2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 1
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 2
We Run the Nation! RRCA.ORG
2 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 3
CONTENTS 5 6 8 10 11 12 13 14 16 19 22
The Mission, The Vision RRCA 10 Point Strategic Plan President’s Report Financial Report National Office Report Kids Run The Nation Run Pro Camp Roads Scholar Program Championship Event Series Runner Friendly Communities Run Smart : Run Safe Campaign
22 23 24 24 26 28 34 36
RUN@WORK and RUN@School Race Director Certification Club Running 56th Annual RRCA National Convention Hall of Fame Inductees National Award Winners Running Around the Nation/ State Reps Overview Thank You to our Donors
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 4
Founded in 1958, The Road Runners Club of America is the oldest and largest national association of running clubs, running events, and runners dedicated to promoting running as a competitive sport and as healthy exercise. The mission of the RRCA is to promote the sport of running through the development and growth of running clubs and running events throughout the country. The RRCA supports the common interests of runners of all abilities during all stages of life by providing education and leadership opportunities along with programs and services that benefit all runners.
* The RRCA uses the term “running” as a catch all word that encompasses the broad spectrum of “running” in the United States including competitive running, jogging, fitness walking, race walking, and wheelchair fitness on roads, trails, and tracks.
4 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 5
The Road Runners Club of America is the national organization dedicated to promoting the development and growth of running clubs, running events, and supporting the interests of recreational runners throughout the country. The RRCA strives to provide quality programming that can be replicated throughout the country by member clubs from small towns to large cities. These programs promote and support running and runners at all stages in life. The RRCA is dedicated to providing the running community with educational information and programs that will keep them safe, healthy, and informed. Furthermore, the RRCA strives to promote excellence in nonprofit management by providing services, benefits, and regular communication that supports this vision.
RRCA Annual Report • 5
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:24 AM Page 6
Point Strategic Direction: 2009–2019
6 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 4/6/15 11:43 AM Page 7
1
3
5 7
2
To be the leading authority on the organization of running clubs and training programs, and to be the largest association of grass roots running organizations in the United States that serve the needs of individual runners and make their safety a top priority. To have sufficient financial support from members, sponsors and individuals and to have leaders actively engaged in the solicitation financial support to ensure organizational stability so the RRCA can be outward-focused in the promotion and support of running in the United States.
4
To be the leading authority and resource for the establishment of new grassroots running organizations and training and education programs for runners, running coaches, race directors, and other special interests that emerge as priorities as the sport evolves.
6
To have a major public profile and major name recognition as the leading voice for running clubs, events, and fitness runners in the United States, with increased use of emerging technologies as a means of communication to reach out to the public.
To be a leading force in ensuring that participation in running remains constant or grows over the next decade through community support of event hosting, long term sustainability of local clubs, and maintenance and promotion of running as the most affordable form of regular exercise.
To engage in best practices in organizational governance and management and to encourage our members to operate according to our standards of ethical conduct to ensure integrity in the sport of running and with the ability to adapt positively to a changing world, which includes generational leadership changes.
8
To continually invest in and improve existing programs and services, develop new programs and services that are beneficial to the members, and to seek maximum participation in our programs and services by our members.
9
To be a major, collaborative partner with health organizations and other running related organizations, but only as long as the partnerships enable the RRCA to achieve our strategic goals as an organization and for the sport of running.
To integrate elite and developing American runners into the RRCA's promotion of running in the United States in order to provide good role models for American youth runners and to contribute to the ongoing pipeline of potential elite athletes.
10
To work with members to actively engage the next generation of runners to participate in running clubs and events to ensure the long-term stability of the sport and to develop future leaders for the sport.
Read the detailed Strategic Plan at www.rrca.org/about/governance/ The footprints of our stategic points – we will outline throughout this report how we are working towards the strategies outlined in the RRCA 10 Point Strategic Plan by referencing the numbers noted for each strategy.
RRCA Annual Report • 7
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 11:22 AM Page 8
PRESIDENT’S REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Throughout the year, it has been my pleasure to keep our members informed on a quarterly basis through our print newsletter, Inside Track. This newsletter is mailed to over 2,400 primary contacts for clubs and events, sponsors, and members. It is also posted on RRCA.org for everyone to read. As I’ve outlined in the publication during the past year and also outlined in the pages of this annual report, the RRCA has once again had another great year. At the 2014 Annual Meeting of the RRCA Membership, I was elected to serve my second, two-year term as RRCA president.
8 • RRCA Annual Report
I am humbled and grateful for our members’ confidence in my leadership of the RRCA. II would like to thank the RRCA Board of Directors for their continued support and leadership of the organization. Between the Board and the National Office staff, we have a strong partnership that allows the organization to effectively focus on the strategies outlined in the RRCA Strategic Plan. The RRCA has two standing committees as outlined in our Bylaws. I extend a hearty thank you to the members of the Finance Committee and the Nominating Committee.
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 11:26 AM Page 9
PRESIDENT’S REPORT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Finance Committee meets quarterly to review detailed financial information related to a comprehensive list of information shared between the staff and the committee. The work of this committee is highlighted in the 2014 Financial Report for the RRCA. Thank you to the committee members: Dan Edwards – Treasurer, Jean Arthur – At-Large Director, Keating Vogel, RRCA Member, Craig Minyard, RRCA Member.
In the summer issue of Inside Track, the feature article focused on “Building an Effective Board.” The RRCA Board has focused time and effort on the 8-step board-building process that we shared with members during the year. Our goal as a board is to ensure we are recruiting future board members that have a shared understanding and vision for the organization. We want to prudently rotate in members to ensure new thinkers at the table while retaining some institutional knowledge held by longer standing members. Thank you to the 2014 nominating committee members: David Epstein – Chair, Chris Burch, IA State Rep, Betsy Boudreaux, LA State Rep, and Ron Macksoud, AL State Rep. We thank our members for their support of the RRCA and the sport of running. We look forward to another successful year in 2015!
2014 RRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Cotter President Mitchell Garner Vice President Dan Edwards Treasurer Mark Grandonico Eastern Region Director Sue Brown-Nickerson Central Region Director Lena Hollmann Southern Region Director Bailey Penzotti Western Region Director Kelly Richards At-Large Director Jean Arthur At-Large Director
3 6
RRCA Annual Report • 9
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 11:29 AM Page 10
2014 FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE RRCA This report reflects the audited financial information for the RRCA as of December 31, 2014
YEAR 2012 2013 2014
ASSETS $1,745,910 $2,255,010 $2,457,082
LIABILITIES $687,950 $1,006,618 $1,069,092
NET WORTH $1,057,960 $1,248,392 $1,387,990*
YEAR 2012 2013 2014
REVENUE $2,168,377 $2,594,027 $2,975,988
EXPENSES $2,006,598 $2,403,595 $2,836,390
NET PROFIT $161,779 $190,432 $139,598
* $406,370 in net worth is restricted by a board designation, $85,239 is temporarily restricted for program use in future years, and $10,000 is permanently restricted.
RRCA FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES REPORT INCOME Insurance Program Income Membership Income Coaching Program Income Sponsorships Contributions & Other Income Investment Income TOTAL INCOME
2013 ACTUAL $1,335,075 $555,157 $347,630 $39,299 $215,796 $101,140 $2,594,027
2014 ACTUAL $1,589,789 $587,476 $412,381 $61,943 $210,289 $114,110 $2,975,988
2015 BUDGET $1,531,000 $578,000 $385,500 $50,000 $261,000 $65,000 $2,870,500
EXPENSES – PROGRAMS Championships & State Programs Coaching Certification Program General RRCA Programs* Kids Run the Nation RunPro - Roads Scholar Program Insurance Program SUBTOTAL
$160,825 $280,164 $236,807 $70,410 $94,290 $1,350,574 $2,193,070
$158,426 $335,981 $265,246 $67,253 $104,623 $1,675,324 $2,606,853
$147,880 $347,245 $334,967 $72,265 $98,137 $1,595,980 $2,596,474
EXPENSES - ADMINISTRATIVE * National Office Management Board Services Fundraising SUBTOTAL TOTAL EXPENSES Net Profit/(Loss)
$102,177 $41,531 $66,877 $210,525 $2,403,595 $190,779
$110,010 $44,638 $74,889 $229,537 $2,836,390 $139,598
$102,953 $48,676 $102,222 $253,851 $2,850,325 $20,175
*Functional expenses - The cost of providing various program and supporting services have been summarized on a functional basis in the statement of functional expenses on the RRCA’s Audited Financial Statements. Accordingly, certain costs have been allocated among the programs and supporting services benefited. **The 2015 annual budget represents conservative revenue projections as part of the RRCA’s prudent budget management process and is not based on 2014 actual revenue figures.
