Chevron Houston Marathon 2013

[RedScare]

??

 

What has Ben Hall promised to do for The Heights?

 

If he promises to put an opt-out vote mechanism in the historic district ordinance, I will not only vote for him, I will donate and campaign for him. I can deliver him near 100% coverage in my neighborhood.

 

You listening, Ben.

[kylejack]

Well he can't even pay his taxes on time, so not sure how much I'd trust any promise.

[livincinco]

I still believe you get what you vote, entitled or not. Until the Greater Heights pulls together and votes together we don't get anything much less our property rights. Right now Parker is a slam dunk in November and when that happens, we just as well get ready for bi-weekly trash pick-up (to the humorless elites out there, pull your fingers back, take a deep breath, I was NOT serious). If we really want to take back control of our neighborhood, let's pull together now, start the get-out-the-vote drives now. Nothing pulls people together like a common enemy, and I think we have one.

I applaud your willingness to canvass for your beliefs. Please keep in mind that The Heights has a population of about 40,000. The city of Houston has a population of over 2 million. This is not an election for the mayor of the Heights.

[fwki]

??

 

What has Ben Hall promised to do for The Heights?

 

That's a great question.  I'd put my cash behind any candidate that honored our anti-zoning charter starting with opt-out of the HAHC or diverted some of the trail money to fix up our little league field like other inner city ball parks or honor the City's obligation to enforce deed restrictions.  And I get it about 40,000 population, but then I would never bother to vote for Senator much less President worrying about scale.  But if a neighborhood breaks from the pack and is vocal about serious issues, you begin to swing the 2 million.

[livincinco]

My point wasn't at all to say that your voice isn't significant. It was to point out that the mayor has a much larger constituency to answer to and that you are focusing entirely on how she has managed your particular neighborhood. I guess this is just an example of the saying that all politics are local.

[kylejack]

Still trying to understand why you want to change the Mayor of the city over the Marathon not coming through your precious Mayberry. Shouldn't other parts of the city get a chance, too?

[fwki]

Still trying to understand why you want to change the Mayor of the city over the Marathon not coming through your precious Mayberry. Shouldn't other parts of the city get a chance, too?

 

Call it the last straw in a series of decisions clearly reinforcing her careless attitude about my neighborhood.  So why would I continue to support someone who doesn't support me and mine?  I have no illusions about the probability of success ousting Parker or gaining real Council representation with this disenfranchising split district.  And I am glad that other hoods get the marathon (now which ones would that be, hmmmm?)  And this is not my "precious Mayberry", I leave that to the preservation freaks who do nothing but embarass me and cause shallow thinkers to paint me with that brush.

[Marksmu]

Actually, I would be fine with bi-weekly trash pickup, but I suppose those with large families and those who consume way more than they admit to might have a problem with it. I often skip the weekly pickup because I only have one bag of trash.

 

My can may not always be full each week, but I assure - 7 days of diapers outside in the heat, along with 7 days of picking up dog waste from two 70lb dogs and putting it in the trash can is enough to ensure that my can makes it to the curb EVERY week without fail....though admittedly my can is full 90% of the time. 

[jt16]

My can may not always be full each week, but I assure - 7 days of diapers outside in the heat, along with 7 days of picking up dog waste from two 70lb dogs and putting it in the trash can is enough to ensure that my can makes it to the curb EVERY week without fail....though admittedly my can is full 90% of the time.

I have pickup in my HOA by Allied Waste, but in my newlywed days I could've have gone a month with one pickup. Now with two kids my twice a week pickup is definitely used. Kids are wasteful.

[s3mh]

I have no doubt that if Parker wanted the Heights in this race, it would be, and it would be safe and efficient. Only a damn fool would believe they can't get runners through this gigantic swath of near-town. This was the time to make radical route changes to do it, but she would have to want to do it first. I'm with Mako, done with Marathon after 15 years volunteering, done with Parker after this (and likely not the last) hose job.

 

You are completely lost on this issue.  Go to marathonguide.com and look at the comments from runners.  Here are a few examples:

 

"Cons:

- very congested the first 9 miles with the half marathoners"

 

"This is a well organized city race - and I write this even though the first 9 miles were a congested mess until the half marathoners broke off and we marathoners were left on our own."

