A new race is expected to bring thousands of runners to Old Town Alexandria in September, but after months of planning and postponements, not everyone is happy to see another event added to the city’s crowded calendar. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to grant the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon access to several streets on the south side of Old Town. The race, which is expected to begin at Mount Vernon and end at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, will shut down portions of South Washington Street from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 19. About 4,000 runners are expected to participate. The City Council postponed its final decision for months and debated whether to allow the new event at all before finally approving the race route deemed least disruptive to city businesses and residents. Steve Nearman, the event’s organizer and a longtime Alexandria resident, said he was “greatly disappointed” by the council’s final decision. Nearman said he had hoped the city would approve a route through the center of Old Town. “We so wanted to show off the beauty of the city,” he said. Councilman Rob Krupicka sided with Nearman and lobbied unsuccessfully for a plan that would take runners through the heart of Old Town. Others weren’t so enthusiastic. “I really don’t see the benefit to the city,” said Councilman Paul Smedberg. Smedberg said he did not oppose the event, but he worried it would disrupt traffic, inconvenience residents and businesses, and further congest an already packed city schedule. Smedberg also said the race violated the city’s policy to not hold events drawing more than 500 participants on consecutive weekends. The Alexandria Festival of the Arts is scheduled for the prior weekend. Poul Hertel, president of the Old Town Civic Association, agreed with Smedberg. “This race clearly violated the city’s events policy and should not have been allowed to take place,” Hertel said. Local business owners weren’t sure what to expect. Rick Baker, owner of Perk Up Coffee House on South Washington, said he was caught off guard by the announcement but didn’t know whether the event would help or hurt his business. “We’ll have to wait and see,” Baker said.