A copy of the RRCA’s audited financial statements and IRS-990 tax return can be found online at www.RRCA.org/about/governance/
2 6 7
10 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:25 AM Page 11
ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA
REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL OFFICE
Growing the Sport of Running Since 1958
One of our strategies is to have a major public profile and major name recognition as the leading voice for running clubs, events, and fitness runners in the United States, with increased use of emerging technologies as a means of communication to reach out to the public. In 2005, the RRCA had approximately 650 emails on file. Today, we maintain an email list of over 165,000 contacts, which we use to promote Club Running and RRCA programs, on a quarterly basis, that benefit the running community. (We don’t share or sell these emails to anyone.) RRCA.org remains the number-one source of information for our members. We had over 1.5 million page visits in 2014 with 75% of our visitors being new visitors to our site. In 2014, our Facebook following grew by over 24,000 people to end the year with 33,900 fans. Our Twitter following also grew during the year and was nearing the 4,000 mark. We thank the RRCA National Office staff for their dedication to the RRCA: David Morgan completed his second year as Membership Manager. Andy Smith completed his first year as Program Coordinator. Dorothy Commock, Office Manager, completed her 14th year of service as the office manager. Jean Knaack, Executive Director, completed her ninth year of service to the RRCA. Randy Accetta completed his third year with the RRCA as the Director of Coaching Education. Our three coaching course instructors, Cari Setzler, Bobby Gessler, and Brent Ayer, all completed their second year of service. The RRCA also employs a part-time bookkeeper, Lena Young, who has kept our finances in order for the last seven years.
Membership Growth 1958–2014 3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
1958 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2014 RRCA Members–Running Organizations 1,095 Running Clubs with over 275,000 runners in their club memberships
890 One Time Per Year Events, such as the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile 410 Event Management Companies hosting more than one event per year
200,000+
9,160 Number of annual events hosted by RRCA members
4,215,000+
Number of group training runs held annually
Number of runners in RRCA member hosted events
1 2 3 4 5 6
RRCA Annual Report • 11
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 4/6/15 11:45 AM Page 12
$115,000 80,000 An Overview of Successes KIDS RUN THE NATION® PROGRAM
The Kids Run the Nation Program is a gender inclusive, multi-week, turnkey, youth running program designed to meet the physical activity goals outlined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for children in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. The goal of the program is to help establish a locally-managed, youth running program in every grade school in America.
The RRCA has provided $115,000 in small grants since 2007 along with donating thousands of copies of the Kids Run the Nation Program Guide to deserving youth running programs around the country.
Following each 12-month grant period, the RRCA surveys program leaders to learn about the results of their youth running programs. Based on survey responses, our grantee’s programs are having a positive impact:
The number of Kids Run the Nation: A Running Guide for Kids that have been circulated to youth programs, races, and schools since 2008.
• Over 10,000 children served, with most programs serving 150–200 kids; • While not every program logged total distances run by children, among the reporting programs, participants logged a cumulative total in excess of 75,000 miles; • Over 3.7 million calories burned by students whose mileage was logged during their running programs.
In 2014, twenty-five programs throughout the U.S. serving over 8,000 children received a total of $20,000 in grants from the RRCA. In addition, the RRCA donated more 18,000 copies of the booklet “Kids Run the Nation: A Running Guide for Kids” to program participants in over 100 programs, an in-kind donation valued at more than $20,000. This year’s grantees serve diverse student populations in school settings, afterschool care programs, homeless shelters, and more. Many of the children served by these running programs live at or below the poverty level, with over 60% of their student bodies eligible for free and reduced school lunches. Detailed outlines of each program can be found at www.rrca.org/programs/kids-run-the-nation-fund/2014/
Congratulations to our Kids Run the Nation Fund Grantees: Nuniwarmiut School Running Club—Mekoryuk, AK Run After School—Goodyear, AZ Boys & Girls Club GREAT Strides—Imperial Beach, CA Montebello Police Athletic & Activities League (PAAL)—Montebello, CA Jackson Running Fitness Club—Sacramento, CA Sabal Elementary Morning Mile—Melbourne, FL NWBRRC Youth Running Program—Parkland, FL Kids Run the Nation—Acworth, GA Open Door Youth Services—New Albany, IN YMCA’s Run This Town—Lexington, KY Americana Youth ProgramLouisville, KY Patterson Park Public Charter School (PPPCS) Running Club–Baltimore, MD Kolb Elementary Running Program—Bay City, MI
7
Hastings YMCA Youth Run Club—Hastings, MN KC Track Club Gets Kids Running—Kansas City, MO RAPP Runners—Kingston, NY PS 124 Yung Wing Running Club—New York, NY Bridgeton Elementary Running Club—New Bern, NC Van Wert Elementary Roadrunners—Van Wert, OH Catalayah Running Club—Claremore, OK Lower School Running Club—Philadelphia, PA Team Kids Café—Lubbock, TX Wild Cat Run—Logan, UT Rutland County Vermont Running & Walking Programs—Rutland, VT Tyler Soles—Washington, DC
Learn more at www.rrca.org/programs/kids-run-the-nation-program/
10
12 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:26 AM Page 13
RUNPRO CAMP
The goal of RunPro Camp is to encourage, support, and provide information to assist top-ranked, post-collegiate, U.S. distance runners to remain in the sport and pursue a professional running career. Fourteen distance runners and recent graduates from universities throughout the U.S. attended the third RunPro Camp in Arlington, Virginia July 17–19. The interactive camp provided a
forum for runners to meet coaches and athletes from professional training centers around the U.S. It was also an opportunity for attendees to learn about sponsor relations, determine what type of representation would be best for them, find out more about the Track & Field Athletes Association (TFAA), USA Track & Field (USATF), and the USATF Foundation resources and long distance running initiatives, including the Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO).
The following attendees were funded to attend RunPro Camp, based on the application and selection process: Juli Accurso–Ohio University Brittni Hutton–Oakland University Samantha Bluske–Iowa State University Olivia Mickle–University of Texas Nicole DeMercurio–University of Georgia Daniel Quigley–University of Missouri Daniel Docherty–Loyola University Chicago Ethan Shaw–Dartmouth University Lindsey Drake–Gonzaga University Sheree Shea–Loyola Marymount University Emily Gordon–University of California, Los Angeles Susanna Sullivan–University of Notre Dame Katie Hoaldridge–University of Texas Jeffrey Veiga–University of Massachusetts, Lowe As of 2014, 51 athletes have attended the three RunPro Camps hosted by Team USA Minnesota and the RRCA. Of those, the RRCA has provided 12 athletes with Roads Scholar grants totaling $60,000.
3 9
Learn more at www.RunPro.com
10
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 4/6/15 2:24 PM Page 14
ROADS SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Since 1996, the RRCA has awarded grants totaling over $480,000 through the Roads Scholar® program.
The goal of the program is to assist American post-collegiate runners who show great promise to develop into national and world-class road running athletes. The grants awarded by the RRCA go directly to the athletes to help support their goals and training needs. Traditionally, the RRCA has distributed six grants. However, the strong credentials and impressive potential of this year’s pool of applicants along with strong donor support has enabled the expansion of the 2014-15 class of grantees to eight recipients.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2014-2015 ROADS SCHOLAR CLASS ESTHERERB
MATTLLANO
Erb ran a 2:46:15 in her debut at that Berlin Marathon in 2008, and reduced her time to 2:39:02 at the Seville Marathon in 2010. Erb runs for ZAP Fitness in Blowing Rock, NC, training under coach Peter Rea. In 2012, she finished 27th at the Olympic Trials Marathon with a time of 2:37:21, after singing the national anthem to open the event. The next year, she placed third at the USA Marathon Championships at Twin Cities in Minnesota, running a 2:34:30. Erb’s improvements continued into 2014. In April, she set a new personal record at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:33:15. On October 5, she returned to the USA Marathon Championships at the Medronic Twin Cities Marathon, showing impressive stamina to pull away over the last mile and a half to win the race in a time of 2:34:01.