 

"Course is flat with as few turns as is possible in a figure eight. The first miles were crowded. Well organized expo, pre-race, race, and post-race. Great fans and volunteers."

 

"I was stuck behind so many slow marathoners and half marathoners at the start that the first 4 or 5 miles were painfully slow."

 

This has been an issue that the marathon has been looking to correct for years.  They even hired a traffic engineer to run modeling on the flow of runners to see whether they could reduce congestion issues on the viaduct with staggered wave starts.  No luck.  The Houston Marathon's stellar reputation with marathoners that has been erroding the past few years due to the capping of the number of entries, the lottery and the congestion caused by the viaduct. 

 

Mayor Parker's only connection with the marathon is that the City's public safety department and special events office have to approve the route and handle race day traffic control/public safety.  All the decisions about the marathon course come from the Houston Marathon race committee.  For the most part, the leadership on these issues has come from Brant Kotch and Steven Karpas.  Mayor Parker justs shows up at press conferences and on race day for the PR.  I remember in 2011 when it was pushing 70 degreesat the start, Mayor Parker got on the microphone before the gun went off and commented on how great the weather was for a marathon to a chorus of laughs and groans from the participants. 

[mkultra25]

Don't fall for the Elysian demolition BS spewn about on the interweb, even the key political players in the re-route are careful when mentioning that Project.  Engineering is not done, and all cost and schedule estimates will change based on the fnal engineering estimates, and it doesn't get faster or cheaper.  The bums on Washington will probably see two marathons before that demolition:

Elysian Aqueduct Project Detail

 

This link leads to an AT&T login page. 

 

I'm curious to see the details of the Elysian project. I'll be sorry to see the viaduct go. When I worked downtown, it used to be my backup route to work when 45 was more congested than usual. And although no one seems to refer to it by that name anymore (despite signs that still exist at its entrance), it used to be known as the Joe Resweber Viaduct. Longtime Houstonians may recall the late Resweber as the former Harris County Attorney, but he was also a previous owner of my house for many years. 

[fwki]

This link leads to an AT&T login page. 

 

I'm curious to see the details of the Elysian project. I'll be sorry to see the viaduct go. When I worked downtown, it used to be my backup route to work when 45 was more congested than usual. And although no one seems to refer to it by that name anymore (despite signs that still exist at its entrance), it used to be known as the Joe Resweber Viaduct. Longtime Houstonians may recall the late Resweber as the former Harris County Attorney, but he was also a previous owner of my house for many years. 

 

Sorry, try this one: http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps-cq/project_tracker/projectdetails.htm?projid=050801276&dist=Houston

 

You can use Project Tracker at DOT number 050801276

 

PS- I talked to the original DOT engineer for this Project and he fell over laughing when I said it was scheduled to break ground this year.

[fwki]

Mayor Parker's only connection with the marathon is that the City's public safety department and special events office have to approve the route....

 

Thank you.

[s3mh]

Thank you.

 

If you think the Mayor calls down to Sgt. Simien in HPD special operations and orders him to change the marathon route, you are really relying too much on the signals from your aluminum hat too much.  Each year the marathon goes to the city to get its street function permits.  The marathon submits a route to the City.  The City does not tell the marathon where it should go.  It only tells the marathon where it cannot go.  It has been long standing city policy that race routes cannot block all entrances to multifamily complexes.  This has been the rule since the days of the great Heights champion you love, Mayor Whitmire.  In 2015 when the Finger complex by the stadium is finished, the marathon start lines will be on both sides of the complex, completely blocking road access.  That would get the route denied by the City in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015.  In January, the word from TxDOT was that the viaduct demolition could underway by race day 2014.  Even if it isn't, it is going to happen.  But the real issue was that the viaduct was dangerous for the runners and caused a lot of complaints about congestion.  So, the marathon has been looking at alternative routes for several years prior to being forced into action by the construction of the rail line, apartments and eventual demolition of the viaduct.  Even if none of those three took place, the route would have had to change to address the safety issue and problem with congestion.  And what is really funny about your conspiracy theory is that the marathon committee does not consider the new course to be a permanent solution--just a temporary fix to see what downtown looks like after all the construction is done.  In the future, the half marathon may be run on Saturday and the marathon on Sunday.  That may allow the marathon to go back to the old course and only be on one side of the apartments. 

