Politics & Government

Smuttynose Full Marathon Could Return This Year

A lucrative annual Hampton Beach event may not be canceled as originally announced thanks to a developing new plan.

Local runners and business owners got some unexpected good news this week, as organizers of the Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon say efforts are in the works to make sure the event's full marathon stays in Hampton in 2014.

Loco Sports announced late last year that the 2014 full marathon would be canceled — but not the half marathon, held the on same day in October — due to concerns from Selectman Mary-Louise Woolsey and others about impacts on tertiary Hampton roads.

A fatal September car crash that killed two cyclists during a non-competitive event on the Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge also played a role in those concerns.

Loco Sports Chief Executive Officer Mike St. Laurent, the Rockfest organizer, said Monday that Loco Sports is nearly finished with a plan that heavily modifies the previous Hampton route to eliminate both the need for Hampton road closures and Hampton's areas of concern while ensuring the heart of Hampton Beach is still a key setting along the route.

"What we're tying to do is create a marathon that has the least impact on the town and has [a route that utilizes] a lot more of the roads in your neighboring towns," St. Laurent told selectmen Monday night.

St. Laurent didn't disclose additional details about the route Monday, stating that he first has to work with North Hampton and Rye in order to "see what they think about" a modified race that has a route that relies heavily on those towns' roads.

Eight hundred runners are expected for the Oct. 26 event, which would start near C Street at 7 a.m. and travel north up Ocean Boulevard into North Hampton, avoiding the previous winding route down small side roads in Hampton.

St. Laurent said the race "would be out of town by 8:10 a.m." and would be "the easiest" Loco Sports event for the Hampton Board of Selectmen "to look at" and approve this year.

"There will be no road closures [in Hampton]," said St. Laurent, who said he believes the event would still likely fill all of Hampton's hotels and bring a lot of offseason business to local restaurants and shops. "It will basically feel like a small 5K race."

The changes were well received Monday night, and Chairman Dick Nichols thanked St. Laurent for his "response" to the town's suggestions and concerns.

St. Laurent also appeared before the board Monday night to seek final approval on the Feb. 23 Half at the Hamptons half marathon and the half marathon portion of the Smuttynose Rockfest.

Selectmen voted 4-1 to approve both events, which also utilize different routes to dramatically limit impacts on tertiary roads.

Woolsey abstained from both votes, which came after St. Laurent said Woolsey's street, Little River Road, is one of the few that are "most inconvenienced" by the routes, particularly during the Rockfest half marathon.

Each mention of Little River Road drew a hearty laugh from Selectman Mike Pierce, who has butted heads with Woolsey over the Rockfest issues, among other topics.

The mailings and details that will be sent out about the routes and the associated traffic delays will do a better job this year of reflecting time periods that encompass the majority of all runners in the events, according to St. Laurent.

St. Laurent said he expects to appear before selectmen again by the end of February for approval on the new Rockfest full marathon route.


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