Michigan Runner, May / June 2010 by Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc.

Glenda Card, Oak Park, Michigan, qualifies for Boston

In This Issue May / June 2010

Vol. 32, No. 2

Calendar May - August 2010

p. 30

Marathon Calendar

p. 28

Features & Departments Editor’s Notes: Blow Up By Scott Sullivan

p. 4

Running Canada from Coast to Coast By Art McCafferty

p. 6

Beyond the Chip: Mix It UP By Desiree Davila

p. 10

Barefoot-Running Movement Gaining Ground By Ron Marinucci

p. 12

Book Review: Tarahumara Tale Entices and Entertains By Dave Foley

p. 13

Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard

p. 14

Notes on the Run: 101 Reasons I Run, Part 1 By Daniel G. Kelsey

p. 15

Record High School Run Fills Soul By Rachael Steil

p. 16

Should All Courses Be Certified? An Exchange

p. 18

Michigan Runner Race Series

p. 19

Running with Tom Henderson

p. 56

At the Races Shillalegh Stars Come Back in Rain to Win By Charles Douglas McEwen

p. 8

Prep Athletes Set New Records Photos by Pete Draugalis

p. 9

Doha Hosts Thrilling World Indoor Meet By Gary Morgan

p. 11

Veteran Survives Teen at Roney Run By Charles Douglas McEwen

p. 17

Climbers, Proceeds Soar at ALA Fight for Air By Charles Douglas McEwen

p. 20

GR Runners Step Up for Challenge, Air By Grant Lofdahl

p. 20

Locals Lead Field at C-Ville Chill By Grant Lofdahl

p. 21

Town Crier Makes ‘Cruel’ Cool By Scott Sullivan

p. 22

KC Ridge Run, Minus Sauerkraut, Rambles On By Daniel G. Kelsey

p. 24

Photos: Horizon League Championships, St. Patrick’s Day Races, Bay City, Nike Indoor Nationals

p. 25

Corktown Boasts New Course, Record Crowds By Charles Douglas McEwen

p. 26

Martian Invasion of Races Photos by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

p. 27

NCAA DI Indoor National T & F Championships Photos by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Glenda Card of Oak Park, Michigan finishes the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a Boston Marathon qualifying time, September 27, 2009. Photo courtesy Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

p. 58

Editor’s Notes Blow Up © C. Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

By Scott Sullivan

lanis Mori ssette was wrong when she sang that “everything blows up in your face.” Things blow up in a lot of places. Like my left knee.

Picture, at age 55, playing basketball with kids half your age. Picture, as you jump, realizing men half your age are not “kids” nor has gravity been your friend lately ... It’s been crutches since then. I curse kissing goodbye to spring running while knowing I should have known better. Now I sit, growing fatter than former basketball star Charles Barkley, watching others play while I mull my next career. Not playing basketball — that one never got off the ground — but after magazines. My late father-in-law, a journalist, counseled my wife-to-be not to be one. “Print magazines are dinosaurs,” he said 30 years ago. At last this is sinking in for me. So is the knowledge I’m better fit to do something else (as those who have read this far will agree).

cartoonist. Most of her characters are catpeople who wear scarves and stroll through panels towards resolutions. What is it with women and character development? Guys don’t have time for it. Three panels and annihilation: now that’s a strip. At least she, unlike me, can draw. I became a photographer, inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 movie “BlowUp.” In it, a London fashion photographer, making enlargements (or “blow-ups”) of pictures, finds clues of a murder. “Blow-Up” was shot during dinosaur days of film, but murder is evergreen as a story line. Today we would blow up pixels, the smallest units of digital pictures, much as scientists did with atoms when I was young, to investigate. People connect the same dots a million ways; when we pull them apart, only one thing happens ... ***

ou wait on x-ray and MRI results, Godot and your next appointment. When your doctor says you have fractured your lateral tibia plateau, you think, “Is there no end of things I have never heard about I can fracture?” When he says, “Stay on crutches four weeks, maybe then start swimming, but don’t run for three months,” you think, “Impossible. How will I learn all my body parts if I don’t exercise till I break them?” ***

Since everyone is looking for second careers as IT professionals, I planned to become a pro Macarena dancer — a lesscompetitive market — before blowing up my knee. How about cartoonist? In sixth grade I made up a strip called “Hal.” Panels One and Two always set up a story, Hal pushed a dynamite plunger in Three and Four always showed everything exploding.

I expect to have no need for knees in my next career. No magazines, plungers, cameras or other dinosaurs born to be wild en route to extinction.

I valued consistency as a boy. Now I count on nothing. Working for magazines? Tenuous. Knee that works? Gone. An IT career? What is IT? Where’s my plunger?

Morissette’s song “Ironic” ends, “Life has a funny way of helping you out” — a preposition dangled so it could mean “Life has a funny way of helping you” or “helping you out” of something.

My daughter Flannery, 10, aspires to be a 4

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

f calamity is inevitable, why wait? I say pursue it! Write while you can, play basketball, run, draw cartoons, do the Macarena ...

Like life itself. MR

Photo by Jennie McCafferty

Running Canada from Coast to Coast

The Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia serves as Royal Victoria Marathon race headquarters. By Art McCafferty

love Canada. My family originated from New Brunswick, my father came to Michigan at age 16, his father followed and then the rest of the McCafferties arrived and settled in Detroit. I came here in 1940.

I took a great father-and-son trip to visit Dad’s birthplace in New Brunswick when I was 15. I was so impacted by the people and places I saw that I felt a need to revisit the country whenever I had the opportunity. Since then I’ve returned to run the Montreal and Toronto marathons, skied Banff, Searchmont, Blue Mountain and Mont-Sainte-Anne. Of late, I have reported and recorded running events in 6

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Victoria, Edmonton, Niagara, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Last February our company, Great Lakes Sports Publications, reported on the Winter Olympics from Vancouver. Thousands of Michigan runners enjoyed great Canadian races earlier in this decade. The impact of 9/11 on border crossings and strengthened Canadian currency have slowed traffic somewhat lately. But it is still worth the effort to visit Canada, participate in its running events and soak in its culture. The following races are ones we have covered or run and especially recommend. We’ve provided Web sites and links to videos we have taken, to give you a flavor of their locales and festive spirits.

Around the Bay 30K, Hamilton, Ontario (Last week in March) Web: www.aroundthebayroadrace.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2007/around the bay/ North America’s oldest road race was originally sponsored by The Hamilton Herald newspaper and cigar store owner “Billy” Carroll. It was first run on Christmas Day 1894 and continues to attract many storied runners. The course around Hamilton is a delight; however, the fickleness of late-March temperatures and winds coming off Lake Ontario can present cold challenges. It has sold out

for the last four years, so make reservations early for 2011.

There are a ton of things to see and do in the nation’s capital, including government buildings, embassies and museums. Ottawa is a great place to run in, too.

Forest City Road Races, London, Ontario (May 2) Web: www.forestcityroadraces.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2006forestcity/ Forest City Road Races begins its 28th year sans its marathon. It experienced a record turnout in 2009, with 2,474 runners registering in its different races. The 2010 event takes place a week earlier than usual and will consist of a half marathon, 10K, 5K and 1K fun run. London is a beautiful city with great parks and a scenic course. You will enjoy your run and visit there.

Mississauga Marathon, Mississauga, Ontario (May 15-16) Web: www.mississaugamarathon.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2008mississauga/ This recent upstart has found an eager following. Mississauga, adjacent to Toronto, is Canada’s sixth-largest and fastest-growing major city, with a 729,000 population representing cultures from around the world. The city is also a corporate capital, with close to 55,000 registered businesses of 425 or more employees and 61 Fortune 500 Canadian or major divisional head offices.

Edmonton Marathon, Edmonton, Alberta (Aug. 21-22) Web: canadianderbymarathon.ca Video: michiganrunner.tv/2006ingedomonton/ The Edmonton Marathon has a new sponsor, Intact Insurance, and new course this year. The start/finish is now at Northlands Park racetrack, with plenty of indoor washrooms and change areas. The expo, registration and bag-check areas will be indoors in the multi-million-dollar racetrack grandstand. Plenty of free parking, a free family fun zone and food services will also be available on race weekend. The event also offers a half marathon, marathon relays, shorter distances and a Running Room Friendship Run the day before. Running Room founder John Stanton started this run in his hometown nearly a decade ago. The out-and-back course takes you through the heart of the city by following the North Saskatchewan River valley. It showcases the beauty of this great town.

Marathon Oasis de Montreal, Montreal (Sept. 5) Web: www.marathondemontreal.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2009montreal/ The race starts on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, drops for a couple kilometers at the Ile Ste. Helene, then heads into the city to finish in Stade Olympique. For those of you who love running bridges, this ranks right up there with the Verrazano-Narrows start in the New York City Marathon. Montreal is an international city set on the St. Lawrence River. Its old town is great to knock around in, there is much to see by the waterfront, shopping is A-1 and the people are charming. We look forward to again covering this spectacular race this year.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Toronto (Sept. 26) Web: www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com Video: www.torontowaterfrontmarathon. com/en/videos.htm. Last year Kenneth Mungara ran the fastest-ever marathon on Canadian soil (2:08:32) and Amane Gobena set a new women’s course record (2:28:31). The almost 20,000 participants raised $2.3 million for 99 local charities; all were records too.

Mississauga is a point-topoint course starting at city hall and ending in one of the city’s great parks. Runners go from skyscrapers to parks and then run along Lake Ontario. The event is well run and continues growing.

Ottawa Race Weekend, Ottawa, Ontario

This is the biggie in Canadian road races. Last year’s 35th anniversary saw new records for attendance, times and fundraising, as more than 36,000 participants lined up to run in one the seven races. The half marathon was largest at just over 10,400 entrants, with the 10K close behind it.

Photo by Jennie McCafferty

(May 29-30) Web: www.ncm.ca Video: michiganrunner.tv/2006ingottawa/

Among Montreal’s many attractions is Vieux Montreal, the old city. Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Scotiabank and race director Alan Brookes provide a first-rate event involving most of the city and giving back millions to charities that support it. Last year Joan Benoit Samuelson helped celebrate their 20th anniversary. This race draws more Michigan runners than any throughout the land.

The course introduces runners to this historic city, then heads out to run through the suburbs and alongside the Straits. It is memorable in every way.

Brookes again promises a “flat, fast and festive” course through Canada’s largest city.

Marathon, Toronto

Royal Victoria Marathon, Victoria, British Columbia (Oct. 10) Web: royalvictoriamarathon.com Video: glsp.com/2009rvm/ We were on hand last year to capture the excitement of the 30th running of this race, which ranks No. 1 in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers. Victoria, south of Vancouver and northwest of Seattle, rarely sees snow as its weather is tempered by the Straits of Georgia and Pacific Ocean. It is at the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island and can be accessed by ferry from both nearby cities as well by a small-but-efficient airport.

GoodLife Toronto (Oct. 17) Web: www.torontomarathon.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2008toronto/ The Toronto Marathon will be run for the 33rd time this year. While the course has changed from time to time, it remains the mostly flat-and-fast one on which I set my 3:26-and-change personal record many years and a few pounds ago. It is one of four North American races selected by Runner’s World magazine for special coverage in 2010. Toronto is one of the top five cities in the Western Hemisphere, so try to stay over a day or two to check it out.

Niagara Falls International Marathon, Niagara Falls, Ontario (Oct. 24) Web: www.niagarafallsmarathon.com Video: michiganrunner.tv/2008niagara/ This favorite, which began in 1974 as the Skylon Marathon, was and still is the only marathon in the world that starts in one country and finishes in another. Portions of the course were used by the U.S. twice for Olympic Marathon Trials. It continues to grow under race director Jim Ralston’s steady hand. Outside of running up and over the Peace Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, the course is flat and fast. It features the greatest finish line in the world alongside the falls.

here you have it: a tour of Canadian running events, accompanied by videos sharing their energy and beauty. We recommend every one. Michigan Runner publisher and CEO Art McCafferty helped found the magazine 32 years ago. MR

Shillelagh Four Mile Run, Flushing

Shillelagh Stars Come Back in Rain to Win

By Charles Douglas McEwen

FLUSHING (3/13/10) — College students Timothy Cassady and Sarah Drevon engineered come-from-behind triumphs in a cold, steady rain at the Shillelagh Four-Mile Run, which had a new course this year. Cassady, an Oakland University sophomore, fell behind Brandon Johnson, 25, of Owosso during the first two miles. “He had a good 20-second lead at one point,” said Cassady. “I started surging during the second mile and crept closer to him.” He caught Johnson after the three-mile mark. “I tried to push myself to stay with him at that point,” Johnson said. “We were side-by-side for the last mile, then he outkicked me at the end.” Cassady finished in 21:19, Johnson in 21:20. Next came Jason Jaloszynski, 32, of Clio (22:25) and Benjamin Sievert, 16, of Frankenmuth (22:54). Winston Stoody, 49, of Fenton was the masters winner in 23:26. Cassady enjoyed having competition from Johnson.“He gave me incentive to chase 8

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

him down. I had fun going after him,” said the winner, a Flushing High School graduate who had an edge knowing the course better than his rival. “I liked the course a lot,” he continued. “It had some hills but not many turns, which is good because it allows you to open up your stride.” Johnson was happy with his own performance. “It’s my first time running a fourmile,” he said. “So my time’s a PR, I guess.” Drevon, a freshman at Grand Valley State University, was surprised by her win in the women’s race. “I’m just coming off a hip injury, so I started slow,” she said. “My first mile was like 7:20. I usually start out my 5Ks in 6:05.” Drevon passed a few women over the first couple miles, then began focusing on Jennifer Tiemann, 34, of Linden, who was in second at the time. “She passed me at the three-mile mark,” said Tiemann. “I was ‘hitting the wall’ so she went right by me. She passed the lead girl

pretty quickly too.” Drevon stormed to the finish line in 26:48 — far ahead of runner-up Kristin Kachnowski, 39, of Wixom (27:51). Tiemann finished third in 28:02. Masters queen Renee Champagne, 40, of Milford was fourth overall in 28:36. Runners received carnations at the finish line. And the Shillelagh run had plenty of Irish spirit. “It’s fun to see everyone wearing green,” Tiemann said. “I was surprised at how many people came out to run in the pouring rain.” The event, coordinated by Riverbend Striders, had 658 participants: about 30 more than last year. The Shillelagh Four-Mile Walk was won by Rick Huber, 53, of Montrose (39:21) and Lynette Heinlein, 53, of Vassar (40:24). Fun also included a 1/4-mile Leprechaun Lope for kids. For complete results, go to www.gaultracemanagement.com. MR

MITS Championships, Bob Parks Track-Eastern Michigan, Ypsilanti, February 27, 2010

Prep Athletes Set a New State Record and a Bunch of New Meet Records at Michigan Indoor Track Series Championships Photos by Pete Draugalis

Soul Train, distance medley relay 12:04.12, new meet record

Reed Kamszek, 3200m, 9:05.59, new meet record

Bridgette Owens-Mitchell, 60 meter hurdles, 8:35, new state record

Hannah Meier, 1600m, 4:56.34, new meet record

Kendall Baisden, 200m, 24.14, new meet record

Sarah Birkmeier, pole vault, 12-06, new meet record

Nick Kaiser, 800m, 1:53.38, new meet record

Megan Goethals, 3200m, 10:26.98, new meet record

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Beyond the Chip

Mix It Up

By Desiree Davila

risks. Or maybe I just subconsciously wanted to avoid running outside all winter and masked it as a chance to work on speed. Whatever the reasons, my marathon mind and legs decided to make a drastic change and try out some 3000-meter indoor track races.

verything seemed in a haze. I rubbed my eyes; it wasn’t tired eyes, but a fine sandy dust filling the sky.

Four of us — Sara Hall, Anna WillardPierce, Erin Donohue and I — began running the 3-mile, track-surfaced path that followed the perimeter of the Aspire sports facility, sharing friendly conversation. I checked my watch: Saturday, March 6, close to 85 degrees this morning. It didn’t take long to work up a sweat, something I wasn’t used to at this time of year training back in Michigan.

Then it was back to Michigan for a string of indoor speed workouts, a quick trip to Florida to get on an outdoor track and move fast, and finally, off to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Indoor Nationals. After a fourth-place finish at Nationals, my shot at making the World team seemed over as the U.S. would only take its top two. About 28 hours later, I got the call to pack my bags yet again; the athletes in front of me had decided not to go to Qatar. I would be leaving for Doha in three days. Something else went on all the while: me adjusting physically to the foreign and untapped regimen of running repeat 400s, 800s and 1600s — all fast. There was a shift in my race mentality; I was learning to abandon the patient and relaxed approach of the marathon. I was getting ready to roll from the the gun, all out, for what seemed to me like a sprint.

Photo by Gary Morgan

I rubbed my eyes again, but the haze still lingered in the air as the Middle East sand began to stick to my skin. Our little group — the others mid-distance track specialists, me a marathoner — worked through an easy 6miler, a nice shakeout leading up to the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. “What the hell am I doing here?” I wondered.

direction towards what still seemed to me a long shot.

This winter I decided to try something different. I believe it’s important to mix things up in training, and for me that means working on speed and strength. This training segment was about getting my legs turning over and trying to build speed. At the start of my winter segment it seemed like a fun, fresh idea — a good way to get in aggressive racing and take some

Kevin Hanson and Desi Davila in Doha, Qatar for the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Winter became a whirlwind leading all the way up to the World Championships. First, a quick race in Boston, where I snagged my time standard. It was a step in the right

Three months earlier, the idea of making a World Indoor Championship team seemed impossible. Yet here I stood on the line of the 3000 finals among the world’s best. Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar waited off to the right of me and Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot on the left. The packed stadium roared so loud I could not hear the starter’s gun; the only sign that the race had begun was that start of the timing clock. It was one of the greatest racing experiences of my life. Mention running 3Ks to marathoners and most will scoff. I would have done so too prior to this winter. We tend to stay in our own little bubbles, with our heads down and sticking to the same routines.

Photo by Gary Morgan

From time to time, we all need to drag ourselves off of the beaten path and mix things up. It doesn’t have to be the most drastic thing in the world — start small, try a different loop, invite a new running partner to the group, or even ditch the headphones for a day and just listen to ourselves think for a full run. You just might surprise yourself and find a new talent, experience something you didn’t think possible, or learn something about yourself that you never knew.

Desiree Davila (3rd from left) races to a 10th place finish in the IAAF World Indoor Championships 3000 meter run, Aspire Zone stadium, Doha, Qatar. 10

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Team Hansons-Brooks runner Desiree Davila placed 10th in the World Indoor Championship finals on March 13.

IAAF World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar

Doha Hosts Thrilling World Indoor Meet By Gary Morgan

I was an event manager for USA Track & Field, a job I had never done before. Nobody knew quite what to expect on this trip, but we’d heard that Doha was a modern city accepting of westerners even though it was an Islamic nation. So let the adventure begin.

Photo courtesy of Gary Morgan

I knew going to Doha, Qatar, for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March was going to be different. It was my first time in the Middle East, so that made it an interesting destination.

coaches and trainers worked with the athletes every day, among them Bob Larson, Terrance Mahon, Andrew Valmon, Ramona Pagel and Gwen Wentland (former Grand Blanc High School high-jump star). The U.S. team boasted superstars such as Bernard Lagat, Christian Cantwell, Terrence Tramell and others.

Gary Morgan went for a desert dune ride and rode a camel.

I flew there a few days early with the USATF staff to check out our accommodations. The Doha organizing committee accommodated everything we asked for. The indoor arena where the meet was held had a track, swimming pool, weight rooms and basketball courts. It was called the Aspire Zone; “Aspire Today, Inspire Tomorrow” was its motto. The outdoor facilities were just as great: practice track, running trails with mondo surface, soccer fields, park with water fountains, plus a soccer stadium ringed by a track used for the 2006 Asian Games. It even had a 500foot-high torch.

All the athletes trained outside until the day before the meet started; that’s when they let them run on the indoor track. The weather was perfect in the mornings and late afternoons to train outside: sunny and 75 degrees. Only at mid-day did it get really hot.

The three-day meet finally got underway with qualifying rounds March 12. Hopes were high and everyone was excited. Desiree Davila of Michigan’s Team Hansons-Brooks furnished one of the big surprises, qualifying for the 3000-meter finals in 8:51.08, a ninesecond PR for her. Saturday’s first round of finals saw a huge Ethiopian crowd on hand to cheer on their land’s great runners. Desi gave her all in the 3000 but was a bit tired from yesterday’s race and finished a few seconds slower. America’s Lolo Jones won the 60-meter hurdles, a big return for her after a few years of disappointments. Cantwell won the shot put. Lagat and the U.S. men’s 4x400 relay team won their heats to qualify for their finals Sunday. It was all finals Sunday. The U.S. team really poured it on as Debbie Dunn won the women’s 400, Lagat wins the men’s 3000 and both men’s and women’s teams win their 4x400 relays. When the dust had settled, Team USA topped the medals count with 17. The meet’s last medals were awarded during a big banquet at a Gulf resort.

Photo by Victah Sailer / photorun.net

We had lunch at an old market called the Souk, where merchants sold everything from souvenirs to housewares to outdoor café

The rest of the team came a week before competition started. That’s when the excitement started. I headed to the outdoor track early every day to made sure there was lots of water, Gatorade and whatever else our athletes needed for daily training.

A great mix of USATF coaches, personal

To top it off, there was a beautiful mall on the grounds to shop at. Everything in one spot. Every athlete’s dream. A tour of the Persian Gulf city showed modern buildings going up everywhere; Doha is becoming the next Dubai. There was a park with a four-mile running-walking trail, lined with palms and flowers, all along the water. I had to run early because temperatures rose into the 90’s most days.

items. It was a mix of tourists and locals, all in on spot.

They let me take one morning off, so I went for a desert dune ride and rode a camel. Then the driver took us all over the dunes: a blast. We stopped at a place called the Inland Sea, where I waded in water, picked up seashells and could see Saudi Arabia on the other side.

Shopping in Doha, Qatar on the Aspire Zone grounds.

Doha showed it can deliver a great event and I expect to see more hosted here. MR

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Barefoot-Running Movement Gaining Ground

By Ron Marinucci

emember Robert Parker’s 1966 silly song and dance “Barefootin’”? “We’re barefootin.’ We don’t have no shoes

on!”

Barefootin’ has returned, to running of all places. It hasn’t reached anywhere near the status of a craze, but at least two national publications and numerous blogs have presented its pros and cons. Christopher McDougall’s recent bestseller “Born to Run” (See review elsewhere in this issue) brought barefoot running to center stage.

land on their heels. Barefoot runners tend to strike surfaces with their mid- and forefeet. Running like this, as our prehistoric relatives did, forces the body to develop the proper, efficient running form. Without shoes, the body learns to land more softly on the fore- and midfoot. The legs, feet and entire body instinctively adjust to the running surface, be it dirt, asphalt or even concrete. This allows the foot to spring back more easily, like elastic.

“Running shoeless?” one is inclined to ask. “Are you nuts?” But the practice is attracting advocates and, although it’s not for everyone, it is worth a look.

Although most evidence is anecdotal, current studies suggest barefoot running can help at least some runners avoid injuries. But it’s important to note there is no hard evidence that running shoeless is beneficial. No studies show that running unshod prevents injuries or that running with shoes causes them.

The premise behind barefoot running is that it compels us to run like our ancient ancestors, who had no shoes or minimal footwear. The advent of modern, high-tech, well-cushioned shoes has caused us to get away from our natural running form, leading to injuries and pain.

Barefoot Ted and some others do all, or at least most, of their running without shoes. Most barefooters, though, still train in shoes more often than not. They use barefoot running a few miles a week or during parts of daily workouts, to improve their foot strikes, strides and general running form.

