4 Page 4 | Thursday, May 15, 2014
‘Run to RemembeR’
Mount Pleasant’s Kloha has raised $20,000 for Alzheimer’s Association; nearing goal of doing 100 races in one year He plans to race in Dow RunWalk, Great Lakes Bay Marathons By LesLie Perry Midland Community Center Engagement Director
PHOTO PROVIDED
Brad Kloha jumps over a fire obstacle during the Spartan Race Special Ops race at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on February 15. It was Kloha’s 67th race in his goal to compete in 100 races in one year while raising funds and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association.
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“I hate running,” says Brad Kloha, a Mount Pleasant man who, ironically, has set an aggressive goal to complete 100 races in 52 weeks. In fact, he has already completed 91 of those 100 races and will compete Saturday in the Dow RunWalk 10K Run, followed by Sunday’s Great Lakes Bay Marathons half marathon (or the full marathon, depending on how he feels) for races 92 and 93. “People often call me crazy,” he joked. To be fair, the 29-year-old Kloha, a Freeland native, doesn’t really hate running, but just prefers the physicality and challenge of running when it’s associated with additional obstacles like those found in “Spartan” races and “Tough Mudders.” “I got into obstacle course racing in 2012,” he explained. “Many of those races are attached to charities. But none of the races was attached to a charity that had a direct effect on me or my family.” That’s when he decided to create his own personal challenge, called Run to Remember. “I was in the middle of a five-hour drive back home from a race. I remembered the helpless feeling of watching my great-grandmother and grandmother while they suffered from Alzheimer’s. I wanted to spread awareness and start a conversation about the disease. It’s one of the top six killers in the U.S. — but there’s no cure and you can’t prevent it.” Last June, Kloha competed in his first event, beginning his quest toward the goal of completing 100 races in one year while also attempting to raise $1 million for the Alzheimer’s Association. As of May 5, Kloha’s foundation, Run to Remember, had raised just over $20,000. But to him, that’s not even the most
important thing. “I realized quickly that the monetary portion wasn’t as important. Increasing the awareness of the ravages of the disease is so much more critical,” he said. Although it can’t be quantified, Kloha said he knows he has increased awareness of Alzheimer’s by meeting individuals from all over the world in races around the country. “Often, people are embarrassed and they don’t want to talk about (the disease),” he said. “To have someone like me willing to share the story is helpful. When I tell my story, it makes people feel more comfortable to come tell their stories. It’s a real emotional roller-coaster.” The experience, while extremely fulfilling for Kloha, has also taken its toll. Early on, after only race number seven, Kloha found himself in the emergency room. Suffering from severe dehydration and norovirus, he was also diagnosed with a condition that causes the body to destroy its own muscle protein – a condition that could prove fatal if it moved to the kidneys. Calling the situation a “wake-up call,” Kloha was nevertheless undeterred, and refused to stop racing. Instead, he took training and nutrition much more seriously and upped his calorie intake to more than 5,000 per day. “Nothing I’m going through even begins to compare to what my great-grandma and grandma battled with Alzheimer’s. Whenever I feel tired during a race, I just think of them and it gives me strength to get through.” His final race, a 5K he has planned especially for the Alzheimer’s Association, is scheduled for June 14 in Mount Pleasant at Central Michigan University, Kloha’s alma mater and his current SEE “KlOHA,” PAgE 4
5 Thursday, May 15, 2014 | Page 5
Dow Weekend of Races drawing high number of participants Dow RunWalk expects about 3,500; Great Lakes Bay Marathons numbers up by more than 150 By Dan Chalk chalk@mdn.net
