Komen race to move to Columbia
Breast cancer research event organizers cite hope of attracting more people
After one year back in Baltimore, the Susan G. KomenMarylandRace for the Cure, which raises money for breast cancer research, will move to Columbia this fall to what organizers called a more centralized location that they hope will attract more people from throughout the state.
The shift is the latest for the race, which attracts thousands of cancer survivors and their families, as well as people who have lost loved ones to breast cancer.
The race began as a grass-roots effort at Baltimore’s Rash Field in 1993. It moved in 2007 to Hunt Valley, where it stayed for a decade. It returned to its roots in Baltimore last year for the 25th anniversary of the race, an announcement made with much fanfare from city officials.
Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, who ran the race in the city last October, said she thought the race did well in Baltimore and hopes they will return. Pugh said she understood that parking was a problem, but the city works with many races each year to accommodate large crowds, including the Baltimore Running Festival, which uses the parking lots by the Ravens’ and Orioles’ stadiums.
“We wish them well,” Pugh said of Komen. “Our doors are always open. We welcome them back if they want to come back again.”
Pugh worked last year to bring the race back to Baltimore because of its economic impact, said City Councilman Eric Costello, whorepresents the area. The race does create parking and traffic issues for residents in Locust Point, he said, but it also brought positive attention to the city and its small businesses.
“It’s a large race. It’s a high volume of people,” Costello said. “It shows off what the city has to offer.”
A Komen spokeswoman, Kim Schmulowitz, said that last year’s race was a success, but some participants complained that getting into the city was difficult and that it was hard to park. She said some parking that was available free last year was not this year. Construction also caused obstacles, she said.
While Baltimore received bad publicity for record homicides last year, the Komen organization got no complaints from people saying that they felt unsafe, Schmulowitz said.
Last year’s race started at McHenry Rowin Locust Point and went downFort Avenue and into Fort McHenry and back.
“It went really well and we were happy with it,” Schmulowitz said. “It was a beautiful location and it went off without a hitch and we had a lot of support from the mayor and the city. The only issue was some of the logistics.”
Theraceinrecentyearshasattractedalarge contingent from northern Baltimore County. Schmulowitz said that some people may decide not to follow the race to a more distant location, but she hopes that they will, just as many did when the event moved to Baltimore.
The race, to take place Oct. 13, will be held in the Columbia Gateway business park, just off Route 175 near its interchange with Interstate 95. The race expects to attract 5,000 participants this year and the fundraising goal for the event is $850,000.
“It is something I think is big for Howard County,” said County Executive Allan H. Kittleman. “It’s certainly a well-known event. It’s just another example of how we’re trying to make Gateway a focal point of Howard County and bring more people there. I hope it’s something that becomes a longstanding tradition.”