[RedScare]

You know what's really cool about s3mh posts? He condescendingly shoots down any Mayor Parker conspiracies UNTIL the conspiracy involves one of his pet projects, such as say, a Walmart and a 380. THEN, Mayor Parker is in the tank with everyone and the fix is in!

 

God, I love laughing at s3mh's world.   

[s3mh]

You know what's really cool about s3mh posts? He condescendingly shoots down any Mayor Parker conspiracies UNTIL the conspiracy involves one of his pet projects, such as say, a Walmart and a 380. THEN, Mayor Parker is in the tank with everyone and the fix is in!

 

God, I love laughing at s3mh's world.   

 

Or maybe I am the only one here who is not so blind with irrational anti-ordinance rage that I can actually objectively comment on what the City does without having everything circle back to an anti-ordinance rant.  While I have commented extensively on Walmart and the 380 agreement, I do not turn every single thread into a debate over those issues or automatically presume that Mayor Parker is crooked just because I strongly disagree on one issue. 

 

And this marathon conspiracy theory deserves to be shot down as it is 100% baseless.  At least with the historic ordinance, there is a basis for having an opinion on either side of the issue.  With the marathon, there is simply nothing there.

[fwki]

You know what's really cool about s3mh posts? He condescendingly shoots down any Mayor Parker conspiracies UNTIL the conspiracy involves one of his pet projects, such as say, a Walmart and a 380. THEN, Mayor Parker is in the tank with everyone and the fix is in!

 

God, I love laughing at s3mh's world.   

 

He really is in a world of his own, a regular Walter Mitty.

[fwki]

[SilverJK]

Or maybe I am the only one here who is not so blind with irrational anti-ordinance rage that I can actually objectively comment on what the City does without having everything circle back to an anti-ordinance rant.  While I have commented extensively on Walmart and the 380 agreement, I do not turn every single thread into a debate over those issues or automatically presume that Mayor Parker is crooked just because I strongly disagree on one issue. 

 

And this marathon conspiracy theory deserves to be shot down as it is 100% baseless.  At least with the historic ordinance, there is a basis for having an opinion on either side of the issue.  With the marathon, there is simply nothing there.

 

Yeah, your blind with something irrational pro-ordinance rage/entitlement. 

 

 

While I don't blame Mayor Parker for the marathone route change... I do think she should have at least put on a show that she was trying to help organize it to go through The Heights.  In the least say that you are working with those involved to determine how to get the route to go through the heights next year.  Just a little action on her side to let the people of the neighborhood know that she cares. (about the people, not the houses)

[kylejack]

Yeah, your blind with something irrational pro-ordinance rage/entitlement. 

 

 

While I don't blame Mayor Parker for the marathone route change... I do think she should have at least put on a show that she was trying to help organize it to go through The Heights.  In the least say that you are working with those involved to determine how to get the route to go through the heights next year.  Just a little action on her side to let the people of the neighborhood know that she cares. (about the people, not the houses)

 

Is The Heights more important than other Houston neighborhoods? Why is getting the marathon through The Heights such a special necessity? A lot of people live in this city, many of them not in The Heights.

[TGM]

You know what's really cool about s3mh posts? He condescendingly shoots down any Mayor Parker conspiracies UNTIL the conspiracy involves one of his pet projects, such as say, a Walmart and a 380. THEN, Mayor Parker is in the tank with everyone and the fix is in!

God, I love laughing at s3mh's world.

If he has not listed Haif on his résumé, then he is doing himself a disservice given the time spent contributing here.

[htownproud]

The new route sucks.  No real neighborhoods until Mile 7.  I've run the full Houston 7 times, and the half about a half dozen more times--I actually really enjoyed the viaduct.  It reminded me of the start of other great races like NYC and Chicago, which have twice as many runners as we have.  