Midland Community Center’s Dow RunWalk race director Jennifer Adamcik and Great Lakes Bay Marathons race director Greg Roan are both seeing good numbers of registrants for their events this weekend, which together make up the third annual Dow Weekend of Races. Adamcik is optimistic that Saturday morning’s 29th annual Dow RunWalk will at least match last year’s number of 3,500 participants. “We’re tracking right along with last year’s number. We’re shooting for 3,500 if we have a good sunshiny day, which it is projected to be,” Adamcik said last week. The Dow RunWalk, which starts and ends near the MCC, includes a 5K Run at 7:55 a.m., 10K Run at 8:02, Girls on the Run at 8:30, 5K Walk at 8:35, 1-mile Fun Run at 9:45, and Tot Trot for ages 3-5 between 9 and 10 a.m. The Great Lakes Bay Marathons include a full marathon, half marathon, and a new marathon relay. Adamcik is enthused about a couple of improvements for the Dow RunWalk. Collins Street, where the races begin, has recently been repaved. “The race participants will be very happy,” she said. “We’re thankful to the city for (repaving the street).” And music will now be played at two of the water stations: one in front of Central Middle School on Rodd Street, and the other near St. John’s Lutheran Church on George Street. “That will hopefully keep the runners’ spirits lifted and keep them motivated for the finish line,” said Adamcik, who added that music will be played at the finish line also. Volunteers will again play a key role in the Dow RunWalk. “We’ll probably have between 300 and 350 people (volunteering),” Adamcik said. “From the Girls on the Run who do the packet stuffing, to the hospital which does the water stations, to the general public who mans the race course — we’ve got a lot of people who put their hand in it. Every year, we see returning volunteers and new volunteers.” Meanwhile, Roan said last Saturday that total registrations for Sunday’s Great Lakes Bay Marathons were over 750, as compared to 600 last year. All proceeds from the race go to the Great
Lakes Bay Regional Trail. New this year is the option of the marathon relay, which is designed for teams of up to five people. “We started the relay to open the marathon up to more people,” said Roan, who expects about 40 relay teams to be signed up by race day. “When you break it up into a relay, it greatly open up the number of people who can compete. It’s a great way to get friends or co-workers together and get out and do something active.” The five legs of the relay will vary in distance from 3.5 miles to seven miles. “That gives teams the ability to include runners of all ability levels,” Roan said. Just like last year, the Great Lakes Bay Marathons will start behind Dow Diamond and will end right at home plate inside the stadium, with the giant scoreboard showing video of the runners as they near the finish line. And in a unique twist, all five members of each relay will run the final two-tenths of a mile to the finish line together. “Since we finish at the stadium, we thought it would be neat to have everyone run the last part together,” Roan said. The full marathon and marathon relay will start at 7 a.m., followed by the half marathon at 7:30. All runners must finish the race by 1 p.m., since the Great Lakes Loons will be playing a game at Dow Diamond that day at 5:05 p.m. Roan hopes that the weather will be cooler for the Great Lakes Bay Marathons than it was the past two years. For a marathon, temperatures in the low to mid 50s are ideal for the start. “Last year, the high was 86 (degrees) on race day, and the previous year it got up to 90,” he noted. Hopefully we’ll get year where it will be cooler.” As in the past, all participants in both the Dow RunWalk and the Great Lakes Bay Marathons can pick up their race packets at the Midland Curling Center, just south of the Midland Community Center, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Saturday. Great Lakes Bay Marathons participants can also pick up packets Saturday through noon and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. A race expo, featuring many racingrelated vendors, will also run from 3-7 p.m. Friday at the Curling Center, and a health and fitness fair will be held there from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday.
PHoTo ProVided
Brad Kloha poses to document his 89th race at the Colorado Military Sprint at Fort Carson army Base on May 4.
Kloha: Running 100 races in 52 weeks ConTinued FroM Page 4
employer. He said he will be the last person to cross the starting line, pushing his three-month-old nephew in a jogging stroller so his entire family can participate. “So many people have supported me. My parents have been to many of the races, my sister has been there. It’s just amazing,” he said. “There’s a greater purpose at hand. I am so thankful.” Kloha has maintained his full-time
job at CMU throughout his year of racing, using vacation time as necessary to compete in events. He pays for all race and travel costs out of his pocket so that all money raised goes directly to the Alzheimer’s Association. To learn more about his quest or to contribute, visit www.runtoremember.net. “As a student at CMU, I learned that it wasn’t if I would make an impact, but how. This is my ‘how,’” Kloha said.
