Redondo Beach prepares for Nike women’s night race
By Garth Meyer
by Garth Meyer
Preparation is in its final stage for throngs of elite female runners to take over closed streets of Redondo Beach the night of Oct. 24.
Organizers for the worldwide, seven-city “Nike After Dark” races gave an update to the Redondo Beach city council Tuesday.
The local 13.1 mile course has 12,000 runners registered – sold out in 25 minutes. The route starts and finishes at Seaside Lagoon, stretching into Hermosa Beach along the way. The event schedule includes two lead-up expo days at the Lagoon, Oct. 22-23.
“We encourage the public to come out and participate in this,” said Jake Wanamaker, Nike producer.
The host company has agreed to pay a $320,000 license fee to Redondo Beach and will reimburse all of the city’s extra police, fire department and Public Works costs. Nike will also put on a local youth soccer clinic for 100 kids (later this fall).
Nike set aside 100 complimentary race entries for South Bay runners. The half-marathon is one stop in the series which includes Shanghai, Sydney, London, Mexico City, Manila and Mumbai.
Earlier this week, Redondo Beach city staff and Nike organizers held an “all hands” meeting, as final details for the last race are worked out.
Producer Wanamaker was in London last weekend preparing for that run, to be held Oct. 17. Load-in for Seaside Lagoon’s event headquarters begins Friday, Oct. 16.
The 12 total local road closures use sections of North Harbor Drive, Beryl Street, Coral Way/Torrance Blvd., George Freeth Way, Vista Del Mar, Camino De La Costa, Catalina Ave., Esplanade, Catalina Ave., Francisca/Gertruda Ave., Herondo Street and North Harbor Drive.
Riviera Village is the halfway point of the course.
In recent weeks, Nike has sent out two rounds of postcards and distributed 17,000 flyers in Redondo and Hermosa, informing residents of the closures, times and other information. The company made a deal for large-scale catering from R10, Captain Kidd’s and Riviera Mexican Cantina. It arranged for partial and full-day buyouts of the California Surf Club.
Last year’s U.S. “Nike After Dark” race was held in Inglewood. This year organizers sought out the coastline.
Redondo Mayor Jim Light asked the Nike representatives Tuesday if their plans accounted for the current lobster season in the South Bay, for which anglers need access to the King Harbor boat hoist and hand launch.
“We feel we can accommodate that in our current planning,” Wanamaker said.
The mayor also called to the podium Jeff Jones, King Harbor Association president, to speak on behalf of waterfront businesses.
“Yes, we’re happy, and yes, we’re concerned,” Jones said, first thanking Nike for choosing Redondo Beach.
Jones noted that the marina parking lot will have a tow-away zone in place for 11 days.
“With these big events, we don’t want any of our businesses to lose. We want them all to win,” he said. “We want these businesses to be made whole.”
In the end, he praised what is coming.
“I hope this is just year one of something really special,” he said.
Tuesday’s presentation concluded with a final question from the grateful mayor: is the plan to have this here multiple years “or one and done”?
“That’s our hope,” Wanamaker answered.
“Which one?” Light said.
“We want to make this a legacy event,” Wanamaker said. ER
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