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Austin 10/20 race has rock 'n' roll debut this
weekend
By Brom Hoban
AMERICAN-STATESMAN CORRESPONDENT
Updated: 12:27 a.m. Friday, April 13, 2012
Published: 10:26 p.m. Thursday, April 12, 2012
The co-creator of the popular Rock 'n' Roll marathon series will unveil his newest road-racing
venture on Sunday in Austin.
Like the Rock 'n' Roll events, the Austin 10/20 will be heavy on music with 20 bands —
including Everclear — playing along the race route, but the race will cover only 10 miles, a
change from many of the previous events organized by Peter Douglass.
"When I was doing all the Rock 'n' Roll marathons and half marathons, the half was just getting
popular. Now they're everywhere," said Douglass, who moved to Austin from San Diego about
three years ago after helping design such high-profile running events as the Carlsbad 5,000 and
the Rock 'n' Roll series, which includes nearly 30 races in the U.S. and Europe. "But 10 miles is
different, and that's why I like it. There are not that many races at that distance. It's uncommon,
and that has appeal."
The Austin 10/20, which is expected to draw about 9,000 entrants, becomes one of the few local
races to offer prize money, and Douglass has gone to great lengths to pull in an elite field that's
one of the deepest in Austin's road-racing history.
The race's purse totals $23,000, and both the men's and women's overall champions will receive
$5,000. There's also a pool of $20,000 in performance bonuses, including $5,000 each for a
men's or women's world record at the 10-mile distance and another $5,000 for a men's or
women's American record.
"Austin is a fabulous running town, but at this point, there are very few events that are really
putting up money or attracting elites," said Douglass, who in addition to signing up top local
runners for the 10/20, also was able to recruit a group of Kenyans who will be making their
American road-racing debuts.
The 3M Half Marathon, held annually in January, still offers some prize money, but it
discontinued its elite-athlete program this year. That's a trend around the country, Douglass said,
as many events have cut back on prize money and abandoned their pursuit of elite fields.
For the inaugural Austin 10/20, which starts and ends at the Domain in North Austin, Douglass
expects more than a combined 50 elite male or female runners.
"I've put a lot into this race, and will spend more than I take in, but my goal is to make it the
absolute best debut possible," he added. "The race is an investment. It's my first race in Austin,
and we want to make a big splash.
"Ultimately, we'll attract more sponsors and more runners and grow."
A founding member of Elite Racing Inc. in San Diego, Douglass became intrigued by Central
Texas while helping launch the first San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. When a private-equity
firm bought out Elite Racing in 2008, Douglass decided to relocate to Austin, where he started
TurnKey Operations, which coordinates traffic control for road races and other events. Now with
the Austin 10/20, Douglass has jumped back into producing road-racing events.
"Peter has been an influential leader of the global running community for years," said John
Conley, race director of the Livestrong Austin Marathon. "His ability to ‘see around corners' to
spot the next trend puts him in great position to make the 10/20 concept a big success. The model
has all of the elements needed to catch on: entertainment value, a challenging but attainable
distance, a catchy name, and professional athletes to cement the event's place on the sports
page."
Find this article at:
http://www.statesman.com/sports/austin-10-20-race-has-rock-n-roll-2301043.html
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