SPRING 2009
IN S ID E T R A C K
Quarterly Newsletter for the Members of the Road Runners Club of America
IN THIS ISSUE: ♦
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Club Running Magazine Leading a Group Run New RRCA Store Launched Microfinance Program for Clubs Survey Responses Overview
RRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brent Ayer President David Cotter Vice President Dennis Novak Treasurer Lisa Paige Secretary, At-Large Director Mark Grandonico Eastern Region Director Mitchell Garner Central Region Director Ken Bendy Southern Region Director David Epstein Western Region Director Bob Holmes At-Large Director
CLUB RUNNING MAGAZINE The RRCA has partnered with the Running Network LLC to launch the new publication, Club Running. This complimentary publication for the household members of the RRCA is made possible by the generous support from the Running Network advertisers. Household members of RRCA running clubs and training programs will receive three FREE issues of Club Running in 2009. Club Running is designed to embrace and celebrate everyone in our membership and to shine a national spotlight on the rich diversity of running around the United States. Your contributions of photographs, running club and event spotlights, training articles, outstanding volunteer spotlights, and more will help ensure that Club Running is a success. Each issue of the magazine will outline how to submit content for future issues of Club Running. To ensure that your members receive their free subscription of Club Running magazine, you must submit an updated copy of your club roster to membership@rrca.org. The roster template is found on the RRCA website at www.rrca.org/join/join/. To place event or product advertisements in Club Running, contact Larry Eder at larry.eder@gmail.com.
“JOIN A CLUB” CAMPAIGN The “Join a Club” campaign, funded through the generous McLeod-Tyler gift, is a two-year promotional initiative the RRCA will pursue in an effort to increase awareness about running clubs and to encourage runners and walkers to join their local RRCA-affiliated running clubs. The campaign will include promotions in print and online publications, and is designed to spread the word about RRCA programs and the benefits of joining a running club. “We believe the RRCA plays an important role in promoting membership in local running clubs as a service to our members,” explained Jean Knaack. “The McLeod-Tyler investment in the ‘Join a Club’ campaign is a visionary investment in this role.” The Running Network, Women’s Running Magazine, Running Times, and GenA Media & Marketing, publishers of MetroSports and Competitor, have joined us in our “Join a Club” campaign by including our advertisements in their publications as a service to running clubs around the country. The RRCA has also created a “Find a Club” and “Find a Coach” widget that anyone can download from our website on the Resources page and post on their website to help with the “Join a Club” campaign.
FROM THE RRCA PRESIDENT
Dear RRCA Members, As we move through our 51st year towards what promises to be an exciting convention in San Francisco, I wanted to let you know what we have been doing. In January, under the direction of David Cotter, the Board developed and reviewed a new strategic plan. The effort involving board members, club presidents, and state representatives sets our tone and goals for the next three to five years. As part of this effort, we are set to unveil six new initiatives to benefit our member clubs and organizations. In the past five years, much of the time and energy of the Board has focused on internal processes: getting out of debt and creating an operational surplus, updating the RRCA Bylaws, establishing internal operating procedures, and creating a solid national office. While these were all necessary activities, as Eastern Region Director Mitchell Garner put it to me, “It is now time to turn the focus externally.” I couldn’t agree more. We have completed our internal “housekeeping” and the time has come to increase our delivery of programs and services to you. We are excited about these new initiatives, like the “Join a Club” campaign, and look forward to discussing them with you in San Francisco, as well as exchanging thoughts on new ideas. Keep running,
Brent Ayer
RRCA LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE STORE AT WWW.RUNTHENATIONSTORE.COM The RRCA has partnered with Image One to launch our new online store offering RRCA branded gear. Show your RRCA pride by wearing our merchandise at events or club activities. Get your "We Run the Nation" merchandise today! RRCA members are encourage to post a link from their website to www.RuntheNationStore.com. Send us photos at office@rrca.org wearing your "We Run the Nation" wear from our store, and you might be featured in an upcoming issue of Club Running, FOOTNOTES, or in the RRCA News. Shop today at: WWW.RUNTHENATIONSTORE.COM or visit www.rrca.org/shop and click on the RRCA Branded Gear banner.
