Why Carey Pinkowski did the heroic thing
My letter to CNN.com
Some commentary on perception/reality

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As the publisher of American Track & Field and president of the Running Network, a group of 34 regional and national running magazines, I have to tell you, Carey Pinkowski, the Race Director of LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon had two choices---let people get very sick, and perhaps more die, or take the courageous step and close the race down. Ten thousand people did not even show up. The folks that ran, and I spoke to 100 of them after the race, were exhausted from the heat, and disappointed from the tough conditions, but they should have been pleased that race management closed the race down! Why did water allegedly run out? Because many first timers, probably 2/3 of the field panicked and poured water on themselves and there was no way to plan for that!

Try and put yourself in Pinkowski' s shoes---keep the race open, and be criticized for people dying and more getting hospitalized, or closing it down and getting criticized for ruining someone's day. It is only a race, and life is much more important. Pinkowski choose to keep 35,000 people from risking their lives.

Larry Eder
Publisher, American Track & Field
President, Running Network, LLC

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The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2007 will be remembered for several things---amazing finishes by the elite athletes and Cary Pinkowski having the backbone to cancel the race.

Cary Pinkowski is a running geek. This is a good thing. He and Mike Nishi, and their team, want to put on the best race that they can. For nearly seventeen years now, Pinkowski and company have worked to make the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon one of the top races in the world. It is a global race. Add that to a resurging ING New York, BAA Boston, FLORA London, real,-Berlin, among others and you have the World Majors.

I remember, in 1997 or so, late in the evening watching Carey checking out the course, it was probably 2 am (we were coming back from a party). I had seen the same look before on the late Fred Lebow's face, the heralded race director of the New York City Marathon, and resident eccentric at the New York Road Runners. Lebow INVENTED the city marathons. When he moved the New York race from five laps of Central Park to five boroughs in 1976, many thought he was smoking something illegal. I have spoken to a first sponsor, or who should have been, of New York and when Lebow asked for $5k they thought the Romanian apparel salesman was crazy.

Pinkowski comes from a running pedigree. In the 1970's 75-76, he went to high school with Rudy Chapa and Mike Keogh. They were all under nine minutes for two miles! Carey was an amazing runner in high school, ran well in college and ran a 2:22 marathon after that.

His love the marathon and his absolutely anal attachment to managing races is why he is so good! The attention to details, putting out more water, sports drinks, ice, air conditioned vehicles, water misters on Saturday showed that. That the weather, 87 degrees with 86 degree humidity, did them in. It only shows that Mother Nature still has some control over man.

The responsibility of the lives or deaths of 45,000 marathoners is something I hope I never, ever, ever have to consider. That Pinkowski could make the decision should be applauded. But to second guess him is just plain juvenile. Disagree, but respect the man for showing the guts, unlike most politicians today, to make a decision and stick with it.

I have had disagreements with Carey before and he welcomes that. He's a pretty open guy for someone in such a position of authority, Carey Pinkowski saved the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon---or whatever Bank of America is going to call it. By closing the race, he saved the day from being really tough, to being a war zone.

For the whole picture on the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, please check the coverage from the Running Network: http://www.runningnetwork.com/features/chicago07list.html

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******* Larry Eder Group Publisher, Shooting Star Media, Inc. President, Running Network, LLC http://www.shootingstarmediainc.com http://www.runningnetwork.com www.runblogrun.com digital issue: http://www.flipseekllc.com/ATFguide.html Office: 920.563.5551, ext. 112 Fax: 920.563.7298 Mobile: 608.239.3785 larry.eder@gmail.com