McDougall’s “Born to Run” centers around the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. They are known for their ultra-distance running — miles and days at a time — without shoes or, sometimes, with simple tire treads lashed to their feet. They supposedly suffer few, if any, injuries.

Those considering barefootin’ for the first time are urged to start slowly. The feet and legs require time to adjust and strengthen. Soreness, especially in the quadriceps and calves, often develops because of the new stride, foot strike and body’s adjustment to them. But it usually doesn’t last.

Modern shoes, the concept goes, are detrimental to runners. With their considerable cushioning, they restrict the natural elasticity and flexibility of our feet and legs. Running barefoot develops a stride and foot strike that delivers less shock and impact to the feet.

At least two shoemakers, Vibram and Nike, make models that claim to simulate barefoot running. These shoes have little or no cushioning and weigh as little as five ounces. They do, however, provide some protection from glass, rocks, stones and the elements. Several other companies are developing similar shoes, likely to be unveiled later this year, for what they see as a potential market.

McDougall and “Barefoot Ted” McDonald, a primary character in “Born to Run,” are avid proponents of barefootin.’ Both suffered a variety of serious running injuries and considered giving up the sport until they ditched their shoes. Each now runs ultra-distances regularly, pain-free. Former Olympic and now University of Oregon track coach Vin Lananna is also an advocate. He has his runners train, at least part of the time, without shoes. Lananna is convinced they have fewer injuries and even run faster times. Today’s cushioned shoes lead runners to 12

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Stu Allen of Flint is among state runners who have become barefoot running converts. Although he has only “been experimenting with it” for a few months, “so far I’m quite pleased with results,” he said. Allen, a severe heel striker, suffered through a series of injuries, including Achilles tendon problems and stress fractures of both heels. He had always trained in well-cushioned shoes, even using inserts for extra heel cushioning. After all of the pain and down time, he thought he would give something

else a try. Allen went through drills with Dustin Jenkins of Elite Feet in Lapeer. Jenkins taught him how to land not on his heels, but “on the balls of my feet … under my body instead of out in front,” Allen said. He now runs twice weekly on a treadmill wearing Vibram 5-Finger shoes/sandals. “They simulate barefoot running with a bit of protection,” Allen said. “I still plan to wear shoes, but I’m working on better landing techniques,” he continued. “I am running healthy. So far, so good.” From blogs and other online sources, the number of barefoot runners appears to on the upswing. Some of us remember Zola Budd from South Africa and Abebe Bikila, the Ethiopian who won the 1960 Olympic marathon unshod (and the 1964 Olympic marathon wearing shoes). Allen is the only Michigan runner I know about who is trying it. But I am keeping an open mind. Some pro-barefoot running arguments seem like stretches. That our prehistoric brethren ran barefoot (or close to it), out of necessity, tells us nothing about their injury rates. That many Kenyan and Ethiopian runners spent their childhoods running unshod on their way to later championships is one thing, but most Americans don’t go without shoes as kids. Shoes, if correctly fitted, will provide proper support and balance to a foot and leg. Michigan hardly seems the place for barefootin.’ Here, we run on gravel, concrete and asphalt. If we run on the shoulders of roads, we encounter glass, bits of metal, stones and other hazards. The trails have rocks, roots and branches. And what about the ice, snow and cold temperatures we face in our four or more months of winters?

Bob Drapal, one of my training buddies, is skeptical of barefoot running. He swears by his shoes and, especially, his orthotics. According to him, they allowed him to start running again and continue for more than 20 years with only one serious injury. In more than 35 years of running in shoes, I’ve had only two running-related injuries. Neither was serious, sidelining me

Book Review

Tarahumara Tale Entices and Entertains running-induced infirmities.

By Dave Foley “Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen,” by Christopher McDougall. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2009.

At this point the story goes clinical, examining foibles of the American diet, evils of modern running shoes and the way we run. The Spartan lifestyle of the Tarahumara, McDougall figures, may be the answer.

read running books for three reasons:

1) To learn about how to become a better runner,

With that in mind, he sets out to stage a race pitting some of America’s best ultra-runners against the Tarahumara. Since the Indian runners won’t leave their homeland, the event is held on their rugged terrain.

2) To try to keep ahead of the aging/injury curve, and 3) To be entertained. McDougall’s “Born to Run ”succeeded in every way. McDougall, a writer for Men’s Health magazine, suffers from mysterious foot pain that won’t let him run. Learning about the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon backcountry, whose barefoot running exploits are legendary, he sees both a story opportunity and cure for his pain. More a quest than a travel story, McDougall encounters great American ultra-distance runners Scott Jurek, Jenn Shelton and Billy Barnett, recounts the history of the Leadville 100-Miler and devotes a chapter to the coaching secrets of Joe Vigil, arguably the United States’ greatest distance coach. Ann Trason, Deena Kastor, Alan Webb and even Frank Shorter receive mention as

The race itself is a nail-biter, perhaps more of a toenailbiter, as McDougall excels at narrative. It was one of the those couldn’tput-it-down books for me as I pretty much did nothing but read, other than taking inspired breaks for runs along the trails near my house, until I reached the last page.

McDougall cherry picks his way through the annals of American distance running. Fascinated by the Tarahumaras’ ability to run barefoot, McDougall focuses on that as a possible salvation for his and modern man’s

Retired Cadillac teacher/coach and Michigan Runner editor Dave Foley remains active running, reading, writing and exploring our state’s outdoors. MR

for me — and you.

for a few short weeks, if that. Still, I would not dismiss barefoot running. The ideas surrounding it are intriguing. I may even try it once or twice a week when spring arrives.

This was the best running book I’ve read in years. It almost convinced me to become a barefoot runner.

I will likely start at a local high school, one with field turf, and consider buying new shoes that simulate barefoot running.

Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at ron_marinucci@comcast.net.

Who knows? It just might be something Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Running Shorts with Scott Hubbard long, but each was unkind to my naked feet. After one race over a mowed path of grass and weeds, I had tiny cuts on both feet. The nature of cross-country is you’ll encounter many surfaces and it takes a discerning eye to decide which are forgiving.

Photo by Pat Davies

I’ve never met another person who races barefoot. I’ve heard about some and felt a kinship, except for the barefoot guy I saw in the 1985 Twin Cities Marathon. Extremes like that aside and except for the occasional practitioner, I don’t recommend barefoot running.

Trivia: How many times have American milers broken 4 minutes in high school-only competition? LIGHT FEET. With so much talk about barefoot running and minimalist shoes in the news recently, I feel pulled in two directions: to say something or nothing, no gray area. I thought about saying something because I’ve had experience racing barefoot and, in my day, wore plenty of minimalist shoes. However, those experiences and watching the evolution of shoe technology over the past 40 years make me wary to advocate barefoot running and such footwear. I considering saying nothing, because I’m sure the talk about little or nothing on our feet would pass like so much that’s fashionable, a poor idea or both. I’ve done it but don’t think it’s for many others. I’ll explain. Think for 15 seconds about running barefoot: your thoughts went from where and when it’s a possibility to the many practical reasons it’s a bad idea, I’ll bet. There aren’t many safe places to do an appreciable amount of barefoot running. Big, smooth, litter- and stone-free grassy parks, beaches and sand dunes are as rare as $25 marathon entry fees. It’s fine to be a barefoot outlier and proponent since it works for a few and opportunity exists. However, potential pain is a looming deterrent. I raced barefoot in cross-country as a high school sophomore and junior for two reasons: I felt faster and my coach let me. Most of the time, the surfaces were soft and trouble-free, but sometimes I crossed uneven turf, roads and cinder tracks. None of the nettlesome surfaces were 14

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

If curious, try it. Seek out soft, safe surfaces like golf courses. It is fun and freeing. Keep your shoes though, because more than 99 percent of you will do more than 99 percent of your running with something on your feet. I’m pretty sure of those figures. One of the most famous barefoot runners is Zola (Budd) Pieterse. While very young, the South African set world records, won world cross-country championships and ran the 1984 Olympic 3000 meters barefoot while representing Great Britain. She lives in South Carolina now with her husband and three children. Perhaps the best known barefoot runner is Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, who won the 1960 Olympic marathon over the streets of Rome. Most minimalist shoes weigh threefourths or less of what regular training shoes do and offer less shock protection and support. Typically they’re less durable and best suited for biomechanically-efficient runners. No- or low-arched and heavier runners should think twice before buying such lightweight shoes. When there’s less there to soften the foot strike or account for an overworked arch in a repetitive exercise such as running, bad things can happen. The very lightest shoes are fun, flimsy and built for speed. I’d guess only one runner in 50 owns a pair of racing shoes. They are like slippers with marginal cushioning and a thin rubber bottom. Racing shoes aren’t meant to be worn every day or for very long. They’re usually worn by those motivated primarily by performance. Every company makes one or more models with less support, weight and cushioning — and, thus warned, I suggest you consider getting some. Well, some of you. I truly believe most runners are better off with wellpadded, supportive shoes, but some may like how skimpier shoes perform, especially in speed workouts and races. Just as the goal for running apparel is to wear as little as weather allows, some may prefer to get away with as little as they can in

shoe weight and protection features.

THIRTY YEARS AGO. I found a picture of myself finishing the 1981 Dexter-Ann Arbor 15-mile run. It was the last year the races were seven and 15 miles, with a finish at Huron High School. I directed the event from 1980 to ’82, co-directed in ‘83 and have stories to tell. The number I wore in the ‘81 Dex-AA race reminded me I had hand-stamped the numbers on all 4,000-plus bibs in a modest effort to save money. I don’t remember how long it took, but I’m sure it was a darn long time. This was also the first year the finish line was professionally monitored and scored, by Chris Tatreau from Philadelphia. Chris remains active in race services; his crew has brought the clocks and French barricades to the Crim Festival of Races in Flint for years. Another time-consuming task each year was painting the mile marks and arrows at turns and crossing points. I made numbered stencils and used different-colored paint for the two races. In ‘82, the finish line moved to downtown Ann Arbor and race distances changed to 10K and half marathon. The half was the first course I ever certified and remains the most difficult I’ve measured due to the many blind turns, twists and long diagonals while dealing with traffic along Huron River Drive. Through 1979, traffic was allowed on Huron River Drive during the race. I gained approval to close the beautiful, winding road for runner safety in 1980. Another runner-friendly change made in ‘80 was to move the start time from 10 a.m. to 8:30. By ‘83 the start time had moved to 8 a.m. to further mitigate effects of hot weather. T-shirts were distributed only to finishers in the day. That plan was used for about a dozen years (1974-86) before giving way to distribution at registration. The finishers-only concept was revived for a spell, but is no longer. I like the tees-to-finishers-only idea and would urge others to adopt it. The tee would then be a reward vs. a giveaway. Two University of Michigan runners, Lynn Fudala and Lisa Larsen, tied for the win in ‘80. Lisa was a freshman then and would drop her scholarship sport of swimming in a few months to focus on running. She won All-American honors for the Wolverines before turning to the roads. There she became one of the best in America, with numerous wins at major races including the Boston and Chicago marathons and a trio of

Notes on the Run:

101 Reasons I Run, Part 1

By Daniel G. Kelsey

aul Simon sang that there must be 50 ways to leave your lover. No one wants to hear it — trust me, it’d be too cruel — but if I had a voice, I’d sing that there must be more reasons than Simon says to leave the house for a run. There must be as many reasons for running as spots on a Dalmatian. At the risk of singing out of key, without a little help from my friends, I’d say there’s got to be 101 reasons, tumbling over one another and going every which way like a pack of puppies. At the risk of sounding Cruella, there’s got to be 101 reasons for each one of 101 Dalmatians. Take health. Or, if you’ve got it already, holding onto it for dear life. I’m not too proud to take whatever health I can get, even if I have to drink to it.

Yes, mental health is a subset of the health subset. Keep that in mind when you rank your own 101 reasons. Zach, calm and assured, if taciturn, is more complex in his reasoning than you’d think if you met him in passing. Eating up miles makes him feel good about himself. He’s compelled to validate or prove his worth again and again. Keeping fit in body and spirit is worth whatever agonies he goes through. He doesn’t like to dwell on it, but he’s hyperactive and training keeps him on an even keel. After he did his first marathon, he had to do another and his goals mounted, taking on a life of their own ... 5, 10, 25, 50, 100. “C’mon, now, really; I don’t think I’ll take it that far,” he says.

There must be, oh, let’s say, 20 reasons for running in the health subset alone, leaving ample room for four subsets to follow.

All I can say is, if he plans to go on, he ought to do his 101st marathon on the Dalmatian Coast.

Now, isn’t that an encouraging tune?

His wife, Jennie, runs too. She shows up at races on the spur of the moment because it’s healthy to just do it. Besides, she has a low metabolism and if she’s inactive she gets sluggish.

A friend of mine, Zach, just ran his 50th marathon. Since he doesn’t have hips anymore — not to speak of, unless to speak of arthritis — it’s reasonable to ask why he persists in putting himself through such torture. Well, to start with, as people who don’t run like to say at the drop of a hat, anyone who starts, let alone finishes, even one marathon is crazy. I tend to agree. Among us pantywaists it’s a given that craziness counts as reason number one for running at all. But a multi-marathoner like Zach replies that going off on long, slow jaunts keeps him from going crazy from idleness. So among the hardcore, sanity trumps any question of wear and tear on body parts.

“When I run I’m energized,” she says. Hannah, my research assistant, just did her second marathon. She finished seventh among women at Grand Rapids and shaved 14 minutes off her time from the year before. Her new competitiveness feeds her selfesteem, which, although she wouldn’t say so, tends to get fragile. Up until now she’s hesitated, although she wouldn’t say so, to leave Grand Rapids for races, but with her confidence growing, she’s talking about taking on a far-off challenge.

“Ah, heck, these hips aren’t so bad, anyway,” Zach says. “Don’t make a federal case out of it.”

“I’m thinking about maybe doing Boston next year,” she says.

fourth-place finishes in Olympic Trials Marathons. She coaches adults now in Colorado Springs, where she lives with her husband and two children.

races. By ‘87 he was also scoring races from New Jersey to Puerto Rico, Texas and Honolulu.

1983 marked the first year the races were scored by computer. It’s fun, in retrospect, to look back and note I hired Mike Burns for his first big gig. In just a few years, Mike would be scoring most of Michigan’s biggest

There must be 50 ways to leave your city.

When advantages of the ChampionChip first became clear in the mid-1990s, Mike quickly jumped aboard, acquiring North American rights. By 2000, ChampionChip scoring had become the industry leader.

Author James Ridgeway has an essay, “Medicare’s Poison Pill,” a critique of Medicare Part D, the prescription drug plan, in the October 2008 issue of Mother Jones magazine. Ridgeway tells how he came to take six expensive medicines for three health issues — a precancerous esophageal condition, depression and a transient ischemic attack, or tiny stroke — in the 10 years leading up to his age of eligibility. “For some people, I suppose, getting old may be the glorious adventure that’s depicted in commercials for retirement investments,” he writes. “But for most of us, it’s actually pretty dispiriting: You feel lousy, your friends are sick or dead, and you worry about dying too — or running out of money before you do.” When he began shelling out dollars for Prilosec, Wellbutrin, Diovan, Pravastatin and other goodies, Ridgeway was younger than I am today. I’ve had the good fortune to live without a single prescription drug. I credit running more than any other lifestyle choice for settling me in a drug-free zone. Maybe I’d develop hypertension, or fatigue syndrome like my sister, or circulatory disorders like my brother, or vulnerability to TIAs like my late dad, if I didn’t exercise my cardiovascular system. My family puts on the kind of abdominal fat researchers have linked to mortality risks, but I take the air out of my spare tire. In youth, especially in sedentary periods, I had bouts with depression, often debilitating, but during the past three decades, with the help of running, I’ve struck a balance, and during the past decade, after I pushed up my mileage, I’ve coped at my best. Not that I’m fooled into thinking I’m immune to the ills the body’s heir to. My mind stays in tune pretty well while I’m striding along, but the rest of the day it’s as out of key as if I’m following my mother, early, into dementia. If I let down my guard my health might go to the dogs. MR Things have changed in recent years and Mike has moved on to using the new, disposable “D” tag scoring tech. He still lives in Ann Arbor. Little known fact: for more than 15 years, Mike was director of the very popular Briarwood Run(s) there. Answer: Once, by Jim Ryun of Wichita East High School, in Kansas. He ran 3:58.3 to win his state meet mile in 1965. MR Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Record High School Run Fills Soul By Rachael Steil

he stadium lights blazed in the dark spring evening as a light rain fell. Each runner walked onto the midnightblack track, hands on their hips in determination. Some shook out their arms to stay loose while a few passed silver batons back and forth to each other. Girls gripped the chainlink fence encompassing the track, swinging their legs, their quad and hamstring muscles rippling. Our 4x400-meter relay huddled, going over our plan of action. Who knew that just running one lap each involved so much technique and careful planning?

The official called for us to make our way down the track towards the start. After one final glance, we jogged to the ominous white line. As I took my final stride-out, I thought about how just a week ago we had been at the conference meet. A moment of pure horror passed through my mind as I remembered watching Taylor hand off the baton. It had slipped from Danielle’s outstretched hand and clanged to the ground, bouncing left and right on the dark rubber track. It seemed like minutes before Danielle scooped down to save it. That small error cost us valuable seconds and lost us the lead.

“You ready to do this?” I asked, smiling at our first runner; she would be handing off to me.

But I couldn’t think of that now; I could only think about how to take that moment of frustration and turn it into something better tonight. Our team was seeded fourth but we were going for the gold.

“Yeah …” Jessica replied. A smile crossed her anxious face. We were ready; that confirmed it. Scared silly, yet ready to crush our opponents. The last event of the regional track meet was about to begin and these final points would mean everything for overall team placement.

“Let’s go girls!” Cheers erupted from the stands as we approached the start. A sense of pride and power overcame me as I looked up at my supporters, knowing that I had an important role in representing our team. Goosebumps ran up my arms, but I knew it

all, my entire team. It looked like Jessica was falling behind, but with 200 meters left she was in a full-out sprint. She was bringing us into first place. Rounding the final turn, the stands rumbled. “Don’t give up!” teammates cried and, “Knees! Lift your knees!” from the coaches. Each girl pumped her arms wildly, batons swinging in the night air. Many of their faces were strained in agony, but none of these girls were backing down. Jessica sprinted towards me, pure determination on her face. Her aggressive energy transferred to me as I narrowed my eyes and grinned with anticipation. An explosion of adrenaline coursed through my body as I began a running start and whipped back my right arm. The instant I felt the security of the cold metal tube in my hand, I took off in a dead sprint to escape my opponents. At that moment, everything left me. My fear and uncertainty were abandoned at the line where my exhausted teammate lay. There was nothing left except for me and the ground as I sailed across through the darkness.

I was being chased by a whole group of hungry competitors and I felt it. “Final call for the mile relay!” the announcer bellowed. My stomach leapt and doubts began to creep into my mind. I’m not a sprinter … these girls can rip me to pieces! I was tall and gangly, not the best body for sprinting, but I did everything in my power to match up to these smaller girls who had bulging quads and calves. I looked around at the stone-hard faces of my competitors. They were focused and I needed to get in the zone as well. I earned my spot here, I reassured myself. There’s no way that I don’t deserve to be on this relay. Our anchor pulled us into a circle with her arms around our shoulders. “We are getting that school record tonight,” Danielle stated firmly. I nodded, though I couldn’t fully comprehend what she had just said. Break the record? Sure, we had come close, but that record didn’t look like it was going anywhere for a long time.

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

wasn’t from the cold rain. I found Coach Lohner at the sidelines, stressing the chinback-pocket technique with her swinging arm movements from the sidelines. I nodded with understanding. Before I knew it, Jessica was set in her blocks about 50 meters ahead and I was in my position to await her on the track. Seconds seemed to tick slowly by as the spectators quieted down and the rain pitter-pattered onto the track. The glow of the red zeroes on the scoreboard was set to start the time and the official raised the gun. Bam! Jessica leapt from the blocks, punching her thin arms through the air. Her stride lengthened gracefully as she circled the wide curve, contrasted against the quick turnovers of her competitors. I knew I had less than a minute before I was out there as well. At that thought, my stomach lurched, but I was ready to do whatever I could for myself, my relay and most of

The sound of the roaring spectators was lost behind me. I was sprinting on my toes, taking short, quick steps around the curve. All I could hear was the sharpness of my own breath, the soft patpatpatpat of my spikes hitting the track and the drizzle of rain around me. I was flying, and the speed and momentum of it all elated me. This was fun! I could do this! The rush I felt was all adrenaline, because by the time I rounded the first curve reality struck me with the simple sound of hard breathing down my neck. I was being chased by a whole group of hungry competitors and I felt it. The sound of the cheering spectators in the distance reached my ears as well; I was in for the race of my life. My opponent in blue gained on me, coming up to pass, when I turned on the wheels I had left. With half-lap to go, I swung back my arms, quickened my steps and focused straight ahead. That’s when the volume suddenly shot up; I heard the rumbling of the stands.

Falling over to the side, I put my hands on my knees and took a few moments to recover. My calves burned with fatigue as I stopped to catch my breath. Within a minute I forced myself to look up again to bring home our third runner. Taylor came into the finish with the baton outstretched to Danielle, who took off to run the final quarter mile of the relay. The screams in the stands erupted even more as the batons were passed and sent off for the last time. I gazed across the other side of the track as I watched our relay run to a first-place position. We weren’t guaranteed that spot, but I knew deep in my heart that we had it, and we had proved to everyone that we earned first place. For the final homestretch, I glanced at the clock and did a double take. I couldn’t believe my eyes; we were on record time! I screamed, pointing ecstatically to the clock, pushing my teammate to finish strong and hard. We finished in 4 minutes, 1.98 seconds. With a first-place finish, our teammates and family members erupted with cheers. And with a new school record by just .04 seconds, I threw my fists up in the air and screamed victoriously as the torrent of rain pelted my face. The best day of my life does not remain in that one moment; it still engenders a feeling of euphoria and accomplishment that I can share with my teammates for a lifetime.

Rachael Steil, now a Grandville High School senior, joined 4x400 teammates Jessica Myers, Taylor Tepper and Danielle Tepper helping the Bulldogs place second overall in last year’s Division 1 regional at Jenison. She plans to continue running and writing this spring and next fall at Aquinas College. MR

Veteran Survives Teen at Roney Run By Charles Douglas McEwen UTICA (3/21/10) — Yacho Morgan, 28, of Rochester won the Bill Roney Memorial women’s 5K run for the second year in a row, but had determined competition from a 13year-old who ran the race of her life. Kelsie Schwartz, an eighth grader at St. Paul Catholic School in Grosse Pointe Farms, ran the first mile in six minutes flat. Morgan caught her at that point. “She (Schwartz) stayed with me for a while,” Morgan said. “Then she dropped back. But she ran hard the whole way. It’s nice to have another female to compete with, instead of just guys.” “I tried to stay with her, but she was just too strong,” Schwartz said. Morgan also had strong time, finishing in 18:17. Schwartz followed in 18:35, 52 seconds faster then her previous 5K best. Melanie Brender, 17, of Sterling Heights was third in 19:08. Laura Murphy, 46, of Rochester led the masters in 20:07. Clint Verran, 34, of Lake Orion led the men from start to finish, winning easily in 15:10.

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

I focused on my next relay teammate ahead, excitement building to reach her, hand the baton and pass out on the artificial turf. My arms tightened with exhaustion, my legs felt like lead and my head spun. Lunging towards my finish, I slapped the silver baton into Taylor’s outstretched hand and knew my job for the team was done.

Bill Roney Memorial 5K, Utica

Yacho Morgan won the 5K for the second year in a row.