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6 Page 6 | Thursday, May 15, 2014
Dow Weekend of Races growing, as is economic impact By Fred Kelly fred.kelly@mdn.net
Now entering its third year, the Dow Weekend of Races continues to grow. And so does the economic impact on Midland and the surrounding area. The Dow Weekend of Races — which is made up of Saturday’s 29th annual Dow RunWalk and Sunday’s Great Lakes Bay Marathons, which include a full marathon, a half marathon, and a marathon relay — can’t help but give the local economy a big jolt, said Chris Tointon, CEO of the Greater Midland Community Centers. “If you think about having a whole weekend of races and you take a look at where people are coming from — all over the state, all over the Midwest region — and the number of hotels rooms and snacks and meals and gas (they’ll consume), it has a tremendous impact locally on Midland,” said Tointon. While the Dow RunWalk is closing in on its third decade and is more popular than ever, the addition of the full marathon and half-marathon, which are now entering their third year, has provided a big boost, Tointon said. He noted that although statistics have not yet been compiled to indicate the direct economic impact of the Dow Weekend of Races, there is no doubt that the marathons have brought in considerable additional business. “We know we fill a lot of hotel rooms, and it’s grown,” he said. “Adding the marathon and half-marathon two years ago allowed us to bring in an extra 1,000 people, and 60 percent of those people (participating in the marathons) are from outside of the Midland community.” Dow RunWalk Race Director Jennifer Adamcik noted that all of the events during the Dow Weekend of Races are
showing growth. According to Adamcik, the RunWalk has grown consistently from around 900 participants in 2006 to about 3,500 more recently. She said she expects at least that many participants again this year. “We’ve been hovering around that 3,500 (number), and we’re tracking again toward that 3,500 (this year),” she said. “The weather might factor into (the final tally); it’s been a crazy spring. But our numbers have looked good. ... It’s been awesome (to see the number of participants grow steadily).” Adamcik said that registration for the marathons has also really taken off, noting that, as of last week, about 650 runners had already registered for the marathons. “And we’re projecting about 900 or more by race day,” she said. “That’s up from 600 last year.” Adamcik noted that while about 90 percent of RunWalk participants come from the surrounding area, the marathons are drawing plenty of runners from far away. “The marathons are pulling people from all over. We just got (a registration) in today from West Virginia,” she noted, adding that, as of last week, marathoners from 23 different states, as well as from Canada and Brazil, had registered. A new feature this year will be the marathon relay, during which teams of five runners will combine to complete the 26.2-mile course. “That’s kind of taking off, so that’s a great thing,” Adamcik said of the relay. “We should see our numbers increase because of that. “And what a great way to get involved in a marathon without having to actually run a (full) marathon,” she added with a See “IMPacT,” Page 7
Ambitious trail project benefitting from Great Lakes Bay Marathons By Fred Kelly fred.kelly@mdn.net
While Sunday’s Great Lakes Bay Marathons bring in plenty of money for local businesses, they are also generating some much-needed revenue for an ambitious project which, once completed, should benefit walkers, runners, and cyclists for years to come — the Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail (GLBRT). Proceeds from the races benefit the GLBRT, which is a proposed 100-mile network of non-motorized trails connecting the Tri-Cities. Heidi Bolger, chairperson of the Great Lakes Bay Regional Trail 501(c) (3), said that the network of trails ultimately should be a boon not only for area health enthusiasts but also for area businesses. “Having trails is a big deal in attracting young professionals and creating access to all the beauty, waterways, and other amenities in our region,” Bolger noted. “We would love to see physicians write prescriptions for citizens to walk or bike so many miles on the trails every day. It (also) creates another reason for others to visit our region and spend the night, visit (local) attractions, eat in (local) restaurants, shop, etc.” According to Bolger, the GLBRT is expected to take at least 10 years to complete at a total cost of $18 million. Funding for the project has come primarily from state and local grants, while the Great Lakes Bay Marathons proceeds will be used mostly to fund longer-term maintenance associated with trail links, she added. At present, Bolger said, funding for the project is approaching the $1 million mark. The proposed structure of the GLBRT includes a 10-mile trail from Saginaw to St. Charles, another 17 miles of Bay City trails, and an additional 30-plus miles of trails in Midland and north, with various links bringing the total to 100 miles. The 20.5-mile trail from Midland County to Saginaw County is expected to cost $7.9 million, the 16-mile trail connecting Midland County to Bay County is expected to cost $7.8 million, and the seven-mile trail linking Saginaw County to Bay County is expected to cost $2.5 million. According to a progress update released by the GLBRT board, the group oversaw
the following developments in 2013: • Sought funding to retrofit two former railroad bridges in Frankenlust Township (which is part of Bay County); • Saginaw Township built their trail northward toward the Kochville Township trail; • Kochville Trail built out two miles at the west end of their trail in order to link to the north end of Saginaw Township’s trail; • A trail link along Stroebel Road has been paved, connecting the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail that currently ends in James Township with the Center Road trail that extends across the Center Road Bridge from Saginaw Township; and • Thomas Township has built a trail link from their library to the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail. According to the same update, the GLBRT’s goals for 2014 include the following: • Complete the Saginaw County section of the Bay to Zilwaukee trail link; • Complete the retrofit of two former railroad bridges in Frankenlust Township to pedestrian bridges; • Continue to work on a final route for connecting the Bay County and Midland County trails; and • Support Tittabawassee Township’s effort to construct a trail that would be a start to the Saginaw to Midland connection. Bolger said that the GLBRT had its origins six years ago and was, and still is, a cooperative effort among various entities around the Tri-Cities and state. “The Friends of the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail board always had a vision of connecting trails across our region ... (and) so did Michigan Trails and Greenways at the state level. ... We officially came together to build out and launch our plan in 2008,” she noted, adding that the GLBRT board includes representatives from Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties from both the public and private sectors. Bolger said she is “certain” that, upon completion, the GLBRT will become a part of the state’s Governor’s Showcase Trail, which stretches from Detroit’s Belle Isle all the way to the Wisconsin border. “(That is) very exciting and another reason people will visit our region,” she said.
