Running News Daily

After 35 years, the Louisville Triple Crown of Running race series has been cancelled

The series consists of the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic, the Rodes City Run 10K and the Papa John's 10 Miler.

The Triple Crown Race Committee decided to discontinue the series because of a steady decline in participation and sponsorship dollars amid rising operating costs, according to a news release. The committee worked with people and organizations to try to address these challenges before the 2020 season but was unable to reach a solution. The 2019 edition has already taken place.

The series benefited the WHAS Crusade for Children, and it has contributed more than $2 million to local charities.

Nearly 20,000 runners participated in at least one of the three races each year, and nearly 4,000 runners completed the annual series, according to the LTCOR website.

Aimee Boyd, vice president of communications for the Kentucky Derby Festival, said in an email: “The miniMarathon was part of the Triple Crown of Running in the early years. We appreciated the partnership and know it’s become a staple in Louisville. We hate to see that it’s going away. Because the running community is so supportive of the Derby Festival, we’d be open to conversations about creating a running series that feeds into the mini and Marathon.”