“I was hoping to get under 15 minutes,” he said. “But I’ll take 15:10 for now. The 5K isn’t really my specialty any longer. If I can run a five-minute pace for a half marathon this year, I’ll be really happy with that.” Kevin and Keith Hanson are race directors for the Roney run. “Kevin and Keith have put together an awesome course,” Verran said. “It’s nice, flat and fast.” August Pappas, 16, a Chelsea High School junior getting ready for track season, took second in 15:47. “I was happy with my time,” he said. “It’s still early. So I’m basically where I want to be.”

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

“Go! They’re coming up on you!” My teammates were an arm’s length away from me on the turf urging me to go on, even if it hurt. And it did hurt. It hurt beyond reason, but I knew it would hurt more if I failed to do this. With one final surge, I broke away from my competitor and barreled down the home stretch with everything I had left. This distance runner was going to show those sprinters what she was made of!

Colin Hanson, bib no. 719, continues a family tradition with his father Keith Hanson in the kids race.

Anthony Pavicic, 27, of Sterling Heights, who won last year’s race, took third in 16:03. Guy Holmes, 44, of Armada paced the masters in 17:24.

For more information, go to www.hansons-running.com. MR

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Should All Courses Be Certified? An Exchange state on their entry forms whether or not their course is certified. Michigan runner Tim Sneller sparked an online discussion recently regarding course certification, a subject of interest for many readers. Sneller first e-mailed “Running Shorts” columnist and veteran course-certifier Scott Hubbard, who referred him to Michigan Runner publisher Art McCafferty and editor Scott Sullivan for their input. Excerpts appear below:

Finally, why doesn’t Michigan Runner take a more active role to advocate for certification? I’m planning to run the Kent City Ridge Run in a few weeks and it is not a certified course (but it is a well-organized race and I love the course). I noticed they advertise that it’s a Michigan Runner-sponsored Runner of the Year Series points race.

Why let a race with a non-certified course be part of the points series? Isn’t this suggesting that course certification is not all that important? I would like to hear your comments on this.

ello Scott,

While reading the latest issue of Michigan Runner, I notice a reference to the National Masters News in your column. I looked up their Web site and noticed a reference to the Phidippides Award, which in turn got me noticing that the points for it must be accumulated on USA Track & Field-certified courses. When I looked into courses in my area (Grand Rapids) that are certified, I discovered that most are not, and, if I’d applied soon enough for the Phidippides Award, my point total for it would drop from enough for a Gold Award to a Bronze. Good thing the deadline had already passed for applying; otherwise I might be upset about this. I am actually upset anyway. Not about the award aspect, but by the fact that so many races do not get their courses certified. I’m wondering if you can provide insight into why this is so. Are race directors just too lazy, don’t care, expense is too much (What is the overall cost for certification?) or not aware of course certification? In his article “Road Race Course Certification: How Do Courses Measure Up?” writer Steve Vaitones of USATF New England sums up my feelings with this quote: “When runners are paying an entry fee, the least a director can do is offer a truly accurate ‘recordquality’ course on which to achieve a meaningful personal-best performance.” With what I now know, serveral of my PR’s are meaningless because they were set on non-certified courses (another reason to be upset). What can we as runners do to pressure more races to get certification? I think the least that should be required is for races to 18

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Sincerely, Tim Sneller

cott Hubbard responded:

I can empathize with you about PR’s set on uncertified courses — many of mine are of the like. But most of mine are from the dark ages ... 30 years ago, when certified courses were rare. I’d guess 95 percent of all uncertified courses are short ... some by a little and some by a lot. Folks wearing Garmin GPS units are discovering this fact. Although these units are very good, they usually measure every mile long by about one part in 100. I always like to hear runners complain a certified course was long; that means the measurer did a good job. Another thing to bear in mind about Garmin wearers: they typically aren’t running the shortest possible route that the measurer took to certify a course. They’re running long, not the tangents. Course accuracy is as basic a race fundamental as there is. It ought to be a race given. Always. Hope this helps,

Hi Tim, I’d guess maybe only one course in 20 in Michigan is certified ... and that’s probably an undercount. Why so few? A variety of reasons, but cost is certainly high on the list. Many directors are simply unfamiliar with certification and what it’s about. And many simply don’t care how accurate their courses are, or think their measuring method is good enough. Also, some folks look into certifying the courses themselves and are daunted by the process. Whatever the reason, the percentage of certified courses is tiny. You are lucky in the GR area to have had Ralph Dewey measuring courses since the 1980s, with Don Kern joining him in the past half dozen years or so. Both do a good job. What can you do to press for more courses to get certified? I don’t have a handy answer. A good place to start would be to ask Michigan Runner’s Scott Sullivan (scott@glsp.com) and Jennie McCafferty (jennie@glsp.com) to “advocate,” as you put it, for more certified courses. I’ve written about certified courses from time to time and it’s had a modest effect. One of the best things that’s come of my comments is my plea a few years back for more measurers.

Scott Hubbard

R publisher Art McCafferty chipped in a few days later:

Tim, Scott and Scott, Jennie asked me about MR’s position on certified courses and, of course, we are all for certification. We made our position quite clear when we were producing the “Best of Times” feature for so many years. Our firm stance on this prompted some vitriolic criticism about the subject. Runners began to question the legitimacy of the decisions we made on which times and races “counted,” to such a degree that we dropped the feature. The certified-course issue also impacted the courses we chose for our highly-visible Michigan Race Series. For a number of years, we tried to run only certified courses, but then we had an issue with a course like Steve’s Run, where most of the race was on trails. This race was highly competitive, yet could not be certified due to its trail section. There are also races each year that have to reroute their courses due to road work and do not want to go through the expense and trouble of getting it re-certified.

Again, MR supports certified courses and will continue to try to influence race directors to move in that direction.

“Thanks for being honest and sharing your concerns. I thank you for your nice comments about the race in the past. I hope you’ll still consider it again.”

Art McCafferty

im Sneller responded:

Art, I appreciate your response on this matter. As with most everything, it’s more complicated than I realized. I can see where certification of trail runs is not possible or feasible, and also the matter of good old continual Michigan road construction. Maybe we should just say to hell with the roads and let everything deteriorate to trails. Who needs roads when you can run on trails? (Might your Race Series make trail runs exempt?) I guess my main point is to continue the effort toward certification and not let the discussion disappear. Sometimes a lively debate is a good thing. My one suggestion on this for MR would be to indicate which races in the “Event Calendar” are USATFcertified. If a race has made the effort to get certified, they should at least have it noted as such in the listing. I recently e-mailed Kent City Ridge Run race director Jill Evers as to why her course was not certified. Her response was as follows: “I agree with you on many of your points. Many races are not certified and some are obviously not accurate. For those races, I just compare my time from one year to the next. “Here are some of the reasons I’ve not yet gotten the course certified: “1) I’m doubtful on these hills and gravel roads with Michigan’s March weather that we’ll have a national type age-group record. “2) I am a one-person operation here for the most part. It would be another job I’d have to be in charge of. Also, I wonder how many years I can keep pouring my life and energy into the race. “3) Cost. “Those being stated, I have given it some serious thought this year. Since we were chosen for the MR Runner of the Year points series, I had a friend ask if we needed to get certified. I will speak with Don Kern (who certifies courses) the next time I see him about the cost of doing it.

I spoke with Don Kern at a Grand Rapids Running Club event this past Saturday and he mentioned that Jill had just talked to him about possibly getting the course certified. So I guess my point is, if an effort is maintained to keep this issue in front of the running community, maybe more runners and races will start thinking about it and take action. Tim Sneller

R editor Scott Sullivan wrote:

Hi all: I have followed this exchange with interest, withholding my two cents in lieu of your thoughts of greater value. Let’s extend (or belabor) our theme here of economics. Say I’m a runner “shopping” for this season’s races. I will chose (“buy” by paying my entrance fee) based on what I value: proximity to my home (or a vacation destination), length of race, “the experience” (that I’ve had of the race itself, heard from friends or read about), cost (which could be greater due to expenses of putting it on), my personal schedule and commitments, fitness, many factors ... including, if I’m a “serious” runner concerned with time benchmarks, whether the course is certified.

Say I’m a race director cognizant of supply-and-demand. Does the added trouble and cost of having my course certified fit my budget? Does my course have a trail section hard to measure, or is it likely my course will change from year to year due to roadwork and other factors? Who are my customers? What do they want? Different people in different situations make different choices. Hence the variety of the marketplace. I like courses certified. If a race advertises its course is certified, I will pay $5 more to run it knowing not only that I’ll be covering a valid distance but that its directors share my attitude: If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. But I’ll also pay 50 cents to do informal Wayland Road Runner “races” with friends covering distances that are guesstimates. Would I make the latter runs part of the MR Race Series though? No way. I’ve enjoyed this exchange and would like to share it with readers in the magazine. Would it be possible, Tim, Scott and Art, to reprint your missives — starting, say, as a letter to the editor (I can edit slightly for form and mechanics) and flowing thereafter? Thanks, Scott S

All agreed that sharing the exchange in print, and inviting comments from other readers, would be valuable. E-mail contacts appear in this story and on our table-of-contents page. MR

Michigan Runner Race Series 2010 St. Patrick's Corktown Races, 5K, Detroit - March 14 Kent City Ridge Run, 15K, Kent City - March 27 Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, Grand Rapids - May 8 Dexter Ann Arbor Half Marathon, Ann Arbor - June 6 Kalamazoo Klassic 10K, Kalamazoo - June 19 Solstice Run 5K, Northville- June 26 National Cherry Festival, 15K, Traverse City - July 10 Steve’s Run 10K, Dowagiac - July 31 Crim Festival of Races 10 Mile, Flint - August 28 Labor Day 30K, Milford - September 4 Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon, Detroit - October 17 Great Turtle Half Marathon, Mackinac Island - October 23 Point System, Results & Standings posted online: http://michiganrunner.net/read_new/2010-michigan-runner-race-series Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Fight for Air Climb, Detroit

Climbers, Proceeds Soar at ALA Fight for Air

By Charles Douglas McEwen

Despite that, many among the record turnout of 535 people at the fourth annual Fight for Air found themselves breathless as they climbed 70 flights of stairs to the top. “You get winded,” said William Haggerty of the American Lung Association of Michigan-sponsored climb. “But when you reach the top, it comes back. It’s a great event. You have to be in pretty good shape, though, to take it on.”

Photo by Charles Douglas McEwen

DETROIT (2/28/10) — The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center stands 727 feet tall, includes 73 stories and seems to have plenty of oxygen.

Haggerty, a few days short of 73 years old, was the oldest climber to Cooney’s Climbers raced in memory of Dennis Cooney, who died from lung reach the Renaissance Center disease five years ago. summit. The St. Clair Shores resident completed the 70 floors in 16 minutes, 31 seconds. (Climbers also had Jodi Kutzhals, 12, of Trenton, who did “But it’s a fantastic event,” he said. the option of doing just 40 floors, but most this event with her parents, Paul and Ann, “Cooney’s Climbers,” which had 15 people went up 70.) and sister, Nadia, has become a vertical races members, raced in memory of Cooney’s veteran. “This is the third one I’ve done,” she brother, Dennis, who died from lung disease George Huddock, 50, of Livonia reached said. “I thought it was hard, but I just kept five years ago. Dave Cooney said he plans to the top fastest in 6:21. Next came Brian pushing it and fighting for air until I made it return with another team next year. McLean, 26, of Riverview (7:21) and Emilio to the top.” Giorgi, 21, of Windsor (7:36). “I’m walking five miles a day now,” Kutzhals and her family were part of he said. “I want to go right to the top next Kimberly Hase, 39, of Grosse Pointe led a “RockStairs” team had more than three year.” the women in 9:26, followed by Tennille dozen members and was awarded “Most Sharpe, 33, of Brighton (9:29) and Kerry Spirited Team” for the third straight year. Fight for Air in Detroit raised Madden, 37, of Commerce (9:35). about $130,000, said Michigan ALA developDave Cooney and Angela Trudeau organment manager Jessica Jimenez-Schlicht. “This This event is part of a series of 54 races ized a “Cooney’s Climbers” team. “I didn’t was our most successful year yet,” she said. nationwide, trekking up stairwells of skyscrapparticipate,” said Cooney, “because I had a ers, stadiums and arenas to raise money for the double-lung transplant seven months ago. For complete results, go to ALA. Other Fight for Air stair climbs will take www.classicrace.com. MR place in Grand Rapids and East Lansing.

Fight for Air Climb, Grand Rapids

By Grant Lofdahl

GR Runners Step Up for Challenge, Air

GRAND RAPIDS (3/13/10) — Runners and walkers converged on a breezy, cool morning, downtown, but instead of heading to an outdoor start line they went indoors. The second annual Grand Rapids Fight for Air Climb was not your typical running event. Participants had a staggered start at 20

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

the bottom of a stairwell in the city’s new tallest building, the River House condos, and raced up 33 floors to the top. While the novelty of the competition was an attraction for some, the true spirit of the Climb was to raise funds for the American Lung Association. Climbers competed either as individuals

or as parts of four-person teams. Casey Kuhn of Grand Rapids, captain of the winning Flight Risk team, said his girlfriend (and Flight Risk teammate) Mary Hendershot got him interested in the event. “This is an interest of hers; we both have asthma and a five-year-old who has asthma. It has special significance for us,” he said.

C-Ville Chill 5K, Coopersville “It’s something good for everybody to do because it gives you an appreciation of what it’s like for someone who’s struggling for air and what they go through every day. We did this for a couple minutes going up the stairwell and recovering, but people live with this for their entire lives,” Kuhn said. While many entrants were from the metro Grand Rapids area, some came from far and wide to take part. Toledo’s Tracie Chovan and her son, Cory, 10, made the three-hour trip from northwest Ohio, and Cory impressed many adults with his speed on the stairs. “I ran a 5K before,” said Cory. “This is a lot more work — you have to pull up your body weight. This is my fourth one and it gets a little easier. Sometimes it gets hard to breathe, so I try to slow down my breathing.” His chief goal is always to beat his mom, which he accomplished in Grand Rapids. Tracie’s goal, besides trying to outpace her son, was to compete in memory of a young man she met as a volunteer for the Make a Wish Foundation. “He was just 15 when he died of cystic fibrosis,” she said. “We do (races) in his honor as a way to remember him.” Michael Peterson of Goshen, Ind., was the overall champion, conquering the 34 flights in 3 minutes, 38 seconds. It was Peterson’s fifth win in a sport in which he began competing more than 20 years ago. “I’ve climbed probably 10 different buildings and won five races overall — Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Pittsburgh and now here,” said Peterson, who placed in the top 30 at Go Vertical Chicago, which goes up the Sears Tower. “It all depends on who shows up; there are a lot of fast people out there. I train on an indoor rowing machine five days a week and run stairs once a week.” The women’s winner, Kristi Metzger of Grand Rapids, was surprised to finish first (in 5:32) and said the climb was harder than she expected. “I’ve done a couple of 5Ks and 10Ks and this was harder,” Metzger said. “I underestimated it. I started off fast and it killed me — I was glad to get to the end. It was great though.” For more info on stair climbing races around the world, visit www.towerrunning.com. MR

Locals Lead Field at C-Ville Chill By Grant Lofdahl COOPERSVILLE (2/27/10) — The C-Ville Chill 5K is about as “hometown” as races get. So it was fitting that two Coopersville High School runners captured overall crowns. Bronco graduate Matt Denhof crossed the finish line first in the fifth annual event and CHS senior Meredith Busman was the first female. Denhof, 33, also won the Chill in its first year and has run the race all but one year. He now lives 30 minutes away in Caledonia and said that coming home to run in his hometown road race is always a highlight. He took the lead from the gun and led wire-to-wire for the win in 18:22. While race morning was partly sunny and mild, a snowstorm the previous day made footing treacherous at times.

track despite her coach’s pleas to do so. “I started running cross country my junior year and I ran this year obviously,” she said. “Now I’m thinking about doing it in college. I’ve always been a soccer player and my senior year is kind of my last chance to do it, so I’m going to stick with soccer.” Second place was Caitlyn Beiser in 23:31, with Tammy Kuipers (23:46) in third. Jennifer Kolberg led the masters women in 27:39, with Carla Schut top grand master in 28:46. About 100 runners completed the 5K route, a new one this year that wound through downtown and residential areas of this small farming community west of Grand Rapids. Funds raised went to the CHS running program. MR

“Probably a minute and a half,” said Denhof when asked how much slower the snow and ice made the course. “I’d say three quarters of the course was pretty slippery. The back half was pretty bad.” His margin of victory was 68 seconds over the ageless Scott VanStrate. VanStrate, 52, continues to crush most age-group rivals and regularly wins the masters division 12 years after becoming eligible for it. Loren Redder, 63, led the grand masters in 23:57. It was Busman’s first time running the Chill. Her 21:20 won the women’s division by more than two minutes, so she focused on passing guys, including a teammate. “It was funny, because at about the two-and-a-half mile mark I passed another kid on the cross country team,” she said. “We had joked because in previous training I had beaten him once and he was like, ‘Meredith, that is never going to happen again.’ So I was coming up behind him and I said, ‘You better not let me pass you!’ “It was a little icy out there, but not too bad. It was a lot of fun.” Busman showed considerable talent last fall in winning the O-K Blue Conference cross country title and placing 53rd at the Division 2 state meet, but is still a neophyte runner and doesn’t run Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Town Crier, Saugatuck

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Town Crier Makes ‘Cruel’ Cool

Among those starting the Town Crier 5K is Jed Christiansen, front left, Bib 784. Jed would be the 5K and 10K men’s double winner. By Scott Sullivan SAUGATUCK (4/10/10) — T.S. Eliot was wrong. April’s not the cruelest month; it’s the craziest. Picture April Fool’s Day in the mid-80s turning to sleet and snow three days later: croci croaked, daffodils went daffy and heads of the Town Crier runs wondered whether weather would bring throngs or scare off all but the Admiral Pearys.

They raised more than $7,000 for local youth programs and sponsor SABA (the Saugatuck-Douglas Area Business Association), which kicked in awards, people power and more to make Rick Bauer’s debut as race director as winning as his firstplace in last year’s 10K.

There is little questioning the success that he and his wife, Angelina, have had guiding runners at the school. But a road race, with hundreds of hoofers sharing streets with cars, plus a million details — routes, registrations, refreshments, prizes, packets, publicity ... and those are only the P’s and R’s of the problems/responsibilities?

Praise be to race founding fathers, the day’s sun and course volunteers for not being wholly ghosts, showing up to help Bauer show off this long-running lakeshore arts city at its best. Double overall winners were ex-Calvin College star Jed Christiansen (men’s 10K in 34:01 and 5K in 15:34) and Kristen Brown, 38, of Muskegon (women’s 10K in 40:30 and 5K in 19:30).

Photo by Scott Sullivan

Race day proved cool, not cruel: perfect for 344 entrants to tackle 10K or 5K courses. Several of the most dedicated (or demented) ones ran both.

“Running, I don’t worry about,” said Bauer. “Trying to run (as in direct) a race makes me anxious.” He confided he’s more confident coaching Saugatuck High School track and cross country teams.

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Kids of all ages start the kids dash.

Masters champ Ron Zywicki, 49, of Traverse City placed second overall in the 10K (35:21) as did top women’s master Jill EversBowers, 43, of Kent City (44:55).

Bauer’s protégés and prodigies starred in the 5K, with SHS senior Ethan Lievense men’s run-

ner-up in 16:41 and freshman Sean Kelly fourth in 17:38. Indian co-coach and wife Angelina Bauer was the second-place woman in 20:01, followed by SHS frosh Heather Price (20:48).

surer sign he was near death’s door was he wasn’t running.

Top 5K masters were Brian Fahey, 41, of Rockford (17:42) and Evers-Bowers (21:18).

The Town Crier kids dash featured munchkins running — some all-out, some that way at least to start, and the youngest distracted by, well, the universe — around a block to receive ribbons at the end.

We advised him to go to bed. “I am flying to Spain tonight,” Santos said.

“Ageless” honors went to Scott VanStrate, 52, of Spring Lake (39:07 in the 10K, 19:12 in the 5K); Dave Minier, 61, of Wyoming (42:26, 20:13) and Hank Nash, 57, of Spring Lake (19:17 in the 5K). Alex Anschutz, 11, of Saugatuck (11th overall in the 5K in 20:00) showed you need little age at all.

Race founder José Santos celebrated his first year as non-director by ... not running? “I’m sick,” explained Santos, who nonetheless did his best to keep runners from turning into hood ornaments on the course. He was dressed like Peary to protect himself from the splendid weather, but the

That’s Saugatuck: always something. As runners dispersed, headed home or to take in galleries, restaurants, dune climbs and public beach on Lake Michigan, Eliot’s line, “Only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go,” rang evident.

Photo by Scott Sullivan

John Sanford of Saugatuck celebrated his 70th birthday completing the 5K in 45:26, then repaired with his family to make up burnt calories eating cake.

And what would the Town Crier be without the Town Crier? Absent costumed Art Talsma to ring his starting bell, former Mayor Henry VanSingel, 83, rang a smaller bell Bauer won last year. “We needed something,” said the ex-Hizzoner.

Mazie Robison, 2, of Saugatuck, shows off her ribbon (upsidedown) after finishing the kids dash.

Meanwhile April flew like the fleetest runners, like kids growing up and tourists returning along the lakeshore. There’s no telling how lovely May may be. MR

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Kent City Ridge Run, Kent City

KC Ridge Run, Minus Sauerkraut, Rambles On

A few days before the event, race director Jill Evers said race day in past years had produced snow, fog and low temperatures. In 2008 she ran part of the way in a ditch because of slick footing from an ice storm. “The one thing we’ve never had is a really warm day,” Evers said. That tradition held in 2010. Temperatures edged above freezing at the 9:30 a.m. start time and hadn’t reached 40 degrees at 11, when some participants still labored out on the 15K course. For an event just six years old, the Ridge Run has tradition to burn. Evers designed it from its inception to appeal to veteran racers. To make each season’s event unique from the ones before, she sees that t-shirt logos are redesigned and awards are alternatives to medals. “I go to so many races, I’ve tried to do this one right from the first,” she said. That reaching for a unique flavor includes food. Competitors come home to a variety of warm treats such as baked potatoes and healthy eats such as vegetables. But one food tradition — sauerkraut — didn’t survive the first couple years. It went the way of the dinosaur when its contributor, Fred Groenke, retired as a principal in the Kent City schools and left the state. “It was Fred who got me going on this race by saying, ‘You need to do this,’” Evers said. The tradition that stands above all others at the Ridge Run, though, is a grueling 15K course. Groenke made a lasting contribution by dubbing it “Jill’s Hills.” Evers knew that by scheduling her race a few weeks before the River Bank Run in nearby Grand Rapids, and by making the course tough, she could attract runners gearing up their post-winter training. Many of this year’s 268 15K finishers may have asked themselves afterwards which was the toughest mile along the 9.3-mile course. Mile one had the first high climb and start of a second, higher climb along a paved road leaving town. Mile two had a rollercoaster gravel road among orchards. After a time check on a steep, short hill, 24

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

On a calm day, mile six, on pavement through a valley, would have given runners a chance for recovery. But this year they ran that mile into the teeth of a south-southeast wind. “There seems to be some resistance,” a racer said while passing a runner starting up the slope out of the valley. “Yeah,” the runner said to the racer. “And I don’t need it.” Evers said before the event that a traditional draw of the Ridge Run is its inclusion in the M-37 race series sponsored by The Runnery. That’s a competition for athletes from Kent City, Sparta and Comstock Park. A new draw for 2010 was the inclusion of “Jill’s Hills” in Michigan Runner magazine’s annual race series. Evers saw an effect ahead of time. “We have a few more signed up than at this time last year,” she said. “I’ve had a couple calls from Detroit.”

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

KENT CITY (3/27/10) — There was no break with tradition at the Kent City Ridge Run.

mile five had an upward slope for about three-quarters of a mile on gravel. Mile eight had a gentle slope on pavement to a crest where someone on a tractor cleared cut branches from between rows of trees in an orchard.