Llano decided to pursue running as a career upon graduation in 2011. Though he was struck by an SUV during a training run in the summer of 2011, he showed his resilience and debuted at the half marathon distance in Houston less than five months later, running 1:03:26. Shortly thereafter, he attended the first RunPro Camp hosted by Team USA Minnesota. After camp, he relocated to Flagstaff, AZ where he was one of the founding athletes with Northern Arizona Elite. Following a number of top 10 finishes at US Championship events in 2012 and 2013, he started 2014 with a breakthrough performance at the US Half Marathon Championship where he placed 5th overall in a time of 1:01:47. During that race, he qualified to represent Team USA at the 2014 World Half Marathon Championship in Denmark, where he placed 35th, with a time of 1:02:25.
EMILYGORDON In fall 2012, Gordon joined the UCLA Triathlon Club in order to stay fit and active in her free time. She worked to increase her running and cycling distances and placed 13th in the USAT Collegiate Championships in spring 2013. In October 2013, Gordon raced in the Nike Women’s Marathon San Francisco along with a handful of triathlon teammates on a whim. Surprisingly, she pulled to the lead at mile 12 and won in 2:51.44. In 2014, she won the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon in 1:14.13. On February 2, she raced to a 2:39.58 marathon finish in Huntington Beach, California, taking the course record by a whopping 17 minutes. In the spring she dabbled on the track running her first 3K in 9:49.18 and her first 10K in 34:50.26. She has decided to focus her energy solely to the roads through 2016. After attending the RRCA’s RunPro Camp in July 2014, she joined Team USA Minnesota.
14 • RRCA Annual Report
JONATHANPETERSON Shortly after graduating, Peterson moved out to the Twin Cities to join Team USA Minnesota, coached under Dennis Barker. In his first USA Championship appearance on the roads, he placed 12th at the Twin Cities 10 Mile, held in conjunction with the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Within his first year, he qualified for the Great Edinburgh Challenge, held in Edinburgh, Scotland, along with qualifying for USA Outdoors in the 10,000 meters. Peterson attended the RRCA RunPro Camp in 2013 and has more recently begun to find his niche on the roads, racing in everything from the mile to the 10 mile distance. Returning from a successful tour in Europe on the track, he finished 5th at this year’s Bix 7 Road Race, the USATF 7 Mile Championship. In September, he placed 2nd at the Grandma’s Minnesota Mile in a time of 4:04.0 followed by
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:26 AM Page 15
ROADS SCHOLAR PROGRAM
2nd at the Great Cow Harbor 10K and 12th place at the and USA 5K Championships. Most recently, he defended his 2013 title at the Twin Cities 10 Mile winning with a time of 48:12.
DANIELQUIGLEY By the end of Quigley’s college career, he was a two-time NCAA finalist in the 5000m, finishing with a 2nd team All-American honor and multiple All-Conference honors. He also broke both the indoor and outdoor school records in the 5000m. He ran under the previous records a total of seven times and eventually dropped his own outdoor record by 22 seconds to 13:43. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, he looked west to TrackTown USA, Eugene, Oregon. Quigley has seen great improvements running with the Oregon Track Club Elite and working with coach Ian Dobson. He attended the RRCA’s RunPro Camp in July 2014. In his first mile race as a pro, he broke the 4-minute barrier, which was a 13 second PR from his college best of 4:12. This summer he ran his first road mile at the GNC Livewell Liberty Mile, placing 6th and earning his first prize purse as a pro on the roads.
NATOSHAROGERS At the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship meet, Rogers won her first National Championship, even though the previous year she had not qualified for Nationals. That same year, she placed 2nd at the Olympic Trials in the 10,000m with a time of 31:59, ahead of two runners who qualified for the London Olympic Games. She did this by managing to regroup after taking a fall and being trampled early on in the race. After graduating, Rogers decided to make the move to Boston to train under Coach Mark Coogan with other aspiring runners.
ETHANSHAW Shaw attended Dartmouth College after being recruited by Coach Barry Harwick. Shaw quickly found success after jumping up to the
8K distance in Cross Country. He worked to steadily drop his times on the track. As a junior, his 3rd place finish at the Heptagonal Cross Country Championships launched him into the top tier of runners in his conference. As a senior, he was able to grab the surprise victory at his conference championship on a snowy day at Princeton. He would finish the season with a 54th place finish at the NCAA DI National Championships. In his debut marathon, he was able to snag a qualifying time for the 2016 US Olympic Trials - Marathon with a 2:17:26 at the 2013 USA Marathon Championships. That time placed him 14th in the race and ranked him 32nd in the marathon for 2013. He was also able to drop his 5K and 10K personal bests to 13:55 and 28:41 respectively. Shaw attended RunPro Camp in 2014 as an invited athlete. He has recently moved to Boston to compete for the Boston Athletic Association under Coach Terrence Mahon where he hopes to make strong improvements on the track and on the roads.
AMY VAN ALSTINE Collegiately, Van Alstine ran for the University of Richmond Spiders in Richmond, Virginia, where she was an All-American in the 5K outdoors (2011). She was also the school record holder in the outdoor 1500, 3K, and 5K and broke the Atlantic 10 Conference 1500 record. At the end of her college career, she was named Atlantic 10 Conference Athlete of the Year. Post-collegiately, she attended RunPro Camp in 2011 hosted by Team USA Minnesota, and joined Adidas-McMillan Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona in 2012, where she had great success, achieving personal bests in every event from 1500 on the track up to 10K on the roads. With the completion of McMillan Elite at the end of 2013, she decided to stay in Flagstaff and joined the new team of Northern Arizona Elite. Under Coach Ben Rosario, Van Alstine won her first USA title by winning the 2014 USA Cross Country Championships. Following that race, she competed at the 2014 USA Road 15K Championships placing 3rd with a time of 49:49.
9
Learn more at www.rrca.org/programs/roads-scholars/
RRCA Annual Report • 15
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:26 AM Page 16
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SERIES The RRCA Championship Event Series is one of the oldest distance running traditions in the U.S., dating back to 1958 when the RRCA awarded their first championship designation. The goal of the RRCA Championship Event Series is to shine a spotlight on well-run events, and to promote the sport of running by recognizing the top performing runners in the Open, Masters (40+), Grand Masters (50+), and Senior Grand Masters (60+) age categories for both men and women as RRCA Champions. In 2014, the RRCA Championship Event Series included 190 races at the State, Regional and National level that attracted over 300,000 runners nationwide, making it the largest grassroots-organized, running event series in the U.S. RRCA National and Regional Championship Events receive sponsorship support from the RRCA, Gatorade as the Official Beverage of the series; Ashworth Awards as the Official Award Provider for the series; Sports Authority as the Presenting Sponsor of the Series, and CoolMax as a supporting sponsor. In 2014, the RRCA supplied over 83,000 championship-branded race numbers, supplied by Rainbow Racing, to events, and Ashworth Awards developed our wildly popular RRCA Championship medals that were given to all RRCA Champions at the State, Regional, and National levels. Over 1,360 medals were given out during the year to reward distance running performance.
