Creative Writing

At first glance, the Conservancy's press release announcing their new marathon sounded reasonable enough. However, a closer read would reveal VERY carefully crafted words that seem designed to lead the reader to conclusions that couldn't be stated - because they were not true. So safer to just speak generally and hope the readers drew the conclusions you wanted. Let's review:

CATALINA ISLAND, March 4, 2011 - While management of distance events on Catalina Island has changed hands many times over the years, one thing has remained constant: The thrill of running through the Island’s rugged wilderness. Ask Hans Albrecht, the man who started it all in 1974. Hans and friends needed a place to train for the strenuous Western States 100, and Hans selected Catalina. Hans thought it would be great to come 26 miles across the sea to run 26 miles on Catalina, according to ultra-marathoner Kent Holder, a friend of Albrecht who ran some of the Island’s earliest events.

It was under Hans’ management in 1978 that “the Catalina Marathon was born,” recalled Holder in a recent interview.

This suggests that this was announcing yet another in a series of management changes for the Catalina Marathon. No big deal if that were the case. Looks to me that they are trying to confuse readers into thinking their event is the same one that’s been run for 34 years.

If you HAVE visited lately, you STILL won’t want to miss this, the inaugural:

Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon Saturday, March 10, 2012 This event will feature the exciting marathon course used historically on the Catalina Island Conservancy’s lands, including much of the rugged terrain, spectacular vistas and special

challenges enjoyed by Hans and friends in the earliest days of the event under his management. The event will be operated under proven, professional management.

The event will be held on the SAME DAY and on the SAME COURSE as the Catalina Marathon had been scheduled. The Conservancy takes great pains to extoll the virtues of the Catalina Marathon but avoids mentioning it by name when possible, and never says that they are the ones who are killing it. 

Pacific Sports, the most recent manager of the Catalina Marathon, is not associated in any way with the Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon.

Ah, here it is. They try to hold out Pacific Sports as merely the managers of the Catalina Marathon. If it were merely a change in management, why wouldn't the 2012 edition be the 35th Catalina Marathon? Maybe it's because Pacific Sports OWNS the Catalina Marathon the same way the BAA owns the Boston Marathon. Pacific Sports says as much in their lawsuit and I think it's significant that the Conservancy doesn’t seem to dispute it. I'm guessing the reason is because they know Pacific Sports is right on this point and it's easier for them to just kill a wonderful event and hope nobody will know any better.

The Conservancy owns and stewards 88 percent of Catalina Island—a full 42,000 acre nature preserve—balancing conservation, education and recreational access as part of its mission. The new marathon, a new half marathon, the existing Catalina Eco-Marathon and the existing Avalon Benefit 50 Mile Run (sponsored by the Lion’s Club of Avalon) will all be managed by Spectrum Sports Management.

Interesting that Spectrum Sports is owned by Mike Bone, formerly a partner at Pacific Sports. I'm starting to see a pattern here.

The inaugural marathon event, along with another new event, a half marathon, will “continue the Conservancy’s decades-long commitment to distance events that support our mission and are in the best interests of our island community,” said Mel Dinkel, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer for the Conservancy:

The decades-long commitment to distance events includes killing the oldest and best?

Long History of Marathons on Catalina Island Over the decades, marathons held on the Island have grown rich in tradition and legacy. 

I know of two marathons held on the island. The Catalina Marathon, which definitely has a rich tradition and legacy, and the Eco-Marathon, which has been contested four times. I hear it's a nice event, but I'm not sure how rich its tradition and legacy.

Runner “Buffalo” Bill McDermott has competed in all 33 marathons as the 33 bars on his shirt attest.

Gee, if I'm doing the math correctly, at the time this press release was issued, the Catalina Marathon had been run 33 times and the Eco Marathon had been run 4. That's a total of 37, unless the Conservancy lost count of all the “marathons on the island.” And BTW, McDermott didn't finish the Eco Marathon, at least not in 2010, but he did finish Catalina a 34th time in 2011.

The Catalina Marathon Finishers Association, a semi-official group of marathon “old timers,” gives the bars to all who finish each race. 

I've been a member since I crossed the finish line in 2001 and I never got the impression it was "semi-official" or that it was made up of "old-timers." I always received my bar from the race organizers. Seems pretty official to me. And Eco doesn't count, so the Conservancy is being completely disingenuous here.

Referred to as “The Human Shock Absorber” for his ability to triumph over the Island’s challenging terrain, McDermott has won marathons held on Catalina 13 times and holds the course record.

Bill has had an amazing career, and he won the Catalina Marathon an amazing 13 times. We ran together briefly during the 2011 race, so when I asked him at the top of Pumphouse Hill (Mile 19) what he thought about the impending change in the event, he expressed dismay. He was horrified when I told him that he was featured in the Conservancy's press release. Nice job, guys. Your move is not endorsed by the one guy whose opinion I'd really listen to.

The new Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon will continue to honor record-holders.

I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the crux of the issue is who owns the event. And in reading this press release it’s clear to me that the Conservancy doesn’t. Which leads me to the conclusion that they are just electing to kill my favorite event and replace it with a brand new one with none of the history, hoping that it will look enough like the original that nobody will notice - or care. That doesn’t sit right with me. I hope I’m wrong. I’d welcome being corrected.