Milwaukee Marathon in the works but route dispute halts finalizing plans

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- New York, Boston, Chicago, all world-famous marathons. And we're getting closer to having a Milwaukee marathon next year, once issues about the running route get resolved.

Marathons are always a spectacle, and there's a little resistance to the idea of creating the Milwaukee Marathon. Alderman Willie Wade says he did have a problem with the proposed route, saying it didn't spend enough time in predominately African-American neighborhoods.

"We always talk about being the most segregated city in America, well this marathon, I thought, was an opportunity to bring the communities together," says Wade.

Chris Ponteri is organizing the proposed race, and he believes the initial route, which ran to and around Washington Park, was diverse. Still, he sat down with Wade last week to discuss the issue.

"It was a great meeting, he was very gracious and very candid with why he said what he said and I agree with him; this is a chance to do something that brings a community together and that`s what I said all along: that these events do bring the community together," says Ponteri.

Wade says it's one thing to run through a park, but it'd be far more inclusive for the route to go through black neighborhoods. Ponteri says half of the initial route went through parks because he didn't want to close too many streets.

"I think that would keep the expense down and for the first year at least, make it a lower maintenance route," says Ponteri.

Wade says closing more streets would be for the greater good.

"Well it`s gonna be an inconvenience for neighbors but it`s an inconvenience that`s gonna showcase our city, it`s gonna bring promotion and marketing to our city, it`s gonna bring people to our city. So for that inconvenience, it`s well worth it," says Wade.

There was also resistance from Summerfest. With the marathon originally set for the spring, Summerfest officials worried would hurt the Rock 'N Sole Run.

A Summerfest official says he's been told the Milwaukee Marathon would now be in the fall, so it's on board.

Ponteri hopes to put a revised route before the Public Works Committee in September.