Thank you to the following events and congratulations to the 2014 RRCA National Champions:
5 7
16 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:26 AM Page 17
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SERIES GO MILE IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR ON JUNE 14 Open Male Michael Hammond, age 24, of Greenville, SC, with a time of 4:07 Open Female Keri McClary, age 23, of Springdale, AR, with a time of 4:52 Masters Male Karl Lenser, age 55, of Conway, AR, with a time of 5:19 Masters Female Cortney Allison, age 48, of Little Rock, AR, with a time of 6:19 Grand Masters Male Kenny Wilsey, age 50, of Little Rock, AR, with a time of 5:35 Grand Masters Female Lynn O’Neal, age 50, of Bryant, VA, with a time of 6:31 Senior Grand Masters Male Ben Wiley, age 60, of Nashville, AR, with a time of 5:48 Senior Grand Masters Female Angie Orellano-Fisher, age 64, of Sherwood, AR, with a time of 7:52 TMC MEET ME DOWNTOWN 5K NIGHT RUN AND WALK IN TUCSON, AZ ON MAY 31 Open Male Jordan Chipangama, age 25, of Zambia, with a time of 14:25 Open Female Paula Morrison, age 41, of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 18:16 Master Male Shane Carr age 41, of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 17:16 Masters Female Stephanie Wenneborg, age 40, of Tucson, AZ with a time of 18:27 Grand Master Male Benito Gonzalez, age 58, of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 18:57 Grand Master Female Merry Dearmon-Moore, age 59 of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 22:49 Senior Grand Master Male Tim Lamartine, age 61, of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 20:42 Senior Grand Master Female Mary Black, age 61, of Tucson, AZ, with a time of 24:28 CAJUN CUP 10K IN LAFAYETTE, LA ON NOVEMBER 8 Open Male Jarrett Leblanc, age 24, with a time of 14:57.0 Open Female Megan Saloom, age 26, with a time of 17:53.6 Master Male Chris Lapoint, age 41, with a time of 17:18.9 Masters Female Robin Ferguson, age 45, with a time of 23:52.1 Grand Master Male Lester Bergeron, age 50, with a time of 20:41.6 Grand Master Female Jennifer Castille, age 54, with a time of 24:05.6 Senior Grand Master Male Michael Alexander, age 61, with a time of 20:32.1 Senior Grand Master Female Barbara J. Dugas, age 63, with a time of 26:55.1
RRCA Annual Report • 17
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 4/3/15 5:12 PM Page 18
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SERIES LILAC BLOOMSDAY RUN 12 IN SPOKANE, WA ON MAY 4 Open Male Allan Kiprono, age 24 of Longmont, CO, with a time of 34:11 Open Female Mary Wacera, age 25, of Lansing, MI, with a time of 35:53 Master Male Kevin Castille, age 42, of Lafayette, LA, with a time of 36:57 Masters Female Dorota Gruca, age 43, of Las Cruces, NM, with a time of 44:16 Grand Master Male Royce Hogue, age 50, of Spokane, WA, with a time of 45:15 Grand Master Female Cyndi J. Kelly, age 56, of Spokane, WA, with a time of 51:49 Senior Grand Master Male Rob Benedetti, age 62, of Spokane, WA, with a time of 50:14 Senior Grand Master Female Laurie A. Gregory, age 61, of Big Arm, MT, with a time of 58:00 GENWORTH VIRGINIA 10 MILER IN LYNCHBURG, VA ON SEPT. 27 Open Male Julius Kogo, age 29, of Chapel Hill, NC, with a time of 48:19 Open Female Lillian Maritta, age 25, of Hebron, KY, with a time of 54:44 Master Male Jeff Harrington, age 42, of Lynchburg, VA, with a time of 58:57 Masters Female Amy Cernava, age 46, of Asheboro, NC, with a time of 1:11:01 Grand Master Male Mike Bailey, age 56, of Cross Lake, WV, with a time of 1:06:22 Grand Master Female Robin Steckley, age 56 of Forest, VA, with a time of 1:16:30 Senior Grand Master Male Mark Whisler, age 64, from Salem, VA, with a time of 1:13:02 Senior Grand Master Female Amy Rockhill, age 62, from Roanoke, VA, with a time of 1:33:13 DEXTER TO ANN ARBOR HALF MARATHON IN ANN ARBOR, MI ON JUNE 1 Open Male Nick Willis, age 31, of Ann Arbor, MI, with a time of 67.05 Open Female Grace Kahura, age 21, of Kenya with a time of 1:18:10 Master Male Esteban Vanegas, age 43, of Alma, MI, with a time of 1:13:32 Masters Female Lisa Veneziano, age 49, of Fento Mi with a tome of 1:26:18 Grand Master Male Ruben Henderson, age 52, of Grand Rapids, MI, with a time of 1:18:37 Grand Master Female Martha Olsen, age 50, of Jackson, MI, with a time of 1:38:49 Senior Grand Master Male John Tarkowski, age 61, of Northville, MI, with a time of 1:30:18 Senior Grand Master Female Lena Hollmann, age 63, of Cary, NC, with a time of 1:57:33 (RRCA Southern Region Director) 18 • RRCA Annual Report
KAISER PERMANENTE NAPA VALLEY MARATHON IN NAPA, CA ON MARCH 2 Open Male Matt Flaherty, age 28, of Bloomington, IN, with a time of 2:26:15 Open Female Jenny Kadavy, age 31, of Concord, CA, with a time of 2:40:47 Master Male Graham Cooper, age 44, of Piedmont, CA, with a time of 2:44:32 Masters Female Mary Lynch, age 47, of Santa Ana, CA, with a time of 3:08: Grand Master Male Rick Soper, age 53, of Oakland, CA, with a time of 2:58:44 Grand Master Female Diane Daruty, age 50, of Newport Beach, CA, with a time of 3:16:28 Senior Grand Master Male John Catts, age 60, of Nicasio, CA, with a time of 3:23:36 Senior Grand Master Female Janet Cain, age 62, of Sonoma, CA, with a time of 3:34:49 ROCK/CREEK STUMPJUMP 50K IN CHATTANOOGA, TN ON OCTOBER 4 Open Male Daniel Hamilton, age 26, with a time of 4:25:28 Open Female Beth Meadows, age 28, with a time of 5:22:46 Masters Male William Warner, age 61, with a time of 5:24:48 Masters Female Sally Brooking, age 57, with a time of 5:45:55 Grand Masters Male William Warner, age 61, with a time of 5:24:48 Grand Masters Female Sally Brooking, age 57, with a time of 5:45:55 Senior Grand Master Male Dan Kuhlman, age 60, with a time of 5:30:55 No female finishers over 60
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:27 AM Page 19
RUNNER FRIENDLY COMMUNITY® PROGRAM
Congratulations to the following RUNNER FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The goal of the RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that standout as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming runner friendly communities. Runner Friendly Communities can also increase the quality of life, improve physical activity for residents as outlined in the National Physical Activity Plan, and provide for increased economic impact for the community. Spokane, WA – Outstanding Runner Friendly Community The City of Spokane is located on the Spokane River in Eastern Washington and is 92 miles south of the Canadian border. With a population of 208,916, Spokane is the second largest city in the state of Washington. The Spokane area offers an abundance of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in outlying natural areas that cater to runners. In 1907, Spokane's board of park commissioners retained the services of the Olmsted Brothers to draw up a plan for Spokane's parks. Today, Spokane has a system of over 87 parks totaling 4,100 acres. Riverfront Park, created for Expo '74, is 100 acres in downtown Spokane, and the site of some of Spokane's largest events including the Lilac Bloomsday Run Post Race Celebration. The park is a popular site for runners that includes the The Joy of Running Together sculpture by David Govedare installed in 1984. This steel sculpture depicts runners of all kinds and celebrates the Spokane tradition of Bloomsday. A more active way to see natural sites in the Spokane area includes traveling the Spokane River Centennial Trail, which features over 37 miles of paved trails running along the Spokane River from Sontag Park in west Spokane to the east shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This trail continues on for 24 miles as the North Idaho Centennial Trail in Idaho.
