Friends saved 10K from near death in 1988Sponsor’s pullout in 1988 threatened raceIn May of 1988, Bowling Greens signature sports event was facing death. It wasnt that the Bowling Green 10K Classic was in bad shape. Heck, the event had already been declared one of the top 25 road races in the country by Runners World magazine. But when founder and race director David Mason sold his interest in the local Wendys franchise the races sponsor and moved from Bowling Green, there was no successor to take the reigns. Bowling Green businessman Rick Kelly had never ran in one of the previous eight 10Ks. Kelleys friend, Steve Thornton, had participated but knew nothing about running a race. Rick had no interest in running, but he had a great interest in the community, Thornton said. We coached a Little League baseball team together at that time, and Rick kept talking about how we needed to keep the race going. But I really didnt think we were going to do it. Much to Thorntons surprise, Kelley called a press conference that summer to announce plans for the first BG 10K Classic, a change in name from the Wendys-Daily News 10K Classic. Basically, the race was going to die, Kelley said. We kind of felt like if it didnt continue if we let it lapse a year it would never be resurrected. Said Thornton: We didnt know what we were doing. Thanks to the initiative of Kelley and Thornton and the help of hundreds of volunteers over the years, the BG 10K Classic is doing just fine thank you. The event remains one of the top road races in the country and last year became the site for the USA Track and Field Mens 10K National Championship. But Kelley, the races director, and Thornton, a member of the 10Ks board of directors, will tell you there have been more than a few glitches along the way especially in that first year. Kelley recalls having to chase down volunteers to hand out water along the course when ROTC volunteers failed to show. Thornton remembers a last-minute run to pick up winners medals, which had been left at Kelleys business Kelleys Business Systems. The glitches did lead to change in communications among the races organizers. We wear headsets now, Thornton said. Our goal is for only the people wearing headsets to know what might be going wrong. But Saturday will mark Kelleys last time wearing a headset. With the growing involvement of Prime Time Events a company that last year began handling much of the races organization Kelley said nows the time to end his 12-year stint as the races director. I dont plan on walking away from it totally, Kelley said. Im sure Ill still be involved in some degree. But the number of hours devoted to it, I need to be devoting to my family and my business. But after years of running the race, dont expect Kelley to begin running in the race any time soon. Hes still not interested in doing that, Thornton said. Jason Frakes is sports editor of the Daily News. His column runs on Fridays.