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RRCA GUIDELINES FOR LEADING A GROUP RUN Compiled by: Patti Finke, Warren Finke, Steve Shepard, Michael Bowen, Jean Knaack, and Emily Goodman Most RRCA clubs host regular, organized group runs throughout the year. Group runs accomplish many goals for a club or training program. They bring people together, both seasoned and newer runners. They create a social atmosphere for the group that supports a runner’s training needs, and more. Organizing and leading a group run is an important responsibility. To help ensure your group runs are well organized and safe, the RRCA has issued the following guidelines for leading a group run. These guidelines focus on leading a group that has 20 or more people, however most of the advice still applies for smaller group runs of 5 to 10 people. • The run leader should contact their club’s RRCA point person or the RRCA to ensure that their RRCA membership is up to date, and the insurance premium has been paid for the year. Do not assume the liability for leading a group run if your club, running shoe store, or training program is not adequately insured or your dues (insurance) with the RRCA are not paid in full. • The run leader or a designated individual participating in the group run should have current CPR and First Aid certifications. This person should also keep a club-owned general first aid kit handy. • The run leader should map out the route(s) using a GPS or mapping tool like RRCA Map (http://www.rrca.org/running/tools/). These routes can be posted on a club website and should be reviewed at the meet-up period before the run starts. • Clearly outline the distance(s) for the run. Make special note if your group is doing a 20-miler and if the run can be broken down into a 5-miler, a 10-miler, etc for people that want to join the group but not go the full distance. • If your group run is very large and/or it is run on a multi-use trail or road where a permit may be required, check with your local authorities before promoting the run. If permits are required, consider altering the course or staggering start times for the run by pace or distance groups. This may eliminate the need for a permit. • The run leader should outline pace groups and recruit pace leaders. The run leader should also identify water stops on the route and recruit volunteers to deliver water or man water stops if none is readily available on the route. • The run leader should recruit a back-of-the-pack runner or sweeper who carries a cell phone (be sure it is fully charged up). Cell phones with cameras are beneficial in the case of confrontations or RRCA Etiquette Brochures emergencies. You can call the police, take a picture of a vehicle, and make certain someone The RRCA Runners Etiquette knows where you are at a moment's notice. brochure is great for beginning • The run leader or social chair should identify running and training programs, race new members and/or guests and ensure they bag stuffers, and more. The RRCA have signed a waiver before the run begins. If will gladly co-brand the brochure if they can not remember whether or not they you order 1500 copies or more. have signed a waiver, have a few extra copies Contact Jean Knaack at available to fill out. Or have a waiver printed at execdir@rrca.org about cothe top of a page and have all runners sign the branded orders and pricing. page. DO NOT let anyone run with the group if they refuse to sign a waiver or follow the rules Place an order today at: of the group run. Continued on page 9
http://store02.prostores.com/rrca
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RRCA MICROFINANCE PROGRAM FOR CLUBS
At the 2008 Annual Banquet of the RRCA, outgoing president Bee McLeod and her husband Goody Tyler, presented the RRCA with a contribution of $50,000. The donors restricted the gift to the RRCA for the purposes of benefiting clubs. At the conclusion of 2008, the RRCA worked with the donors to develop two new initiatives that will launch in 2009: the establishment of the RRCA Microfinance Fund and the development of the “Join a Club” campaign (see cover page). “My husband and I always try to encourage others to get involved in the sport we have loved for most of our lives. And, we believe that running clubs are key to the growth and enjoyment of our sport,” commented Bee McLeod. “Anything we can do to keep the hometown feel of running alive, we are thrilled to do.” The RRCA Microfinance Fund will provide small annual loans to qualifying nonprofit running clubs as determined by a loan selection panel. The purpose of the loans will be to assist clubs with purchasing capital assets such as timing systems like the Ipico system (see page 6 for special RRCA discount), timing clocks, finish line equipment, and more. Basic club or event supplies like numbers, cups, etc. are not eligible for funding through the RRCA Microfinance Fund. The Microfinance Fund will provide small annual loans ($1000-$5000) for a total of $20,000, or up to 10 loans, in the first year to qualifying nonprofit running clubs as determined by the loan selection panel. Criteria for Receiving a Loan • A club must be a 501(c)3 organization either through the RRCA or directly with the IRS. • A club must be a member of the RRCA and in good standing (dues paid, bylaws on file). • Clubs must be in good standing financially, and they must submit a copy of their previous two years’ financial