Triathlon near its finish line?

Unless the Newport Beach City Council reverses a permit denial by the city manager Tuesday evening, the nearly three-decade-old Newport Beach Triathlon may have run its last lap.

The office of City Manager Homer Bludau denied the triathlon’s permit requests on March 10, claiming that race officials failed to pay fees or provide adequate traffic control at last year’s race.

Jack Caress, owner of race organizer Pacific Sports LLC, plans to confront the council Tuesday regarding what he feels has been a personal attack against him by city officials.

In its most recent permit denial letter to Caress, the city claimed Pacific Sports owes $725 in fees “for the hours city staff spent revising Pacific Sports’ incomplete traffic control plan” and has refused to pay the bill.

The city’s letter mentioned several violations, including Pacific Sports’ failure to post adequate signs marking road closures and traffic reroutes or to clean the race area after the event.

The letter also addressed reports that many volunteers who were supposed to stand on streets and direct race participants to parking areas either never showed up or left their posts early. Newport Beach Police told the city manager’s office that one group of volunteers abandoned their posts to go for breakfast at a nearby McDonald’s and never returned.

Race volunteer Carrie Parsons, head rowing coach for UC Irvine, said no one on her volunteer team witnessed any of the incident described in the document. The UCI rowing team, which received proceeds from the triathlon, provided many of the race volunteers.

“I know for a fact that no member of the rowing team would leave their post to go to McDonald’s to get breakfast. That is crazy,” Parsons wrote in an e-mail she sent to Caress. “Everyone that was out on the course had to report back to me after their station was done, and all did so.”

Parsons’ was just one of 1,000 e-mails Caress received in response to the possible demise of the race. He said hundreds of messages came from Newport residents, including many who live in and around the course, encouraging him to explore ways to continue the race.

Peter Hoyt of Costa Mesa, a participant in more than 24 triathlons including Newport’s, mentioned several alternative routes using Back Bay Road that would allow the race to operate while keeping busy streets like Jamboree undisturbed.

Hoyt, however, appreciated the city’s position.

“Logistically triathlons are a nightmare,” he said. “You have to have a place to run, a place to swim and a place to bike, all relatively close together.”

Others have made saving the event a personal mission. Newport Beach resident Robert Mortensen sent out an e-mail message beseeching race supporters to attend the council meeting Tuesday and help keep alive the longest-running triathlon in the country.

“If we are serious about supporting this important historical sporting event, and if the triathlon is to continue ? we need one of the strongest showings of attendance the City of Newport Beach Council has ever seen,” Mortensen wrote in the e-mail. “We need a whopping 200 people.”

City Manager Bludau appreciated Caress’ right to defend his case before the council, but he feels the door has already been closed on this year’s triathlon.

“We have come to the conclusion ? that due to the impacts to the community and traffic patterns, this is just not an event to approve,” Bludau said..”

He and Marie Knight will present the city’s case before the council on Tuesday.

Knight declined to comment on the situation.

Caress remains confident of his position and the backing of friends of the race.

“The tremendous support for the event from all parts of the world made us realize again how important this event is to the history of the sport and to the legacy of those who participate,” he said.