Corktown race sells out it's participants?

I've run the corktown race before the St Patricks race for more then 5 years now. I've always loved it and consider it a source of pride being a resident.

A couple years ago the race management changed and with it tons of positive changes accompanied it. The race went from 4miles to 5k, medals were introduced, shirts went from cotton to polypropalyne and finally 2 waves were introduced because the number of participants skyrocketed. But along with these changes came one alamring one.

The detroit bridge company became an 'official sponsor'.

I understand the need for corporate sponsorship. I get it when a running shop or gaetorade throws some money at a race to get some publicity. No problems, it's corporate america. It doesn't make a lot of sense because the DIBC really has no interest in running or sports but whatever. The race medaland shirt both have 'Ambassador Bridge' listed multiple times on it. No problems, I have a green sharpie.

The distubing part is a couple days later when I received my complementry issue of 'The Bridge Connection' bi-monthly newsletter in the mail. Really Corktown races? Really?

'The Bridge Connection' is littered with the same complete propaghanda they spill daily to the media. It goes on and on about how the Marouns aren't bad people and they aren't the same as their real estate company and how they love the community and are trying to make things right. The same garbage we here everytime they go to stall in court.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the bridge company is using the race as a cheap megaphone. It also takes a person who moderately follows the news to understand that the DIBC is a horrifingly unethical, devious and repugnant entity which is only concerened with itself.

At this point just remember all the garbage DIBC has done…ie stealing a park, 23^rd street, shutting down jeffereson, not building ramps for 8 years, idling trucks all throughout southwest, destroying rosa parks, suing the city council of windosor along with buying up hundreds of properites in southwest/city airport area and letting them rot.

If the corktown races really cared about corktown/southwest, why would they sellout their participants by giving their contact information to the DIBC?

Being a Corktown resident this infuriates me to no end.

Thoughts?

Have you complained to the organizers of the event? I know I would be doing so, and would consider not participating if they continued to allow Maroun to use their event to push his agenda.

Maroun's a selfish, arrogant asshat and his occasional "good deed" does nothing to mitigate the destruction and decay his actions have caused. I don't get down there frequently, but I remember the fence at Riverside and for that alone I would never wear anything that gave that jerk any publicity.