statements or 990s. Application Process • Clubs will apply for the loans during a loan application period that will be announced in the RRCA News (www.RRCA.org) and emailed in Keeping Pace. • Loans will be applied for using the standard RRCA forms within the stated application period. Loans received outside of the period will not be considered. • Loans will be reviewed and granted by a loan selection panel appointed by the RRCA president and co-chaired by Bee McLeod and Goody Tyler. Repayment • All loans from the Microfinance Fund are re-payable to the RRCA. • Loans may be paid in 1, 2, 3, or 4-year periods depending on loan amount. • No interest will be charged on the loans if the loan is repaid within a 12-month period of time. After 12 months, the loans will have an interest rate of 3% on the outstanding balance of the loan. • Loans will be paid quarterly. The RRCA will send an invoice to loans each quarter. Additional details about the RRCA Microfinance Fund can be found on the RRCA website at www.RRCA.org/services/microfinance
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LESSON LEARNED FROM RECENT RACES MAUI OCEAN FRONT MARATHON By Les Wright We did well despite having to create a detour of our course 15-minutes before the race. We actually turned the Marathon into an ultra marathon. About 4:15 am, I got a call at home from the Maui police, just before I was leaving the house, that a power pole was severed by a car accident and we had to reroute the race course. So instead of going to the start line, I went to the spot of the downed power line to GPS a new route around that area. The new detour would add 4/10th of a mile to the course, and I thought I would move the start line up that 4/10th distance at the start line and all would be cool. I hustled to the start line to prepare the runners for the change. The police arrived to discuss an alternate route and nixed my proposal in favor of a different route that they could handle. So scratch my alternate change and the plan to move the runners up 4/10th of a mile in front of the starting line. Now I had no idea how far the new route would add to the course. The important thing is that we were able to keep all of our aid stations. After informing the gathering of 200 marathoners, who were laced with the most seasoned marathon runners in our sport, we moved up to the original start line. The field was made up of Marathon Maniacs and 50Staters here to celebrate an inaugural event. Larry Macon, Ray Scharenbrock, and Jim Simpson, who have completed 50-States 7-9 times each, were on the line. We sent ourselves off about two minutes late, and that was only because I was tangled up in my headphones, camera strap, and megaphone wires. I hustled along telling the police at the two intersections to turn the runners up Lipoa Street at the 5 Mile mark and then drove along with eventual winner Chuck Engle to tell him the street name to make his turn. (Chuck actually rode the original course the day before with me putting out road signs.) I got out, spray painted some arrows as quick as a tagger could and tossed down some cones and raced ahead and through the next couple of intersections ahead of Chuck, painting arrows, and breaking all uturn driving laws in the state of Hawaii, and finally
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marked the detour down Uwapo Road and back onto the regular course. The aid station of the Tahoe Youth Center was right there and was wondering why we were coming at them instead of by them. They quickly picked up the tables and moved them 50 feet north in time to take care of Chuck. The detour according to runners using their GPS watches added about an even mile onto the marathon distance creating the first Maui Oceanfront Ultra Marathon of 27.2 miles. I only heard one, "I don't believe this" at the start line and not another single complaint. And this is why I love this sport so much. If anyone actually complained I was going to tell them I was not going to charge them for the extra mile. The rest of the race was beautiful with clear skies and light to no wind. The start line temperature at Wailea was 62, with the temperature actually dropping to 57 at the Kealia Fish Pond at miles 8-10, and then up to 64 on the Pali. Later in the day we recorded a 77. Many whales were sighted below the Pali and all along the oceanfront going to Lahaina. I think a fun day for all, in spite of the extra mile.
12-HR ADVENTURE TRAIL RUN At the 12-HR Adventure Trail Run (ATR), the race directors learned that a “refusal of medical assistance waiver” might be a good idea worth considering. Early in the race, a runner fell and scrapes were cleaned at an aid station, but the runner refused to allow EMS to be called to check his condition. He continued with the race and at the next aid stop he again refused EMS assistance, but this time he stopped participating in the race and went back to his hotel. Later that night, the runner contacted the race officials about his visit to the hospital. Officials offered to help with the medical costs through the accidental medical policy, which is included in the RRCA insurance program. After this incident, the race director said he would seriously consider adopting a waiver that participants must sign if they refuse medical assistance while on course or immediately following an event. See www.RRCA.org/resources/management for medical assistance refusal waiver sample.
