Council to Consider Three Road Race Events in Stillwater

Run Stillwater Inc. will ask the Stillwater City Council on Tuesday to allow city staff to process the necessary permits to host three road races this year in downtown Stillwater.

Two of the three events—the Stillwater Log Run and Lift Bridge Road Races—were held in Stillwater last year. Brian Mastel, of Mastel Events Management, will ask that the council approve a third race on Memorial Day weekend, called the Stillwater Half Marathon.

Currently, the council has imposed a moratorium on “any community-wide celebration having its site in the downtown central business district.”

But the specific intent of the resolutions imposing the moratorium has been unclear, so city staff has been bringing each new or amended event before the council to decide whether or not they fall under the intent of the moratorium.

Proposed Dates: Stillwater Half Marathon: Proposed from 6 a.m.-noon on May 26

Stillwater Log Run: Proposed from 6 a.m.-noon July 20

Stillwater Lift Bridge Road Races: Proposed from 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Oct. 19

City staff is asking the council to discuss the three proposed events, and consider how to handle the events moving forward. Staff recommends the council consider one of a number of options, some of which include:

1. Determine that the moratorium does not apply to these three events, and allow their event permit applications to be processed per established policies.
2. Determine that the Stillwater Log Run and Stillwater Lift Bridge Road Races are exempt from the moratorium this year, as they were last year, and allow their permit applications to be processed.
3. Determine that all three events are subject to the moratorium, and that the event permits cannot be issued.
4. Table the action, and request more information.

The council will discuss the events during the workshop that begins at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chamers at Stillwater City Hall.