Specific routes for marathon races would be outlined under a proposed change in policy by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.
The proposed changes for marathon races were discussed at a Unified Government Public Works and Safety Standing Committee meeting Monday evening. The committee unanimously approved the proposal and sent it to the UG Commission level for action.
The changes would make it easier for the UG to recover some of the cost of staffing police officers and public works employees at the events and develop safe routes, Deputy Police Chief Kevin Steele said.
Steele said Kansas City, Kan., was the only city in the metropolitan area that doesn’t charge anything to recoup the cost for staff for the events.
Last fall, the commission directed the Police Department to come up with a recommendation on locations and costs.
The proposed changes would apply to marathons, 10K runs, 5K runs and other runs in Kansas City, Kan. There would be a fee that would be charged for the different events.
So far in 2015, there have been 16 marathon events approved, 13 from Kansas City, Kan., groups and three organizations from outside the community, police said.
Nine marathon permits were denied, from eight organizations outside the county and one from a Kansas City, Kan., group, police said.
The events are becoming so popular that the Police Department resources are becoming stretched, Steele said.
Four examples were presented of runs that could be proposed for the Village West area using off-duty officers. A specific route was outlined for each example.
In the first, a marathon, 24 police officers would be needed, 35 volunteers necessary, eight hours would be required, and the estimated cost to the Police Department would be $9,700, according to police.
A half-marathon would require eight officers, 18 volunteers, six hours, with an estimated Police Department cost of $2,500.
A 10K race would require 10 officers, 21 volunteers, five hours, and an estimated cost of $2,500 to the Police Department.
A 5K run would require eight officers, 18 volunteers, three hours, and $1,200 cost to the Police Department.
In the past, groups made up their own marathon or race routes, but from now on, if this plan is approved, they will have to use one of these routes if they are racing at The Legends, according to police.
This effort came about because of out-of-town groups that come into the community and want to run a race at The Legends, police said.
But if this proposal passes, and it works for The Legends, it may be coming to other parts of the community, according to police. The process would be implemented city-wide if approved, Steele said. If approved by the commission, routes would be designed around the city, and then groups would be told this is the route they could run, for example, around KU Med Center, he added.