Marathon

New Group Takes Control Of Palm Beach Marathon, Looks To Improve Operations

Published May 18, 2012

U.S. Road Sports & Entertainment Group, the organization that “has helped the Miami Marathon nearly triple in size -- reaching a capacity field of 25,000 this past January -- is taking control of the Palm Beaches Marathon,” according to Hal Habib of the PALM BEACH POST. U.S. Road Sports & Entertainment Managing Partner Peter Handy on Thursday confirmed that his firm “purchased the marathon from the founding Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches and is aiming to turn around the race's fortunes after a rocky 2011 edition that produced numerous complaints.” The new race dir will be Bob Fox, who “managed U.S. Road Sports' national series of half-marathons.” Habib writes the new operator’s “biggest task might revolve around public relations.” Last year's race, owned by a group headed by Chris Devine, "was beset by complaints after organizers ran out of water and medals,” and the $1,000 first-place checks to the men's and women's winners “arrived months after the event.” But Handy has “asked runners to consider U.S. Road Sports' reputation as reflected in social media, saying 99 percent of feedback is positive.” U.S. Road Sports & Entertainment also “bought the beleaguered Salt Lake City Marathon and staged it in April with little planning time.” Under U.S. Road Sports, the Miami Marathon had to “turn away runners this year and is hoping to accommodate 30,000 runners next January.” The event attracted “only 9,100 in 2007, the final year before Handy bought the event” (PALM BEACH POST, 5/18).