Racers run north along Garland Avenue on Dec. 9, 2012 during last year’s Fayetteville Half Marathon.
Photo: Todd Gill
UPDATE: Races rescheduled for Dec. 21
The 2013 Fayetteville Half Marathon will take place after all. The races have been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at Lake Fayetteville. Read more here.
Organizers of the Fayetteville Half Marathon have canceled this year’s event because of snow and ice that still remains along the race route.
The race was set to take place Sunday, Dec. 15. It will not be rescheduled.
“Due to current street and trail conditions along with continued below freezing temperatures at night and the forecast for heavy precipitation for this weekend; the decision was collaboratively made to cancel the 2013 event,” organizers said in a statement on the event’s website. “We regret that the race will not go on as planned, but are confident this decision is in the best interest of our runners, volunteers, spectators and the general public.”
Organizers with All Sports Productions said refunds will not be issued to the nearly 650 registrants who paid between $50 and $95 in entry fees to run in Sunday’s race.
The event’s inclement weather policy clearly states that refunds will not be given if the race is canceled,
but organizers did offer a 20 percent discount to any 2013 registered participant for next year’s event.
That offer was not enough to keep the Fayetteville Half Marathon’s Facebook page from being flooded with complaints. As of Thursday morning, more than 177 comments had been left on the event’s Facebook post about the cancelation.
In response, an update was posted Wednesday announcing that All Sports Productions would revise its policy and offer additional options to registrants.
“We are going to be providing more options to you our runners that we truly believe you will be excited to hear,” officials stated. “A list of those options will be communicated to all race participants the middle of next week.”
The Fayetteville Half Marathon isn’t the only race affected by the ice, snow and below-freezing temperatures that swept across the country last week.
The MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, set for Dec. 8, was called off Saturday leaving 25,000 registrants without a refund. Organizers agreed to give marathon t-shirts to those who registered, and said 2013 participants would be eligible for a “special opportunity” before next year’s race.
The St. Jude Memphis Marathon was also canceled last week because of icy weather. Participants were given the choice of requesting a refund or donating their registration fees to St. Jude. Runners may also apply their registrations toward one of three upcoming events.
The Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission has awarded $38,000 to All Sports Productions since 2010 for the Fayetteville Half Marathon, including $4,000 for the 2013 event. Organizers will not receive this year’s award, however, since the event won’t be held.