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MEMBER & RUNNER SURVEY RESULTS OVERVIEW Two surveys played an import role as part of the Strategic Planning process the RRCA embarked on in the Fall of 2008. The first survey had questions tailored for running club and event leaders (Club Survey), the second survey was tailored for general members of running clubs (Runner Survey). Responses to both surveys were strong. For the Club Survey we received a little over 400 responses; for the Runner Survey we received over 3400 responses. 82% of the Club Survey respondents identified themselves as nonprofit organizations, which closely matches the percentage of nonprofit members the RRCA has on record for 2008. The top of the bell curve for club size was at 100-500 members which is also consistent with the RRCA database. When asked which of the following services or programs does your club/event provide to participants, the results outlined the top 6 activities: 1. Organized Group Runs 2. Social Events 3. Conduct road races of varying distances 4. Conduct beginning running programs 5. Conduct training programs for various distances 6. Conduct a youth fun run or event One the Runner Survey side when asked, “why did you join a running club”, the top 4 choices were: 1. For the social interaction 2. For the structured group runs 3. To increase my running speed 4. Discounted entry fees
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When asked what runners valued most in their running club the results were nearly identical to why they joined the club with the only difference being that their forth valued items was the clubs newsletter or website. 89% of the respondents in the Club Survey outlined that they actively recruiting new members. Word of mouth is the number one strategy utilized for recruiting members followed by the clubs website. However, CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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System Includes: 1 Lite Reader, 1 Battery Charger, 1 Power Supply Cable, 1 Ethernet Cable, 1 USB Serial Console Cable, 1 USB Flash Drive, 2 – 2.4M x 1.2 M Mats, 1 USB Registration Reader, 1 Tag Scanner, 1 IPICO Sports Scoring Software
SURVEY RESULTS CONCLUDED Only 9% of respondents said they engaged in email marketing. When runners were asked if they had visited the RRCA website over 50% of them responded yes. When asked why they visited the RRCA website, the number one response was, because they had received an email from the RRCA and visited the website as a result. This was a very interesting correlation between the two surveys. A lesson learned that can be derived from the two surveys is in order to drive people to your club website, you need to give them a poke with an email marketing strategy. When asked how clubs and events staff their activities over 77% responded that staffing was all-volunteer, and 20% responded it was a mix of paid staff, independent contractors, and volunteers. An openended question in the Club Survey outlined volunteer recruitment is a top concern and challenge. Almost 50% of the Runner Survey respondents said they would like to volunteer more with their club, but they just do not have time to fit into their schedule. On the bright side, 10% of the respondents said they want to volunteer with their club and have time. Clubs can interpret that the will is there; you just need to find jobs that engage people without overwhelming them. The unfortunate result was that 25% of the respondents said they did not want to volunteer; they just want to run. When asked, respondents from the Runner Survey said that an email announcement calling for volunteers would be the most effective method for recruiting volunteers followed closely by providing incentives such as free race entries or t-shirts. Respondents also outlined that just asking, but being clear about the duties and duration of the volunteer work were also important. When asked “what concerns you most about the long term success of distance running in the United States”, we received over 1500 responses! The interesting thing is there were several reoccurring themes that include safety on the roads and trails, improving air quality, more community support for running events, and improving the integrity of the competitive sport while ensuring access for fitness runners and much more.
RRCA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT CONSTANT CONTACT FOR RRCA MEMBERS The RRCA has a partnership with Constant Contact, the leading email marketing service for small businesses and nonprofits. RRCA members that signup for Constant Contact through the RRCA receive additional pricing discounts and the RRCA receives a contribution from Constant Contact for each member that uses their service. With Email Marketing by Constant Contact, you can:
• Choose from more than 300 easily customized • • • •
•
email templates—or create your own from scratch to match your brand or website. Create highly visual, professional-looking email newsletters and promotions in just minutes. Drive more traffic to your website with focused, targeted email communications. (See lessons learned from survey results.) Build and manage your email list: import existing customer lists, add names individually, or capture contact information from website visitors. Review your email results instantly, check clickthrough rates, and see who opened and clicked on each link so you can learn about what interests your members. Communicate with your members with confidence, knowing that Constant Contact will take care of getting your emails delivered and keep you CANSPAM compliant.