15K winner Josh Miller, bib no. 251, leads a pack.

In fact, the 536 registrations in 2010 were the most ever for a Ridge Run. Josh Miller, 26, of Rockford (51:14, a course record) and Sadie Ringer, 15, of Kent City (1:05:03) were the 15K open division winners. Steve Menovcik, 41, of Grand Ledge (54:58) and Gayle Kuipers, 44, of Holland (1:07:46) were top masters. Leading the seniors were Marshall Randell, 52, of Rockford (59:11) and Jacqueline Blair, 54, of Detroit (1:11:51). Evers, even with an eye from the beginning on establishing a tradition of a tester of a race for hardcore distance runners, wasn’t blinded to a greater good. “I knew to get local people involved, I needed to have a 5K,” she said. This year the 5K race, which features an opening uphill and a closing downhill, had 241 finishers. The overall winners were Kevin Deyo, 51, of Traverse City (17:16) and Kristen Brown, 38, of Muskegon (19:23, a course record). For complete results, visit www.active.com/running/kent-city-mi/kentcity-ridge-run-2010#Results. MR

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

By Daniel G. Kelsey

Sadie Ringer, age 15, won the open division in 1:05:03.

Horizon League Indoor Championships Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

University of Detroit Mercy hosted the Horizon League Indoor T&F Championships, February 28, 2010. Detroit Mercyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pat Liederbach runs distances races.

St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Races, Bay City, March 21, 2010 Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Start of 8K and 8K races.

Nike Indoor Nationals, March 12-13, 2010, Boston Photos by Victah Sailor, Photorun.net

Megan Goethals sets a meet record to win the 2 Mile title in 10:10.14 (by .07 seconds)

Bridgette Owens-Mitchell was 2nd by a photo-finish .004 seconds in the 60m hurdles. 8:40.

Gabrielle Anzalone, 2nd, 5000m, 17:04. Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

St. Patrick’s Parade Corktown Race, Detroit

Corktown Boasts New Course, Record Crowds

By Charles Douglas McEwen

DETROIT (3/14/10) — The 28th annual St. Patrick’s Parade Corktown Race shrank in length from a four-mile to a 5K, but grew dramatically otherwise — for the first time surpassing 5,000 entrants. (Last year, about 3,300 runners and walkers took part.)

“Plus 5K is a more nationally-recognized distance. It also allowed us to combine our fun walk with the runners,” Kurtis said. The huge turnout at the event, sponsored by the Fraternal Order of United Irishman to benefit the St. Patrick’s Senior Center, made it tough to find enough supplies for the entrants. “The new tech shirts were a big hit,” Kurtis said. “We ordered an extra 1,000, then had to re-order another 750.”

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

“By switching to a 5K, we were able to simplify the course for the Detroit police,” said Doug Kurtis, who co-directs the race with Greg Everal. “It eliminated parade crowd issues.

Race Director Doug Kurtis holds the shamrock “tape” for Corktown winner Paul Aufdemberge.

The distance changed but the leaders didn’t, as Paul Aufdemberge, 45, of Redford and Jackie Rzepecki, 31, of Rochester won for the second year in a row. “It was actually a little harder than last year,” said Aufdemberge. “But I liked the new course.” Last year, Aufdemberge won the four-mile by 38 seconds. This year, he edged Drew MacAulay, 34, of Goderich, Ontario, finishing in 15:40 to MacAulay’s 15:49. Ryan Piippo, 31, of Franklin claimed third in 16:09. MacAulay, running Corktown for the first time, led for much of the first two miles. Aufdemberge passed him in the final mile.

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

“He surprised me,” MacAulay said. “I didn’t expect to get passed. I fought a little bit, but he was the much better man today.” “Paul knows how to lay the hammer down,” said Piippo. “If you’re not ready, you get left behind.” A swirling wind factored into the race, Piippo added. “It didn’t feel like a fast day today,” he said. “When we first went out it felt comfortable, but on the way back the wind took its toll.” “Last year’s weather was beautiful,” women’s winner Rzepecki remembered. “It was like 70 degrees. I got a sunburn. “This year I was glad that it was a 5K (instead of a four miles). I didn’t want to go another mile into that wind,” she said.

Rzepecki, who triumphed in 18:36, took the lead at around two miles. “I may have been too aggressive at that point,” she said. “I ended up just holding on in the last half-mile.” She was followed across the finish line by Christina Firl, 14, of Grosse Pointe (18:49) and Andrea Blake, 31, of Dearborn (19:00). The St. Patrick’s Day Parade down Michigan Avenue took place immediately after the race. The event also included a wellattended children’s fun run. “This year’s Corktown was our best all the way around, except for the (lack of) sunshine,” Kurtis said. “And we had 150 volunteers!” For complete results, visit www.corktownrace.com. MR

Martian Invation of Races, Dearborn

Martian Marathon, Half Marathon, Meteor 10K and 5K Ford Park, Dearborn, April 10 Photos by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Star Trek invades Mars: James Kennedy, Clarkston, Deanna Kennedy, Clarkston, and Robert Kennedy, Northville run the half marathon.

Melissa Bergeron, Norton Shores, Michigan, won the marathon in 3:16:25.

“Marathon Junkie” Chuck Engle of Dublin, Ohio, won another marathon, 2:39:30.

Ian Forsyth won a very competitive Meteor 10K, in 30:21.

Kelly Morgan, of Rochester, is the first woman to finish the half marathon, 1:24:12.

Andrea Pomaranski’s 34:41, took the women’s win in the Meteor 10K.

Nathan Peters, Ann Arbor, won the half marathon in 1:09:53.

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Marathon Calendar 2010

Grand Island Trail Marathon May 2010 Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, Pittsburgh, Sun., May 2 Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati, OH, Sunday, May 2 Forest City Road Races, London, ON, Sunday, May 2 SudburyRocks!!! Sudbury, ON, Sunday, May 2 Vancouver International Marathon, Vancouver, BC, Sunday, May 2 Ice Age Trail Run,Whitewater, WI, Saturday, May 8 Journeys Marathon, Eagle River, WI, Saturday, May 8 Dances with Dirt - Gnaw Bone, Nashville, IN, Saturday, May 15 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Green Bay, WI, Sunday, May 16 Mississauga Marathon, Mississauga, ON, Sunday, May 16 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Cleveland, OH, Sunday, May 16 Rockford Marathon, Rockford, IL, Sunday, May 16 Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon, Traverse City, Sat., May 29 Ottawa Marathon, Ottawa, ON, Sunday, May 30 Stillwater Marathon, Stillwater, MN, Sunday, May 30

June 2010 Sunburst Races, South Bend, IN, Saturday, June 5 Strides for Life 100 Mile Run, HOlland, Thursday, June 17 Charlevoix Marathon, Charlevoix, Saturday, June 26

July 2010 Friendly Massey Marathon, Massey, ON, Sunday, July 18 Carrollton Festival of Races, Carrollton, Sunday, July 25

September 2010 Beaver Island Marathon, Beaver Island, Saturday, September 4 Montreal International Marathon, Montreal, QC, Sun., September 5 Dances with Dirt - Hell, Pinckney/Hell, Saturday, September 11 Lake City Marathon, Winona Lake, IN, Saturday, September 11 Mid-Mountain Marathon, Park City, UT, Saturday, September 11 First National Bank of Wakefield Marathon, Wakefield , Sat., Sept. 11 United States Air Force Marathon, Dayton, OH, Sat., September 18 Fox Cities Marathon, Neenah, WI, Sunday, September 19 Road Runner Akron Marathon, Akron, OH, Saturday, September 25 Sault Area Chamber of Commerce Chase, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Sept. 25 Quad Cities Marathon, Moline, IL, Sunday, September 26 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Toronto, ON, Sun., Sept. 26

October 2010 Rockhead Trail Marathon, Waterford, Saturday, October 2 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, Minneapolis, MN, Sun., October 3 Whistlestop Marathon, Ashland, WI, Saturday, October 9 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Chicago, Sunday, October 10 Royal Victoria Marathon, Victoria, BC, Sunday, October 10 Towpath Marathon, Cleveland, OH, Sunday, October 10 Wild Life Marathon, Concord, Sunday, October 10 Indianapolis Marathon, Indianapolis, IN Saturday, October 16 Vulture Bait Trail Race, London, ON, Saturday, October 16 Detroit Free Press Marathon, Detroit/Windsor, Sunday, October 17 Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon, Grand Rapids, Sun., Oct. 17 Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon, Columbus, OH, Oct. 17 Prince Edward Island Marathon, Charlottetown, PE, Sun., October 17 Toronto Marathon, Toronto, ON, Sunday, October 17 Inland Trail Marathon, Elyria, OH, Sunday, October 24 Niagara Falls International Marathon, Niagara Falls, ON, Sun, Oct. 24

August 2010

November 2010

Grand Island Trail Marathon, Munising, Sunday, August 1 Crystal Lake Team Marathon, Beulah, Saturday, August 14 Fallsburg Festival of Races, Lowell, Saturday, August 14 Paavo Nurmi Marathon, Hurley, WI, Saturday, August 14 North Country Trail Run, Manistee, Saturday, August 28 SSQ Quebec City Marathon, Quebec City, QC, Sunday, August 29

Monumental Marathon, Indianapolis, IN, Saturday, November 6 ING New York City Marathon, New York City, Sunday, November 7

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

December 2010 HUFF 50K Trail Run, Huntington, IN, Saturday, December 19

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

May - August 2010 Event Calendar May Saturday, May 1

20 Mile Training Run

Traverse City 9:00 am Northwest Michigan College behind HS track training run up to 20MR Running Fit (231) 932-5401 runfittc2@ sbcglobal.net www.runningfit.com Arunawalkatrot 5K Run/Walk

Davison 9:00 am Jack Abernathy Davison Regional Park 5KR/W, kids run Bob Callis thecallisproject@charter.net active.com

Berkshire Proud Dad’s 5K

Beverly Hills 8:00 am 21707 West Fourteen Mile Road 5KR/W Jeff Sullivan (248) 910-7284 jsullivan5414@msn.com berkshiremiddleschool. webs.com/5k.htm

Blossomland Run for the Buds 30

St. Joseph 10:30 am downtown St. Joseph 5KR/W, kids run (269) 428-9622 jenniferh@bhsjymca.org blossomtimefestival.org

Carrollton Lions Club Walk/Run for the Blind 5K Carrollton 8:15 am Carrolton High School, 1235 Mapleridge Road 5KR/W Craig Douglas (989) 399-8860 cdouglas@ carrollton.k12.mi.us leaderdog.org

Child Advocacy 5K Run Alma 9:30 am 5KR, 1MR/W, kids run (989) 463-1422 audra@linkforfamilies.org

Endurance 5K Fun Run/Walk

Ann Arbor 9:00 am Gallup Park Canoe Livery 5KR/W (734) 474-2768 jspivey72@gmail.com huronhills.org

Families of SMA 5K Run, Walk and Roll

Lansing 9:30 am Hawk Island County Park 5KR/W, kids run (517) 668-1810 hollyschafer@comcast.net www.fsmamichigan.org

HealthTRAC 5K & 10K Run

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Three Rivers 9:00 am 10KR, 5KR, 1 MR/W (269) 273-9697 ssziede@ threerivedrshealth.org greatlakeschampionship.com

Hudsonville Highlands 5K

Hudsonville 9:00 am Pinnacle Center 5KR (616) 669-7685 hudsonvilelhighlands@ gmail.com

It’s All About the Children

Battle Creek 8:00 am 10KR, 5KR, 1MFR (269) 660-3835 markosmi@ trinity-health.org

Live Like Andi Run, Walk and Fashion Walk Novi 10:00 am Catholic Central HS, 27225 Wixom Rd. 10MR, 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR, kids run (248) 613-4868 info@secondwindrm.com livelikeandi.org/run2010.html

May Day Race 5K Run/Walk

Dexter 9:00 am Hudson Mills Metropark 5KR/W (734) 426-8211 4corners@maydayrace.com www.maydayrace.com

Mind Your Health

Run/Walk

Petoskey 10:00 am Bayfront Park 5KR, 1MW (231) 347-0740 jhebel@norcocmh.org www.norcocmh.org

MOM Charity 5K Run/Walk

Royal Oak10:00 am Starr Jaycee Park 5KR/W (248) 376-4666 director@ mindovermatterrace.org mindovermatterrace.org

NW Indiana Race for the Cure®

Mishawaka, IN 9:00 am Downtown Mishawaka 5KR/W (574) 289-9828 info@ komennorthernindiana.org classicrace.com

Out Came the Sun

Byron Center 9:00 am 5KR/W, kids run (616) 828-1021 bloom@momsbloom.org momsbloom.org

Run for a Cause

Walker 9:00 am Millenniumm Park 5KR/W (616) 261-9706 striders.erin@gmail.com www.stridersrun.com

Spring Adventure Challenge

West Michigan location

TBA 9:00 am 4-6 hour sprint race: running, hiking, canoeing, orienteering (616) 813-6734 michael@graar.org www.graar.org

St. Gerard Run/Walk/Rock 5K

Lansing 10:00 am St. Gerard Church, 4437 W. Willow Hwy (517) 668-0488 srentz@comcast.net

Striders 5K

Grandville 5KR Steve Webster (616) 261-9706 s.webster@stridersrun.com www.stridersrun.com

Sylvan Lake Shuffle

Sylvan Lake 9:00 am 5K R/W, 1K FR Michelle Allread (248) 252-0072 info@sylvanshuffle.com sylvanshuffle.com

Three Rivers 12K Race

May Date tba Fort Wayne 8:30 am Indiana Institute of Technology 12KR (260) 496-8000 info@3riversrunning.com www.3riversrunning.com

Tom Broughton Memorial 5K Fun Run / Walk West Branch 1938 Dam Rd. (989) 345-5363

8:30 am 5KR/W

westbranchvettina@gmail.com www.westbranchvet.com

Tulip Time Run

Holland 8:00 am Christ Memorial Church 8KR, 5KR/W, 1K kids run Alan Martens (616) 850-9300 alan@runningcircles.com www.tuliptime.com

Wellness Central Fitness Rat Race

Mt. Pleasant 9:30 am 2600 Three Leaves Drive 5KR, 1MR/W (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.cmch.org / edzone.net/~mphsstr

Willow Duathlon

New Boston 9 am Willow Metropark 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Sunday, May 2 Burns Park Run

Ann Arbor 8:30 am Burns Park Elementary School, 1414 Wells 10KR, 5KR, 1MFR (734) 747-6952 a2burnsparkrun@gmail.com www.burnsparkrun.org

Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon

Pittsburgh 7:55 am 26.2 MR, 13/1MR, relay, kids race (412) 586-7785

info@pittsburghmarathon.com

pittsburghmarathon.org

Flying Pig Marathon

Cincinnati, OH 6:00 am 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 26.2Wheelchair, relay, 10KR, 5KR, kids run Iris Simpson-Bush (513) 721-7447 info@flyingpigmarathon.com flyingpigmarathon.com

Forest City Road Races

London, ON 8:00 am London Life Building, Downton London 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 10KR, 5KR/W/Wheel, 2.5K FR (519) 765-2103 ForestCityRoadRaces @tvcc.on.ca forestcityroadraces.com

Heart of a Spartan

East Lansing 8:00 am Spartan Stadium 10KR/W, 5KR/W, 1MR/W Will Smith (734) 213-1033 will@ champsforcharity.com heartofaspartan.com

(604) 872-2928 info@vanmarathon.bc.ca vanmarathon.ca

Friday, May 7 Path to a Better Heart

Windsor, ON 7:00 pm Malden Park 5KR/W, kids run (519) 254-5577, ext. 72500 jpetro@wrh.on.ca runningfactory.com

Miracle League of Northwest Ohio 5K Run, 2K Walk

Sports and Fitness Expo

Race Judicata

Mason State Bank 5K

9:00 am Toledo, OH Swan Creek Metro Park 5KR, 2KW adelong@minwo.org www.minwo.org

Bloomfield Hills 9:30 am Andover High School 10KR, 5KR, 1MFW (248) 334-3400 membership@ocba.org www.ocba.org

Road Racing at Metro Beach

Harrison Twp 10:30 am Pointe Road - Metro Beach 2 person relay, 2M each Bob Blunk (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com

Special Dreams Farm 10K Run and 5K Walk

Shelby Township 9:00 am Stoney Creek Metropark, Eastwood Beach 10KR, 5KW (586) 381-9863 phbommarito@comcast.net specialdreamsfarm.org

Sporting Life 10K

Toronto, ON 8:00 am Yonge & Castlefield 10KR (416) 944-2765 run@canadarunningseries.com canadarunningseries.com/ sportinglife/

SudburyRocks!!! Race, Run, or Walk for Diabetes

Sudbury, ON 7:00 am Sudbury YMCA 26.2MR/W, 13.1MR/W, 10KR/W, 5KR/W, 1KR/W stevem@ionic-eng.com sudburyrocksmarathon.com

Vancouver International Marathon

Vancouver, BC 6:30 am. 26.2 MR/W/Wheel, 26.2, 13.1MR, 8KR, kids run

USA 25K Championship Michigan Runner Race Series Glio-Blastoff 5K Fun Run/Walk

Ypsilanti 9:00 am Eastern Michigan University, University Park 5KFR/W (586) 468-4814 mkimball@emich.edu braincancer5k.com

Ice Age Trail Run Whitewater, WI

6:00 am

Southern Kettel Moraine State Forest, Lagrange Nordic Trail 50MR, 50KR, 2 person 50K relay (262) 495-3131 glenn@iceagetrail50.com www.iceagetrail50.com

Journeys Marathon

Eagle River, WI 8 am CDT Northland Pines HS 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 13.1 Power Walk, 5KR (800) 359-6315 / (715) 479-6400

Grand Rapids 11:00 am DeVos Place (616) 040-9888 jtaylor@gazellesports.com gazellesports.com

Mason 7:00 pm Downtown Mason 5KR/W,1 MFR, 100 yd dash Mason State Bank (517) 676-0500, ext. 208 robert.warnke@ masonstate.com masonstate.com

Saturday, May 8 Brian Nasi Memorial Heart Walk/Run

Hurley, WI 9:00 am Hurley K-12 School 5KR/W, 1MR/W, kids run (715) 561-2486 gsmiles@gvhs.org northlandrunner.com

Donna & Dr. Jerry Thacker 5K RunWalk for Education

Mishawaka9:00 am Penn High School 5KR/W (574) 254-2893 amychrise@phmef.org www.phmef.org

Falcon 10 Miler & 5K Run/Walk

Constantine 9:00 am Constantine High School 10MR, 5KR/W (269) 435-4515 Greg@ GregHooverAgency.com

Fifth Third River Bank Run

Grand Rapids 8 am 25KR, 5KR/W, teams Kristen Aidif (616) 771-1590 runinfo@ 53riverbankrun.com 53riverbankrun.com

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

info@eagleriver.org www.journeysmarathon.org

Kate’s Challenge

Essexville 8:15 am St. John’s Church 5KR/W, 1MW, kids run (989) 686-3179 schockey6212@ chartermil.net

Laingsburg Lions Festival

9:00 am Laingsburg McClintock Skate Park, 5KR/W downtown (989) 862-9700 malbalow@msn.com runningfoundation.com

Mayfest Road & Trail Run

Shipshewana, IN 8:00 am Main St. & Morton St. 4MR, 1MFR (260) 562-9286 runshipshewana@ gmail.com www.runshipshewana

Mesick Mushroom River Run 5K

Mesick 7:30 am Northern Exposures Campground 5KR, 2KW (231) 885-1200 margosparks47@yahoo.com www.mesick-mushroomfest.org/Run.html

Run Like a Mother

Harrison Twp 9:00 am Metro Beach 10KR, 5KR (586) 420-7670 dlc87@comcast.net active.com

Run the Rouge

Canton 8:00 am 3MR/W (313) 792-9621 repmanager@therouge.org www.therouge.org

SCCCMH Run for Recovery

Port Huron 8:30 am St. Clair County Community Mental Health 5KR, 1MW (810) 966-7809 slewis@scccmh.org www.scccmh.org

St. Paul Spring TuneUp

Flint 9:00 am St. Paul Lutheran School 5KR/W (810) 239-6200 hub.cap@juno.com gaultracemanagement.com

Sue DeYoung / Judy Edger Breast Cancer 5K Walk and Run

10:00 am Charlevoix 5KR/W East Park (231) 675-0591 kendallhayes@gmail.com suedeyoungjudyedgerwalk.nexo.com

Vicksburg Hearty Hustle

9:00 am Vicksburg Vicksburg Athletic Stadium 5KRW, 1MFR, kids run (269) 321.1022 TNash@vicksburg.k12.mi.us www.vicksburgcommunityschools.org

Vision Builders 5K

Dexter 9:00 am Hudson Mills Metropark 5KR/W, kids run (734) 926-0976 5k@visionbuilders.org www.visionbuilders5k.org

Sunday, May 9 Berkley 1 Mile and 10K

Berkley 9:00 am Berkley Community Center 10KR, 1 MR/W (248) 547-1958 wmoyer@dmc.org www.motorcitystriders.com

Dash for Destiny 5K Run/Walk

Birmingham 8:30 am Shain Park 5KR/W, 1M kids run Junior League of Birmingham (248) 203-9841 dashfordestiny@gmail.com hansonsracemanagement.com

Wednesday, May 12 Doozie’s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm 1310 East Pickard 5MR, 3MR, 1MR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Thursday, May 13 Kent County Girls on the Run Celebratory 5K Run Kentwood 6:00 pm 5KFR/W (616) 916-0384 director@kcgotr.org www.kcgotr.org

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Mid American Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Men & Women Buffalo, NY track and field State University of New York at Buffalo mac-sports.com/ 5/13/10 - 5/15/10

Friday, May 14 Advance Packaging 5000

Jackson 7:00 pm 5KR/W, Kids Run Dave Knickerbocker (517) 788-9800 dknick@advancepkg.com fitnesscouncil.org/ runjackson/

Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships - Men & Women Bloomington, IN track and field Indiana University bigten.cstv.com/ championships/ big10-championships.html 5/14/10 - 5/16/10

Starker-Mann Challenge

Gaylord 7:00 pm Otsego Club, Sportsplex, Treetops Resort, Pavillion 1MB, 5KR (231) 546-2229 kenny@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com 5/14/10 through 5/16/10

Saturday, May 15 Bay Harbor 5K Run & Walk

Bay Harbor 9:00 am Village at Bay Harbor 5KR/W, kids race (231) 439-2700 info@ bayharborfoundation.org bayharborfoundation.com

Big Bay Relay

Marquette 7:00 am EDT River Sports Complex 30M relay, 5 member teams (906) 235-6861 sscntnadmin@gmail.com www.noquetrails.org

Capitol Bancorp 5K for JA

Lansing 9:45 am 100 W. Ottawa 5KR/W

(517) 371-5437 richardsonlarry@ sbcglobal.net playmakers.com Playmakers Race Series

Challenger 5K

9:30 am Howell Challenger Elementary 5KR/W, kids run (517) 548-6375 devinem@ howellschools.com runningfoundation.com/ Challenger.html

Dances with Dirt - Gnaw Bone

Nashville, IN 6:15 am Mike’s Music and Dance Barn 50MR, 50KR, 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 50M relay (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com dwdgnawbone.com Food Allergy 5K Run/Walk Dearborn 9:30 am University of Michigan Dearborn, Parking Lot H 5KR/W, kids run (313) 703-7754 foodallergy5k@gmail.com foodallergy5k.com

Healing Hands

Flint 9:00 am Mott Community College, Ballenger Field House 5KR/W (810) 230-6492 gaultracemanagement.com