Belleville, IL – Belleville is the most populated city in the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area and in Southern Illinois. The city has a population of 43,765. Belleville has the infrastructure to support the growth in running’s popularity. It boasts a vast network of sidewalks along with running and biking trails that make it easy for a runner to run safely in the community. The Richland Creek Greenway Trail is a 2-mile, multi-purpose, pathway meandering through the heart of Belleville. The trail is accessible at several park locations and also connects to the 6-mile MetroLink trail, which runs to the local community college. Belleville also boasts 125-miles in sidewalks for running use. The longest stretch of sidewalk is a 10-mile run down beautiful Main Street. The city has plans to extend their trail network as well. RRCA Annual Report • 19
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 6:27 AM Page 20
RUNNER FRIENDLY COMMUNITY® PROGRAM
Richmond, VA – Richmond demonstrates how collaboration and partnerships can help to make a community runner friendly. As the Capital of Virginia, the Metro Richmond Area is home to over 1.2 million residents. In the Richmond area, there are a variety of trails, parks, and pedestrian networks in the city and surrounding counties that are used year-round by runners and walkers. The Virginia Capital Trail, which will eventually link Williamsburg and Richmond, is in the final stages of completion and offers miles of
Richmond, VA
Rockwall, TX bor or bay of the same name on which Safety Harbor is located is the nearly landlocked far northwestern extension of Tampa Bay and is located on the west side of that bay. The city has a population nearly 17,000 residents and is home to several running clubs, including the RRCA member West Florida Y Running Club. Safety Harbor is home to the Bayshore Linear Greenway Recreational Trail that was developed in 1998 trails for runners, walkers, and bikers. The RRCA to provide a measured recremember Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers ational path for walkers, jogworks closely with the Richmond Road Runners Club gers, and cyclists. The trail and other organizations such as schools, local governconnects to the Ream Wilson ments, and other nonprofit organizations to promote Trail to the south and it conrunning. Both organizations are active in supporting nects to Philippe Park, a local youth running programs by hosting and providing county park to the north. grants to programs including Kids Run RVA. Safety Harbor, FL There is an extensive network of sidewalks in the community Rockwall, TX – Home to the RRCA member Rockwall Running Club, Rockwall hosts over twenty-five running and triathlon as well. The city has recently added three flashing crosswalks to events annually and is home to the US Toyota Triathlon Champi- provide for safer street crossings. onships and the Patriot Half Marathon. While Rockwall is considered part of the larger Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, it is a Lakeland, FL – Lakeland is the largest city along Interstate 4 becommunity of 38,000 residents with a dedicated running commu- tween Tampa and Orlando with a population of 97,422 as of the nity. Emerald Bay Park opened in Rockwall in January 2008 and is 2010 census. It is home to the Publix supermarkets headquarters, highlighted by a lighted aerial fountain in the middle of the pond, one of the largest regional grocery store chains in the country, as which is surround by a walking and running trail. Last year over well as the city’s biggest employer. Fittingly, the dominant feature 8,000 residents participated in running events in Rockwall. The in Lakeland is the city’s many lakes, including 38 that are named passion for running is evident in the local businesses that have do- and many others that are not. The centerpiece is Lake nated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support running events Hollingsworth, the city’s largest lake, surround by a 2.85 mile multiin recent years. The popularity of running in the community has use trail. The lake’s central location and picturesque atmosphere also been reflected in the tremendous growth of the Rockwall Run- results in it being used by over 2,000 people a day. Water fountains ning Club, from just five members in 2009 to two hundred mem- are frequently located along the city’s 20+ miles of pedestrian networks along with community restrooms. There is available parking bers today. near pedestrian networks (trail head parking lots), and the city enSafety Harbor, FL – With year-round, favorable weather along with sures the trails are well lit and well marked. Whenever there are safe, well-maintained, sidewalks and streets, Safety Harbor is in issues involving the trails or sidewalks, the city works department many ways the ideal community for a runner to call home. The har- is quick to address them. There is also a strategic plan in place to 20 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:32 AM Page 21
RUNNER FRIENDLY COMMUNITY® PROGRAM Lakeland, FL
Flint, MI
Detroit, MI
continuous cleaning and sweeping of 39 miles of sidewalk, landscapes maintenance of parks and green spaces. The police department recognizes the importance of running events and is happy to provide patrol support during races. Downtown Detroit is blanketed with security provided by the pooled resources of Project Lighthouse, a public-private partnership involving Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, FBI, Customs and Border Patrol, state, county and city police departments, and private security companies. extend the city's trail network. The Lakeland Runners Club has a great relationship with local police. Lakeland officers are noted as being very accommodating in the permitting process for events and with securing officers to keep events safe. Detroit, MI – Detroit is the eighteenth largest city in the U.S. as of the 2010 census, with a population of over 700,000 within the city limits and close to 5.2 million people in the greater metro area. The presence of automotive giants Ford, General Motors, Dodge, and Chrysler made Detroit a major manufacturing hub for much of the 20th century. However, the recent financial struggles of these companies have reverberated to the city and its residents. As Detroit works to emerge from difficult economic circumstances, many of the strategies, partnerships, and innovative ideas it is employing can be seen in what makes it a Runner Friendly Community. One of the best places to run in Detroit is the Riverfront Pathway. Located on the Detroit River at the heart of the city, the Riverfront Pathway currently includes over 4 miles of lit pathway with plans to extend to 5.5 miles by 2016. Clean Downtown, a Downtown Detroit Partnership program, provides litter and graffiti control, the
Flint, MI – Located along the Flint River, sixty-six miles northwest of Detroit, Flint has a population of 102,434, as of the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in Michigan. Flint and Detroit are not only geographically close, but the cities also share a similar recent economic history. Once a powerful center of automotive manufacturing, Flint and its residents have been greatly affected by the industry’s struggles. While recovery from this hardship has come in fits and starts, some of the most innovative and creative policies, including infrastructure development, are what makes Flint a Runner Friendly Community. Over the last few years the City of Flint has installed designated bike lanes and multi-use paths along many of its downtown thruways and along the Flint River corridor, providing runners and walkers safe infrastructure to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Recently, the City of Flint developed and adopted a comprehensive plan, the Master Plan for a Sustainable Flint. The plan includes additional trail networks and sidewalk developments that will incorporate best practice design guidelines to ensure residents are provided with a safe and convenient running and walking infrastructure.
Learn more at www.rrca.org/programs/runner-friendly-community/
1 5 7
RRCA Annual Report • 21
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:32 AM Page 22
RUN SMART : RUN SAFE CAMPAIGN To educate and remind runners to run safe, the RRCA, its members, and supporters embarked on a yearlong, public-safety, awareness campaign starting with the launch of the RunSmart : RunSafe animated message. The video was designed to engage and remind both new and regular runners to be aware of their surroundings at all times and to never trust drivers on the road. To promote the RunSmart : RunSafe animated video message, the RRCA provided participating run specialty stores, member clubs, event, and fitness facilities with over a thousand give-away cards that include a QR code for immediate viewing of the RunSmart : RunSafe message. The RRCA’s goal is to get as many runners as possible, including youth, to view the message; to enhance their personal safety efforts on the run; and to share the message with fellow runners.
In addition to promoting the video, we also posted weekly safety tips on the RRCA’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, which resulted in a high level of engagement by RRCA fans.
View the RunSmart : RunSafe animated message
1 3
RUN@WORK AND RUN@SCHOOL On Sept. 19, RRCA supporters hosted RUN@WORK and RUN@School Day events around the country. We thank our members and supporters for promoting our RUN@WORK and RUN@School Day goal of encouraging adults and children to get 30 minutes of exercise each day, either in the morning, during lunch, or immediately following work or school, in accordance with the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
vations, and videos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #runatwork, which was used over 600 times by a variety of people, groups, and companies including Brook’s Running, General Dynamic’s Information Technology (with 1,500 employees running), Dick’s Pittsburgh Marathon, Atlanta Track Club, Allianz Life, Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center in Arkansas, Big Peach Running, Coca-Cola Company, and many other schools and organizations nationwide.
SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 Throughout RUN@WORK and RUN@School Day, participants shared their pictures, obser-
5 7 8 10
10th Annual RUN@WORK Day and 4th Annual RUN@School Day 22 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:32 AM Page 23
COACHING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The goal of the RRCA Coaching Certification Program is to create a national community of knowledgeable and ethical distance running coaches to work with runners at all levels of ability. RRCA Certified Coaches volunteer with their local RRCA member running clubs, coach clients one-on-one, and coach training programs for groups of individuals working towards a common goal. RRCA Certified Coaches will work with runners and emphasize the use of intelligent training plans that are based on a scientific body of knowledge and designed to help a runner achieve their goals, while minimizing the risks of overuse and over-training injuries. RRCA Coaching Certification courses are scheduled almost every other weekend throughout the year at locations all over the country from Maine to California from Washington to Florida. During 2014, 36 courses were held with more than 1,000 new coaches completing the requirements for certification. The course curriculum includes 16 hours of lecture, group work, and interactive exercises, including working in teams to build training programs for novice and experienced runners. We thank our Director of Coaching Education Randy Accetta, Ph.D along with his team of course instructors Cari Setzler, Bobby Gessler, and Brent Ayer for another successful program year. We also thank the RRCA members and supporters that hosted a coaching certifications course on behalf of the RRCA.
Learn more at www.rrca.org/programs/coaching-program-overview/
1 3 5 6 7 8 10
RACE DIRECTOR CERTIFICATION RRCA has certified over 135 race directors from around the world by the end of 2014. The RRCA Race Director Certification Course provides event directors with a baseline of knowledge in order to conduct safe events for runners, walkers, volunteers, and spectators. The RRCA partnered with Road Race Management and leading event directors from around the country to provide an affordable educational opportunity for anyone interested in putting on a safe distance running event.
