Kerr is running from his mess

You've got to hand it to Scott Kerr, the newly named director of the newly created Salt Lake City Marathon — he certainly covered all his bases. First the Deseret Morning News Marathon hits the wall on his watch, then he bails out and signs on to direct a rival marathon for what is presumably a significantly bigger payday.

Plans for the new marathon were officially announced at a press conference this week. The SLC Marathon will attempt to become a world-class event, with $100,000 in prize money and, if all goes according to plan, a world-class field. For the press conference, they rolled out the Salt Lake mayor — both of them (Rocky and Nancy) — as well as Mike Eruzione, an Olympic hockey hero (and he has what to do with running?) and Mister Deep Pockets, Chris Devine, owner of the race.

Note to Devine: You better hope Kerr does a better job directing your race than he did directing the Deseret News race.

If you've run the Deseret Morning News Marathon recently, or if you know someone who has, you probably know that the race has been poorly run of late. The organization of the race has gone downhill faster than Demetrio Cabanillas running down the backside of Little Mountain. T-shirts arrived a week before the race. There was a shortage of timing chips and registration packets. There have been problems with water stations, mile markers, the start and the course in the 10K and/or marathon, with runners calling or writing to complain.

Here's one letter to the editor that was published in July: "There has been a lot of coverage in the Deseret Morning News lately about whether the marathon on July 24 will continue to happen. If the race continues to be as poorly organized as it was this year, my vote is to let it die.

"I would have expected a race that has been around so many years to be almost flawless. Perhaps the race organizers can learn from other marathons in the state that know how to do things right, such as the Ogden and Park City marathons. Please, either do it right or don't do it at all."

Now Kerr, the man charged with operating the Deseret Morning News Marathon and 10K the past few years, leaves that race with a bad rap and takes a job with a rival.

Oh, and did we mention that it was Kerr who last spring was urging the Deseret Morning News to retire its 34-year-old marathon — one of the country's oldest — and turn it into a half-marathon. Hmmm . . . .

The only reason the Deseret Morning News didn't heed Kerr's advice is because the running community rallied behind the continuation of the traditional marathon.