Heart & Sole

Chelsea 8:30 am Chelsea Community Hospital 10KR, 5KR, 2 MR/W (734) 475-4157 heartandsole@cch.org active.com

Holly Fire Department Five Alarm 5K Run/Walk

Infiterra Sports Spring Fury Beginner & Elite

8:00 am location tba 8-10 hour sprint race Zac Chisholm (231) 233-4736 zac@infiterrasports.com www.infiterrasports.com

Lory’s Place Run, Walk & Rock

8:30 am St. Joseph 445 Upton Drive 5KR/W, kids run (269) 983-2707 lbartoszek@lorysplace.org www.lorysplace.org

MG 5K

Grand Rapids 9:00 am Riverside Park, Island Shelter 5KR/W (616) 956-0622 info@myasthenia-mi.org signmeup.com/67959

Mississauga Marathon 10K & 5K

Mississauga, ON 8:00 am Mississauga City Hall 10KR, 5KR (905) 949-1910 info@ mississaugamarathon.com mississaugamarathon.com marathon, half marathon and 2KFR/W on Sunday

North Brothers Ford/City of Westland 5K Fun Run/Walk Westland 9:00 am Central City Park 5KR/W (734) 421-1300 ext 1243 jackiemarcaccini@ northbros.com www.northbros.com

Oaklawn Hospital Hospitality Classic

Marshall 7:30 am North of downtown fountain 10KR, 5KR/W, 1 MFR Theresa Chaney (269) 789-8134 tchaney@oaklawnhospital.com

Holly 9:00 am Village of Holly Fire Department 5KR/W (248) 514-7318 janie@ hollyfiredepartment.com www.rotpac.com

classicrace.com

Kalamazoo 8:30 am Kalamazoo Christian HS 5KR/W (269) 281-2044 lmdehaan@ashland.com gazellesports.com

Starker-Mann Challenge

Howard Hill Hustle

Run for Recovery

Marquette, MI 9:00 am Marquette Commons, 10KR/W, 5KR/W (906) 228-9699 Mdemitchell@glrc.biz

Gaylord 9:00 am Otsego Club, Sportsplex, Treetops

Resort, Pavillion Tri: 4MR/ 30KB/ 400meterS or 2MR/ 20KB/ 400meterS and 40KB, 20KB and Superkids Try Aquathlon (231) 546-2229 kenny@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

5/15/09 - 5/17/09

Superkidstry Aquathon

Gaylord Noon Otsego County Sportsplex Aquathllon: 150mS/ 800mR or 250mS/ 1MR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Toledo Zoo Dart Frog Dash

Toledo, OH 8:30 am Toledo Zoo Nairobi Events Pavilion 5KR/W, Kids 1KR Robin Guidera (419) 389-6403, x2091 robin.guidera@toledozoo.org toledozoo.org

Sunday, May 16 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon

Green Bay, WI 7:00 am Lambeau Stadium 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 5KR, kids run (920) 432-6272 info@cellcomgreenbaymara thhon.com cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com

Dragon Dash

Lake Orion 9:00 am Civic Center Park 8KR/W (248) 391.0304 jvezina@oriontownship.org oriontownship.org

For Women Only 5K

8:30 am Ann Arbor Ellen Thompson Women’s Health Center, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital 5KR/W (734) 995-9541 jkslovesbuddy@comcast.net www.aatrackclub.org

Komen Southwest Michigan Race for the Cure®

Kalamazoo 9:15 am Arcadia Festival Site, downtown Kalamazoo 5KR/W, 1 MFR (877) 566-3679 mary.peterson@wmich.edu komenswmichigan.org

Mississauga Marathon

Mississauga, ON 8:00 am Mississauga City Hall 26.2 MR/Relay, 13.1 MR, 2K FR/W, kids run Joe Hewitt (905) 949-2931 info@landmarksport.com mississaugamarathon.com marathon, half marathon and 2KFR/W on Saturday

Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K

Cleveland, OH 7am 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 10KR Ralph Staph (800) 467-3826 cmi@clevelandmarath on.com clevelandmarathon .com Road Racing at Metro Beach

Harrison Twp

10:00 am

Pointe Road - Metro Beach 10KR Bob Blunk (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com

Rockford Marathon

7:00 am Rockford, IL David Park, Chestnut & Wyman Streets 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 4 person marathon relay (773) 584-6638 jruston@chicagoevents.com rockford marathon.com

Starker-Mann Challenge

Cornerstone Drive 5KR/W, kids run (517) 322-2000 tony.olds@gmail.com

Saturday, May 22 Autism Society of Michigan 5K

Lansing 10:00 am Hawk Island Park 5KR/W, 1/2M kids run (517) 882-2800 autism-mi.org

Book’n 5K Run / Walk and 1 Mile Story Time

Strut

8:00 am South Lyon Millennium Middle School 5KR, 1MR (248) 437-6431 jerridge@ssidl.info www.Bookn5k.com

Fight for Air Climb - Lansing Lansing start time varies Spartan Stadium stair climb Rob Powell

Gaylord 10:00 am Otsego Club, Sportsplex, Treetops Resort, Pavillion 5KR/ 30KB/ 5KR or 1MR/ 10KB/ 2MR (810) 714-5768 kenny@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Friday, May 21 Moonlit Miles for Marrow

Greenville 8:00 pm Klackle’s Orchards 15KR, 2MFR (616) 233-8676 racedirector@ moonlitformarrow.com moonlitformarrow.com

New Balance Girls on the Run Celebration 5K Holland 4:30 pm Holland Municipal Stadium 5KR ashleyr@ aplaceforwomen.org www.gotrac.org

South Church Family Fitness 5K

Lansing 7:00 pm South Church, 5250

Ferndale Foot Frolic

Ferndale 9:00 am Kulick Community Center, 1201 Livernois 10KR, 5KR Barbara Miller (248) 544-6767, x 5000 bmiller@ ferndal-mi.com ferndalerecreation.org Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

(616) 252-5028 rpowell@alarm.org lungusa.org/donate/ events/fight-for-airclimb/

Genesee County Start Heart Walk & Crim 5K Flint 7:00 am 303 E. Kearsley Street Jim Moloney 5KR/W (810) 235.3396 dkiertzner@flint.org

I Gave My Sole for Parkinson’s Walkathon & 5K Run

St. Clair Shores Lakeview HS 5KR/W, kids run (248) 433-1011 info@parkinsonsmi.org www.parkinsonsmi.org

LifeRUN

Portage 9:00 am West MS X-C Course 5KR (269) 345-1740, x18 kathy@pregnancychoices.com pregnancychoices.com

Muddy Watters, Bump & Run Trail Series, Race #1

Rochester Hills 9:00 am Bloomer Park, Mountain Ash Shelter 4MR (248) 320-5705 jeff@jeffwatters.com www.jeffwatters.com

NAS Grosse Ile Duathlon

Grosse Ile 8:00 am Grosse Ile Airport 5KR/ 25KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com www.3disciplines.com

New Balance Girls on the Run Celebration

Grand Haven 9:30 am Lakeshore MS 5KR (616) 355-9760 ashleyr@ aplaceforwomen.org www.gotrac.org

Outrun Poverty

Bay City 10:00 am Bay County Community Center 5KR/W (989) 450-8944 katielynnlarocke@gmail.com barc-mi.com

Run for Hope

Northville 8:30 am Maybury State Park, Oak Shelter 5KR/W, 1MW, kids run

(248) 348-0115 john@newhopecenter.net newhopecenter.net /newevent1.html

Save the Manatee Run

Harrison Twp. 8:00 am L’Anse Creuse High School 5KR, 2 MW (586) 783-6729 Largiri1@hotmail.com

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®

8:00 am Detroit Comerica Park 5KR/W1MFR, 1 Mile FR (800) 527-6266 raceforthecure@ karmanos.org karmanos.org/ detroitraceforthecure/

Sunday, May 23 Dragon Run

Grosse Pointe Park 8:30 am 14920 Windmill Pointe 5KR, 1MR/W (313) 605-8207 thekalmars@comcast.net

Granger Paths 5K Run/Walk

Granger 9:00 am 51446 Elm Road 5KR/W (574) 243-1452 macruns26@sbcglobal.net grangerpaths.typepad.com

Heart of Oak 5K Run / Walk

Bloomfield Hills 2:00 pm 5KR/W, 1MFR Al Ray (248) 842-8851 sunrays5@msn.com hansonsracemanagement.com

I Gave My Sole for Parkinson’s Walkathon & 5K Run Northville Northville HS 5KR/W (248) 433-1011 ahhansen@comcast.net www.parkinsonsmi.org

Making Tracks for Celiacs

Grosse Pointe Shores 9 am Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, 1100 Lakeshore Rd. 5KR/W (248) 693-6735 tccsg.com/contact_jl.html tccsg.com/events_upcoming 2.html

New Balance Girls on the Run 5K

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Ypsilanti 10:00 am Ellen Thompson Women’s Health Center, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital 5KR, kids run (734) 712-5640 beth@girlsontherunsemi.org www.girlsontherunsemi.org

Race For Your Memories

Milford 8:30 am Kensington Metro Park, Maple Beach 10KR, 5KR/W (248) 351-0280 helplinegmc@alz.org raceforyourmemories. kintera.org

XTERRA Last Stand Triathlon / Duathlon

Augusta 9:00 am Fort Custer State Park Tri: 1/2MS/ 12.5MB/ 4MR or Du: 2MR, 12.5MB, 4MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@ eliteendeavors.com eliteendeavors.com

Tuesday, May 25 Johnson Park 4 & 6 Mile Run

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm Johnson Park 6MR, 3MR, 3M Race Walk 1.5MR, Kids FR (616) 987-9097 nursemia2000@yahoo.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wed., May 26 LBW Race

E. Grand Rapids 5:00 pm kids races: 1MR, 3/4MR, 1/2MR Charles DeWildt (616) 235-7500, ext. 3406 cdewildt@egrps.org www.egrtrack.com

Thursday, May 27 Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run Celebration 5K Run

Kalamazoo 6:30 pm Waldo Stadium, Western Michigan 5KR (269) 491-6885 beth@girlsontherunkazoo.org girlsontherunkazoo.org

NCAA Division I I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Charlotte, NC Irwin Belk Complex Johnson C. Smith University (507) 646-3749 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 5/27/10 - 5/29/10

NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships

10KR, 5KR Donald Wood (231) 865-3551

Island Lake Triathlon

Brighton 7:30 am Island Lake Recreation Tri: .5MS/ 12.4MR/ 5KR or .09MS/ 24.8MB/ 10KR (734) 845-7559 jim@elementevents.com www.theelementevents.com

John Laurin Memorial 5K Run/Walk

Cleveland, OH Tressel Field at Finnie Stadium Baldwin-Wallace College / Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (920) 424-1034 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 5/27/10 - 5/29/10

Nadeau 9:00 am CDT Fadroski Park 5KR/W (906) 639-2512 theojj@sbcglobal.net uprrc.org

Friday, May 28

Mackinaw City 6:00 am Mackinaw City Recreation Complex 5.4 MR Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau (231) 436-5664 info@mackinawcity.com www.mackinawcity.com

NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Round 1

Greensboro, NC or Austin, TX Irwin Bell Track or Mike A. Myers Stadium North Carolina A&T State University or University of Texas at Austin (502) 852-5151 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 5/28/10 - 5/29/10

Saturday, May 29

Alma Highland Festival 5K

Alma 9:15 am Alma College campus 8MR, 5KR/W, kids runs Craig Tubbs (989) 681-5811 ctubbs2485@aol.com almahighlandfestival.com Eastern Ottawa Young Life 5K and Fun Run

Hudsonville 8:00 am Baldwin St. Middle School 5KR/W, 1MFR, 1/2MFR (616) 745-8500 karina.white@gmail.com sites.younglife.org/sites/eo/

Fruitport Old Fashioned Days Run Fruitport

9:30 am

Mackinaw Memorial Bridge Race

MDS Nordion 10K & 5K

Ottawa, ON 5:00 pm-5K; 6:30 pm-10K Elgin and Laurier Streets 10KR/W, 5KR/W (613) 234-2221 info@runottawa.ca runottawa.ca

New Balance Girls on the Run 5K Van Buren/ Cass Counties

Lawton 9:00 am Lawton HS 5KR (269) 657-5596 jebos@vbcassdhd.org vbcassdhd.org/vbc/healthgirlsontherun.html

Rochester Heritage Festival 5K Fun Run

Rochester 8:30 am Rochester Hills Public Library 5KR/W, kids run (248) 656-8308 melissa@rararecreation.org www.rararecreation.org

Run for the Cure

Caro 9:00 am Chippewa Landing Park 5KR/W, 1K kids run (989) 551-2185 blessedrunner@yahoo.com www.5krunforthecure.com

May - August 2010 Event Calendar

Salvation Army Home Run 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk

Escanaba 9:00 am Municipal Dock 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run (906) 399-3567 racedirector@ salvationarmyhomerun.org salvationarmyhomerun.org

Thumb Run Pat Kellerman Memorial

Bad Axe 9:00 am Bad Axe Middle School 10KR, 5KR/W Lee Kahler (989) 269-8272 lkahler@iserv.net barc-mi.com

Traverse City State Bank Bayshore Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K

Traverse City 7:00 am Northwestern Michigan College 26.2 MR, 13.1MR, 10KR (231) 941-8118 bayshoremarathon@ charter.net bayshoremarathon.org

Tri_Cities Family YMCA Kick Off to Summer 5K Run/Walk Grand Haven 8:30 am Tri Cities Family YMCA 5KR/W

(616) 842-7051, ext. 20 racedirector@tcfymca.org tcfymca.org

Two Rivers Meet

Elkhart, IN 7:30 am Civic Plaza, Main Street & High 15KR, 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run (574) 293-1683 PaulaTurk@aol.com stonesouppromotions.com

X-Tri Stony Creek

Shelby Township 8:00 am Stony Creek Metropark, Baypoint Beach 1000mS/ 20KMB/ 4MR or 2MR/ 13MR/ 4MR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Ottawa Marathon

Ottawa, ON Elgin and Laurier Streets 26.2 MR/W, Wheel, 13.1MR/W, 2KFr (613) 234-2221 info@runottawa.ca runottawa.ca 5K and 10K on Saturday

Sailing Thru the Shores St. Clair Shores 12:00 pm 11 Mile Rd & Harper Ave. 5KR/W (586) 771-2587 scsfunrun@hotmail.com www.scsfunrun.org

Seahorse Challenge Triathlon and Duathlon Climax

8:00 am

Sunday, May 30 Hansons Group Run

Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop training (248) 693-9900 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Lisaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Run

Alpena 2:00 PM Alpena Fairgrounds 5MR, KR (989) 414-0912 mark.jacobs@novartis.com

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Coldbrook County Park 1.5KW/ 40KB/ 6.4MR or 3.2MR/ 20KB/ 3.2MR, or 500meter S/ 20KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 kenny@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Stillwater Marathon

Stillwater, MN 7:00 am 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 20MR, 12KR (651) 430-2306 dmooney@stcroixevents.com stillwatermarathon.com

Monday, May 31 Big Foot Challenge

9:00 am Dansville Dansville High School 5MR, 5KR/W, kids’ run (517) 565-3338 witchell-crew@juno.com dansvilleathleticboosters.com/bigfootchallenge.htm

Hartland Memorial Day Run/Walk

Hartland 8:00 am Hartland High School 10KR, 5KR, 3KW Rob Buti (734) 451-2444 rjb0017@aol.com hartlandschools.us/ athletics/Events/Run/ Jenison Ambucs Memorial Day Race

Jenison 8:00 am Jenison Junior High 5KR (616) 451-1168 www.classicrace.com

Lest They Be Foregotten Memorial Day 5K/10K Webberville 9:00 am Webberville HS 10KR, 5KR/W (517) 749-7947 tkayhawley@yahoo.com webbervilleschools.org/f unrun/

Memorial Day 5K Run/Walk & 8K Run Grosse Ile 8:30 am Grosse Ile HS 8KR, 5KR/W, 1MFR Total Runner (734) 282-1101 greg@ everalracemgt.com everalracemgt.com 36

Run to Climax

8:00 am Climax E. Maple & Church 7KR , 2MW (269) 626-8611 spmtn@hotmail.com msu.edu/~weessie2/climax/c limax.htm

June Tuesday, June 1 Beach Wellness - JUNE DATE TBA Bay City 10:00 am Bay City State Rec. Area 5KR/W, 1/4M kids run (989) 684-7675 kjcwcc@chartermi.net barc-mi.com

Wednesday, June 2 Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #1

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Running Shop, 3407 Rochester (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Honor Roll Track and Field Meet

Lansing 5:30 pm Sexton High School track track & field meet dickh@playmakers.com (517) 349-3803 playmakers.com

Tooth, Fang & Claw 10K Run and Swamp Party

Pinckney 6:30 pm 10KR Dawn McConnachie (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com runningfit.com/ swampparty Wayland Road Runners 3 Mile Run Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 3 MR, 1.5MW (269) 792-2427 coachantel@mac.com waylandroadrunners.com

Thursday, June 3 Junior Honor Roll Track and Field Meet

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Lansing 4:00 pm Okemos HS track middle school track & field meet (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Swartz Creek Challenge

Swartz Creek 6:30 pm Swartz Creek HS 5KR/W John Gault (810) 659-6493 GRaceMgt@aol.com riverbendstriders.com

Saturday, June 5 5K4TJ

10:00 am Okemos 5KR/W Kinawa MS EDEN (Eating Disorders Network) (810) 714-1025 edenadmin@charter.net www.edenclub.org Blue Water Hospice 5K10K River Run Marysville 8:00 am MarysvillePark 10KR, 5KR, 3MW (810) 982.8809 tfoster@vnabwh.com www.vnabwh.com Curwood Festival Races Owosso 9:00 am 301 S. Washington St. (Chemical Bank Office) 10KR, 5KR/W, kids’ run (989) 725-8136 shiawasseeymca@ michonline.net www.shiawasseeymca.org

Dexter-Ann Arbor Kids Run

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti 4:00 pm Ypsilanti HS Soccer Fields under 3= 50 yds, 4-5 years=100 yds, 6-7 years 200 yds, 7-8 years=300 yds, 910=400 yds, 11-12 years=800 yds Hal Wolfe (734) 487-5616 runlikehal@ yahoo.com dexterannarborrun.com

Dodge Park 3.1 Mile Run Sterling Heights 8:00 am Dodge Park 3.1MR, 1MR/W

Mark DiSanto (586) 446-2700 mdisanto@ sterling-heights.net sterling-heights.net Fitness Is Life

Sault Ste. Marie 9:00 am 5KR/W 2 Ice Circle (906) 635-5055, x 121 ljogoin@jklschool.org www.jklschool.org/jklschoo l/site/default.asp

Hanson Hills Challenge Trail Run - tentative date

Grayling 9:00 am Hanson Hills Little Smokey Cross Country Lodge 5MR (989) 348-9266 hansonshills@hotmail.com www.hansonhills.org

Michigan Mile for Kids

Lansing 9:00 am Oldsmobile Park 1 MR for kids 12 & under (517) 364-8141 shawn.rottiers@sparrow.org sparrowhealth.net/

Michigan Trail State Championships

Lowell 7:00 am Fallasburg Park 100KR, 50KR, 25KR, 2 & 4 person relay (616) 260-2669 coachdroski@aim.com www.wildwest100k.4t.com

Midland Community Center’s Dow Run/Walk

Midland 8:00 am Midland Community Center 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MR/W, kids run (989) 832-7937, ext. 2221 jadamcik@mymcc.org dowrunwalk.mymcc.org

NTN Twin Peaks Trail Run

Marquette Noon M-553 trailhead 10MR, 5KR (920) 475-6643 up_mambo@me.com noquetrails.org/

Oak Apple Run

Royal Oak 7:30 am Downtown Royal Oak 10KR, 2MR Oak Apple Run (248) 541-4502 info@oakapplerun.org oakapplerun.org

OPC Fun Run / Walk Rochester 8:00 am

Older Persons’ Com-mission, 650 Letica Dr. 5KR/W (248) 659-1021 mattspierling@ opcseniorcenter.org www.opcseniorcenter.org

Panther Prowl

Holland 8:00 am 5KR/W (616) 786-1119 dykstrar@westottawa.net westottawa.net/resourcees/ community/pantherprowl/

St. Patrick Shamrock Festival 5K

Brighton 8:00 am St. Patrick’s Catholic 5KR Church (810) 229-9863 awyncott@gmail.com www.goracego.com / home.catholicweb.comStPa tchurch/

Sunburst Races

South Bend, IN 6:00 am 26.2 MR, 13.1 MR, 10KR, 5KR/W (574) 647-3394 msullivan@memorialsb.org www.sunburstraces.org

Sunday, June 6

Ann Arbor Triathlon / Duathlon

Pinckney 8:00 am Pinckney Recreation Area, Halfmoon Lake Beach Tri or Du: 1/2MS/ 14MB/ 5MR or 2MR, 14MB, 5MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@ eliteendeavors.com eliteendeavors.com Bass Festival Run

Mancelona 9:00 am Palmer Park 5KR/W Mancelona Bass Festival (231) 587-5044 mancelonabassfestival@ yahoo.com

CHOK YMCA International Bridge Race

Sarnia, ON 8:00 am Canatara Park, Sarnia; Bring birth certificate & picture id 10KR, team 10KR (519) 336-9622, x237

gerry_gillis@ymcasar.org runningroom.com

Dexter to Ann Arbor Run

Ann Arbor 8:00 am Main Street & Ann Street 13.1MR, 10KR, 5KR, kids run Hal Wolfe (734) 487-5616 runlikehal@ yahoo.com www.dxa2.com

Michigan Runner Race

Series - half marathon

Hawk Island Triathlon

Lansing 8:00 am Hawk Island County Park Tri: 400 meter S/ 16KB/ 5KR (517) 374-5700 kathie@southlansing.org www.hawk-i-tri.com

Racing for Recovery Half & Sprint Triathlon

Monroe 8:00 am Sterling State Park tri: 1.2MS/ 56MB/ 13.1MR or 500mS/ 12MB/ 3.6MR

(231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com www.3disciplines.com

We Can Do It Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5K

Okemos 9:00 am Meridian Township Offices 5KR/W (517) 899-5211 michelle@ meridianplumbing.net

Tuesday, June 8 Catholic Central 10K Relay Run

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm Catholic Central 10K track relay, 2 person teams (616) 791-0558 hulstdavid@att.net grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wednesday, June 9 Doozieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series

Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm 1310 East Pickard 5MR, 3MR

(989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Flushing Evening 5k Run/Walk

Flushing 6:15 pm Flushing High School 5KR/W (810) 487-0954 GRaceMgt@aol.com gaultracemanagement.com

Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #1 Utica

6:30 pm

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Hansons Running Shop, 8409 Hall Road training (248) 693-4883 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Eugene, OR Hayward Field (541) 346-4461 ncaasports.com/track-andfield/schedules 6/9/10 - 6/12/10

Wayland Road Runners 5K Run

Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K

Cutlerville/ Grand Rapids 9:00 am Legacy Christian School 5KR/W, 1MFR, kids’ runs Rob Hyde (616) 295-1073 robhyde@ diemerrun.com diemerrun.com Double Time Tri

Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 5KR, 2/5KW Ray Antel III (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

8:30 am Three Rivers Kline’s Resort, Portage Lake Tri: 400yd S/ 11.5MB/ 5KR, relay (999) 818-9918 jim@ jimmishler.com doubletimetri.com

Friday, June 11

Flirt with Dirt

Cooley Law 5K Race for Education

Lansing 7:30 pm Start and finish at the State Capitol 5KR/W, kids runs Terry Carella (517) 371-5140 X 2916 communications@ cooley.edu cooley.edu/race/

Hatchet Festival 5K Run, 1 Mile Stroll

Bad Axe 6:00 pm Bad Axe City Park 10KR, 5KR/W (989) 269-8272 lkahler@iserv.net barc-mi.com

