gb-color-24-flThe Eau Palm Beach Marathon & Run Fest may have to find a different city to host it this year. The event, which used to be called the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, had no problem getting permission to include the town of Palm Beach in its route in previous years, but is facing resistance this time around.

The company that plans the marathon, Lifetime Media and Events, applied for a special-event permit that would allow runners to enter Palm Beach via the Royal Park Bridge, then follow Royal Palm Way and Ocean Boulevard to the Southern Boulevard Bridge. Palm Beach town manager, Tom Bradford, denied Lifetime’s permit application because of concerns about traffic disturbances and because he did not think the town could provide the 36 to 38 police officers necessary to monitor the event.

Although the concerns raised by the town manager are certainly serious, the marathon has included Palm Beach in its route in previous years without major incidents or negative side effects. Lifetime Media has also pledged to provide a post-race cleanup team at their own expense, which should mitigate some residents’ worries about marathon attendees littering trash all over downtown. The marathon is scheduled to be held on a Sunday as well, which makes traffic problems less of a concern. The marathon’s organizers are slated to appeal Bradford’s ruling at Tuesday’s city council meeting. If they are unsuccessful, the event will be held solely in West Palm.

Read the full article here: Council to Hear Marathon’s Appeal of Permit Denial

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