California 10/20 run back on in Encinitas

The California 10/20 run will bolt through Encinitas after all.

Last June, a council majority blocked the race from heading through Cardiff, arguing street closures would impact businesses and residents. But upon second review Aug. 20, the council unanimously gave the Cardiff leg of the 10-mile race the green light.

Del Mar and Solana Beach, the other cities the 10/20 run dashes through, recently signed off on the run. So, it’s a go for Feb. 15, 2015.

Councilwoman Teresa Barth said she appreciated that race organizers modified the course in response to council concerns.

Originally, the course turned around just north of Chesterfield Drive. However, now it will stop just south of there, allowing the artery road to stay open.

“I can now support it,” Barth said, adding that closing Chesterfield Drive mere weeks after the Cardiff Kook Run was asking too much of the community.

When reached Aug. 21, Peter Douglass, 10/20 race director, said he was “very pleased” by the council’s decision.

“I think they liked that traffic could flow in and out of Cardiff,” Douglass said of council reconsidering its decision.

In June, the council majority also expressed concern over donations.

Ahead of the inaugural 10/20 run last February, race organizers gave $10,000 to the Cardiff Mainstreet Association and other nonprofits. But due to a miscommunication, it was reported last June that Encinitas wouldn’t receive donations for the upcoming 10/20.

“I don’t see why we should be closing our streets for them if we’re not getting anything in return,” Councilwoman Lisa Shaffer said during the June meeting.

But Douglass said he has since articulated that donations are indeed planned for the city.

If council hadn’t approved the Cardiff portion, race organizers would have redesigned the course, but that would have been “tough and stressful,” Douglass said.

“We’re happy that’s not something we have to do,” Douglass said.

Cardiff resident Dave Hutchinson spoke in favor of letting the event pass through Cardiff.

“A run like the 10/20 run is unique because there are no other 10-mile races in the county,” Hutchinson said.

He said the run would also provide a nice little boost to the local economy, referencing a recent study from National University System Institute for Policy Research. It found that out-of-towners who came to the county for runs, triathlons and other endurance events generated $64.1 million in economic activity for the region last year.

As part of another agenda item, the council required those behind large events to supply information on applications about potential benefits to the community, such as promoting fitness or supporting local businesses.

Such a description would help the council decide which events to support, council members said.

The course will start at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and throughout the route bands on stages bang out tunes. To register, visit www.cal1020.com.