Saturday, June 12 Ally Brunk Memorial 5K Potterville 9:00 am Potterville Public Library 5KR/W (517) 627-3715 brunkdb@pps.k12.mi.us runningfoundation.com Beat the Grandma 5K

Age/Gender Graded Race

Grand Rapids 9:00 am John Ball Park Zoo 5KR (616) 260-2669 coachdroski@aim.com beatthegrandma.mysite.com

Novi 7:30 am Lake Shore Park 10KR, 5KR Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runingfit.com www.runflirt.com Healthy Paws Healthy Cause Fun Run/Walk

Grand Rapids 8:00 am 6735 Cascade Rd SE 4MR/W, 2MR/W (616) 949-0960 racedirector@chfa.net 222.chfa.net

Kreger Farm Barn Raising 5K

Franklin 8:00 am 5KR/W (248) 547-0857 elaott@yahoo.com kregerhouse.org

Lake Macatawa Triathlon

Holland 7:30 am Howard B. Dunton Park 0.5MS/ 22.8 MB/ 4.8 MR, 2 or 3 person relay teams (616) 395-0178 darrind@ hct.holland.mi.us classicrace.com

Lebowsky Benefit 5K

Owosso 7:00 pm 219 S. Washington St. 5KR/W Steve Schlaack (810) 240-9891 12srschl@alma.edu

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Ludington Lakestride Half Marathon & 5K

Ludington 8:30 am 13.1 MR, 5KR Gary Andersen (231) 757-2166 gandersen@westshore.edu signmeup.com

M-22 Challenge: Bike, Paddle, Run

9:00 am Glen Arbor 25KB/ 2Kpaddle; 2MR (231) 883-5936 challenge4@m22online.com m22challenge.com

Mackinac Island Lilac Festival 10K Run and Walk

Mackinac Island 9:30 am Windemere Point 10KR/W, kids run John Gault (810) 487-0954 johncgault2@aol.com runmackinac.com Michigan Sugar Festival Road Race

Sebewaing 8:30 am Sebewaing Downtown Park 5KR/W (989) 977-0737 barc-mi.com

Midwest Track & Field Meet of Champions

Fort Wayne, IN 11:30 pm Northrop HS, Spuller Stadium track & field Jerry Reis/Michigan contact (517) 750-2836 jreis42@comcast.net www.iatccc.org/mmc/

North Country Trail Relay

Baldwin 6:00 am Manistee National Forest 77.8 M relay, 6 runner teams, 15 legs 2.3-9.2 miles (616) 786-2945 nctrelay@nctrelay.org www.nctrelay.org

Race and Remember

Detroit 7:00 am Rivard Plaza 5KR/W (313) 578-5000 LKota@hom.org hom.org

Rose Run

Jackson 8:00 am Point to point along Brown’s Road

5MR, 5KR, 5M hybrid R, 4M hybrid relay run (517) 796-8455 olsenbrian@comcast.net fitnesscouncil.org/ runjackson/

St. Joe’s 5K Run, 2 Mile Walk Pewamo 8:30 am Pewamo St. Joseph School 5KR, 2MW Ken Kramer (989) 981-6656 pewamo5K@yahoo.com pewamo5k.tripod.com

St. Mark’s 5K Run & Walk for Charity

Bridgeport 9:00 am St. Mark’s Church, 3060 Williamson Rd. 5KR/W (989) 777-0240 runwild1128@hotmail.com barc-mi.com

Superkidstry

Detroit 9:00 am Belle Isle Triathlon: 100mS/ 5KB/ 800mR or 200mS/ 10KB/ 1MR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Superkidstry

Monroe 8:00 am tri: 100meterS/ 5KB/ 800meterR or 200meterS/ 10KB/ 1MR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

USATF Michigan Open/ Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships Hillsdale 1:00 pm Hillsdale College Muddy Waters Stadium track meet Jan Burch (231) 768-4535 mitcajan@hotmail.com michigan.usatf.org

Sunday, June 13 Motor City Triathlon

Detroit 8:00 am Belle Isle triathlon: 1.5KS/ 40KB/6.6MR or 500meter S/ 20KB/ 3.4MR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Wed., June 16 Grand Ledge Track and

Field Series

6:30 pm Grand Ledge Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #1 6:30 pm Lake Orion Hansons Running Shop training (248) 693-9900 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Human Race

Mt. Pleasant 6:30 pm Reservation, East Remus Road 5KR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Road Racing at Metro Beach

Harrison Twp 7:00 pm Pointe Road - Metro Beach 4M prediction run Bob Blunk (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com

Wayland Road Runners 4 Mile Prediction Run

Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland Union HS Track 4 MR prediction run (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Thursday, June 17 Glen Arbor Clio Firecracker 5K

Clio 6:15 pm Carter Middle School 5KR/W, kids run John Gault (810) 487-0954 johncgault2@aol.com gaultracemanagement.com

Strides for Life 100 Mile Run Holland 8:00 am Hope College 25MR, 50MR, 75MR, 100MR, 25 miles per day (231) 828-5448 savanna.rayner@cancer.org www.stridesforlife.com/ 6/17/10- 6/20/10

Friday, June 18 Kids’ Klassic

Kalamazoo 6:00 pm YMCA on Maple St. 1KFR Kim Klein

May - August 2010 Event Calendar (269) 343-0747 mrcpr@mrcindustries.org kalamazooklassic.com

Pregnancy Services Race 4 Life 5K

Lansing 9:00 am Granger Meadows Park 5KR/W Sara Russ (517) 580-8185 psglwest@gmail.com race4life5k.com

Saturday, June 19 Antiochâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Get Healthy Now 5K Run/Walk

Cheesetown Challenge Pinconning 6:00 pm Doc Letchfield Park 5 MR, 2 MR/W, kids run (989) 879-5617 marcheese@charter.net www.cheesetownraces.org

Courthouse Classic

LaGrange, IN 8:30 am 5KR/W, 1MFR (260) 463-4962 info@courthouseclassic.com courthouseclassic.com

CROP 10K & 5K Run

9:00 am Macon 11964 Macon Hwy 10KR, 5KR (517) 423-1980 ruffnersp@gmail.com runningwithes.com Runners can run both races and get in a 15K

Girls on the Run Summer Solstice 5K

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 5KR

Stacy Lischka (517) 420-3557

Johanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TriFest

Hopkins 8:00 am Sandy Pines Resort Triathlon Olympic: 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR (616) 261-9706 johanstrifest@aol.com www.johanstrifest.com

Joshua Spalsbury Memorial Comet Chase 5K

Grand Ledge 8:30 am First United Methodist Church 5KR/W (517) 627-5676 templaw@corecom.com 5kcometchase.com

Kalamazoo Klassic

7:30 am Kalamazoo YMCA, 1001 West Maple 10KR, 5KR/W, 5KFW (269) 343-0747 mrcpr@mrcindustries.org kalamazooklassic.com

Lansing 8:30 am Hawk Island County Park 5KR/W (517) 327-0967 5K@antiochoflansing.org runningfoundation.org

Bay Area Family Y River Run Classic

Bay City 9:00 am Bay County Community Center 5KR/W, 1/2M Kids R (989) 893-1093 ymcabaycity.com/events.htm

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Michigan Runner Race Series - 10K

Michigan Brewing Company Beer Run

Webberville time tba Michigan Brewing 5KR Company (517) 775-4366 joe@michiganbrewing.com www.michiganbrewing.com

Metroparks Happy Trails 5K

Toledo, OH 9:00 am Wildwood Preserve 5KR/W Metropark (419) 407-9727 marge.dembowski@ metroparkstoledo.com metroparkstoledo.com

Moon in June

Windsor, ON 6:45 pm Riverside Sportsmen Club 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run (519) 945.3786 info@runningfactory.com www.runningfactory.com

Tulip City Tiny Tikes Triathlon

Holland 9:30 am Smallenburg Park Campus & Municipal Stadium Tri: S / B /R (616) 355-1136 a.wallace@cityofholland.com www.cityofholland.com/rec

Until Journey’s End Trail Run

Grand Rapids 8:00 am Cannonsburg ski area 10KR, 5KR, kids run (616) 706-6947 jim@hosslerdesign.com www.untiljourneysendtrailr un.com

Sunday, June 20

Big Fish Triathlon, Duathlon, Sprint

Rhino Romp Children’s Mile

Hadley Township 8:00 am Big Fish Lake State Park 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR; 500mS/ 20KB/5KR; 5KR Duathlon: 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Run for a Cause

Fort Wayne, IN 8:30 am Metea County Park 5KR (260) 436-8284 MitchVHarper@gmail.com run4Trails.com

Out & About Autism

Shelby Township 9:30 am Stony Creek Metro Park, Eastwood Beach Picnic Area 5KR/W (586) 447-2235 support@macombasa.org macombasa.org

Lansing Potter Park Zoo kids 1MR (517) 702-4733 gbrady@ingham.org potterparkzoo.org

Ada 8:30 am Ada Elementary School 5KR/W, 1.5MR/W (616) 957-8188 dhamill@integrated-rs.com www.run4acauseada.com Run for Food Huron Township Willow Metro Park 5KR/W (734) 558-8293 mbjjake@wowway.com everalracemgt.com/events/

Spring Lake Heritage Festival 5K Run/Walk

Spring Lake 8:00 am Central Park 5KR/W (616) 881-2882 FETTB@ghsp.com www.slheritagefestival.com

Cedar Creek Run 4 Trails

Father’s Day Run for Recovery 5K

Charlotte Bennett Park 5KR/W (517) 231-3408 recoverynet1@sbcglobal.net

Plymouth YMCA Father’s Day Run

Plymouth 7:30 am Downtown Plymouth 10KR, 5KR/W, 1 MR/W, Triple (all 3 races, 10.3 miles), Kid’s trot/jog Cindy Morency (734) 453-2904 cmorency@ ymcametrodetroit.org www.ymcadetroit.org

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Run for the Ribbon 5K for Prostate Care Awareness

Huntington Woods 8 am 5KR/W Detroit Zoo (586) 771-4820 racebreak@aol.com miurunfortheribbon.org

XTERRA Torn Shirt Triathlon /Duathlon

Brighton8:00 am Brighton Recreation Area, Bishop Lake Tri: 1/2 MS/ 15MB/ 6MR; Du: 2MR/ 15MB/ 6MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 376-9496 jdjp@ eliteendeavors.com eliteendeavors.com

Tuesday, June 22 Forest Hills Eastern High School Track Meet

Grandville 6:00 pm Grandville High School 1MR, 800meter R, 400 meter relay, 100 meters, 2MW (616) 250-4309 bill.grrc@gmail.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wed., June 23 Grand Ledge Track and Field Series

Grand Ledge 6:30 pm Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Hansons Marathon Clinic #1

Grosse Pointe 6:30 pm Hansons Running Shop, 20641 Mack Ave. training (248) 693-4883 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Triceratops Triathlon

Brighton 6:30 pm Island Lake Recreation Area Tri: 1/2MS/ 12.4MB/ 5KR/ Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com www.runtrextri.com

Twilight Run

Lansing 7:00 pm 200 Museum Drive, Lansing River Trail 5KR/W (517) 702-0226 cblock@lcc.edu runningfoundation.com

Wayland Road Runners 4 Mile Handicap Run Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland Union HS Track 4 MR, 2MW (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Thursday, June 24 MCS 1 and 3 Mile Run/Racewalk and Club Picnic Huntington Woods 6:30 pm Huntington Woods Recreation Center 3 MR, 1 MR (248) 544-9099 racebreak@aol.com motorcitystriders.com

St. Stan’s Polish Festival Road Race Tentative Date Bay City 6:15 pm St. Stan’s Athletic Field 5KR/W Jeff Hahn (989) 450-8973 barc-mi.com

YMCA Retread Run/Shoes for Kids

Flint 6:30 pm Downtown Flint YMCA 8KR, 5KR/W John Gault (810) 659-6493 GRaceMgt@aol.com riverbendstriders.com Bring old, wearable running/walking shoes

Friday, June 25 Hansons 3 Mile CrossCountry Race

Sterling Heights 7:00 pm Dodge Park 3 MR (586) 323-9683 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, June 26 Artful Dodger Riverview Run

St. Clair 8:30 am St. Clair Riverview Plaza 5KR (810) 329-2962 larrymckay@allstate.com stclairchamber.com

Bank of America Reeds Lake Run

Grand Rapids 8:00 am Reeds Lake 10KR, 5KR/W Susan Perry (616) 949-1750 sperry@eastgr.org www.reedslakerun.com

Binder Park Zoo Cheetah Chase

Battle Creek 8:00 am Binder Park Zoo 5KR/W, 1MFR Amy Riegel (269) 979-1351, ext. 155 ariegel@binderparkzoo.org www.binderparkzoo.org

Charlevoix Marathon

Charlevoix 7:00 am Bridge Street 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 10KR, 5KR/W Sharon Suffolk (248) 437-4524 sharon@goodboyeven ts.org goodboyevents.com

The Chronicle Seaway Run

Muskegon 8:00 am Muskegan Family YMCA 15KR, 5KR/W, kids run (231) 725-6529 lkeech@ muskegonchronicle.com runnersedgeracetiming.com

Concord Classic 5K Run/Walk

Concord 8:00 am Concord High School 5KR/W, 1/2 M Kid’s Run (517) 524-6995 cclassic@frontiernet.net fitnesscouncil.org/ runjackson/

Curt Knierim Memorial Run/Walk

Newberry 8:30 am Newberry HS Track 5MR, 5KR/W, 1MFR/W (248) 259-7898 clkmemorialrun@hotmail.com curtknierimmemorial.com

Glenda’s Glide 5K Run and Walk

Auburn Hills 7:56 am downtown Auburn Hills 5KR/W Crim Fitness Foundation (810) 235.3396 crim@flint.org crim.org

Maxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Race

8:30 am East Lansing Michigan State University auditorium 5KR/W, kids run (517) 204-3257 jim@maxsrace.com www.maxsrace.com

Muddy Watters, Bump & Run Trail Series, Race #2

Rochester Hills 9:00 am Bloomer Park, Mountain Ash Shelter 4.5MR (248) 320-5705 jeff@jeffwatters.com www.jeffwatters.com

MWCAA Corporate Cup Relays

Southfield 7:30 am Southfield HS, 10 Mile & Lahser Rd 10KR, 5KR/W, track relays, shot put, long jump, high jump (313) 598-7235 glane@ford.com www.mwccr.org

Open Door Julie Run/Walk - tentative date Commerce Twp. 9:00 am Walled Lake Northern High School, 6000 Bogie Lake Road. 10KR, 5KR/W Julie Leblanc (248) 363-6128 juliejack3@aol.com www.opendooroutrea chcenter.com

Portland St. Patrick Parish Festival 5K Run Portland 8:30 am Portland HS (517) 647-7696 kemmisl@michigan.gov portlandstpats.com

Solstice Run

Northville 7:30 am Ford Field, Griswold St. north of Main, downtown Northville 10MR, 10KR, 5KR/W, Kids Run Alan Whitehead (248) 345-6168 awhitehead@ mi.rr.com www.solsticerun.org

Michigan Runner Race Series - 5K

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

May - August 2010 Event Calendar Sunday, June 27 Bear Lake Tri

North Muskegon 8:00 am North Muskegon Sports Center Tri: 750mS / 20KB / 5KR, 1.5KS / 35MB / 7.2MR, Du: 5KR / 20KB / 5KR Relay: 1500mS / 35MB / 7.1MR (231) 557-6454 matt@endurancesports.biz www.endurancesports.biz

Clawson 5K Freedom Run Clawson 7:30 pm Clawson City Park 5KR, 1MFR Twin Runs (248) 330-2952 twinruns@mac.com www.freedom-run.com

Dogwood 5K Run & 2 Mile Walk Saxon, WI 8:30 am CDT Iron County Fairgrounds 5KR, 2MR/W (715) 893-2269 mmassoglia@oneil.com uprrc.org

Hansons Group Run Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop training (248) 616-9665 hansonsrun@aol.com hansons-running.com

Iron Goddess Triathlon

Waterloo 8:00 am Portage Lake, Waterloo Recreation Area Tri: sprint, half sprint; Du: sprint (734) 678-5045 eva@epicraces.com epicraces.com

Kensington Triathlon Presented by Rudy Projects

Milford 8:00 am Kensington Metropark / Maple Beach Tri: 1/2MS / 15MB / 4MR (734) 845-7559 jim@ elementevents.com elementevents.com

Linden Summer Happenings

Linden 8:30 am Linden High School 5KR, 1MR

(810) 701-8625 edwindskinner@ hotmail.com

Pictured Rocks Road Race Run for the Red Cross Munising 8:00 am R.W. Nebel Field 13.1MR, 5KR, FW (906) 356-6355 anniestanger@ charter.net picturedrocksroadrace.com

Ronald McDonald Foun-dation Tri-Michigan

Detroit Metro Area 8:00 am Triathlon 3 Disciplines (231) 546-2229 info@ 3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com She Rocks Triathlon/Duathlon

Chelsea 8:00 am Big Portage Lake, Waterloo Recreation Area tri: .5MS/ 10.7MB/ 3MR or .25MS/ 10.7MB/ 1.5MR or 1.5MR/ 10.7MB/ 3MR Eva Solomon (734) 678-5045 eva@estevents.com estevents.com women only

Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma

Royal Oak 7:00 am Detroit Zoo 5KR, 2MW, 1MR kids run (248) 865-7259 jlandrum@scleroderma.org www.scleroderma.org/chapt er/michigan

Wed., June 30 Grand Ledge Track and Field Series Grand Ledge 6:30 pm Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Wayland Road Runners 5 Mile Graveyard Run Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 5MR, 2.5MW (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

July Thursday, July 1 Beaverton Run

Beaverton 7:00 pm Beaverton HS track 4 MR, 2MW (989) 435-4111 barc-mi.com

Friday, July 2 Harbor Shores 5K Run

Benton Harbor 7:00 pm Jean Klock Park 5KR (352) 241-7144, ext 4209 tomziebart@aol.com firecrackertri.com

Saturday, July 3 Bostwick Lake Triathlon

Rockford 8:00 am 6775 Sunset Cove, Bostwick Lake Tri: .4MS/ 14MB/ 3MR (616) 821-9862 sara@marshillruns.com www.bostwicklaketri.com

Caledonia Kilt Klassic 5K

Caledonia 8:00 am 9757 Duncan Lake Ave. 5KR/W (616) 406-9766 zemhilton@yahoo.com kiltklassic.com

Coach Kelly 5K

St. Louis 8:00 am St. Louis High School 5KR/W, 1MFR (989) 330-2430 coachk5k@yahoo.com racingactivies.org

Dorks Brothers 4th of July Run

Alpena 9:00 am Alpena County Fairgrounds 5KR, 1MR

(989) 354-7314 jgentry@first-federal.com www.thunderbaytrails.org

Firecracker 5 Mile Run

9:00 am EDT Gladstone VanCleve Park Pavilion 5MR/W (906) 399-7044 butchandjudy@yahoo.com www.gladstonemi.org

Firecracker Triathlon

Benton Harbor 8:00 am Jean Klock Park 1/4MS/ 11MB/ 3MR, kids tri (269) 983-2453 info@firecrackertri.com firecrackertri.com

GHXC Patriots Day 5K

Road and Trail Run Grand Haven 8:30 am Grand Haven HS 5KR (616) 846-5513 tlaughlin@chartermi.net greatlakeschampionchp.com

Hills & Dales Races Tentative Date

Cass City 8:00 am Hills & Dales Hospital 8KR, 5KR/W (989) 872-2084 dwohl@hillsanddales.com hdghrehab.com

Pace for Poverty Run Richland 8:00 am Gull Lake Community Schools 10KR, 5KR, FW (269) 207-4988 swalbri2000@tds.net active.com

Run & Walk for Funds

Northport 9:00 am Historic Northport Depot 10KR, 5KR, 2 MW (231) 386-5188 gwanderson@ chartermi.net Schoolcraft Firecracker 5 Miler

Schoolcraft 8:00 am Schoolcraft HS 5MR, 1MFR/W (269) 679-4958 brenda@firecracker5.com firecracker5.com

St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Festival Westphalia

8:00 am

St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School 5MR, 5KR/W (989) 587-6984 wirthj2003@yahoo.com playmakers.com

Volkslaufe

Frankenmuth 8 am Heritage Park 20KR, 10KR, 5KR/W, 2KFR-kids run (989) 860-3388 or (800) fun-town info@volkslaufe.org www.volkslaufe.org

YMCA Buck Creek Run

Grandville 8:00 am Grandville MS 5 KR/W, kids runs (616) 822-1972 wayne@vbstriteam.com www.buckcreekrun.com

Sunday, July 4

Ann Arbor Firecracker 5K

Ann Arbor 8:00 am Downtown Ann Arbor 5KR/W, kids dash Champions for Charity (734) 213-1033 events@ champsforcharity.com champsforcharity.com Boyne City Independence Day Run

Boyne City 7:30 am Downtown Boyne City 10KR, 2 MR (231) 582-9196 runboyne@charter.net

Dorr 5K Run/Walk

Dorr 7:30 am St. Peters Lutheran Church 5KR/W (616) 366-2472 bhalloran3@netzero.net

Firecracker 5K

Beulah 8:00 am Beulah Park Pavilion 5KR (231) 930-4222 kellya@benzieschools.net crystallakecommunitybusinessassoc.com

Firecracker 5K

Corunna 8:00 am Stu Cotts Pavilion,, Ferry

Street 5KR/W, 1MFR (989) 743-5874 tmsarrazin@gmail.com corunna4th.org/ julyrace.html

Hanover Firecracker

Hanover 8:00 am Hanover Fire Station 5 MR, 5KW, kids run Jeff Heath (517) 563-2125 jlheath_hft@yahoo.com fitnesscouncil.org/ runjackson/

Horse Tail Scramble

Hancock 1:00 PM Churning Rapids Trails 10KR, 5KW (906) 482-6827 tkinzel@pasty.com uprrc.org/Calendar.htm

Howell Independence Aquathlon and Open Water Swim Howell 9:00 am Howell City Park 2KR/ 1KS/ 2KR or 1MS Chris Galatis (517) 546-0693, ext. 7705 parksandrec@ howellrecreation.org howellrecreation.org Hungry Duck Run

Brighton 7:00 am Grand River & Main 13.1MR, 5KR, kids fun run (810) 229-4320 hungryduckrun@comcast.net hungryduckrun.com

Pickerel Run

Algonac 8:00 am Algonac Elementary School 10KR, 5KR/W (810) 499-5687 jgibson30@sbcglobal.net raceservices.com

Run & Walk for Funds, Northport, is July 3

Ryan Shay Midsummer Night Run Central Lake 7:00 pm Thurston Park 10KR, 5KR, 1MFR Joe Shay (231) 544-2815 jshay@ryanshay.org ryanshay.org

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Volkslaufe is July 3

Tuesday, July 6 Richmond Park Cross Country

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm Richmond Park 5KR, 1.5MR, kids run (616) 785-4943 rssuzannez@aol.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wednesday, July 7 Doozie’s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm 1310 East Pickard 5MR, 3MR, 1MR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #2

Royal Oak 6:30 pm Hansons Running Shop, 3407 Rochester training (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Wayland Road Runners 7 Mile Handicap Run

Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 7MR, 3.5MW (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Thursday, July 8 Auburn Cornstalk 5K Run/Walk

Auburn 6:30 pm Western High School 5KR/W (989) 686-0246 Runwild1128@hotmail.com barc-mi.com

Huckleberry Hustle 5k Trail Run - Tentative date Flint 7:00 pm Cross roads Village & Huckleberry Railroad 5KR/W, kids run (810) 249-3855 ndunn@gcparks.org GeneseeCountyParks.org