7 Thursday, May 15, 2014 | Page 7
Mother, daughter team up for marathon relay By Kristopher Lodes klodes@mdn.net
After turning 50 years old, Wendy Lombard of Ithaca decided to do something outrageous. She ran. Never having played many sports, Lombard decided to turn to a healthy hobby to stay in shape. “I turned 50 and started running and everyone in my family thought I was crazy,” said Lombard, who’s now 63. “I never ran or anything in high school because we just never had sports for girls back then, but I started running races and I was just a new runner, and nobody in my family would go watch, so I ran by myself.” But after awhile, Lombard gained a running partner — her daughter, Shelby Shankel, of Merrill. This Sunday, the two will run in the inaugural marathon relay as part of the Great Lakes Bay Marathons in Midland. After Shankel started college, she wanted to do something healthy, so she decided to run alongside her mother. Or behind her, at least in the beginning. “Neither my mom, nor I, were runners until she turned 50, and at first I thought she was crazy,” said Shankel,
PhoTo Provided
Shelby Shankel, left, and her mother, Wendy Lombard, will be part of a five-person relay in Sunday’s great Lakes Bay Marathons.
who’s now 30. “I was 19, and she was beating me in races. So it was my motivation to pass her, but I never leave her behind. I always go back and push her to the finish line.” The two began running together, with Lombard challenging her daughter to run a 5K. Shankel thought her youth would propel her to finish the race without any problem. But she quickly learned that wasn’t the case. While training for the 5K, she found out how hard it is to run a little over three miles. “When I started running, I would go from block to block,” Shankel said. “Then a little bit further and further more.” After a few years of running, Shankel had to put her running on hold as she started a family. Shankel, now a mother of two, and Lombard are back into running, in what Shankel calls her second round of running. “I’m in round two of my running after having babies,” Shankel said. “I ran two half marathons last summer. (Before that) I couldn’t imagine running one.” Shankel began a Facebook group called “14 in 2014” — consisting of 365 women who are running in 14 races in 2014.
One of those races is the Great Lakes Bay Marathons relay on Sunday, where Shankel, Lombard and three other women from the “14 in 2014” group will compete. This will be the first time Shankel and her mother will team up for a relay. “This time, she wanted to lose weight from having kids and she knew running is good for her, so I would go for support,” Lombard said of her daughter. “Even though I’m not as fast as I used to be, I’m still out there doing it, which motivates her and a lot of the other people. They see someone who is 63 and I’m still out running every day.” What originally began as Lombard running by herself 13 years ago has grown to a Facebook group consisting of 365 women who are running to have a better quality of life. Shankel has even begun teaching her children the healthy habit of not only running, but also eating right as well. “(Running) motivated her to be a healthier person,” Lombard said of her daughter. “She is eating healthier and now she’s teaching the same thing to her kids, and it’s a real good motivation for me.”
“(Running) motivated her to be a healthier person,” Lombard said of her daughter. “She is eating healthier and now she’s teaching the same thing to her kids, and it’s a real good motivation for me.”
Impact: Many businesses benefit from races ConTinued FroM Page 6
chuckle. Tointon pointed out that, beyond the obvious impact of bringing in runners from out of town, the Dow Weekend of Races also boosts the economy by way of spectators, family members, etc., patronizing local businesses. “(The races are) a great opportunity for people to come in (to town) and have breakfast and stop at the local (gas stations),” he said. “It’s 5,000 runners total and another 10,000 (spectators) watching, so it’s about 15,000 people total.” Tointon noted that the races also provide a boost for a variety of other less obvious businesses, such as portable toilet providers, food and drink vendors, security firms, T-shirt merchandisers, etc. “We’re giving away almost 7,000 T-shirts, so those companies are making
good money,” he said. Tointon said that statistics indicating the direct economic impact of the Dow Weekend of Races likely will be compiled after this year’s event. He added that, hopefully, the races will not only draw visitors to Midland for the weekend but will also keep them coming back after they see what the community is all about. “(This event) does a great job of showing off the community if you look at where we run (the course). ... It’s a very attractive race, and it takes you through some really attractive parts of Midland and shows off what we have to offer,” Tointon said. “ ... If (the runners) are from Flint or Lansing or anywhere north of Midland, it’s a great opportunity to bring people to the community and keep them coming back.”
