to be called the Chicago Marathon, would be run Oct. 25, the date still reserved for a fall running of AM/C.
”We`re not talking about competing with them or having a race on a continuing basis,” said CARA executive director Chris English, who sought and received Flaherty`s approval for an alternative race.
”This is a one-year thing for us, and we will withdraw if they get sponsorship for a fall race.”
None of those recent developments on the marathon front in Chicago has yet produced a definitive result. But conversations with Flaherty and Bright make it clear that AM/C is likely to spring forward, a decision that will ultimately rest with Flaherty.
He and Bright are meeting again Tuesday in New York, but the fate of AM/C may not be determined until early May.
Flaherty and Bright, who have fought over matters large and small during their six-year association, had been at odds on the move issue. Bright has come over to Flaherty`s side as the two men seek sponsors to replace the $2 million budget formerly provided by Beatrice Corp., where a top management change led to ending support of AM/C after eight years.
”I would smile if the race remains in the fall,” Bright said, ”but I support Lee`s idea to move to the spring 100 percent. The only way I would object is if we would be doing it without a TV contract.”
CBS, which had telecast the race on a delayed basis for three years, is no longer interested. ABC was said to be interested only if the race were moved to the spring, where it would not compete with pro football, the World Series, the beginning of basketball and hockey seasons and the New York Marathon, which it also televises.
”There have been discussions, but we have no further comment,” said ABC spokesperson Cathy Rehl. Barry Frank of Trans World International is trying to put together the deal for a three-hour live telecast.
The other major reason favoring a spring move is the extra time needed to find sponsors. That has become Flaherty`s job. Bright now concentrates on recruitment of elite athletes, at which he excels. He realizes the futility of arguing other subjects with the strong-willed Flaherty and endangering his job, which includes a six-figure salary and worldwide travel.
”I work for Lee,” Bright said. ”And I have a lot of time and effort invested in this race.”
It is unlikely America`s Marathon will land a sponsor willing to invest anywhere near as much money as Beatrice. The difficulty in finding sponsors has led Flaherty to consider changes that would be seen as concessions.
Flaherty said he would not object if a company wanted to pay for most of the race on the condition its name were part of the event–like the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl or the Volvo/Chicago Tennis Tournament. A source said the name could even be changed to the Sponsor`s Name/Chicago Marathon if the terms are right. Earlier this year, Flaherty had tried to remove all reference to Chicago from the race`s title.
Yet Flaherty, who owns the license and trademark to America`s Marathon, has been picky about choosing sponsors. A year ago, he turned down a sponsorship from the Humana health care organization, which would have been given five TV ads plus signs along the course for a $90,000 investment.
Humana was turned down because AM/C`s volunteer medical director, Dr. Edward Winslow, objected on grounds it would appear Humana was providing and training the medical staff.
”I said, `What if we were interested in being the next Beatrice?,`
” said Tom McAlevey of Humana`s marketing department. ”They still said no, and I have to admire then for respecting the wishes of people who had worked for them for several years.”
McAlevey, who ran in AM/C last fall, added that Humana would not have been interested in an investment the size of Beatrice`s, but said a $250,000 sponsorship ”would not have been out of the question.”
Flaherty says he can still come up with $1 million for a race this fall. A bigger problem might be replacing the 2,000 volunteers provided by Beatrice, which is still paying office expenses and the salaries of Bright, race director Pete Kozura and administrative assistant Dana Grigoroff during the transition.
A smaller budget would mean cutting expenses for the elite runners whose performances have given AM/C a worldwide importance far greater than its impact on Chicago. Based on the results of the top 10 finishers, AM/C has been the world`s fastest men`s marathon the past three years and the fastest women`s the past two.
One argument for moving the race to the spring is the probable difficulty in signing top runners over the next two years because of conflicts with the World Championships and the Olympics.
The 1987 World Championship marathons will be run Aug. 29 (women) and Sept. 6 (men). The 1988 Olympic marathons are set for Sept. 23 (women) and Oct. 2 (men). Those events, the goals of almost all marathoners, are so close to fall dates for AM/C that any runner foolish enough to undertake both would be unlikely to run fast in Chicago.
”I think America`s Marathon is strong enough that it could survive a couple of weaker years if we stay in the fall,” said Bright, who is so confident that he decided to sell his house outside Albany, N.Y., and move to Chicago May 1.
The two major liabilities of a move to the spring, excluding whatever momentum would be lost by not having AM/C in 1987, are conflicts with the London, Rotterdam and Boston marathons and weather-related training problems for local non-elite runners who want to run in Chicago.
AM/C has always wanted big fields, partly because such numbers look impressive and mainly because all the entry fees are donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago. The 1986 race had 12,500 entrants, but that number would undoubtedly drop for a spring marathon.
”It`s tough to roll out of winter and run,” said Flaherty, who has experienced the problems first-hand by training for the Boston Marathon several times. ”If we took a poll of local runners, 66 percent would favor the fall. But if we explained the sponsorship problems, I think 75 percent would go along with the spring.”
The conflict with Boston for elite runners is more serious. Now that John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company is pouring millions of dollars into sponsorship of the Boston Marathon, that event has financial allure to match its 90 years of tradition.
”As far as I`m concerned, Chicago could be a day before Boston and it wouldn`t make a difference,” John Hancock Financial Services vice president David D`Allessandro recently told the Boston Globe. ”I feel if they (Chicago) move to the spring, their demise would be faster than if they stayed in the fall.”
Boston`s prize money, paid out of John Hancock`s $1 million annual sponsorship, is no larger than Chicago`s. But its appearance money, supplemented by funding from John Hancock`s corporate relations and advertising budgets, has become the most lavish in the sport.
D`Allessandro, who manages the company`s commitment to the race, is reportedly paying Rob de Castella of Australia, the 1986 Boston winner, $140,000 in appearance fees. Two-time Chicago winner Steve Jones of Wales will get $100,000, Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania $60,000 and 1986 AM/C winner Toshihiko Seko of Japan $75,000. Joan Benoit Samuelson just signed for an estimated $125,000.
”They are spending more in appearance money this year than I did in the past five added together,” Bright said. ”And all they are getting is marquee value.”
Bright bases that criticism on the physical condition of the top athletes. He does not think de Castella and Jones are in shape to run fast, and he knows Benoit isn`t.
She has struggled with foot and leg problems since winning the 1985 AM/C and is now expecting a child in October. Benoit will almost certainly not try to win the race but run only to get a qualifying time (2 hours, 49 minutes, 59 seconds) for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Bright, foreseeing a situation like the management change at Beatrice, wonders how long John Hancock`s involvement will last if D`Allessandro moves elsewhere in the company. He also sees the inflated appearance fees driving other marathons out of business because they will no longer be able to afford the best athletes.
”They are creating a tulip with a beautiful flower but no stem to support it,” Bright said. ”The entire sport may wither because of Boston`s overspending.”
There would be no danger of that in CARA`s planned marathon. The local runners` organization would try to stage the race for $200,000, including limited prize money but no appearance money.
CARA would cut costs by using a course limited to the lakefront, where policing and traffic control would be less extensive.