Saturday, July 10 Anchor Bay Triathlon

New Baltimore 7:30 am 1/2MS/ 17.7KB/ 4.8i3K (586) 725-0291 groovie56@yahoo.com

cityofnewbaltimore.com/ recreaqtion.asp

Bethany Race for Home 5K Sterling Heights 9:30 am 5KR/W Delia Park (248) 414-4080 dswanson@bethany.org bethany.org/raceforhome/

Dances with Dirt - Devil’s Lake

Baraboo, WI Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com danceswithdirt.com Elsie Dairy Dash

7:30 am Elsie Village Main Street 5KR/W (989) 834-5742 laurabraun@hughes.net www.playmakers.com

Kindleberger Summer Festival of the Arts 5K Run/Walk

Parchment 8:00 am Kindleberger Park 5KR/W, kids run (269) (569) 5996 ccrowell@gazellesports.com kindleberger.org/5krunwalk.php

Lakeshore Miracle Run Holland 8:30 am 4686 66th Street 10KR (616) 392-2282 vkavanaugh@ gazellesports.com gazellesports.com

Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games 5K

Rochester 8:00 am OPC 5KFR/W (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

National Cherry Festival 15K & 5K Traverse City 7:30 am Eastern Elementary, 1600 Eastern Ave. 15KR, 5KR/W Mandy DePuy (800) 968-3380 info@cherryfestival.org

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

cherryfestival.org

Michigan Runner Race Series

Port Austin Run for Youth for Christ - tentative date

Port Austin 8:30 am Gallup Park 8KR, 2 MR/W Charlotte Thuemmel (989) 738-8772 race@parun.org www.parun.org

Razzasque 5K

8:15 am LeRoy LeRoy Elementary School 5KR/W (231) 768-4535 mitcajan@hotmail.com www.leroyrazzdays.org

Rockford Area Kids Triathlon

Rockford 9:00 am Rockford HS triathlon: kids 0-17; distances vary by age (517) 336-6429 sweeneyk@michigan.gov www.rocktri.com

Rollie Hopgood’s Midtown Taylor 5K Run Taylor 9:00 am Heritage Park, 12111 Pardee 5KR/W, 1MFR Greg Everal (734) 507-1789 greg@everalracemgt.com downriverrunners.org

Son of a Sailor Hess Lake 10K Run/Walk

Newaygo 8:30 am Hess Lake, River Valley Community Church 10KR/W (231) 282-0581 amich@newaygo.net runnersedgeracetiming.com

Tawas Kiwanis’ Run by the Bay East Tawas 9:00 am 1st block of Newman Street 5KR/W (989) 362-4288 runbythebay@gmail.com

Sunday, July 11 Gallup Gallop

Ann Arbor 8:30 am Gallup Park, Canoe Livery 5KR/W, 1 MR (734) 975-9199 gallup_gallop@yahoo.com www.aatrackclub.org

Grand Haven Triathlon, Sprint Tri, & Duathlon

7:45 am Grand Haven Tri-Cities Family YMCA 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500meterS/ 20KB/ 5KR or 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR, kids tri (616) 566-7870 raceinfo@ grandhaventri.com www.grandhaventri.com

Inter-Rockin Tri, Du,Sprint Tri

Interlochen 8:00 am Interlochen State Park 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500 meter S/ 20KB, 5KR or 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Muddy Buddy Ride & Run Series

Shelby Township 8:00 am Stoney Creek Metro Park 6-7MR/B team relay (818) 707-8867 muddybuddy@ competitorgroup.com muddybuddy.com

Run for Life 5K Run & Walk Mt. Morris 8:00 am Knights of Columbus 5KR/W (810) 513-8112 timmurphy9200@ comcast.net www.kofc4285.org

Run Your Bass Off

Crystal Falls 9:00 am-Central Runkle Lake Park 10KR, 3.6MR, 2MW (906) 875-6191 kolson@up.net humungusfungusfest.com/Crystal-FallsBusiness-Association-RunYour-Bass-Off.html

Waterloo Triathlon / Duathlon

Grass Lake 8:00 am Big Portage Lake, Seymour Road Tri: 1/2MS/ 16MB/ 5MR; Du: 2MR/ 16MB/ 5MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398

jdjp@ eliteendeavors.com eliteendeavors.co

Wednesday, July 14 Grand Ledge Track and Field Series

6:30 pm Grand Ledge Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #2

6:30 pm Utica Hansons Running Shop training (586) 323-9683 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Wayland Road Runners Track Workout Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 3200mR, 400mR, 200mR, 100mR (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Friday, July 16 Great Lakes Relay Eastpointe 6:00 am Begins near Tawas; finishes in Empire 270 M Relay (313) 885-3256 info@greatlakesrelay.com greatlakesrelay.com 7/16/10 - 7/18/10

Hansons 3 Mile CrossCountry Race

Romeo 7:00 pm Wolcott Farm 3 MR (586) 323-9683 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games Track Meet Rochester 4:00 pm Adams High School track track and field: race walk, 1500mR, 5KR (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

Saturday, July 17

Alpenfest Run Gaylord 7:30 am Pavilion on Court

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Street 10MR/W, 4MR/W, 1 MFR Mike Tarbutton (989) 732-6333 mtarbutton@ otsegocountymi.gov otsegocountyparksrec.com/AFRace.htm

Bastille Days 5K Run/Walk and 15KR

Fenton 7:45 am 150 S. Leroy 15KR, 5KR/W Adam Haffajee (810) 603-1366 ahaffajee@ geneseehabitat.org geneseehabitat.org/5k-run/

Bear River Crawl

Petoskey 8:00 am Bay Front Park 10KR, 5KR (231) 347-9300 mbowers@ northernmichigansportsmed.com northernmichigansportsmed.com

Brainy Day 5K

Nunica 9:00 am 12718 Cleveland Street 5KR/W (616) 837-6242 brainyday5k@yahoo.com www.STARS-kids.org

Escape to Belle Isle Race

Detroit 8:30 am Belle Isle 10KR/W, 5KR/W, kids run (810) 333-1740 belleislerace@kitch.com escapetobelleisle.com

Farmington Founders Festival Farmington 9:00 am Shaiwassee Park 4 MR (248) 473-1800 hsmith@fhgov.com runningfoundation.com

Gazelle Sports Tri del Sol

Middleville 8:00 am YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin Tri 1/2 MS, 18MB, 4.5MR; Du 2MR, 18MB, 4.5MR (616) 855-1972 racedirector@tridelsol.com www.tridelsol.com

Hopkins 5K Run & Walk

Hopkins 7:30 am 5KR/W Kathy Sebright (269) 720-3446 ktsebright@yahoo.com

Indian River Summerfest Kiwanis 10K/ 5K Run

8:00 am Indian River Lumber Yard, Straits Hwy 10KR, 5KR/W (231) 238-8564 rbehm@irchamber.com www.irchamber.com

Kelly Carter Scholarship Run

Tecumseh 9:00 am Carter Rehab Center, 902 Industrial Drive 10KR, 5KR, 1MW (517) 423-7722 Angie_Birdsall@yahoo.com

Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games Track Meet

Rochester 8:00 am Adams High School track track and field: race walk, 1500mR, 5KR (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

Our Redeemer Cares Habitat Run - tentative date

Midland 9:00 am Our Redeemer Church 5KR, 1.5MR, kids run (989) 835-4188 office@ ourredeemerchurch.com ourredeemerchurch.com

The Rose Run

Petersburg 8:30 am 10 East Center St. 5KR/W Jessica Cribbs jessica@theroserun.com

Run Thru Sparta

Sparta 8:00 am Sparta Middle Scfhool 5KR/W, kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s run Marguerite Teliczan (616) 887-1116 runthrusparta@ sbcglobal.net

Salomon/MooseJaw Adventure Rage

Grayling 6:00 am 30 hours, 2-4 person teams: or solo; trekking, biking, canoeing, ropes, navigation, plotting (810) 239-00165 zac@infiterrasports.com infiterrasports.com 2 day event: 7/17/10 7/18/10

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Superkidstry

Hartland 9:00 am Hartland HS Triathlon: 100mS/ 5KB/ 800mR or 200mS/ 10KB/ 1MR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Venetian River Run tentative date St Joseph 7:00 am Lake Blvd and Ship St. 5KR/W (269) 983-7917 stevenhilda@qtm.net www.venetian.org

Sunday, July 18

Clark Lake Triathlon & Duathlon

Clark Lake 8:30 am Clark Lake Beach & Boat Club 1/2MS, 13 MB, 4 MR or 2.4MR, 13MB,4MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@ eliteendeavors.com eliteendeavors.com Fight Hunger 5K

Okemos 9:00 am Meridian Township offices, 5151 Marsh Rd. 5KR/W (517) 339-6300 michelle@ themeridianadvantage.net runwalkjog.com

Friendly Massey Marathon & Spanish River Half-Marathon

Massey, ON 6:00 am Massey District Arena 26.2MR,, 13.1MR, 10KR Elizabeth Gamble (705) 865-2655 egamble@primus.ca friendlymasseymarathon.com Happy Trails Triathlon

Milford 8:00 am Kensington Metropark, Maple Beach 800mS/ 20KB/ 5KR (248) 685-3020 jhancook@

ymcametrodetroit.org active.com

Kiwanis Island Run

8:00 am Eaton Rapids G.A.R. Island Park 5KRW (517) 230-1161 CWATL24055@aol.com runningfoundation.com

Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games Triathlon

Rochester 8:00 am Oakland University triathlon (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

Republic Bank Canal Run/Walk

Hancock 7:00 am McLain State Park 10MR/W (906) 482-8562 rcooney@republicbk.com keweenaw.info

Tri 4 Life Triathlon

Otter Lake 8:00 am Kensington Metropark Triathlons: sprint and Olympic 3 Disciplines (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games 5K

Rochester 9:00 am OPC 5KR (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

Tuesday, July 20 Aman Park Trail Run

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm 1895 Lake Michigan Dr. 5.5MR, 1.5M kids run/bike/run Grand Rapids Running Club (616) 530-2002 bill.grrc@gmail.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wednesday, July 21 Grand Ledge Track and Field Series Championship

6:30 pm Grand Ledge Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #2

6:30 pm Lake Orion Hansons Running Shop, 3 South Broadway training (248) 616-9665 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Michigan Senior Olympics Summer Games 5K

9:00 am Rochester OPC 10KR (248) 608-0252 stinnion@ opcseniorcenter.org michiganseniorolympics.org

Pterodactyl Triathlon

Brighton 6:30 pm Island Lake Recreation Area Tri: 1/2MS/ 5KR/ 20KB Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com www.runtrextri.com Wayland Road Runners Cross Country Run

Wayland 6:30 pm East Kentwood XC Course along scenic Falcon Creek 5KR, 2.5MW (269) 792-2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Friday, July 23 YMCA / Wells Fargo Advisors Kids Triathlon

Portage 5:00 pm Portage YMCA 25ydS/ 1MB/ 1/2MR or 75ydS/ 2MB/ 1MR (269) 324-9622 jwhows@kzooymca.org kzooymca.org

Saturday, July 24 Arcadia Daze 5KR, 10KR Arcadia 9:00 am 5KR (231) 889-0265 ArcadiaTwpMi.Org

Gopher the Gold

May - August 2010 Event Calendar Shelby Township 9:00 am River Bends Park 10KR, 5KR, kids run (248) 798-6533 MichaelWard@cttsbi.com

Ionia Free Fair 5K Race

Ionia 8:00 am Ionia Free Fair Grounds 3MR (616) 523-1800 MPainter@ ci.ionia.mi.us ioniafreefair.com/ ioniafair.htm

Muddy Shoe 5K Trail Run

South Lyon Volunteer Park 5KR info@secondwindrm.com secondwindrm.com/ races.html

Plainwell Island City 5K

Plainwell 8:00 am 5KR/W, 1MFR (269) 720-6196 beierg@hotmail.com plainwelleducationfoundation.com

Liberty Center, OH 9 am Libery Center HS 5KR/W (419) 533-5838 desgrunner@yahoo.com

Tuuri Race Day 5K Run Walk & 10K Run Flint 7:30 am Hurley Medical Center 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MW, Kids Run (810) 257-9428 gaultracemanagement.com

Venetian Festival Jeff Drenth Memorial Foot Races

Charlevoix 9:00 am Mt. McSauba Ski Lodge 10KR, 5KR, 1 MR, 1MFR (231) 547-3407 mpeterson@ejps.org venetianraces.com

Sunday, July 25

Carrollton Festival of Races

Carrollton 6:00 am Carrollton High School, 1235 Mapleridge Road 26.2 MR, 20KR, 10KR, 5KR/W Craig Douglas (989) 399-8860 cdouglas@ carrollton.k12.mi.us www2.carrollton.k12. mi.us

5 am early bird start; 5K & 10K start at 8:15 am

Crosstown Kids Triathlon

Howell 9:00 am Howell Area Aquatics Center triathlon distances

vary by age (517) 546-0693 cgalatis@ howellrecreation.org howellrecreation.org Eleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place 5K

Okemos 9:00 am Jackson National Life Insurance Company 5KR/W, 1M kids run (517) 482-1315 kcervenak@elesplace.org www.elesplace.org

Hansons Group Run

Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop training (248) 693-9900 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Iron Goddess 5K

Ann Arbor 8:00 am Michigan League, 911, N. University 5KR (734) 678-5045 eva@epicraces.com epicraces.com

Mackinaw Multi-Sport Mix

Mackinaw City 8 am Waywatum Park Tri: 800mS/ 30KB/ 5KR, Du: 2MR/ 30KB/ 5KR or 5KR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

Rudyard Lions Summerfest Triathlon & 5K Rudyard 9:30 am Rudyard High School Tri: 3.1MR/ 14.9MB/ 500mS (pool); Run: 5K (906) 478-5244 gdavis@sault.com trifind.com/re_10026/Rudy ardLionsSummerfest5KTria thlon.html

Run for a Remedy Lake Orion

8:00 am

Race to Rejoice Triathlon

Mattawan 8:30 am Calvary Reformed Church Sprint Triathlon (269) 375-6240 suecalvary@comcast.net calvaryreformed.org

Road Runner Classic

Northville 5:00 pm Maybury State Park 8KR/W, 1MFR (734) 748-2555 bart2233@aol.com northvilelroadrunners.org

Run for an Instrumental Lifelong Experience

Coldwater 8:00 am 5KR/W (734) 657-1637 a2kjw@comcast.net www.ilefund.org

Ryan Shay Mile

Charlevoix 10:30 am downtown Charlevoix 1MR - invitational (231) 547-3407 mpeterson@ejps.org venetianraces.com/

Tigertown 5000 Road Race

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Glitz NXT, Orion Township 5KR/W Nina Harless (248) 625-1001 nitagirl@comcast.net runforaremedy.net Running from Cancer

8:00 am Tecumseh, ON Tecumseh Arena 13.1MR, 10KR, 5KR/W, kids run (519) 945.3786 info@runningfactory.com www.runningfactory.com

Monday, July 26 Hansons Middle/High School Day Camp

Sterling Heights 9:00 am Delia Park 7-12th grade Hansons Running Shop (586) 323-9682 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com 7/26/10 - 7/29/10

Wednesday, July 28 Grand Ledge Track and Field Series - Finale

Grand Ledge 6:30 pm Beagle Middle School track meet-all comers (517) 627-9076 jeffc@playmakers.com playmakers.com

Hansons Marathon Training Clinic #2

Grosse Pointe 6:30 pm Hansons Running Shop, 20641 Mack Ave. training (313) 882-1325 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Road Racing at Metro Beach

Harrison Twp 7:00 pm Pointe Road - Metro Beach 5KR Bob Blunk (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com geocities.com/arpraces/

Run the Mountain

Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm Mountain Town Station 5KR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com

Wayland Road Runners 2 Person/8 Mile Relay

Wayland 6:30 pm Wayland HS Track 8 MRelay

(269) 792.2427 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Friday, July 30 Hansons 3 Mile CrossCountry Race Sterling Heights 7:00 pm Delia Park 3MR (586) 323-9683 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Saturday, July 31

Alden Run

Alden 9:00 am 10KR, 5KR/W Steve Kershner (231) 377-7319 skikersh@aol.com www.aldenrun.com Byron Bank 5K

Byron Center 8:30 am Byron Bank, 2445 84th St. 5KR/W (616) 588-7454 sellison@bankatbyron.com classicrace.com

The Legend 5 & 10 Mile Trail Run

Laingsburg 8:00 am Lake Ovid, Sleepy Hollow State Park 10MR, 5MR Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com www.runlegend.com

Lumberman Triathlon

Cadillac 8:00 am 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 6.4MR or 500meterS/ 20KB/ 3.2MR or 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Mt Morris Poker Challenge

Mt. Morris 8:00 am Mt. Morris Middle School 12KR, 5KR/W, 1MR, Little Joker Shuffle (810) 659-6493 gracemgt@aol.com www.riverbendstriders.com

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Muddy Watters, Bump & Run Trail Series, Race #3

(810) 387-2225 pembertonthomas@ hotmail.com eteamz.com/yalecrosscountry/

Steve’s Run

Craig Greenfield Memorial Triathlon & Duathlon

9:00 am Rochester Hills Bloomer Park, Mountain Ash Shelter 5.5MR (248) 320-5705 jeff@jeffwatters.com www.jeffwatters.com

Dowagiac 9:00 am 10KR, 5KR/W, 1 MFR/W Ron Gunn (269) 782-1210 rgunn@swmich.edu swmich.edu/fireup /stevesrun/

10K, Michigan Runner Race Series Sunfield IGA 5K

Sunfield 10:00 am VanBuren Park 5KR/W, kids race (517) 862-9373 chrisw@budlight.com

Tri Cities Family Coast Guard Festival 5K & 10K

Grand Haven 8:00 am YMCA 10KR, 5KR/W (616) 842-7051, x20 racedirector@tcfymca.org www.tcfymca.org

Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon

Benton Harbor / St. Joseph 7:00 am Jean Klock Park 1.2 MS, 56 MB, 13.1 MR half ironman (773) 404-2372 info@caprievents.com steelheadtriathlon.com

August Sunday, August 1 Bath Trail Run

Bath 9:00 am Bath High School 5KR/W, kids run Rick Hammond (517) 641-6947 runbathrun@hotmail.com bathboosters.com

C-Roy Bologna Run/Walk - tentative Yale 8:00 am 200 Main St. 5KR, 1MR/W

Clarkston 8:00 am Depot Park 800 meter S/ 16MB/ 4.4MR or 1.9MR/ 16MB/ 4.4MR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Downtown YMCA 5K Run/Walk Lansing 10:00 am Riverfront Park 5KR/W, 1MR/W (517) 484-4000 benwheeler@ ymcaoflansing.org ymcaoflansing.org

Eastpointe Lions Club Ox Roast Run

Eastpointe 8:30 am Kennedy Park on Stephens Road 5R/1MFR/W Kim Lubinski (586) 393-6292 schobiek@aol.com www.eplcoxrun.org

Grand Island Trail Marathon & 10K

Munising 7:00 am Williams Landing, Grand Island, Lake Superior 26.2 MR, 10KR Jeff Crumbaugh (715) 460-0426 jcrumbaugh@ charter.net greatlakesendurance.com

“Run Like Mike” Rutka 5K Ann Arbor9:00 am Gallup Park 5KR, 2MW, kids’ dash Kathleen Gina (734) 369-2492 thebigdog@

twodogsrunning.com runlikemike.org

Women’s Only Triathlon & DriTri

Sylvania, OH 7:30 am Centennial Terrace & Quarry 400yardS, 13MB, 3.1MR or 1MR, 13MB, 3.1MR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@sev.org eliteendeavors.com

Wed., August 4 Doozie’s Ice Cream Fun Run/Walk Series Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm 1310 East Pickard 5MR, 3MR, 1MR (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com www.edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Road Racing at Metro Beach

Harrison Twp 7:00 pm Pointe Road - Metro Beach 5KR (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com

Wayland Road Runners 4 Mile Run & Banquet

Wayland 6:30 pm Gun Lake State Park 4 MFR, 2MW (269) 792-2427 or (616) 291-3903 coachantel@i2k.com waylandroadrunners.com

Thursday, August 5 Great Pizza Challenge

Flint 6:30 pm Downtown Flint YMCA 5KR/W, 1/4 MR (810) 487-0954 GRaceMgt@aol.com riverbendstriders.com

Stony Creek Distance Run

Shelby Twp 6:00 pm Stony Creek Metropark, Eastwood Beach 5KR, 1MFR (248) 969-1323 runyatesrun@sbcglobal.net stoneycreekrunningclub.org

Saturday, August 7 a-Round Green Lake

May - August 2010 Event Calendar Association Walk/Run

Logan’s Run

Caledonia 8:30 am Green Lake 5KR/W, 1MFR (616) 536-2124 pthopkins01@charter.net greenlake.us.events

South Bend, IN 8:30 am Notre Dame campus 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MFW (574) 289-4831, Ext. 1027 jill@logancenter.org www.RunWithLogan.org

Rochester 8:30 am Rochester Municipal Park 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MW (248) 709-7673 beck_42000@yahoo.com www.advokaterun.org

8:00 am Merrill Merrill High School 5KR/W (989) 284-1336 prattv@sisd.cc

AdvoKate Run

Aspirus Keweenaw Copperman Triathlon

Copper Harbor Fort Wilkins State Park 0.5MS/ 23MB/ 5MR (906) 482-8201 tsmythe@ aspiruskeweenaw.org keweenawcopperman.org

Catholic Federal Pig Gig - tentative date

Bay City 10:30 am Vet’s Park 5KR/W, kids run Ann Gasta (989) 415-5593 gastazoo@chartermi.net

Coloma Glad-Peach Run/ Walk/ Bike

Coloma 8:05 am N. West St. 10KR/B, 5KR/W/B, .6KFR (269) 468-6606 mjqjrun@aol.com ColomaPeachFest.com

Crystal Lake 8K/5K

Crystal 8:00 am Crystal Elementary School 5MR, 5KR Janet Campbell (989) 328-1208 / (989) 235-5454 janetc@montcalm.edu

Imlay City Blueberry Stomp 5K

Imlay City 9:00 am Imlay City Town Hall 5KR/W (810) 724-2135 aplanck@imlaycity.org www.imlaycity.org

Lake Antoine Classic

Iron Mountain 9 am CST Lake Antoine County Park 15KR, 5MR/W, 2MR/W, 15KB (906) 776-5918 Katie.Maxon@dchs.org

Merrill Farm Fest

Mint City 10 Miler, 5K & Family Fun Walk

St. Johns 7:30 am 900 W. Townsend St. 10MR, 5KR (989) 224-3316 mint10@mintcity10miler.com www.mintcity10miler.com

Ready Or Not 5K

Otsego 8:00 am Memorial Park 5K/W Steve Long (269) 808-0613 otsegocoach@yahoo.com runotsego.com

Saline’s Summerfest 5K Run/Walk Saline 8:30 am 5KR/W Chamber of Commerce (724) 429-4494 salinechamber@aol.com salinesummerfest.com/

Shermanator Triathlon & 5K Run

Augusta 8:30 am Sherman Lake YMCA 5KR, sprint triathlon: 500 yd.S/ 10MB/ 5KR, kids run (269) 731-3004 jackiem@ymcasl.org shermanlakeymca.org

Streets of Fire 8K

Grand Rapids 6:30 pm Kosciuszko Hall, 935 Park NW 8KR/W (616) 742-0384 grrunningclub@ sbcglobal.net grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Sylvania SuperKids Triathlon / Duathlon

Sylvania, OH 7:30 am Olander Park

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

varies by age group Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@sev.org eliteendeavors.com UA Scholarship Fund 1K & 5K Run/Walk

Ann Arbor 9:00 am Washtenaw Community College 5KR/W, 1KW (734) 973-3359 kbillings@wccnet.edu www.wccnet.edu/

Sunday, August 8

Sylvania Triathlon/ Duathlon

Sylvania, OH 7:30 am Tam-O-Shanter SportsComplex, Olander Park Olympic Tri: 1.5MS/ 40KB/ 10KR; Sprint Tri: 0.25S/ 13MB/ 5KR; Du: 3KR/ 40KB/ 10KR Jim / Joyce Donaldson (419) 829-2398 jdjp@sev.org eliteendeavors.com

Lansing Legislator Tri, Du, Sprint

Lansing 8:00 am Sleepy Hollow State Park 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500meterS/ 20KB/ 5KR or 5KR/ 20KB/ 5KR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Milford Fun Days 5K

Milford 8:00 am Central Park, Downtown Milford 5KR/W (248) 685-7129, ext. 104 daveyarm@aol.com 5k.milfordmemories.com

Run Through the Hills Vassar 9:00 am Vassar High School 5KR/W (989) 823-7574

vassar5k@hotmail.com elitefeetrunning.com/

Tuesday, August 10 Siren Chase 5K

East Grand Rapids 7 pm Aquinas College 5KR (616) 855-1972 radedirector@sirenchase.com

Wed., August 11 Strider Track Meet

Mt. Pleasant 7:30 pm Mt. Pleasant HS Track, 1155 South Elizabeth track and field (989) 772-0323 hplouff@yahoo.com edzone.net/~mphsstr/

Thurs., August 12 Bauman’s Charity 5K

Flint 6:45 pm Kettering University Recreation Center 5KR/W, kids runs Riverbend Striders (810) 238-5981 riverbendstriders.com

Marquette County Fair Mid-Summer Night Fun Run

Marquette 5:30 pm Marquette County Fairgrounds 4 MR (906) 226-6924 marquettecountyfair.com

Thunder Bolt 5K Run & Cross Country School Team Challenge Whitehall 6:30 pm Funnel Field 5KR/W (231) 282-1215 jdwolters6436@gmail.com RunnersEdgeRaceTiming.c om

Friday, August 13 St John’s Festival 5K Run/Walk and 1/4M Tot Trot is Saturday, August 14.

