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City officials have given Portland marathon organizers a new deadline—July 31—to agree in writing both to a new route for the marathon and to the city's medical plan for the event, according to a letter sent by city officials, dated Thursday, June 22.
Organizers will also have to pay the city's estimated cost for the event by that date. (This past year, organizers paid roughly $75,000 in fees, but late—six months after the event.)
The letter, addressed to event director Les Smith, came two days after the Oregon Department of Justice issued a court order seeking information from the Portland Marathon, Inc. nonprofit over possible irregularities in the group's governance and finances.
Two weeks ago, the city rejected a permit for the Oct. 8, 2017 marathon after event organizers declined the city's request to change the route of the race.
The city had warned organizers for more than six months they had until May 31 to finalize a new route for the 26.2-mile run, one that would require fewer police officers.
The city has capped the number of officers and sergeants at 33 for private events because of staffing shortages. The old route required 80 cops.
By the end of this month, the city will provide the organizers with options for a new course they wrote.
In an email earlier this week from the Portland Marathon, organizers appeared to prematurely declare victory in the standoff with the city but they also pledged to work on a different route for race.
“Because of the national and regional nature of the Portland Marathon, the police, with the help of the Police Association Union have agreed to provide the police for our course,” the email states. “And, we have agreed to work with them and other City agencies to determine if we can improve the course.”