Summerfest Rock 'N Sole leaves past behind

Summerfest officials in Milwaukee delivered a $67,000 check on November 3 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, and closed the books on the steamy 2011 Rock 'n Sole Run.

The charitable contribution represented a positive outcome for the half marathon and 10K marred by stifling heat and a failure to deliver water to dozens of the more than 6,500 participants.

It was a rocky debut for the first race in decades to utilize the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge, so much so that Summerfest offered partial refunds to participants.

Along with the donation to the Ronald McDonald House, the Summerfest team delivered news of a change in management for the races scheduled for June 23, 2012. Vision Event Management, based in Indianapolis, Ind., will replace Team Sports Inc.

"After significant evaluation of every aspect of the inaugural race and interviews with qualified race directors, we selected Vision Event Management to plan and execute the 2012 Rock 'n Sole," said Don Smiley, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., the non-profit that runs Summerfest.

Vision Event directs more than a dozen races, including the Chicago Half Marathon, the Madison Mini-Marathon, the Rite Aide Cleveland Marathon and the Indianapolis Marathon and Half Marathon.

In another change, Summerfest officials moved the Rock 'n Sole from the end of the 11-day festival to a preview slot, the Saturday that will officially kick off the week leading up to the 45th anniversary of Summerfest. The fest opens June 27.

The check delivered to the Ronald McDonald house represents a share of the proceeds from the Rock 'n Sole, which were split with Milwaukee World Festival Inc.