Funds from the event will go toward water quality and other city programs.
By Jonathan Friedman / Special to The Malibu Times
The City Council at its meeting on Monday approved a five-year agreement with Forever Runners, LLC for the Malibu International Marathon, which will take place Nov. 15.
The 26.2-mile race will begin at Camarillo Airport in Ventura County and finish at Zuma Beach. A half marathon will have the same finish line and begin just south of Mugu Rock. The race will require the closure of one eastbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway from Point Mugu to Zuma Beach from approximately 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As part of its agreement with the city, Forever Runners will provide Malibu with $5,000 or $10 per each paid entrant for the marathon, whichever amount is higher to go toward water quality programs for the city, which could mean Legacy Park or the wastewater treatment facility, or any other program. Also, the city will receive 5 percent of the gross proceeds made on all merchandise sold with the Malibu city logo.
Forever Runners is a for-profit company formed last year by Malibu marathon runners who frequently saw each other at various marathons throughout the country. They came together first to share a Web site “to reunite from adventures of running marathons,” then the idea came to create a Malibu marathon. There are five directors, all Malibu residents.
The company has an application pending for a nonprofit marathon event. The marathon itself will be a nonprofit venture, but the company will be selling merchandise at the event. Director Lisa Ohlson expects 3,000 to 5,000 people to sign up for the inaugural marathon.
Forever Runners stated in their proposal to the city that in the future, expected revenue from the event would total nearly $4 million, mostly from out-of-town guests using local lodging, eateries and other activities. They state they hope to eventually raise $1 million to benefit local community groups and charities.
Council member Pamela Conley Ulich said this would be a good opportunity for people to do fundraising by raising money for various causes, including schools. “I’m very excited,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to do creative fundraising.”
This is not the first attempt at hosting a marathon in Malibu. Five years ago, entrepreneur Glen Steele attempted to organize the Malibu Marathon, but he was unable to get approval from the California Department of Transportation to close down portions of Pacific Coast Highway and support from the city. The issue became scandalous when it was discovered Steele had put on the event’s Web site that he had obtained city approval, when in fact he did not. The event was postponed and later scrapped entirely. For many months, those who had signed up for the race contacted the city and the local media about not having received refunds.
Ohlson of Forever Runners said, “We’ve seen all these wonderful events across the country from participating in them. We live and train in Malibu. There have been several attempts at holding a marathon in Malibu. None of them were successful. We just wanted to see the marathon in Malibu. We wanted those wonderful things across the country to take place in our town.”
More information about the marathon, including how to sign up, can be obtained online at www.malibuinternationalmarathon.com