Sign-up today at: www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=roadrunnersclub
ACTIVE.COM FOR RRCA MEMBERS The RRCA has partnered with Active.com to offer discounts on technology and marketing services for member clubs. Benefits include: • RRCA members get FREE access to Active’s Volunteer Module • Discounts on websites for clubs • And more For every RRCA club that utilizes Active.com for club member registration, Active will make a contribution to support RRCA programs. Active has developed a template for your club’s membership registration. Start using Active.com today to manage your volunteers and club memberships. Sign-up through the Active.com link at: www.rrca.org/services/online/
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INTRODUCING THE RRCA DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM SERVICES The RRCA welcomes Eve Mills as the Director of Membership and Program Services at the Road Runners Club of America. A recreational runner for 20 years, with some road races under her belt, it wasn’t until she brought “Girls on the Run” to Montgomery County, MD that she decided to run a marathon. In addition to serving as the first Executive Director of Girls on the Run of Montgomery County, and introducing hundreds of girls to the joy of running, Eve is a volunteer coach with the Experienced Marathon group of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. Using this experience, along with her RRCA Distance Running Coach Certification, Eve has been able to help others achieve their running and fitness goals. Eve comes to the RRCA with a passion for distance running. Having run six marathons to date, including qualifying for the Boston Marathon, she credits her running partners from the Montgomery County Road Runners Club for helping pass the miles with smiles. “For me, interesting running routes and engaging running groups take the tedium out of long-distance running. It’s very motivating to know your running group buddies are waiting for you to show up so they begin their run. It keeps you honest, and on-track to meet your goals.” Eve has a degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts, a Masters in Taxation from the George Washington University and is a CPA in the state of Maryland. She runs with and after her three children along with her supremely supportive husband of fifteen years. Eve's email address is membership@rrca.org.
THE RRCA WELCOMES NEW CORPORATE SUPPORTERS IN THE FIRST QUARTER: ORTHOLITE, INC. AND CROCS, INC. OrthoLite has joined as the Preferred Insole Partner for the RRCA. OrthoLite is the world’s leading supplier of open cell foam insoles in the performance and footwear categories and is found in more than 50 million shoes each year including Asics, Teva, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Merrell and Timberland. OrthoLite combines polyurethane and recycled rubber to provide superior cushioning, comfort, breathability, and durability. (http://www.ortholite.com) Crocs, Inc. has joined as the Preferred Recovery Shoe for the RRCA. Crocs creates lightweight, comfortable, slip-resistant, fashionable and functional shoe that can be produced quickly and at an affordable price to our customers. The RRCA is working with Crocs to share information about good training and recovery tips for runners. Both Ortholite and Crocs are featured on the RRCA Championship fliers for 2009 along with FuelBelt and SportScience. Contact your State Rep about being selected to receive up to 2000 RRCA Championship fliers to be stuffed in race bags for your State Championship event. Great product discounts are offered on the flier. All Regional and National events will receive the fliers as well.
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RRCA GUIDELINES FOR LEADING A GROUP RUN CONCLUDED •
Consider a sign-in sheet so you know who is running with the group and how many people you have in the group. The sign-up sheet should also ask for an emergency contact name and number for you to have handy just in case something happens.
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The run leader should provide clear instructions as to the route, the various paces for the group, the turn around point, the terrain, the hydration support (is water provided or should participants bring their own?), and etc.
•
The run leader should provide the “rules of the run.” Remember, you are leading the run and assuming responsibility for the group’s well being. These rules should include, but are not limited to: o Stick to the designated route; o No headphones allowed; o No dogs; o Do not run more than two abreast especially on busy roads, sidewalks, or multi-use trails; the goal is to share the roads/trails, not hog them; o Be mindful of your language and conversation content. Adult conversation does happen on group runs, but it should not go so far as to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the group.
