To the editor:
I participated in the Kansas Half-Marathon on Sunday, April 22.
It was a wonderful event! It benefited Health Care Access, which helps so many uninsured and underinsured individuals here in Douglas County. Monday morning, I was anxious to see pictures in the Journal-World online about the event. There was nothing. According to many involved with this event, the Journal-World and Channel 6 did not cover this.
Why? There were over 2,400 participants, plus volunteers and spectators. Estimates of up to 4,000 people were downtown, looking for places to eat, park and watch this race. Participants from all over the U.S. were there, claiming it was wonderful to run around downtown Lawrence and the campus of Kansas University. From the Lawrence Arts Center looking north up New Hampshire was an awesome sight, a wall of runners in Lawrence.
This is called the Kansas Half-Marathon, which brings a lot of credibility with it and for Journal-World and Channel 6 news editors to just ignore the coverage is mind boggling. The fact this large event occurred right at their doorsteps is even more puzzling. What else could have been occurring this large in the community that did not warrant some coverage? Very disappointing, Journal World, very disappointing.
Comments
christy kennedy 5 years, 1 month ago
I had to miss the whole thing this year and was expecting front page photos and a story. It is a great event, people do come from all over, and it raises a lot of money. What gives?
grean_lantern 5 years, 1 month ago
The Journal World, as I am told, assigned no one to report on this event and made no plans at all because they are "understaffed." Sports editor Keegan apparently too busy diagramming LCC golf course to cover a major running event in Lawrence and Community Editor Trowbridge asleep at the wheel. Unbelievably bad job by the LJW. Becoming less surprising however with a reporting staff that rarely leaves their desks. Here's a news tip for Keegan, Trowbridge, et al.....there will be a Half Ironman event here in June with a lot of people....you may want to consider sending out an intern or something. No KU recruits are planning on attending, however.
grean_lantern 5 years, 1 month ago
more than 3000 people particpating care. more than 10,000 people who are under/without insurance who benefit from the $63,000 raised care. Hotels, restaurants, gas stations, running shops, misc retailers care. City of Lawrence cares. CVB cares. KU cares. What you really mean to say is YOU don't care, which you are entitled too. And never did I say girls golf wasn't exciting or worth coverage.
appleaday 5 years, 1 month ago
Actually, it was a fundraiser for Health Care Access, which deserves some publicity. It was a huge turnout and should have been covered.
countrygal 5 years, 1 month ago
Being mentioned in the paper was by far the last thing I cared about. Training for this race, which was my first, was completely for health reasons only. I have lived here all my life and in the past seen events covered. Why not this one? What happened to the LJW? This was a huge event, warranted being covered, raising money for an organization that helps so many. Again, seeing all those runners filling the streets as they took off, was an awsome sight, right here in Lawrence. It would have made a great front page picture.
Matthew Herbert 5 years, 1 month ago
Only a half-marathon? Quitter.
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