Learn more at www.rrca.org/programs/race-director-certification/
The program is extremely valuable to both new and seasoned event directors. Completing the Race Director Certification course shows that an event director is mindful of best practices, and in turn, should produce quality events. While this course is not required for all race directors, event participants should expect a safe, quality event from an RRCA Certified Race Director.
1 4 3 5 6 7 8
RRCA Annual Report • 23
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 12:19 PM Page 24
CLUB RUNNING The RRCA is very fortunate to be able to communicate to our members about our programs through Club Running magazine. This publication is made possible through our partnership with Fortius Media Group, LLC. We are very thankful for the sup-
port we are receiving from our advertisers and members in the form of quality content submissions. We could not produce Club Running magazine without the support of Larry Eder, Christine Johnson, and Alex Larsen.
2014
Read current and past issues at www.rrca.org/publications/club-running/ 56TH ANNUAL RRCA NATIONAL CONVENTION The RRCA extends a big thank you to the Bloomsday Road Runners Club for hosting the outstanding 56th Annual RRCA National Convention in 2014 and for attracting our largest attendance in many years. Hundreds of RRCA members, coaches, race directors, sponsors, and soon to be certified coaches joined us in Spokane, Washington for a great event at the very ornate Davenport Hotel. At the 2014 Convention, the RRCA was pleased to welcome their first cohort of Leadership Development Scholarship grantees, which were awarded to: Maurice Lee (Oklahoma City Running Club), Rachel Tambling (Willimantic Athletic Club), Steve Bickford (Seven Hills Running Club), and Barry Morrill (LA Leggers). As an organization, the RRCA is fortunate to have many of our past board members remain involved with the organization. At the 2014 Convention, we were honored to have four past RRCA presidents in attendance. During the Saturday luncheon that featured Don Kardong, current president David Cotter presented past presidents Gar Williams, Harold Tinsley, Don Kardong, and Bee McLeod with commemorative yellow RRCA Past-President shirts. Olympians who spoke: Bernard Lagat, Don Kardong, and Deena Kastor. We recognized our 2013 National Running Award winners along with our 2014 Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees, Anne Audain and Ken Martin. In 2014, the RRCA also worked to include an RRCA Coaching Certification Cohort as part of the Convention for the first time since 2007.
24 • RRCA Annual Report
3 6 7 9 10
4
THANK YOU TO OUR
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER LEVEL
K&K Insurance, Star Insurance, RunSignUp.com, Leslie Jordan, The Driven Race & Club Solutions, Expert Brands
BRONZE LEVEL
Champion Systems, MyLaps, GreenLayer Sports, Virtual Event Bags, MyCustomEvents.com
LEVEL
Rainbow Racing, Innovative Timing Solutions
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:32 AM Page 25
RRCA CONVENTION RECAP
RRCA Annual Report • 25
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:32 AM Page 26
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS
Hall of Fame Inductees SARA MAE BERMAN: PIONEER, MARATHON CHAMPION, WOMEN’S RUNNING ADVOCATE Sara Mae Berman is a distinguished American distance runner. She was born in the Bronx, New York on May 14, 1936. Her family later moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, where she grew up. She went to college at the Rhode Island School of Design, from which she graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in interior design. Berman came from a generation in which women were not encouraged to be athletic, especially after having children. Her journey as a runner started when her husband, Larry Berman, whom she married in 1955, suggested that through running, she could become a pioneer in the sport of women’s distance running and get back into physical shape after having had three children. Relying on training guides by Dr. Ernst van Aachen, Arthur Lydiard and Dr. David Costill, he became her first and only coach. In the 1950s, women were considered not strong enough to run long distances, and the longest distance women were allowed to compete in was 200 meters. Berman, however, was attracted to running longer distances. She, along with a group of female runners, actively campaigned for equal rights for women in the sport of distance running. Berman also trained in the fall and winter for Cross Country skiing. After the 1968 Winter Olympics, she was named to the first ever Women’s National Nordic Ski Team. Berman’s running accomplishments are impressive. She competed in her first road race in June 1964 as an unofficial entrant in the 5-Mile Handicap Race in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Just seven year later, she had won the Boston Marathon three times, before women were recognized as official participants (1969 in 3:22:46; 1970 in 3:05:07 (unofficial course record, bettering the previous record by more than 16 minutes and finishing in the second best time in the United States that year) and 1971 in 3:08:30). In 1970, she won the first RRCA Women’s Marathon Championship in Atlantic City, NJ, besting a field of six female starters with a time of 3:07:10. That same year, she also finished third in the inaugural New York City Marathon women’s division. In 1971, she turned in a personal best marathon time of 3:00:35 at the Plodders Marathon in Brockton-and-Avon, Massachusetts. Her accomplishments in the sport however, extend well beyond the race course. Berman was the first female RRCA officer, serving as Vice President from 1966-67. She was one of the original road race course certifiers in New England in the 1960s. She, along with her husband, certified the Boston Marathon course in 1967 so that it would be accurately measured, enabling runners to qualify on the course for the United States Olympic Trials Marathon, which were held in 1968 in Alamosa, California. Her work as a race course certifier played a pivotal role in legitimizing the sport of distance running and making records verifiable across the United States Berman and her husband were one of the original running couples in the United States. In 1962, the Bermans founded the Cambridge Sports Union (called the Metropolitan Athletic Club until the late 1960s), the first competitive sports club in New England for men and women. The club provides training for endurance sports, including running, cross country skiing, and orienteering (including ski-orienteering). Berman attributes her success to her husband, who believed that she could succeed in running and other endeavors. She and Larry have three adult children and currently live in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
JACK DANIELS: OLYMPIC MEDALIST, COACH, AUTHOR Jack Daniels was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 26, 1933. He is a professor of physical education and a coach of Olympic athletes. He received his doctoral degree in exercise physiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Daniels first achieved prominence in athletics as a member of the 1956 and 1960 United States Olympic teams. He is a two-time Olympic medalist in the modern pentathlon, winning a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics. The modern pentathlon combines fencing, pistol shooting, swimming, equestrian show jumping and cross country running. Despite Daniels’ prowess in the various disciplines that constitute the modern pentathlon, his weakest event was running. He wanted to find out why, and so he decided to study the sport. “I wanted to be a runner,” he said. In the mid-1990s, Daniels was named “World’s Best Coach” by Amby Burfoot of Runner’s World magazine. Over the course of his coaching career, Daniels has trained or advised a variety of America’s finest runners, including Jim Ryun, a three-time Olympian and world record holder; Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first women’s Olympic Marathon; two-time Olympian Ryan Hall, America’s 26 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:33 AM Page 27
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS
fastest marathoner, and his wife Sara; Ken Martin and Jerry Lawson, both sub-2:10 marathoners; Peter Gilmore, Amy Hastings, Ryan and Alicia Shay, the McMillan Elite Team and many others. Daniels outlined his training philosophies in his book, Daniels’ Running Formula, which was first published in 1998. The third edition of his popular training book, Daniels’ Running Formula, was published in 2013. Although he has coached both men and women, Daniels believes in treating the athletes he coaches the same. In his view, the only difference is that women, in his view, seem more enthusiastic and willing to learn. After testing female runners over the years, he found that despite having a lower VO2 max (maximum capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise), female runners are just as efficient male runners and can handle the same amount of training. Rather than finding differences between males and females, Daniels focuses on training the individual. In 2007, after a long coaching stint at the State University of New York at Cortland, New York, Daniels became the head distance coach at the Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University. When the center closed, Daniels coached at Brevard College until 2012. In 2013, he became the cross country coach at Wells College in Aurora, New York. Across his coaching career with the State University of New York, Daniels coached 30 individual Division III NCAA national champions, 8 NCAA team national champions and 130 All-Americans. In recognition of his coaching achievements, he was named NCAA Division I National Coach of the Year three times and NCAA Division III Coach of the Century. Daniels currently lives in Flagstaff, Arizona but resides in New York during the fall to coach cross country at Wells College.
