Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

"Let's have them do it in La Jolla next year...."

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon nay-sayers

Marathon route. "There was signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event."
Marathon route. "There was signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event."

“I didn’t miss church [because] I’m the choir director – so it’s essential that I get there,” said Nina Gilbert.

"Maybe we should all jog to church.”

Gilbert was one of the prepared ones for the detours and roadblocks brought about by the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon on Sunday (June 4).

The Cardenas family from City Heights was not as prepared; they missed Mass that Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in Normal Heights. “I didn’t get to see my friends that day,” said the daughter. Her friends did not make it either.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Before the marathon, Gilbert inquired with her North Park neighbors on the potential routes around the roadblocks. Meryl was quick to respond “I work for RNR (Rock ‘N’ Roll) [Marathon]; head to our website … we have access points all over, and we work closely with Waze. They know our closures and can route you around.”

Waze is an app that helps drivers by sharing traffic information inputted by the other drivers on the road in the vicinity. It also gives others advance intel on accidents, road conditions, hazards and police traps on the nearby streets.

Calvary Chapel Point Loma posted about the app a day prior to the marathon.

“I could get east on El Cajon Boulevard, but not onto the northbound 805 on ramp,” Gilbert said, “I had to go south, then [I] kept encountering more barricades and having to turn the opposite way from what my GPS was telling me to do. [I] eventually managed to loop back to the University Avenue entrance to the 805.”

The Cardenas family said that they were stuck in a standstill coming into Normal Heights and had to turn around when they realized that Mass was almost over. They said that the electronic devices didn’t change the situation if traffic was blocked anyways.

“That was the worst ever [and] the most unorganized road closure ever,” said a Normal Heights resident on the Nextdoor app, “I have a bad hip and had to walk 25 minutes to try and catch a ride to church.”

A neighbor posted on the Facebook app, “sorry, I couldn’t get to any open street from the house to the church, all because of this marathon.”

Many of the churches near the marathon-route posted warnings of traffic delays and blockages on Facebook. They posted hyperlinks to the marathon map and other solutions for church-goers. Soul Church in Little Italy posted signs on the re-routed streets that would lead to their State Street location. Mission Hills United Church of Christ postponed their worship one hour later to 11 a.m. The Resolved Church moved their ceremony from the morning to 5 p.m., because the marathon was “prohibiting access to our building.”

A member of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral forewarned her fellow parishioners “don’t forget [the] street closures tomorrow … maybe we should all jog to church.” Another member was running a little late, but said the church waited and “I was able to fulfill my service and proclaim not just my reading, but another reading because (I assumed) that lector was also delayed by traffic.”

If churchgoers weren’t aware of the many online traffic warnings, pamphlets were distributed to some of the households.

“Again, I never received a pamphlet or any closure warning,” posted one North Park resident, “this is not an event for a residential neighborhood (30,000 people)!!! Let’s have them do it in La Jolla next year and see how they like it [and] they can run up and down Soledad Mountain and really get some exercise and the scenery is better.”

That day, Gilbert made it on time to the Congregational Church of La Jolla; the deacon did not. “My only issue was with communication,” she said, “I was given lots of confident, authoritative instruction; and it didn’t work. The websites contradicted each other. There was also signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event and the phone line never returned my call, though the machine said they would.”

The Cardenas family did not get a pamphlet either and said they have no negative feelings towards the marathon.

Many didn’t attend church this Sunday because they participated in the marathon themselves. Some marathon-teams represented their San Diego churches.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Memories of bonfires amid the pits off Palm

Before it was Ocean View Hills, it was party central
Next Article

Aaron Stewart trades Christmas wonders for his first new music in 15 years

“Just because the job part was done, didn’t mean the passion had to die”
Marathon route. "There was signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event."
Marathon route. "There was signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event."

“I didn’t miss church [because] I’m the choir director – so it’s essential that I get there,” said Nina Gilbert.

"Maybe we should all jog to church.”

Gilbert was one of the prepared ones for the detours and roadblocks brought about by the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon on Sunday (June 4).

The Cardenas family from City Heights was not as prepared; they missed Mass that Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in Normal Heights. “I didn’t get to see my friends that day,” said the daughter. Her friends did not make it either.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Before the marathon, Gilbert inquired with her North Park neighbors on the potential routes around the roadblocks. Meryl was quick to respond “I work for RNR (Rock ‘N’ Roll) [Marathon]; head to our website … we have access points all over, and we work closely with Waze. They know our closures and can route you around.”

Waze is an app that helps drivers by sharing traffic information inputted by the other drivers on the road in the vicinity. It also gives others advance intel on accidents, road conditions, hazards and police traps on the nearby streets.

Calvary Chapel Point Loma posted about the app a day prior to the marathon.

“I could get east on El Cajon Boulevard, but not onto the northbound 805 on ramp,” Gilbert said, “I had to go south, then [I] kept encountering more barricades and having to turn the opposite way from what my GPS was telling me to do. [I] eventually managed to loop back to the University Avenue entrance to the 805.”

The Cardenas family said that they were stuck in a standstill coming into Normal Heights and had to turn around when they realized that Mass was almost over. They said that the electronic devices didn’t change the situation if traffic was blocked anyways.

“That was the worst ever [and] the most unorganized road closure ever,” said a Normal Heights resident on the Nextdoor app, “I have a bad hip and had to walk 25 minutes to try and catch a ride to church.”

A neighbor posted on the Facebook app, “sorry, I couldn’t get to any open street from the house to the church, all because of this marathon.”

Many of the churches near the marathon-route posted warnings of traffic delays and blockages on Facebook. They posted hyperlinks to the marathon map and other solutions for church-goers. Soul Church in Little Italy posted signs on the re-routed streets that would lead to their State Street location. Mission Hills United Church of Christ postponed their worship one hour later to 11 a.m. The Resolved Church moved their ceremony from the morning to 5 p.m., because the marathon was “prohibiting access to our building.”

A member of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral forewarned her fellow parishioners “don’t forget [the] street closures tomorrow … maybe we should all jog to church.” Another member was running a little late, but said the church waited and “I was able to fulfill my service and proclaim not just my reading, but another reading because (I assumed) that lector was also delayed by traffic.”

If churchgoers weren’t aware of the many online traffic warnings, pamphlets were distributed to some of the households.

“Again, I never received a pamphlet or any closure warning,” posted one North Park resident, “this is not an event for a residential neighborhood (30,000 people)!!! Let’s have them do it in La Jolla next year and see how they like it [and] they can run up and down Soledad Mountain and really get some exercise and the scenery is better.”

That day, Gilbert made it on time to the Congregational Church of La Jolla; the deacon did not. “My only issue was with communication,” she said, “I was given lots of confident, authoritative instruction; and it didn’t work. The websites contradicted each other. There was also signage posted in advance that was removed a few days before the event and the phone line never returned my call, though the machine said they would.”

The Cardenas family did not get a pamphlet either and said they have no negative feelings towards the marathon.

Many didn’t attend church this Sunday because they participated in the marathon themselves. Some marathon-teams represented their San Diego churches.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Bringing Order to the Christmas Chaos

There is a sense of grandeur in Messiah that period performance mavens miss.
Next Article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader