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Rock 'n Sole reportedly considers refunds

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on July 12, 2011

running

Following up on the problems in the inaugural Rock 'n Sole races, WTMJ-AM (620) reports that race director Tom Schuler is considering refunding a portion of the entry fees to the participants.

Schuler, through Summerfest officials, issued an apology Sunday night, taking responsibility for the lack of water at aide stations during the 10K and half-marathon races. More than a dozen participants were taken to local hospitals and another 50 were treated at the finish line for dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Criticism of the event organization has been intense.

Following the race, a Summerfest spokesman said all aspects of the run would be reviewed to correct flaws. That discussion is expected later this week.

Milwaukee World Festival Inc., which runs Summerfest in Henry Maier Festival Park, created the Rock 'n Sole as a complement to the music festival, and hired Schulers' company, Team Sports Inc., to stage the race.

36 Comments for "Rock 'n Sole reportedly considers refunds "

  1. After soaking in all the news stories and reaction, I think people just need to move on. It happened. Mistakes were made. 85% of the entrants finished the race. I would like to have run, (I've done half a dozen half marathons) but I knew for this race the heat could be a problem and I know my bodies limitations... I also knew I didn't have time to properly train for what would have been a challenging but potentially awesome run. So again, move on, learn from it, and better luck next time.

    harvey wallbanger Jul 12, 2011 10:23 AM

  2. Sadly once a race gets a bad reputation, it usually means tough sledding. With all of the options for well run races, one cannot afford this type of systemic lapse.

    Guess time will tell.

    While people may move on, they may also very likely move to the next race.

    mrlundt Jul 12, 2011 10:27 AM

  3. Folks why do we insist on using an interstate highway bridge for a race in the first place? Can't the libs understand this isn't designed for that? Run it along your city streets. You can have water stations all over the place and you don't have to contend with the dangers of wind you find on the Hoan. Or is it a concern with the massive numbers of potholes found in downtown Milwaukee...

    jimtherepublican Jul 12, 2011 10:34 AM

  4. They should offer to pay the hospital bills for the injured runners instead of a measly refund...

    BVModerate Jul 12, 2011 10:44 AM

  5. @jimtherepublican

    "the dangers of wind"? how many runners overheated because of too much
    wind?

    waxworks Jul 12, 2011 10:50 AM

  6. While I don't feel that refunds are necessary, it would be a nice gesture
    from Team Sports Inc. and Summerfest.
    I ran the half marathon course on Sunday, and was lucky not to have
    any medical issues. It was the toughest run I've ever endured, without
    reliable fluids (water drank from my hands or directly from the jugs
    until about mile 10, and no gatorade to be had on the entire course),
    and I experienced body chills due to the heat (a sign of heat stress) and
    finished in time to hear Don Smiley say at the awards ceremony: "We
    will improve the product for next year." So, if Summerfest / TSI are
    considering this race strictly a product, it would be very smart for them
    to refund a portion of their profits from this race back to the runners.
    So long as they still give some of that money to the charities they
    originally intended to support, too.

    LauraMKE Jul 12, 2011 11:02 AM

  7. For those looking for another event with a unique twist, but not as expensive, check out the South Milwaukee Lions Roaring Challenge Sat., July 23. It's a 5K Challenge with obstacles. You can also do just a 5K run or 2 mi walk. $20 includes entry, tshirt and a free beverage ticket (for water, soda or beer). Plus, there's a parade at 11am! http://www.active.com/runn​ing/south-milwaukee-wi/sou​th-milwaukee-lions-roaring​-challenge-2011?int=29-6

    Jennifer Moreau Jul 12, 2011 11:05 AM

  8. I'm so proud of my husband, Don. He was born with a whole in his heart and had 2 open heart surgeries when he was younger. Who would've ever thought that he'd be doing a 1/2 marathon, much less one under these conditions? Great job Don! He is fine, no after effects, minus normal soreness. This was our first 1/2 marathon and was brutal, but we did it with some walking in 2 hours 27 min. We listened to our bodies, walked when our heart rates were too high and brought ActivWater and gel packs along with us.

    I hope they make this event part of the Rock 'N Roll Series. Would've been much better and many of these poor planning items could have been avoided with an experienced run event company.

    Jennifer Moreau Jul 12, 2011 11:07 AM

  9. Do not refund the money for the race. The vast majority of the
    participants HAD water. Rather than issue a refund, give Summerfest's
    portion of the proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House. The families of
    the kids in the hospital and the kids themselves are the ones suffering,
    and they could benefit from the proceeds more than the people
    complaining that they didn't receive water. Granted, expectations are
    raised when such a high entry fee was paid, but let's get over it already.
    It happened, and I suspect and hope it won't happen again. Give the
    would-be refund to RMH and offer a discounted entry fee to next year's
    event for those that ran this year as a gesture of good will and effort to
    win them back.

    recrunner Jul 12, 2011 11:15 AM

  10. recrunner - you have the best answer here. Thanks for saying it.

    Let's all move on. Mr. Schuler has an excellent reputation in the community, he has apologized, and I'm certain things will be much better next time.

    FreshFruit Jul 12, 2011 11:38 AM

  11. While this issue regarding a refund will I believe be resolved, I would appreciate a clarification regarding this event's registration fees which, as reported by the Journal Sentinel, ranged between $40-$100 per runner.

    I have read no mention of this event being a charity fundraiser. If so, then in view of the thousands of entrants, where did all this money go? How much must Tom Schuler and his Team Sports Inc. be compensated? Water, some medical support staff, even the advertising, of course. The remainder were volunteers. I am simply asking exactly how much money was taken in, what were the actual costs to host this event, and the exact profit made and to whom.

    SlickRick53119 Jul 12, 2011 11:46 AM

  12. To SlickRick53119- While I definitely think the entry fee was too high, especially if none of the money was for charity, there were a lot more expenses for this race than many others. To close off the Hoan Bridge must have cost a fortune, as well as the amount paid to the city for police support. These are two huge expenses that not many people think about.

    I am guessing Team Sports, Inc. was paid a certain fee and the remainder of the profits went to Summerfest.

    MU82 Jul 12, 2011 11:55 AM

  13. Let's review the comments when this was first announced. People were excited about it, but many expressed concern about such a late start time for a race, because of the heat and humidity.

    For future races, that factor, as well as the water situation, has to be addressed.

    I'm still certain these issues will be handled by next year. Practice makes perfect.

    FreshFruit Jul 12, 2011 11:57 AM

  14. Thank you MU82 for some clarification. Now I put it to Team Sports -

    what profit (direct and/or fee) did you make from this event?

    SlickRick53119 Jul 12, 2011 12:02 PM

  15. Wallbang,"what would have been a challenging but potentially awesome
    run"

    It was nothing but pure carnage. Nothing about the race or how it was
    run was awesome. It was a low rate production to produce cash. My
    worst race experience of my life. I do not not need to list my
    credentials or race history.

    I am just extremely disappointed overall on how poorly it was all run.
    No matter how much prize money is offered next year, or what
    improvements are promised, I will not be back.

    the New Luxury Jul 12, 2011 12:22 PM

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