Published: November 26, 2008 10:38 pm            

NCAA Cross Country Championship boosts TH economy

Running events leaving impression on Valley businesses — especially hotel industry

TERRE HAUTE — Cross country running and championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course have become a big economic engine for Terre Haute.

The city first hosted the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships in 2002, then again each year since 2004. The city also is slated to host the championships in 2009 on the course at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center, 599 S. Tabortown St.

In addition, next year, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology for the second time will host the Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 13-14. “To host two national championships, that is pretty special for a community,” said David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The impact of cross country is especially felt in the hotel industry.

This year, there are 1,903 hotel rooms in Terre Haute, up from 1,654 in 2002. Room rates average $100 to $105, up from about $80 per night in 2002.

“By the time you add in extra purchases like gas, food and purchases at stores, it is a huge economic factor in our community. The hotel industry in Terre Haute is a $30-million industry. Last year, 5 percent of that gross total net $1.4 million. That is what the [county] innkeepers tax generated last year from 20 hotels,” Patterson said.

The number of hotels includes the Candlewood Suites, which has been open about a month in downtown Terre Haute. However, it was not included in the $1.4 million total, Patterson said. Springhill Suites and Hilton Garden Inn, both of which opened last year, are included in the financial figures, he said.

The Hilton Garden Inn, with 109 rooms, was sold out on Sunday, and had an 85-percent occupancy rate on Saturday, said Mindy Cheatham, director of catering. The Candlewood Suites, currently with 81 rooms, was 70-percent occupied on Sunday and 60-percent Saturday.

“We’re really happy with that for being open less than a month,” Cheatham said of the Candlewood Suites. “The race was a good impact and it brings business downtown.”

Cheatham said the Hilton’s restaurant was very busy at breakfast. “It was a good fit for the teams,” she said. “The athletes are very focused when they are here, and noise is never an issue. What I heard from the teams, the athletes absolutely love the cross country course. I heard that a lot,” Cheatham said.

Boo Lloyd, owner of Crossroads Cafe and the Corner Grind coffee shop, both at the intersection of Seventh Street and Wabash Avenue, said this marked the first year both downtown hotels were open during the championships. Because of that, Lloyd opened her businesses on Sunday, as did Jeshua Campbell, owner of Jeshua’s, an Italian eatery. Lloyd was open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Jeshua’s remained open until 8 p.m.

“It was so great that the event was held in Terre Haute and will be again next year. It is one of the big pluses for Terre Haute,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said the cafeteria and coffee shop both “were hopping” over the weekend. “It was absolutely fabulous,” she said. “It was really, really great dollars for us,” she said, estimating a 35- to 40-percent increase, “which right now is great.”

“It goes to show that when the [downtown] hotels are busy, they bring us business. My employees got an extra day of work,” Lloyd said.

“We even had the head coach of Boston College who came in [Monday] after the meet and thanked us for being open. It was cool,” she said. “He said his students just loved hanging out here with the free Wi-Fi.

“I saw something that I thought was really cool, which was students from Arizona, Oregon, and Syracuse and Stanford all hanging out drinking coffee talking about their training, their schools and their majors. It was really neat. It didn’t matter if you were a top runner or the slowest runner, they all treated everyone equally,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd also supplied food to a network taping the cross country championships. Lloyd said she would like to see Terre Haute become a permanent site for the NCAA Division I cross country championships.

Patterson said the Convention and Visitors Bureau has a bid in for the 2010 NCAA Division I Cross Country championships. In addition, a bid will be made for the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic National in 2010, he said.

“That will be the largest athletic event that Terre Haute has ever hosted. It is 5,000 runners ages 5 to 18 over the course of three days. In effect, it is a five-day event. We are bidding against Kenosha, Wis., and Huntsville, Ala.,” Patterson said. “We hope in terms of cross country course and meet, we hope that wins out and we certainly have the best of that.”

Next year, the LaVern Gibson course will host a Division III Great Lakes Regional with up to 44 cross country teams, Patterson said. An invitational meet also will be held to prepare for that regional.

Patterson said over the course of the cross country season, with high school championships, NCAA championships and Indiana State University events, 25,000 people came to Terre Haute.

“That is direct economic impact. Then there is the indirect impact, so cross country is a substantial contributor to the economy in Terre Haute. It has become that big,” he said, adding it also requires coordinating with teams for rooms in Greencastle, Plainfield and near the Indianapolis airport.

“Beyond the financial impact, you have people carrying away the best thoughts about our community and a great setting,” Patterson said, adding that last weekend’s cross country championships was taped for national broadcast. “That is a huge plus for our community.”

Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.

        

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