PHIL STEWART: PUBLISHER, RACE DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATOR, EMCEE Phil Stewart is a lifelong supporter of the Road Runners Club of America. He is the current editor and publisher of the Road Race Management newsletter and the Road Race Management Directory of the Running Industry. In addition, through his company, Road Race Management, Inc., Phil organizes the annual Road Race Management Race Directors’ Seminar and Trade Exhibit, an annual sport-wide industry gathering. Stewart began running in his junior year of high school at Washington, D.C.’s Woodrow Wilson High School and has never stopped. He placed second in the Washington, D.C. city meet in the mile (1968), and his personal best mile time of 4:31.4 stood as the school record for 20 years. He graduated with a B.A. in history from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he was captain of the cross country team and recipient of the school’s award for excellence in cross country. After college, he began competing in races in the Washington, D.C. area, where he emerged as one of the area’s top runners. In 1974 he placed third in the National Amateur Athletic Union’s 50-mile race in New York. In 1975, he was the first Washington, D.C. area finisher in the Boston Marathon, posting an excellent time of 2:19:58. He qualified for and participated in the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials. In 1977 he placed 15th at the Boston Marathon. Stewart received notoriety in 1979 when he took the dramatic photos of President Jimmy Carter's collapse during a 10k road race at Camp David. The photos were published in Sports Illustrated, Time, People magazine and other publications. Stewart received an Honorable Mention in the "News Picture Story" category by the National Press Photographers Association. The photos were Stewart was one of the founders of Running Times magazine (1977), one of the two nationally circulated running magazines. Over the years, he has had prominent leadership roles in running organizations, including President of the D.C. Road Runners Club; Vice President of Administration of the Road Runners Club of America; Treasurer of the United States Track & Field Association (formerly TAC) Men’s Long Distance Running Committee; and member of the USATF’s Board of Directors. He has also received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the sport of distance running, including the following: the USATF President’s Award; the 2006 Road Runners Club of America Browning Ross “Spirit of the RRCA” Award; the Road Runners Club of America Journalistic Excellence Award; induction into the D.C. Road Runners Club Hall of Fame; and member of the Advisory Board of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Stewart is currently the event director of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile, the premier springtime running event in Washington, D.C. The event is part of the Professional Road Running Organization World Championship Circuit and is continually rated as one of the outstanding races in America. Stewart is also a frequent emcee at awards ceremonies and press conferences, in part because of his vast knowledge of the people and happenings in the sport. He currently provides commentary for the Gasparilla Distance Classic (Tampa, Florida), the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Mile (Davenport, Iowa), the Utica Boilermaker 15K (Utica, New York), and the ACLI Capital Challenge (Washington, D.C.). He still regularly competes as a runner and finished the 2014 Berlin Marathon with a time of 3:40:29. He currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland and has two children, Mark and Anna.
RRCA Annual Report • 27
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 12:00 PM Page 28
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA/BEE MCLEOD: TIDEWATER STRIDERS, NORFOLK, VA McLeod has been a serious competitive runner and an USA Olympic Marathon Trials participant. However, it is not her running that makes her an ideal winner for this award, rather it is all that she has done for the RRCA and her local club. McLeod was instrumental in rebuilding the RRCA back in 2003-2005 following a divisive organizational split over serious philosophical issues between the then Board of Directors and the members. The end result of her rebuilding efforts is a stronger RRCA. McLeod served two terms as RRCA president, and during her tenure, Also during her term as president, she successfully recruited and hired our current executive director, Jean Knaack, engaging all board members at the time to be involved with the selection and hiring process. McLeod continues to be an active member of the RRCA, attending the RRCA conventions regularly since retiring from the Board. She serves on several RRCA programs providing guidance and assisting with grant selections including Roads Scholar program and the Leadership Development Scholarship grants. McLeod and her husband, Goody Tyler, have made major financial gifts to the RRCA that have supported Kids Run the Nation Fund, the Roads Scholar Fund, the State Reps Fund, and Leadership Scholarship Fund. On the local level, McLeod has served several terms as vice president and as president of the Tidewater Striders. She continues to stay active in the club by managing the annual volunteer appreciation party and coordinating raffle prizes for our scholarship fund. She personally procured 90% of the nearly $100,000 in prizes raffled this year. She also makes over 350 sandwiches each year for a local ultramarathon, then (wo)mans the aid station the next day at the race.
Outstanding Club President of the Year/PETE ABRAHAM: BADGERLAND STRIDERS, MILWAUKEE, WI The Badgerland Striders Running Club is Wisconsin's largest and oldest running club. Under Abraham’s direction, fresh ideas, a new executive board, younger race directors, and marketing efforts to engage new members have not only turned around the club’s membership decline but has actually propelled the Striders back into being one of the top 10 largest clubs in the U.S. The focus of the Striders has always been to promote a healthy lifestyle through the sport of running and our main focus to support that mission was by using our volunteer members to produce low-cost and safe running events. Through the money raised by events and under Abraham’s guidance, our largest expenditure in club history was approved and implemented. The Pettit National Ice Center, an Olympic oval rink, has a new 3-lane running track, which has increased our club’s branding and attendance at the facility. Abraham has been the club president for four years. He did not come into the position of president by pretending to know all the answers, but instead, did what any good leader would do: rely on the people who he could count on, have a vision, and implement those plans. After a leadership transition for the club’s signature event, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, Abraham asked the membership to continue supporting the race, which is thriving under his leadership. The club’s youth running program has also tripled in size over the past three years to almost 200 kids.
Outstanding State Representative of the Year/DAVID MERONEY: ARKANSAS Meroney has served for the last three years as the Arkansas State Rep. During his tenure he has done an outstanding job in promoting the RRCA by recruiting new clubs, administering the 20-race, statewide Arkansas Grand Prix Series, and conducted three Annual RRCA State Meetings. The Arkansas Grand Prix consists of 10 RRCA State Championships and 10 non-championship races. In addition to governing the Grand Prix series, Meroney encouraged clubs to think bigger and host South Region Championships. In 2015, Arkansas will host their second RRCA National Championship, the Go! Mile. At the 27th Annual RRCA/Arkansas State Meeting held in November, Meroney recognized the best leaders and volunteers from RRCA clubs in the state along with the top runners. Two years ago he started having a t-shirt contest at the November awards, which he then submits to the RRCA’s national shirt contest for judging. He keeps the clubs in the state informed by maintaining an outstanding website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed. It is clear that Meroney is an outstanding State Rep given the numerous nominations he received from clubs and leaders around his state, all outlining a high-level of praise for his efforts during the year.
28 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:33 AM Page 29
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS Road Runner of the Year/MEB KEFLEZIGHI OPEN MALE Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest runners of our time, Meb Keflezighi (pronounced Keflez-ghee) brings a higher meaning to “going the distance.” From his arrival in America as a refugee from war-torn East Africa to his victorious finish at the emotionally charged 2014 Boston Marathon—now as a proud and patriotic American—Meb has secured not only his place in history, but also in the hearts and minds of millions. In 2014, Meb won the USA Half Marathon Championship, the Aramoco Houston Half Marathon, in Houston, Texas with a time of 1:01:23. On April 21, 2014, two weeks shy of his 39th birthday, Meb delivered a stunning victory at the Boston Marathon to cheering crowds. He was the first American man to win the race in more than 30 years, and the oldest Boston Marathon winner since at least 1930. Meb’s winning time was 2:08:37. Following his win at Boston, Meb elevated the profile of distance running in the U.S. by appearing on several national morning news shows, visiting the President of the United States at the White House, and much more
Road Runner of the Year/SARA HALL OPEN FEMALE While Sara Hall has been better know as a professional middle distance runner, 2014 has proven to be a breakout year on the roads for her. The 31 year-old Asics athlete has made a noteworthy transition from the track to the roads. In October 2013, she won her debut half marathon, the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon with a time of 1:14:33. As Dave Monti of Race Results Weekly noted, in 2014 she competed in 14 road races from the mile to the halfmarathon distance, making the podium eight times. She had an impressive showing at the USA 10 Mile Championships, the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile, where she finished second, in 52:54, behind Olympian Janet Bawcom. She ran six of the twelve USATF Running Circuit races to earn 2nd overall behind Molly Huddle who ran four of the twelve races. Hall was the 2nd place overall female and top America female at the 103rd Bay to Breakers 12K in San Francisco in May 2014. On July 20, 2014, Hall won the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon presented by Newton, setting the women’s course record with a time of 1:13:16.