 

All of that said, I don't think it is Mayor Parker's fault.  The folks who run the marathon are generally considered incompetent by most of my running friends (even though the head gets more than $100k for a part time job).  

[SilverJK]

Is The Heights more important than other Houston neighborhoods? Why is getting the marathon through The Heights such a special necessity? A lot of people live in this city, many of them not in The Heights.

 

Yes it is more important than other neighborhoods  (eff you Hyde Park).  jk, it has nothing to do with importance.

 

No the only reason I think she should have tried harder is because it has been going through the heights for a long time now and is sort of a tradition.  The community has embraced that tradition.  Runners enjoy coming through the heights (I have many friends who live in the Heights or have friends in the Heights that run the marathon every year so all their friends/neighbors and etc. come out to cheer them on).   It is the tradition of the marathon going through the heights and the neighbors coming out to support it that I feel would have been a smart move by Mayor Parker to address.  Even if it was an empty attempt.  Make sense?

[s3mh]

The new route sucks.  No real neighborhoods until Mile 7.  I've run the full Houston 7 times, and the half about a half dozen more times--I actually really enjoyed the viaduct.  It reminded me of the start of other great races like NYC and Chicago, which have twice as many runners as we have.  

 

All of that said, I don't think it is Mayor Parker's fault.  The folks who run the marathon are generally considered incompetent by most of my running friends (even though the head gets more than $100k for a part time job).  

 

I would rather keep the Heights on the course, but the change was inevitable. 

 

Brant Kotch has served as an unpaid race director for a decade.  He is a full time attorney.  The marathon only recently hired a full time CEO.  His job was more than full time as he had to put on both the marathon and the US Olympic Trials in 2012 and begin the process of cutting a new course for 2013.  His pay is chicken change compared with the $500k plus Mary Whittenberg gets to manage the NY marathon. 

 

The Houston Marathon committee is widely regarded as one of the best race managers in the US.  A few locals runners grouse about the lottery (just run a below average time and you can qualify to get a guaranteed entry) and about the marathon booting the walkers from going out early and clogging up the race course when the faster runners come through (just run with everyone else).  Those runners claim that Houston is the worst and that they will run elsewhere.  But, the fact of the matter is that Houston nails it every year.  Anywhere else you go, you are rolling the dice.  San Antonio has had numerous issues with busing to the start line.  The Woodlands marathon ran out of gatorade and only had warm water for the marathoners on the second lap (mile markers were all out of place too). 

 

Houston has seen the AR in the half marathon, fastest top fields that are second only to NY, Chicago and Boston, both the mens and womens US marathon trials (USOC passed over NY to award Houston), and is the place where the next great marathoners race before going to the World Marathon Majors circuit (Dire Tune, Deriba Merga, Teyba Erkesso and Bekana Daba to name a few). 

 

In just a few years, the marathon and half marathon have gone from just under 10,000 registrants to 25,000 and will probably exceed 30,000 with the new course.  There simply isn't another marathon in the US that has been as successful the past few years as Houston.  The grousing from locals about the marathon directors is just from the same group that bemoans that you can no longer register at the expo.  The marathon has grown up and is a much better race than it ever was.  Cutting out the Heights is just another growing pain. 

[Marksmu]

 

In just a few years, the marathon and half marathon have gone from just under 10,000 registrants to 25,000 and will probably exceed 30,000 with the new course.  There simply isn't another marathon in the US that has been as successful the past few years as Houston.  The grousing from locals about the marathon directors is just from the same group that bemoans that you can no longer register at the expo.  The marathon has grown up and is a much better race than it ever was.  Cutting out the Heights is just another growing pain. 

 

Not even Portland, Chicago, London, or Paris?!  Wow...I guess there is something Houston does right!

[fwki]

"Cutting out the Heights is just another growing pain."

One of the all-time idiotic statements...hell, while we're going through pain, let's just cut out uptown, river oaks, west u and Montrose....run that baby down memorial and back safely and efficiently.

[s3mh]

"Cutting out the Heights is just another growing pain."

