This certainly explains why the city of Joplin, Mo., announced so quickly in November that the organizer’s contract for the Mother Road Marathon wouldn’t be renewed.
Joplin filed a federal suit for an injunction against Reinke Sports Group, alleging the Florida-based organizer infringed on the Mother Road Marathon trademark, according to an article Friday in the Joplin Globe.
According to documents filed in connection with the suit, the city alleges that Reinke Sports Group and its owner, Dean Reinke, is claiming ownership of the race and seeking sponsorship for a 2011 Mother Road Marathon.
The filings state that Reinke Sports group was under contract for the event’s inagural run on Oct. 10 of this year, but a contract renewal was not extended.
The inaugural Mother Road Marathon drew 1,600 runners for the race, which started in Commerce, Okla., continued on Route 66 through Kansas, and ended on the west edge of Joplin.
The fact the city’s relationship with Reinke turned sour so quickly shouldn’t have been surprising. I uncovered several stories about other muncipalities’ dissatisfaction with Reinke, including the Purdue University suing over an alleged trademark violation.
12/28/2010 UPDATE: Both parties have been ordered into mediation in an effort to reach a settlement. The Joplin Globe reported that this is a routine action that seeks to keep the lawsuit from actually making its way to court.