First Bix at Six training run canceled

By Steve Batterson | Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Runners preparing for the upcoming Quad-City Times Bix 7 will have to a wait a week for their first Bix at Six training run.

A detour that will move U.S. Highway 67 traffic around the rising Mississippi River floodwaters has led to the cancellation of Thursday’s first Bix at Six event.

Fourth Street in downtown Davenport from River Drive to Brady Street typically is closed to accommodate the Bix at Six runs, but that street is part of a detour that will send traffic around temporary levees being built to keep floodwaters out of the area.

“We’re encouraging the Bix at Six participants to stay away this Thursday,’’ Cornbelt Running Club president Paul Schmidt said. “There is no place to run with River Drive traffic utilizing Fourth Street out of necessity.”

City of Davenport and race officials reached that conclusion Tuesday morning, announcing that this week’s Bix at Six had been canceled.

Schmidt said the training runs will resume on Thursdays as soon as floodwaters recede and River Drive has reopened to traffic.

“Everybody can wait a week and it will be safer then. It is out of our hands, but one week should not make that much of a difference,’’ Schmidt said. “We hope that people will respect the situation and will wait.’’