One of the all-time idiotic statements...hell, while we're going through pain, let's just cut out uptown, river oaks, west u and Montrose....run that baby down memorial and back safely and efficiently.

 

Yeah.  You nailed it.  Let's solve the safety and congestion problems of having the runners go from four lanes to two lane on the viaduct by moving the race to Memorial drive, where the runners will go from four lane to two lanes.  Now there is an all-time idiotic statement.

[s3mh]

Not even Portland, Chicago, London, or Paris?!  Wow...I guess there is something Houston does right!

 

Portland has more finishers in the marathon than Houston, but only because Houston caps its numbers for the marathon too low. As for an elite event, no contest.  Portland has minimal prize money and barely gets regional elite runners.  And it always rains.  With the new course, Houston will easily surpass Portland in numbers.  No contest in terms of quality.

 

Houston is no where close to Chicago, London or Paris.  London is hands down the top marathon in the world.  They have @36,000 finishers and will spend about four times as much money just to pay elite runners to show up than Houston offers in prize money.  Chicago has more finishers than London by just a bit, but does not get as good an elite field.  It is still a World Marathon Major and is way ahead of Houston in terms of elite status.  Paris is just a step behind Chicago and London with @32,000 finishers and an elite field that is comparable to Chicago.  Houston usually has just shy of 7,000 finishers due to the cap/lottery.  With the new course, the potential is there to easily double that number.  The only other limitation is that the City has always wanted to have the course cleared by @1:30, meaning that the course is open for @6:30.  There are a lot of people who want to just walk the course and will take in excess of 6:30 to finish.  Houston Fit started a marathon in Sugar Land the week before Houston just to cater to those folks.  If Houston kept the course open for 7:30-8:00, they could see finisher numbers push 20,000.  At that point, you would have to have the half and full marathon on different days.  But that would also be a nice growing pain to have to deal with.  I think the sky is the limit for the Houston marathon.  Chicago was the size of Houston back in the mid 90s and broke 30,000 by 2000 by adjusting the course to accomodate the extra runners. 

[livincinco]

Portland has more finishers in the marathon than Houston, but only because Houston caps its numbers for the marathon too low. As for an elite event, no contest.  Portland has minimal prize money and barely gets regional elite runners.  And it always rains.  With the new course, Houston will easily surpass Portland in numbers.  No contest in terms of quality.

 

Houston is no where close to Chicago, London or Paris.  London is hands down the top marathon in the world.  They have @36,000 finishers and will spend about four times as much money just to pay elite runners to show up than Houston offers in prize money.  Chicago has more finishers than London by just a bit, but does not get as good an elite field.  It is still a World Marathon Major and is way ahead of Houston in terms of elite status.  Paris is just a step behind Chicago and London with @32,000 finishers and an elite field that is comparable to Chicago.  Houston usually has just shy of 7,000 finishers due to the cap/lottery.  With the new course, the potential is there to easily double that number.  The only other limitation is that the City has always wanted to have the course cleared by @1:30, meaning that the course is open for @6:30.  There are a lot of people who want to just walk the course and will take in excess of 6:30 to finish.  Houston Fit started a marathon in Sugar Land the week before Houston just to cater to those folks.  If Houston kept the course open for 7:30-8:00, they could see finisher numbers push 20,000.  At that point, you would have to have the half and full marathon on different days.  But that would also be a nice growing pain to have to deal with.  I think the sky is the limit for the Houston marathon.  Chicago was the size of Houston back in the mid 90s and broke 30,000 by 2000 by adjusting the course to accomodate the extra runners. 

 

I'm really disturbed by your introduction of facts into this discussion of innuendo and conspiracy.

[fwki]

I'm really disturbed by your introduction of facts into this discussion of innuendo and conspiracy.

 

Walter Mitty's head is a random fact generator, but you sound like a mainstream media buff so feast away from the trough.  Anyone who believes the Marathon is solely a sporting event is a political neophyte or as the case may be with some here, just switching teams to suit the argument.  So if you haven't figured it out yet like other humorless folks, this thread is what's known as "political satire".  Go look it up, I'll wait.