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8 Page 8 | Thursday, May 15, 2014
MCC’s race management team helping with other races By Dan Chalk chalk@mdn.net
PHOTO PROVIDED
From left, Team BETAHEALTH members Steve Persyn, Jeff Minnis, Kim Retzloff-May, Katy Becker, Cory Pickvet and Matt Lokar are teaming up to run the new marathon relay in the Great Lakes Bay Marathons on Sunday.
Relay team runs for fitness, fun, and an extra incentive By leslie Perry Midland Community Center Engagement Director
Steve Persyn is “in it to win it,” but maybe not in the traditional sense of winning. The captain of a marathon relay team for Sunday’s Great Lakes Bay Marathons, Persyn said his group is competing to win an enduring prize — improved health. “We stress, ‘Let’s get fit,’ and we enjoy time together,” he explained. “It’s something we can do to encourage healthy living while having fun.” Although Persyn enjoyed running when he was younger, he had drifted away from the sport in recent years. About a year ago, he decided he needed to refocus on fitness and looked toward running once again, completing the Grand Island Trail Marathon in Munising last summer. A chemical engineer at The Dow Chemical Company, Persyn was excited when he learned of the new relay team option added to the Great Lakes Bay Marathons this year. “It’s an avenue to get people to participate, even those who don’t run long distances. I like that it gets more people involved,” Persyn said. He recruited four co-workers to complete his team, two of whom have race experience. The team members all work together at Dow’s Michigan Operations in Midland. On top of that, the team members recently learned of a little extra incentive that may spark their competitive spirit.
Rich Wells, vice president of Operations and site director for Michigan Operations at Dow Chemical, issued a challenge to employees that any group that forms a relay team and finishes the marathon with a combined time that is faster than Wells’s own marathon finish time will win a special prize: Wells will buy lunch for the team and will wash each of the team members’ vehicles during the lunch. “Rich’s challenge has definitely piqued interest,” Persyn said. “It would be a unique experience for sure. It’s not every day that you get to have your boss wash your car and buy your lunch,” he laughed. Even if his team doesn’t win the challenge, Persyn feels like a winner already. Last fall, his 7-year-old son decided to participate in a kids’ running program called Kids Run the Nation in Saginaw Township. Together, they completed the Reindeer Run 5K in downtown Saginaw last November 23. “He saw that I was active, and because of that, he wanted to be active, too,” Persyn said. “Now, my 9-year-old daughter wants to participate next year as well.” Persyn is training to run the 6-mile leg of the relay. He and his teammates will complete the final 0.2 mile of the race together, crossing the finish line at Dow Diamond as a team. Following the race, the team plans to attend the Loons game at Dow Diamond at 5:05 p.m. “It’s a great way to get fit and spend time with one another for an afternoon,” Persyn said.
As more groups turn to road races as a way to raise funds, some of them are leaning on the Midland Community Center’s expertise. The MCC, which administers the annual Dow RunWalk, Great Lakes Bay Marathons, Loons Pennant Race, and the new Forest Frenzy, has recently also been contracted to run the Rockin’ Rave Race in Bay City on Oct. 18 — a fundraiser for the Bay City River Roar charities — and to help with the Heroes for Hospice near Bay City on Sept. 20 — benefitting the Heartland Hospice Memorial Fund. MCC Executive Director Kevin Heye said that it was a natural extension for the Community Center’s race management team — which includes Jennifer Adamcik, Greg Roan, and Gigi McIntyre — to help with other races in the area. “A lot of groups don’t have the manpower to do the logistics (of a race),” Heye said. “So we looked to be a community leader, not only in terms of our own races, but in reaching out to other organizations so that they can be successful in their race endeavors.”
NICK KING | nking@mdn.net
The Midland Community Center’s race management team, which includes Dow RunWalk race director Jennifer Adamcik, left, and Great Lakes Bay Marathons director Greg Roan, right, along with Loons Pennant Race director Gigi McIntyre, has been contracted to help administer other races around the area. And Heye feels that by playing a part in additional races, the MCC is helping to promote healthy living and active communities. “We see it as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle, and (a way of) trying to engage our entire community, not just Midland,” he said.