PORT TOWNSEND — The Rhody Run drought is over.
It will return May 22 in slimmed-down form, its starting and finishing lines at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds instead of Fort Worden State Park — breaking a tradition that began 43 years ago.
The move surprised park events scheduler Natalie Maitland, managing director of operations for Fort Worden Hospitality, who learned of the change Monday on the Rhody Run’s website and said the switch means race organizers may have to pay a $1,542 cancellation fee.
After a two-year hiatus, the race sponsored by Jefferson Healthcare hospital will ditch the 6-kilometer and 12K events of 3.7 miles and 7.5 miles in favor of more-standard 5K and 10K events of 3.1 miles an 6.2 miles, race director Jeni Little said Tuesday in an interview that included hospital spokesperson Amy Yaley.
“I don’t think we were under any obligation to notify Fort Warden,” Yaley said, adding the Rhody Run was not committed to staging the race at Fort Worden this year.
The course for the event, dubbed Rhody Run Redux, will follow largely the same route as past Rhody Runs but will eliminate the Fort Warden leg, starting instead at the nearby fairgrounds at 4907 Landes St. in Port Townsend, and continuing to include three hills, including F Street and Hastings.
“Those three hills will be there,” Little assured.
Fees have increased for most race participants up from $35 to $45 for ages 18-64, and they stayed the same for 18-and-under runners. Registration is at www.rhodyrun.com.
There will be no wine, beer and nonalcoholic beverage garden, but food trucks and a coffee wagon will be available.
“We’re working on getting coupons or vouchers for some of the local businesses that participate,” Little said.
“The new location was chosen in part because it’s along the existing race route and the Rhododendron Festival carnival had relocated to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds,” Little said Tuesday in an earlier email.
“Logistically the location has ample parking, and is set up for large outdoor events. Financially it’s a no brainer,” she said.
“We’re delighted that Fort Worden [Public Development Authority] is turning the page and will soon be busier than ever before.
“Our participants will have the benefit of having Fort Worden State Park right next door for camping and recreating.”
Maitland said 2019 fees for the Rhody Run were $9,347, which included use of houses on Officers Row, race setup, race registration in the commons, tables and chairs on the grounds and beer garden services.
The park’s hospitality services split off as a separate entity from Fort Worden on Monday, Public Development Authority Director David Timmons said Tuesday, saying space was being reserved for Rhody Run organizers.
“They made this decision unilaterally,” Timmons said.
“I had not had a conversation with anyone, and Natalie didn’t either. We’d like to get them back.”
Little said in an email that she had not been in contact with Maitland since March 2020, when the race for that year was cancelled, then posted another cancellation notice to www.rhodyrun.com when the 2021 race was canceled.
Maitland said a $1,542 cancellation fee that will be owed consists of a deposit Rhody Run organizers have on file.
“That will be the cancellation fee,” Maitland said.
“I am open to a conversation with them,” she added.
“Everything at this point is on the table. I am hoping we can have a conversation.”
The race staging area was changed “to simplify things,” Little said.
She explained the reasoning behind the switch in an email that Maitland said she received Monday following her inquiry saying the Rhody Run was “on the books” for May 20, with the race that Sunday, on May 22.
“Due to the extended length of the pandemic, when the [Port Townsend Marathon Association] volunteer nonprofit board met to figure out next steps we focused on simplicity and sustainability,” Little said in response.
“Our reimagined version of Rhody Run uses less of our modest financial resources as well as limited volunteer pool.”
“It was an opportunity to reimagine the event,” Little said Tuesday.
Little said race organizers began thinking about switching from Fort Worden last August.
“I hadn’t been in contact with Natalie since March 2020 when we needed to cancel the race,” she said in an email.
“We posted another cancellation notice to our website in 2021.
“On February 11th 2022 Natalie send the email & I responded.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
