A New Mayor Should Mean a New Mayor’s Marathon

The Mayor's Marathon is coming up on April 24th and there are some easy ways to grow this event.

I'm not the biggest fan of closing down The Loop for people to have a footrace on it. It just seems really doofy to me, especially when there are so many other places where a route could be planned out. (I like the idea of running out to Buffalo Springs Lake and back.)

If this marathon is going to continue to be a thing, let's really make it a thing. Before everyone takes off on foot, let's include bicyclists and, before that, motorcyclists. All of our friends on two wheels know they're taking their lives in their hands every single time they hit the Lubbock streets. Giving bicyclists and motorcyclists just one hour a year to be able to stretch out on The Loop without being mowed down is a no-brainer.

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It's also hard to figure out exactly what the point of the Mayor's Marathon is. There is a charity aspect and I guess a physical fitness vibe, but expanding the marathon would certainly help all of those areas. With a marathon footrace, you're for the most part catering to some pretty elite athletes. It would be nice if this even was more inclusive of the entire community.

Apparently, the marathon draws somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 people, with only about 100 in for the whole shindig. (Sorry, but it's really hard to pin this number down.) This sure seems like a lot of trouble for that many folks. We very much need lots of events like this in the Hub City, but this one seems to aim pretty low.

Our current mayor is stepping down and not seeking reelection. If this is going to continue to be the Mayor's Marathon, maybe we'll elect one who will push for more ways for Lubbockites to get involved.