This past weekend I participated in two half-marathon road races — one here in Bristol on Saturday, and one in Fairfield, Conn., on Sunday. While both races had some similarities, they also had some stark differences, which highlighted the different philosophies of the two towns’ political leaders and decision makers.

In regard to the similarities, they both featured early morning starts on 13.1 mile courses in pretty seaside towns, and both had great organization from highly respected and experienced road race management companies.

After those similarities, the differences were numerous, with the first being the Bristol race. It had approximately 800 participants, while the Fairfield race had approximately 3,000 participants.

The second, and most notable difference, was the overall atmosphere at the two races. At the Fairfield race, flatbed trailer trucks arrived well before daybreak, and started unloading speakers and amplifiers that were as large as compact cars, and required the use of forklifts to move into place. By 6 a.m., the speakers were turned on, with music and race announcements so loud that you actually felt their vibrations if you walked within 20 feet of them. Between the speakers and the arrival of 3,000 runners and thousands more spectators, the starting area resembled a rock concert or festival more than a road race, and keep in mind, this start/finish area was in a very densely populated residential neighborhood that was much more crowded than any residential areas of Bristol.

Once the Fairfield race started, runners on the course were treated to thousands of loud and cheering spectators and live bands with amplified music spaced out every two miles — once again in very densely populated neighborhoods. It seemed once I was just out of hearing distance of one band, I was already beginning to hear the next band.

Once back at the finish line, runners and spectators were treated to the same amplified announcements and music that they enjoyed at the start, with the only difference being the addition of a five-piece rock band, which played well into the afternoon.

Contrast that race with the Bristol race on Saturday, which per order of the Bristol Town Council, had no pre-race announcements or music, and resembled a funeral much more than it resembled a road race. For the second year in a row, our town council, in their infinite wisdom, decided that for one morning out of the year pre-race announcements and music are disturbing to the nearby residents and they turned the race into a morgue-like atmosphere rather than a healthy and family friendly fun event.

And they instituted these restrictions while allowing parades, nightly concerts, and loud backyard fireworks all over town well past midnight from Memorial Day to Labor Day (all which I enjoy, by the way). If that's not the epitome of hypocrisy, I don't know what is.

So thank you town leaders in Fairfield, Conn., for using common sense and good judgement in not putting onerous and ridiculous restrictions on your half-marathon festivities, and shame on the Bristol Town Council for ruining what was otherwise a great event. And for this lifelong town resident and voter, next year's town council election can't come soon enough, so myself and other voters can express our feelings for the foolish decisions of our town council where it hurts them the most — at the ballot box.

Mike Proto
Bristol