Race organizers to give up Purdue name

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - A lawsuit Purdue filed last October against Dean Reinke and his firm, Reinke Sports Group, has been settled, according to a Purdue News Release.

The settlement comes after months of controvery surrounding the name "Home of Purdue Half Marathon," as Reinke Sports Group referred to a race held last October.

The event was originally scheduled to take place near Purdue University, but after conflicts with the university and the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette, organizers shifted the race to Flora, in Carroll County. Organizers continued to refer to the event as the Home of Purdue Half Marathon, in spite of the location change.

Reinke Sports Group has now given up rights to that name to Purdue University and have agreed not to undertake any athletic promotions in Tippecanoe County for the next three years, according to the university.

Teri Lucie Thompson, the university's vice president for marketing and media, stated in a press release that the decision to file the lawsuit last October 1 was not made lightly.

"Purdue filed this lawsuit reluctantly. The race organizers ignored requests to stop promoting their race as a Purdue event. All along, our only goal is that only a truly homegrown, Purdue-sponsored event should bear the Purdue name. We are confident that the community's concerns have been properly addressed, and we look forward to working with our community partners on future events," stated Thompson.