The tough, but right call.

From a previous frosty Mississippi Blues Marathon.

Putting on a race involves skill, planning, cooperation and lots of luck. You can control many parts of it, but you can’t control the weather. Today, John Noblin and his team woke up with a nightmare on their hands. You can run through rain. You can run through heat and cold. You can’t run on a sheet of ice. Not only is there a danger to the runners running it — the odds of them getting to the course are pretty slim, too. Let’s not mention what could happen if a passing car lost control and spun into a group of runners.

John, my heart is with you today. Cancelling the race had to hurt you to your very core.

The Mississippi Blues Marathon is a great race. The course is tough — and maybe not the most scenic I’ve ever run (LaJolla Half Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon win that title) but it is by-far the best managed race I’ve been a part of. Why? Plain and simply, the hospitality. You won’t find a kinder group of volunteers at any race in the country. I’ve run it a few times and every time I have, I’m impressed by the several “Thank you for running the race” greetings I’m showered with on the course.

Today, I’m going to start my training for next year’s race. I’ll continue to support it however I can. I want it to survive and be part of our quality of life. The Mississippi Blues Marathon makes us look good. It must go on.

Just not today. Safety first.

Hang in there John.