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Everyone in the group should wear reflective clothing if running in the dark or if it will get dark during the run. Work with a local shoe store to get donations of reflective vests, and have a grab bag handy for people to borrow a vest. Be sure that people return the vests after the run and get a volunteer to wash them when they get home. Encourage people to wear a flasher on their back if running the dark. At minimum, the leader, mid-pack runner, and sweeper should all wear reflective vests and the sweeper should wear a flasher on their back.
•
The group should follow the “ranger rules”, which means leave no one behind for any reason (bathroom breaks, “need to walk”, twisted ankle, etc).
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Everyone in the group should obey all traffic signs. The group leader and pace leaders should NEVER run the group against a light or through a stop sign. Mid-sections of a group tend to ignore traffic signals while following the front of the pack. This has been the number one reason why people get hit by cars on group runs. Work with your runners to stress the importance of paying attention to their surroundings.
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Use sidewalks and trails for group runs as much as possible, if you need to lead your group run on a road, face traffic and run no more than two abreast. This will allow oncoming motorist to see the group as opposed to driving upon the back of the pack. If there is a confrontation with a driver, follow the path of least violence. It's better to lose an argument than to lose a life.
•
The run leader or social chair should engage people in conversation, especially if they seem to be in distress. Watch for signs of leaning, slurred speech, and spontaneous stumbling, this could signify a stroke. Watch for other related health warning signs including chest pains, numbness in the left arm, abnormal shortness of breath, and more.
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The run leader or a designated volunteer should be the last one to leave post-run. Most health related problems such as heat stroke or heart attacks tend to occur in the down time immediately following a long group run.
•
Consider a post run brunch or lunch at a nearby restaurant. After all, your members say the number one reason they joined the club was for the social aspect.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Dear RRCA Members, The first quarter of 2009 is proving to be a very exciting time for the RRCA. As you read this issue of Inside Track, you can see we have packed it full of announcements and information that benefit our members. I look forward to seeing everyone at the 51St Annual RRCA National Convention in San Francisco at the end of March. Details about the event along with online registration information can be found at www.RRCConvention.org. As an association of running clubs and events, the Road Runners Club of America does not usually dictate rules to our members; we offer guidelines on general safety that race directors and club leaders are encouraged to adopt as guidelines, rules or policies for their local events and activities. As a club or event leader, please share the “Guidelines for Leading a Group” found on page 3. After learning about a runner death during a group run last year and witnessing a local group run, “breaking all the rules”, I worked with a team of seasoned group run leaders to outline common sense advice that anyone leading a group run should follow. These guidelines are also posted on the Education & Advocacy Page (www.RRCA.org/programs/education) of our website, and we encourage you to reproduce them on your website and in your club newsletter. On January 17, 2009, the RRCA Board of Directors met in open session to discuss the practice of active promotion of headphone friendly events. Under the advisement of the RRCA Insurance broker, Terry Diller, and on behalf of the insurance underwriter, the RRCA Board of Directors unanimously passed a policy stating that RRCA members taking advantage of the group liability and Directors & Officers insurance program may not actively promote that headphones are welcome at RRCA insured events. Meaning RRCA members utilizing the insurance program may not engage in marketing campaigns that invite people to show-up with their headphones and run in events or group runs. While the RRCA insurance policy does not exclude headphone use, and the RRCA does not have an outright ban on their use during events, this does not mean that RRCA members taking advantage of the group insurance program can actively encourage runners to show up and run with their headphones. That practice could jeopardize the integrity of the insurance program that benefits thousands of events and group runs every year. Happy Running,
Order your Kids Run the Nation materials today at www.RRCA.org/programs/kids execdir@rrca.org
RRCA CHAMPIONSHIP BIDDING & BRANDING Information on hosting an RRCA Championship event can be found online at: www.RRCA.org/programs/championships. The "How to Brand Your RRCA Championship Event" flier is posted on the RRCA website at: www.RRCA.org/programs/championships/branding.pdf. The flier contains great tips for branding your event. Work with your State Rep to log your RRCA Champions in the Championship Database at www.RRCA.org/programs/championships. Send photos and press releases about your championship events to FOOTNOTES@rrca.org
