Music Half Marathon hits sour note for some

In the eyes of event organizers and city administration, this month’s Sarasota Music Half Marathon was a success: Feedback was largely positive, $26,000 was raised for local charities and thousands participated or watched.

For a segment of the city, however, the reception has been muddled. On St. Armands Circle in particular, leaders have discussed what they view as negative side effects of the race, including traffic congestion and what they say was unclear signage arising from poor communication.

With another half marathon slated for March, leaders have emphasized the importance of fixing those issues during the Circle’s busiest time of the year.

“They don't understand how broad an effect it has when they do something like that,” St. Armands Residents Association President Hugh Fiore said of the city and race organizers.

At the Feb. 10 meeting of the St. Armands Business Improvement District, those in attendance said they were caught off-guard by the scope of the race. Merchants said road closure signs along U.S. 41 and near the John Ringling Causeway scared off potential visitors to the Circle, creating the false impression that St. Armands was inaccessible during the race.

Music Half Marathon organizer John Korff said he reached out to residents and merchants groups on St. Armands Circle in advance of the race, and heard no concerns about the event.

“I’m a big believer in communcating,” Korff said. “You can’t overly communicate.”

Michael Valentino, a BID board member, stressed the importance of keeping the Circle active during peak season.

“(These events) have no benefit to the Circle, and there’s no benefit for the city,” Valentino said.

Not all merchants agree. Some businesses on St. Armands Circle reported that, despite the additional traffic congestion, the events were a net positive for the area. Luke Bundrum, a manager at That’s Fresh Organic Juice Bar, said special events can introduce visitors to Circle businesses.

“It’s a little bit of a pain having to wait if you’re driving through, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run,” he said.

On Longboat Key, Mayor Jim Brown criticized the lack of notice given to the town in an email prior to the event.

“On top of the race blocking the road, there will be 12 bands playing along the route,” he wrote. “Won’t that make for more congestion!”

Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming said, however, that the town did not experience delays.

Another leading critic of the event is Sarasota Vice Mayor Susan Chapman. She echoed concerns about traffic issues and questioned why the city special events office approved the race in the first place. She has received emails from residents that share her outlook on the event, but said she’s heard mixed reactions.

Her concern is with the bigger picture regarding the city’s handling of special events. If events are regularly passing muster with no objection from staff, Chapman said, the city could benefit from further implementing restrictions.

“So far, since the year began, we’ve had a special event every weekend,” Chapman said. “We need to have some weekends off.”

The city has already placed additional restrictions on special events in some areas, including St. Armands Circle Park, Main Street and Payne Park.

Korff said he’s sat down with Chapman to discuss her concerns, and plans to address issues with clean-up and signage during next year’s race. He said most of the problems he heard were relatively minor and outweighed by positive responses — including more than 1,400 entrants for the 2016 half marathon.

“For a first-year race, I think we kind of knocked it out of the park,” Korff said.