Short Run: Milwaukee Marathon's Future In Doubt

MILWAUKEE, WI – After the 2017 Milwaukee Marathon came up short, distance-wise, it appears the annual race may have come to the end of the road. One key official, Milwaukee Alderman Bob Bauman, reportedly won’t be signing the permit for the event next year. And, his signature is necessary, according to multiple media reports.

Race officials announced after the running of the Oct. 15 race, that the full marathon was 4,200-feet short. Marathons are 26.2 miles long. And, in this sport, where runners train for months and years and set goals to finish within a certain time, such a goof can be quite frustrating.

And, what makes this year’s mess-up even worse, it’s the second year straight the distance was off. Last year’s marathon was too long.

During a meeting a city officials earlier this week, Bauman said he’s unlikely to sign off until new leadership takes over the event, according Fox6-Now TV.

"I hope we can put this out of its misery for a few years until we have some individuals come forward who actually have a proven track record in proving the right distance in marathons -- at minimum," Alderman Bob Bauman said.

According to a report by the Journal-Sentinel, some 785 runners registered for the event, paying fees of $80 to $100 to enter.

And, to add insult to injury, for those runners who thought they had remarkable performances that would qualify them for an entry into the Boston Marathon, those results are tossed out, according to the Journal-Sentinel.

“We are not able to accept the results from this race, as the course was short,” said T.K. Skenderian, director of communications of the Boston Athletic Association. “The window for qualifying for the 2019 Boston Marathon remains open until next September, so runners will hopefully have enough time to recover and try again at another race.”

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