Sat, August 14 Almont’s Run for Health - tentative date

Almont 9:00 am Almont High School 5KR/W, 1/4MFR (810) 798-7500 barc-mi.com Board of Water and Light Hometown Power 5K Lansing 9:00 am BWL Customer Service Center , 1232 Halco Drive 5KR/W (517) 702-6880 jlb3@lbwl.com www.bwl5k.com

Crystal Lake Team Marathon

Beulah 8:00 am Beulah Park Pavilion 26.2 M Relay Asa & Traci Kelly (231) 930-4222 kellya@benzieschools.net crystallakecommunitybusinessassoc.com

Dwayne Rau Memorial Road Race

West Branch 8:30 am Surline Middle School 5KR, 2.5KW (989) 345-0901 raut@m33access.com

Fallsburg Festival of Races

Lowell 8:00 am Fallsburg Park 26.2MR, 13.1MR, 5KR (616) 260-2669 CoachDroski@aim.com www.fallsburghalf.8k.com

Hansinger Mud Fest

Port Huron 9:30 am Jeddo Boy Scout Camp, 7140 Jeddo Road. 5MR/B team obstacle race Joel Eisinger (517) 706-1011 mhanton@comcast.net www.mudfestrace.com

National Blueberry Festival 5K

South Haven 8:00 am Lake Michigan shoreline 5KR/W, kids run (269) 639-2805 kwise@shch.org shch.org Origami 5K Mason 9:00 am 3181 Sandhill Rd. 5KR, 1MW (517) 455-0264 jpascoe@origamirehab.org www.origamirehab.org

Orthopedic Associates Fun Run 9:00 am Port Huron 940 River Centre Drive 10KR, 5KR, 1MFR/W (810) 985-7412 mmuzzarelli@oaph.com www.oaph.com

Paavo Nurmi Marathon

Hurley, WI 7:30 am CDT Upson to Hurley 26.2MR, 2 & 5 person Saturday, August UA August 7, 2010 Scholarship Fund 1K & 5K Run/Walk Ann Arbor9:00 am Washtenaw Community College 5KR/W, 1KW Kim Billings (734) 973-3359 kbillings@wccnet.edu www.wccnet.edu/ relays (866) 340-4334 hurley@hurleywi.com www.hurleywi.com or paavonurmimarathon.com/

Petoskey Festival by the Bay Wellness Walk & Run

Petoskey 9:00 am Bayfront Park

5KR/W, 1MR/W, kids run (231) 347-7874 sturt919@aol.com active.com

Sanford and Sun Triathlon

Sanford 8:00 am Sanford Lakae Country Park Tri: 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500 meterS/ 20KB/ 5KR Du: 2MR/ 20KB/ 5KR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Spread Eagle Barrens Trail Run/Walk

Florence, WI LePage Creek Overlook 12KR, 5KR (715) 528-5377 info@florencewisconsin.com florencewisconsin.com

St John’s Festival 5K Run/Walk and 1/4M Tot Trot

Essexville 6:30 pm Corner of Main & Hudson 5KR/W, 1MR

(989) 894-2753 wadebaha@aol.com barc-mi.com

St. Joseph Island Triathlon, Duathlon and Kids of Steel Triathlon

St. Joseph Island, ON 9 am Richards Landing Tri: 1500mS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 750mS/ 20KB/ 5KR or 400mS/ 10KB/ 2.5KR Du: 10KR/ 40KB/ 5KR or 5KR/ 20KB/ 2.5KR, kids tri-distances vary (705) 759-2467 sherri@ stjosephislandtriathlon.com stjosephislandtriathlon.com

Steve’s “Raider Stomp” Decatur 8:00 am Decatur High School 10KR, 5KR/W (269) 423-5081 bsmola101@yahoo.com www.stevesraiderstomp.org

West Michigan I TRI 4 FUN Triathlon

Fremont 4:00 pm Fremont Lake Park 200 Meter S / 9 MB/ 5KR (231) 924-2100 matt@cityoffremont.net freewebs.com/

westmichigantri/

West Michigan Kids Triathlon

Fremont 9:00 am Fremont High School distance varies with age (231) 924-2100 matt@cityoffremont.net freewebs.com/ westmichigantri/

Wood Duck Dash

Brownstown 9:00 am Lake Erie Metropark 10KR, 5KR (734) 379-5020 info@woodduckdash.com www.woodduckdash.com

Sunday, August 15 Battle of Waterloo

Waterloo 7:30 am Big Portage Lake, Waterloo Recreation Area 10 stage adventure tri: 1.4MS/ 26.5MB/ 13.6MR (734) 678-5045 eva@epicraces.com epicraces.com

Island Lake of Novi Triathlon & Open Water Swim Novi

50641 Drakes Bay tri: .5MS/ 12MB/ 3MR or 1.5MS Ford Athletic Seim & Triathlon swimfasttrifast.com/ islandlakeofnovi/

Mary Angela Run for Angels’ Place

Farmington Hills9:00 am Oakland Community College, Orchard Ridge Campus 10KR, 5KR, 1MW, 1M kids’ run (248) 496-8449 lnorton@angelahospice.net angelsplace.com

Petoskey Triathlon & Duathlon

Petoskey 8:00 am City Park Across from the Fire Dept. 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 5MR or 500mS/ 20KB/5MR or 2MR/ 20KB/ 5MR Kenny Krell (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com

8:00 am

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

May - August 2010 Event Calendar Tahqua Trail Run

Paradise 8:00 am Tahquamenon Falls State Park 25KR, 10KR, 2KR Jeff Crumbaugh (715) 460-0426 info@greatlakesendur ance.com greatlakesendurance.com

Tuesday, August 17 Riverside Park Co-Ed Relay

Grand Rapids 7:00 pm Riverside Park X-C relay, 4 alternating .5mile laps Grand Rapids Running Club (616) 884-0088 bill.grrc@gmail.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org

Wed., August 18

T-Rex Sprint Triathlon

Brighton6:30 pm Island Lake Recreation Area Tri: 1/2MS/ 5KR/ 20KB Running Fit (734) 929-9027 events@runningfit.com www.runtrextri.com

Friday, August 20

Howell Melon Run

Howell 6:15 pm - 1 Mile FR 7:00 pm - 10K & 5K Howell City Park 10KR, 5KR, 1MFR, kids’ run, melon roll Beth Schrader (517) 546-0693 parksandrec@ howellrecreation.org howellrecreation.org

Q-Town 5K

7:00 pm Quincy Quincy High School 5KR/W, 1MFR, 1/4MFR Loretta Tobolske-Horn (517) 283-1726 lorettahorn@charter.net runningfoundation.com/

Sat., August 21 Carl Olson Memorial Adventure Run

Chassell 9:00 am Chassel Community Center 10KR, 5KR/W, 2KR (906) 482-1308 michael.young@ thermoanalytics.com keweenaw.info

Cat Tracks 5K Trail Run/Walk

Niles 9:00 am Brandywine High School 5KR/W (269) 684-6123 cattracks5k@aol.com

Churchill Classic

Cheboygan 8:00 am Water Street 10KR, 5KR/W, 1MR (231) 627-7111 lindsayn@ cnbismybank.com www.cheboygan.org

Danish Festival Road Race

Greenville 8:15 am Baldwin Heights Elementary School 4MR, 2MR (616) 754-6369 danishfestival@charter.net danishfestival.org

Glen Lake Fun Run Glen Lake 11:00 am Glen Lake School 1MFR/W (231) 334-3080 getfit@skiwalking.com

Grand Woods Trail 5K Lansing 9:00 am Grand Woods Park on Willow Road 5KR - trail Chuck Block (517) 702-0226 cblock@lcc.edu runningfoundation.com

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Hastings Summerfest Run moved to August 28 Infiterra Sports Summer Quest

10:00 am Shelby Twp. Stony Creek Metro Park 4-6 hour adventure race (231) 233-4736 zac@infiterrasports.com www.infiterrasports.com

International Canned Beer Month Can Do Road and Trail Run

10:00 am Kalamazoo Bilbo’s Parking Lot, Stadium Drive 4.8MR (269) 365-3850 candoactive@hotmail.com www.candoactive.com

Jacob’s Race

Laingsburg 8:30 am McClintock Park 5KR/W, kids run (517) 599-4693 mnthelen38@yahoo.com

Livonia Youth Triathlon

Livonia 8:30 am (varies) Clements Circle Park Tri: distance varies with age (734) 466-2411 awalker@ci.livonia.mi.us www.ci.livonia.mi.us

Mark Mellon Triathlon & Duathlon

Gaylord 8:00 am Otsego County Park 1000mS/ 28MB/ 10KR or 500mS/ 14MB/ 5KR or 250mS/ 5MB/ 2MR (231) 546-2229 dsmithaction@hotmail.com goracego.com

Mitchell’s Run Through Rockford

8:30 am Downtown Rockford 5KR/W, kids run (616) 863-9168 mitchellsrun@charter.net mitchellsrun.org

Stony Creek Relay

Shelby Township 8:00 am Stony creek Metropark West Branch Picnic Area 40 Mile Relay, 5 person teams, 2 legs each Hansons Running Shops (586) 822-3608 sshoudy@hotmail.com www.hansons-running.com

Strides for Health

9:00 am Allegan Allegan General Hospital, 555 Linn Street 5KR/W, kids fun run (269) 673-5431, ext. 3003 stridesforhealth@ aghosp.com aghosp.org

Three Rivers Triathlon & Duathlon

Three Rivers 8:00 am Corey Lake Olympic: 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR; Sprint: 300mS/ 18KB/ 5KR; Du: 5KR/ 40KB/ 10KR (269) 278-2075 aquamantriusa@yahoo.com aquamantri.com

Sunday, August 22 Blue Water Triathlon

Port Huron 7:45 am Lakeside Park Sprint tri: 500mS/ 20KB/ 5KR (231) 546-2229 m.maclean1@amcan.us amcan.us

Ludington Lighthouse Triathlon & Duathlon

Ludington 8:00 am 900 W. Ludingnton 1.5KS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500meterS/ 20KB/ 5KR or 5KR,/ 20KB/ 5KR Kenny Krell (810) 714-5768 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Montrose Blueberry Festival

Montrose 8:00 am Montrose Carter Elementary School 8KR, 5 MR/W Suwienski (810) 449-8340 mandy@bluberryrace.com blueberryrace.com

Runnin’ the Rails

Ypsilanti 8:00 am Corner Brewery, Depot Town 10KR, 5KR/W (517) 231-6156 mgallowa@emich.edu

www.ypsilantijaycees.com formerly Great Train Race

Vietnam Veterans United Annual 5K Run

Allen Park 9:00 am Champaign Park 5KR, 1 MR/W (734) 552-8538 rjfordone@comcast.net www.active.com

Wed., August 25 Road Racing at Metro Beach

7:00 pm Harrison Twp Stony Creek Metro Park / Westbranch 2MR (248) 627-6619 ARPraces@aol.com

Saturday, August 28

The Arc Stroll, Roll & 5 K Run

Midland 9:00 am Northwood University & Pere Marquette Rail Trail 5KR/W (989) 631-4439 admin@thearcofmidland.org thearcofmidland.org/ arcrun.php

Coldwater Mini Triathlon

Coldwater 9:00 am Coldwlater Lake Marnia tri: 300ydS/ 6 MB/ 3 MR (517).279-9038 MSUDAD@cbpu.comcold water-mini-triathlon.org

Crim Festival of Races

Flint 8:00 am First and Saginaw Streets 10 MR/W, 8KR/W, 5KR/W, 1 MR/W, Teddy Bear Trot Deb Kiertzner (810) 235.3396 crim@flint.org www.crim.org

Michigan Runner Race Series

Hastings Summerfest Run - date changed from 8/21/10 Hastings

8:30 am

Hastings Middle School 10KR, 5KR/W Jamie VerStrate (269) 948-3139 wellness@ pennockhealth.com www.pennockhealth.com

Ithaca Fun Fest 5K tentative date

Ithaca 9:00 am Corner of Center St. and Pine River St. 5KR/W, kids run (989) 875-3663 toddcrawfordslf@ yahoo.com www.ithacami.com

Lawton Euro-Trail 5K Challenge Lawton 8:30 am Lawton HS 5KR (269) 624-6643 kbullock@lawtoncs.org www.lawtoncs.org

North Country Trail Run

Manistee 7:30 am Big M Trails, Manistee National Forest 50MR, 26.2MR, 13.1 MR (616) 430-2496

chris@mirunning.com northcountrytrailrun.mirunning.com

Physically Strong Triathlon

9:00 am Kalamazoo Rota-Kiwan Reservation 400ydS/ 6.5MR/ 3.1MR or 100ydS/ 1.2MB/ .3MR (269) 3443-4687 rd@physicallystrong triathlon.org physicallystrongtriathlon.org

Run for the Rolls

Chelsea 12:30 pm 20700 Old US 12 1MR/W (734) 475-0843 triveline@hotmail.com runforthe rolls.com

Sandhill Crane Trail 1/2 Marathon & 10K

Vandalia 9:00 am Dr. T.K. Lawless Park 13.1MR, 10KR (574) 215-4779 rongunn3@

verizon.net cairnstoneadventuretours.com

Somerset Stampede

Somerset Center 7:30 am Somerset Beach 13.1MR, 5KR/W Dave Parham (517) 780-4216 somerset-run@ earthlink.net somerset-run.com

Summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s End Trail Run

Saginaw 9:00 am Imerman Memorial Park 5KR, 1.5M kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; run, 1.5MW (989) 513-5195 dfbernar@stcs.org barc-mi.com

Sunday, August 29 Breakwater Triathlon 70.3

Petoskey 7:00 am tri: 1.2MS/ 56MB, 13.1MR

or .6MS / 28MB/ 6.2MR Jim Jackson (734) 845-7559 jim@elementsevents.com elementevents.com

Girls Best Friend Triathlon

Vicksburg 8:00 am Prairie View Country Park 1000mS/ 40KB/ 10KR or 500mS/ 20KB/ 5KR or 2MR/ 20KB/ 5KR 3 Disciplines (231) 546-2229 info@3disciplines.com 3disciplines.com Hansons 16 Mile Marathon Training Run Lake Orion 8:00 am Hansons Running Shop, 3 South Broadway 4-16 MR (248) 693-9900 sshoudy@hotmail.com hansons-running.com

Brighton Recreation Area, Bishop Lake Complex 10KR info@secondwindrm.com secondwindrm.com/ races.html

Tuesday, August 31 Johnson Park Cross Country 5K

Grandville 7:00 pm Johnson Park Cross Country 5KR (616) 257-7818 aheathcoterunner@yahoo.com grandrapidsrunningclub.org (517) 364-5680 dana_zecchino@yaoo.com sparrow.org/ foundation/runwalk/

- MR -

No PR 10K Brighton

8:00 am

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

Running with Tom Henderson

Notes on the Run: Dogs

Photo by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

race up and down the mountains and switchbacks of Copper Canyon, 50- and 60-yearolds running 60, 80 or 100 miles at a time, seemingly without effort and injury free. In 1993, a couple of Tarahumaras shocked the ultramarathoning world by destroying the Leadville 100 field: Victoriano Churro winning despite being 55, and Cerrildo Chacarito, a 40-something goat farmer, finishing second.

By Tom Henderson

“B

orn to Run” — great album by the Boss, pretty good but irritating book by Christopher McDougall. The book tells the tale of Mexico’s Tarahumara Indians, long-distance runners who make the Kenyans look like idlers. Running on sandals made from rubber sliced from tires and on a diet consisting mainly of corn and corn beer, which they drink in copious quantities, they routinely

The tale of the Tarahumara is fascinating. Too bad McDougall couldn’t just more or less tell it. But he can’t resist the unnecessary embellishments along the way, intended for the nonrunning audience, though hard to imagine nonrunners are going to buy a book about long-distance-running Mexican Indians. For example, the Tarahumara rarely get injured. Unusual? Sure. But McDougall writes: “The real mutants are the runners who don’t get injured. Up to eight out of every 10 runners are hurt every year. “It doesn’t matter if you’re heavy or thin, speedy or slow, a marathon champ or a weekend huffer; you’re just as likely as the

other guy to savage your knees, shins, hamstrings, hips or heels,” he continues. “Next time you line up for a Turkey Trot, look at the runners on your right and left: statistically, only one of you will be back for the Jingle Bell Jog.” Only one of three runners running a race on Thanksgiving will be healthy enough to run a holiday race in December? Give me a break. I’ve run a lot of Turkey Trots, and the same faces to my left and right usually run the Jingle Bell Jog too. And then McDougall has to tell the reader how tough running is in addition to how dangerous. “Lance Armstrong is one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time, and he could barely shuffle through his first marathon, despite sucking down an energy gel nearly every mile.” Dude, Armstrong broke three hours in his first marathon. Breaking seven hours is barely shuffling. Running 6:50 pace for 26.2 miles is running. Running well. Running strongly. I’ve run 40 marathons and only broken three hours once, and the day I did, trust me, there was no shuffling involved. ~~

wrote about Nate Skid, my young colleague at Crain’s Detroit Business, last summer. He was fresh off the cancer sticks, brand new to running and I talked him into coming out for the Motor City Striders’ mid-week one-mile and three-mile runs in June. He had a blast and was hooked.

We still laugh when we recall his reaction when he saw a big number “1” along the side of the road during the three-miler. “Does (gasp) that (gasp) mean (gasp) we (gasp) only (gasp) have (gasp) one (gasp) mile (gasp) to (gasp) go?” “No, it means we have two miles to go.” Nate briefly contemplated suicide, then continued, finishing under 24 minutes and way under his goal of nine-minute pace. We ran six races together last summer. He won three and I won three. He won the last one of the season, the Tara Grant Memorial 5K trail run at Stony Creek Metropark, but I had the best win, which involved watching him puke on his shoes at the finish line of the Harvest Stompede 7miler in the Leelanau Peninsula in September. 56

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

This fall he’s doing his first marathon, in San Antonio in September, and he asked me to recommend a spring half marathon and put together a training schedule to get him ready for 13.1. I told him there was no better half anywhere than the Potawatomi Trail Run in the Pinckney State Recreation area the last Sunday in April. I used to do it every year but haven’t run it in a while, so it was an excuse to ramp up my running, too, and we’d do it together. Getting super-organized, for me, I got on the Running Fit Web site on April Fool’s Day and saw what I could only hope was an April Fool’s joke. It wasn’t. In red letters atop the information page for the event were the ugly words: “The Trail Marathon and Half Marathon is SOLD OUT!” Dang! Nate is going to kill me. I had no idea it got so popular. And here I’ve been raving to him through our winter runs about what a great way the half is to seriously start the season. Seriously crazy tough. Killer hills. Roots, rocks and tumbles. And more fun that anyone deserves. Uh, time for plan B, if I can work up the nerve to tell him.

The same weekend, there are a couple races up north to choose from. I’ll invite him and his girlfriend, Lang, up to my old schoolhouse in the woods. Can’t compare with the Pot, but as plan B’s go, pretty good. ~~

peaking of which, last year, the Trout Festival 5K in Kalkaska, a long-standing event, and the Run for Shelter 5K in Traverse City, a newbie, were held on consecutive weekends. One is flat and fast, the other a collection of steep hills about where the Leelanau Peninsula begins.

The Run for Shelter advertised it was dog friendly, which made it a must-do for me and the Mad Dog, also known as Maddie, my black lab mix. There were about 40 dogs there, and despite her size, she was easily the first four-legged beast. At the finish line, a guy came over to me. His wife was still out on the course with their dog. “I’m glad to see your dog made it OK,” he said. “Hey, she’s pretty fast. I saw that fat dog at the starting line and was hoping she wasn’t going to die of a heart attack.” Fat dog? She’s a lab. She has a wide beam. Wide hips. Big bones that help her float. When she’s in the water, about half of

her sticks up in the air. Means she can swim all day. But she runs races nearly every weekend. Runs twice a day most days, maybe seven miles on average, walks two miles each morning and two miles late each night, and has much more easily than me done my 18and 20-milers with me. She’s solid, rippling muscle, with very little fat. Which made it even more irksome when, at the finish line of the Elk Rapids Harbor Days 5K two years ago, as I fed her a piece of my cookie after we’d finished in about 23 minutes on a steamy, sunny day, a guy came up and said out loud, not to me, but for my benefit, obviously: “And people wonder why their dogs are obese.” This was a dork who’d finished a minute after us. To this day, I’m chagrined I didn’t have a snappy put-down to hurl back his way. Instead, we shared another cookie. Looking for a fun, flat race in a tourist town during a festival week? Consider Elk Rapids in August. They have a 10K, too. Bring your fat dog if you have one and piss this guy off. MR

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010

NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Fayetteville, Arkansas, March 12-13, 2010

Michigan Athletes from Five Universities Compete at Indoor Nationals and Kermit Ambrose Takes a Bow Photos by Carter Sherline / Frog Prince Studios

Eastern Michigan’s Ackeem Forde hands off to Blake Figgins enroute to a 5th place finish (9:38.44) in the distance medley relay. Kyron Foster, Michigan State, placed 6th in the triple jump, 16.21m.

Irene Cooper, Western Michigan, won 3rd place in the weight throw, 21.10

Rebecca Addison & Michigan’s dmr team of Jillian Smith, Shana Vinson & Danielle Tauro placed 10th, 11:19.33

Kermit Ambrose, age 99, tips his hat when the stadium announcer recognized his having attended every NCAA D1 Indoor T&F meet.

Eastern Michigan’s DMR team of Ackeem Forde, David Brent, Blake Figgins and Curtis Vollmar won All-American honors.

Erika Schroll, Central Michigan, placed 12th in the high jump, 1.78m 58

Michigan Runner - May / June 2010