San Diego Walks, Runs, & Cycling Events Attempt To Make A Post-Covid Return

With everything that's being allowed to reopen in San Diego now that COVID-19 restrictions are loosening, there's still one industry that is fighting to return: endurance sports.

"It's been tough to get by for endurance event planning," Jamie Monroe told NBC7.

Monroe runs Easy Day Sports in Coronado. Typically, they organize 15 annual running events which include the Carlsbad 5k, the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Half Marathon, and the Crown City Classic in Coronado every Fourth of July.

Currently, outdoor endurance events are still prohibited in the state's reopening guidelines.

"At some point, someone's going to go, 'Oh, the event industry is getting overlooked here, there has to be a way we can safely do this -- that will engage the community and get everything back to normal,’ ” said Monroe.

The nearly 8,000 endurance events that take place every year in California generate over $1 billion in tourism and economic activity, reports NBC7.

The events also generate over $70 million in charitable contributions.

"Every weekend in Mission Bay, you have the 500 person 5K, where everyone donated $50 so that a specific charity can have its budget for the next quarter or the next year, and all of those have been canceled,” said Monroe.

The California Endurance Sports Coalition has started a petition to get the attention of state leaders.

“In fact, 42 other states are allowing and permitting live events like triathlons and half marathons," said coalition member, Dan Cruz. "A race director from California organized a half marathon in Lake Havasu, Arizona, last week."

Cruz said the coalition has also met with state legislators and filed a report with Governor Newsom's office.

You can find the petition here.

Photo: Getty Images