Sheboygan officials urging residents not to register for upcoming half-marathon
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Cody Holyoke reports Video by tmj4.com
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SHEBOYGAN - The City of Sheboygan is now officially warning residents not to register for a proposed half-marathon set to take place in Sheboygan this fall.
In a press release, city officials advised competitors to hold off on paying for registration until paperwork is squared away with 'Rapid Running,' the company behind the event.
David Mason, the company's president, addressed recent criticism surrounding troubles with the race, scheduled to take place October 13. Sheboygan tourism officials and city leaders maintain the event will not take place because Mason hasn't applied for the permits necessary to host the race. Runners who have signed up for the race are worried they've been ripped off.
In an email to TODAY'S TMJ4's Cody Holyoke, Mason wrote:
The city has yet to contact myself or any of all associates in regards to the event being canceled etc. We met with the mayor and city officials last year, and they give us their blessing. The Mayor's endorsement was on the press release which was sent to the local media. I am not aware of what the city is saying, as I have tried to reach them today. There is not a permit application that states we have to submit 60 days etc out from the event to be approved, and the majority of major cities do not permit events until 30 days out from the event. We have plenty of time to submit any paper work they demand of us, and we submitted our request for road closures to Chad at the City of Sheboygan.
During the process of establishing our event in Sheboygan the Sheboygan Tourism Division has been a main force in assisting our event (we have plenty of correspondence to prove). The event will be a major success in Sheboygan, and we anticipate the city to assist on the event's success.
Amy Wilson, tourism director for Sheboygan, told TODAY'S TMJ4 'Rapid Running' hasn't been in contact with the Chamber of Commerce for a while. Wilson maintains Mason has promised to complete the required paperwork before, to no avail.
"We were told that, 'Oh, no! We'll get all of that done. We'll get it in.' And that's the reason we sent such detailed directions with deadlines, and nothing happened," Wilson said.
Stay with TODAY'S TMJ4 for the latest developments surrounding this story.
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