RRCA GUIDELINES FOR NONPROFIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS By Jean Knaack: During the joining process and often times during a club’s election process, I will get asked the questions, “what makes up or what is a nonprofit board?” To help answer these questions, to ensure compliance, and to maintain the integrity of the RRCA nonprofit group exemption with the IRS, we issue the following guidelines for clubs to follow when forming and reviewing their nonprofit board of directors structure. According to the RRCA Bylaws, board of directors for clubs taking advantage of the nonprofit status through the RRCA must hold elections every two years. Bi-annual elections do not necessarily mean the board needs to change every two years; board members can be elected multiple years in a row. Members are encouraged to follow the RRCA Bylaws in relationship to terms of service for a board member. However, clubs may elect to either adopt different term limits for board members or have no term limits at all. A board of directors should have, at minimum, three people, however four to five is better and provides for more oversight and division of duties. Clubs should avoid boards larger than 10-12 people, because they can be challenging to manage. Instead of creating a board seat for every program, event, or duty in a club, outline volunteer coordinator positions for the club, but do not create board seats for each. An RRCA club or event taking advantage of the group exemption should never consist of a majority of related parties. For example, Jane Runner, her husband, his brother, and her sister is not an independent board. An independent board may have Jane Runner, her husband, and three other club/event members that have no relationship with Jane and her husband or to each other. This ensures a level of independence for the board, and having three other members ensures that the related parties do not have the controlling vote for the organization. Board members should never profit from their service to a nonprofit board or receive payment for services provided, like legal counsel, coaching, event directing, etc. If a member wishes to be paid for these services, they should resign from the board. However, legitimate out-of-pocket expenses like food, signage, water, etc. can be reimbursed. Clubs should also refrain from giving cash gifts to board members in recognition for their service; this could be construed as profiting from board service. Non-cash recognition gifts are appropriate.
2009 RRCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RRCA National Ultra Championship Tahoe Rim Trail 100 M Endurance Run Spooner Lake State Park, Carson City, NV www.sagebrushstompers.org/trt50 /
RRCA National 10 Mi Championship Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Washington, DC www.CherryBlossom.org
RRCA National 10 K Championship RRCA National Marathon Championship Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon Napa, CA www.NapaMarathon.com
Presidio 10 K San Francisco, CA www.rrcaconvention.org/presidio10race.html
RRCA National Half Marathon Championship
RRCA National 5 K Championship
Parkersburg News & Sentinel Half Marathon Parkersburg, WV http://extras.newsandsentinel.com/halfmarathon/
Woodstock 5K Anniston, AL www.annistonrunners.com/woodstock/
Bid On & Find RRCA Regional & State Championships www.rrca.org/programs/championships
ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA 1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140 Arlington, VA 22209 703-525-3890 www.RRCA.org
WE RUN THE NATION!
NATIONAL RUN@WORK DAY On September 18, 2009, the Road Runners Club of America will promote the 4th Annual National Run@Work Day®. The purpose of National Run@Work Day is to promote physical activity and healthy living through running or walking. Running clubs, events, company-based wellness programs, human resources departments, and individuals nationwide are encouraged to plan fun runs and/or walks with their employers throughout the United States. Or, simply get out with a friend, coworker, or family member for a 35-minute run or walk. If adults can lead by example, if companies can encourage healthy living, then together we can combat the national inactivity and obesity crisis gripping our nation and our children. How You Can Make a Positive Impact on National Run@Work Day • Plan and promote a local Run@Work Day event. To assist you, the RRCA has developed a “Planning Kit” that can be found on our website at www.rrca.org/programs/runatwork. • Hang Run@Work Day posters around the office or around town to promote your event. The RRCA has created a general Run@Work Day promotional poster. To obtain a free copy of the promotional poster, send a self addressed, postage paid ($0.65), 9x12 sized envelop to 1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140, Arlington, VA, 22209. To order multiple FREE copies of the Run@Work Day posters visit the RRCA Publication Store online at http://store02.prostores.com/servlet/rrca/StoreFront • Sign the FREE pledge to run hosted by Active.com at www.RRCA.org/programs/runatwork. Laura Kulisk Yasso designed the winning 2009 RUN@WORK DAY logo. Laura is an active member of three RRCA running clubs and served the RRCA for 8 years as California State Representative and Western Director.
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