Approximately four years ago, one of this nation's most significant sporting events was conceived during lunch in Dinkytown on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Billed as a showdown between former college track athlete turned athletic communications staffer with little to no life skills Shane Sandersfeld and former very mediocre high school track athlete turned athletic communications staffer with grandiose opinions of his athletic abilities Kevin Kurtt, the event came to be known as the Race of the Decade. Then the Race of the Century. Then the Race of the Millenium. Then Just Run & Be Done.
That race was never run. Here's a brief history of The Race...
Race of the Decade
- Originally set for May 18, 2004
- Came about when Sandersfeld claimed he could beat anybody in the office in any race over any distance
- Kurtt called him out on his claim
- Race distance was set at 400 meters - a distance both Sandersfeld and Kurtt ran in high school
- John Miller Enterprises signs on as chief promoter of Race of the Decade
- Victory Sports agrees to broadcast Race of the Decade...tape-delayed
- Race of the Decade PR Director Jeff Keiser creates and distributes promotional materials to BFAB staff
- Hype reaches an apex a few days before the race
- A survey is conducted in the office to determine who will win, based on a number of factors (weather, cardiovascular strength, experience, girlfriend, etc.)
- Sandersfeld is installed as the pre-race favorite by a small margin
- Then-Gopher running back Laurence Maroney backs Sandersfeld as his favorite
- The day before the race, Kurtt decides to test his fitness by running a 400 around the Edina Community Center track
- Kurtt runs a decent time, but comes up lame the next morning with a pulled calf muscle
- Controversy ensues when the race is postponed due to injury
- Sandersfeld claims Kurtt is faking it
- Maroney calls Kurtt a quitter
- John Miller Enterprises pulls out of The Race of the Decade, never to return
- Victory Sports remains steadfast in their dedication to broadcast the event
- A year goes by
Race of the Century
- Originally set for May 18, 2005
- Keiser, in conjunction with Nick Joos Studios, revives the race, renaming it the Race of the Century
- Despite not in existence any more, Victory Sports stays committed to televising the event
- Keiser re-creates promotional materials for the race
- Marc Ryan signed as official timer for the race
- A new survey is conducted in the office to determine who will win - Kurtt is the runaway winner of the survey as voters cited Sandersfeld's poor eating habits and overall lack of quality life skills
- For some reason, May 18, 2005, comes and goes with no race
- Every so often during the summer, the race gets brought up, but fails to materialize into anything
- Idea of a race between Sandersfeld and Kurtt fades away
- Early 2006, Sandersfeld breaks neck
Race of the Millenium
- Despite broken neck, Sandersfeld wants to revive the race upon his return to the office
- More controversy ensues as staffers debate whether or not Sandersfeld running is a good thing given his condition
- Sandersfeld puts the race ahead of his well-being, saying he wants to run just to put the event in the past
- Kurtt wants no part of the race, telling Sandersfeld, "I will not be a part of your death"
- Risk of death, or at the very least paralysis, results in the presumably permanent cancellation of the race
Just Run & Be Done
- Keiser, in conjunction with Mahdi Marketing & Promotions, revives the race, renaming it Just Run & Be Done
- In favor of running, Sandersfeld continues to put the race ahead of his life
- Kurtt mulls it over, still not wanting to be a part of Sandersfeld's death
- Big Ten Network, in an effort to fill the massive holes in its broadcast schedule between actual present-day sporting events, signs on as the official television partner of the race
- Former U of M employee and current BTN staffer Kyle Coughlin named sole talent for broadcast
- Kurtt agrees to race, knowing full well it's never going to happen
No comments:
Post a Comment