RRCA Annual Report • 29
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 7:33 AM Page 30
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS Road Runner of the Year, Presented by Running Times/LLOYD HANSEN : MALE MASTER Lloyd Hansen placed first in his age category in every USATF national championship road race and cross country race in which he ran in 2014. In 2014, he won nine USATF age-division championships, more than any runner in any age division in the United States, and set lifetime PRs at the following distances: 5K (18:08), 8K (31:02), 12K (47:36), 15K (1:01:03), and half marathon (1:22:25). He age-graded above 90% at all of these distances, including 93.4% in the 5K and 94.1% in the half marathon. He was the leading runner on the Ann Arbor Track Club's men's 60+ team that in 2014, for the fourth consecutive year, won the USATF men's 60+ team Grand Prix National Championship. He won his age division in all 18 races in which he entered in 2014. Although Lloyd ran somewhat in high school, he did not start running seriously until later in life. After his graduation from Northwestern University with an MBA, he focused on his career, eventually becoming Vice President of the Ford Motor Company. Although he enjoyed his job, the 70-hour workweeks took a toll on his health. He had little time to exercise, was about 50 pounds overweight, and was taking blood pressure medications. After some frightening episodes with his heart, his doctor recommended that he lose weight and start an exercise program. That’s when he discovered the joy of running. He started slowly, running his first 5K with his daughter in 2004. He improved very quickly, setting PRs at various distances each year. Lloyd currently serves on a national advisory committee to promote masters running and is also active with the Salt Lake City Track Club, an RRCA member organization.
Road Runner of the Year, Presented by Running Times/DEENA KASTOR : FEMALE MASTER Deena Kastor, the U.S. half marathon (1:07:34) and marathon (2:19:36) record holder, is now 41 and diversifying her role in American distance running. She is the president of the Mammoth Track Club, an RRCA member club, developing a corps of marathoners in the California Mountains along with her husband Andrew, who is vice president and coach of the club. She is also a serious and competitive runner with big goals. Many of them were accomplished in 2014. In March 2014, Kastor, on her way to a win at the Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon set two Masters’ records – the 10 mile (55:13) and 20K (1:08:18). In April, Kastor won the 2014 More/Fitness Half Marathon in New York’s Central Park in a U.S. Masters record of 1:11:38. Her winning time was also a course record. In September, she shattered the World Masters Half Marathon Record by running a 1:09:36 to finish third at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon. In that race she set three more Masters World records at 15K (49:03), 10 miles (52:41) and 20K (1:05:52), but also broke her own American Masters Half Marathon record, which she set earlier in the year. In the midst of this busy training and racing schedule, Kastor took time to travel to Spokane to participate as a speaker at the RRCA National Convention.
Challenged Athlete of the Year/RICHARD HUNTER Hunter lost his vision due to a degenerative eye disease resulting in his medical discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps. Nevertheless, he has not let this stop him from becoming a competitive athlete. With the aid of a guide dog, Hunter has completed marathons, qualified for the Boston Marathon, run a 50 mile ultra, and completed several Ironman triathlons. In 2013 while riding on a tandem bike with a guide, Hunter sustained serious injuries from a collision with a car. His attitude remained positive; viewing the incident as just another obstacle to get over. Hunter is the volunteer coordinator for the USA Blind Athletes Association, which is associated with the US Olympic Committee. In addition to being a runner in the USA Blind Association National Marathon Championships, he is also the organizer of the event, which draws the top blind athletes each year. Hunter uses the event to encourage participation from blind youth in a program called Blind Youth Paralympics Sport Experience. Hunter personifies the spirit of this award for not only overcoming the obstacles he has faced but by giving back to the sport and inspiring others with visual impairments to overcome their challenges.
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year/GARY HOWSAM : LAKE GRAPEVINE RUNNERS AND WALKERS, GRAPEVINE, TX As a charter member of the Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers (LGRAW), Howsam has long been a beloved and respected member of the club. For almost 15 years, Howsam has served the club both on the board and as the consummate volunteer. He is the perpetual winner of the annual “Gunga Din” water award for volunteering most often for the club. He serves as crew chief for virtually every race that LGRAW puts on, helping to manage and lead a team of volunteers. As the club liaison to the city’s Parks & Recreation department, Howsam coordinates biannual park/trail clean-up days, and he has been recognized by the Keep Grapevine Beautiful organization for his efforts. In addition to his regular club activities, Howsam also volunteers at the LGRAW aid station at the Dallas White Rock Marathon (RRCA member) and the Grasslands Trail Run (presented by RRCA member North Texas Trail Runners). The trail run is held over three days, and Howsam works up to 18-hours in a single day at the race. Howsam is also LGRAW’s handyman, often performing routine and emergency maintenance, such as wrapping pipes in below zero weather or fixing over-flowing toilets around the clubhouse. Howsam has donated countless hours for many years and is part of the bedrock of this amazing club.
30 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 11:43 AM Page 31
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS
EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS
Print Newsletter THE OREGON DISTANCE RUNNER Kelly Barten & Blake Timm, Co-Editors Oregon Road Runners Club – Beaverton, OR
Outstanding Club Website www.HARRA.ORG Houston Area Road Runners Association, Houston, TX
E-Newsletter SPACE COAST RUNNERS, INC. CLUB NEWSLETTER Bob Rall, Editor Space Coast Runners, Inc. – Merritt Island, FL
Running Journalism Christopher White Pikes Peak Road Runners – Colorado Springs, CO
Outstanding Youth Program Director/AMY EDDY : RIVER CITY RUNNERS AND WALKERS, PARKERSBURG, WV In 2006, Eddy began working on a kid’s running series to parallel the award winning River City Runners and Walkers adult program. Her first step was to create a youth committee with local race directors, followed by securing a number of sponsors, so no child would be denied a chance to run due to a financial burden. Eddy aggressively promoted her youth running program by putting up flyers at local schools and making the guidelines for participation simple: show up and run. Eddy also created a strong incentive program, awarding participants shirts, stars, and eventually plaques, based on the number of races they completed. By the program’s second year, the number of children receiving awards became so large the club had to create a separate banquet to honor them. As of 2014, over 400 kids have participated in at least one youth race put on by Eddy, and close to 100 youth have completed at least five races.
RRCA Annual Report • 31
ROAD RACE OF
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 32
NATIONAL RUNNING AWARD WINNERS
Thank you to the following people that assisted with the selection process for the National Running Awards program
32 • RRCA Annual Report
OF THE YEAR 2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 12:25 PM Page 33
The Genworth Virginia 10 Miler Lynchburg Road Runners Club, Lynchburg, VA
The 41st running of this historic road race lived up to its reputation as one of the nation’s premier fitness experiences while also serving as the RRCA National 10 Mile Championship. Under the leadership of Race Director Jeff Fedorko, and with the help of more than 1,500 race day volunteers, the event lived up to its motto, “Where Southern Hospitality Meets the Road.” The weekend festival of events surrounding the 10 mile race included a Runners Social, Downtown Family Festival, Amazing Mile Children’s Fun Run, and the Virginia 4 Mile Run & Walk. This past year, prize money for the championship event totaled more than $15,000 with 48 elite athletes performing in front of the thousands of spectators. The Genworth Virginia 10 Miler shares the vision of the RRCA in promoting running as both a competitive sport and healthy exercise for all. Additional highlights included: participants from 30 states and 6 countries; SAFE Strides Training Program in partnership with the YMCA; donations of $20,000 to six local nonprofits; more than 1,500 event volunteers on race day; the Corporate Team Challenge with over eight hundred 10 mile participants, and an economic impact of over $200,000 for the local community.
6 7 8 9
Mark Grandonico, Bryan Graydon, Bonnie Sexton, Bee McLeod, Dwight Mikulis, David Cotter, Betsy Boudreux, George Rehmet, Goody Tyler, Trevor Darmstetter, David Meroney, Simone Adair, Jeff Hills, Rose Scovel, Kelly Richards, Gary Corbitt, Brent Ayer, Jean Arthur, Lena Hollmann, Rachel Tambling, Ken Bendy, Gary Morgan, Erica Phillips, Andy Smith, Chris Burch, Sue Brown-Nickerson, Nicoletta Nerangis, Jim Latham, Doug Pitchford, Nicholas Norfolk, Larry Eder, Mitch Garner, Creigh Kelley, Don Kardong, Doug Kurtis, Frank Shorter, Jacqueline Hansen, Jim Oaks, Joan Samuelson, Kim Jones, Lisa Rainsberger, and Steve Sence. Thank you to RRCA’s program coordinator Andy Smith for managing the National Running Awards program. RRCA Annual Report • 33
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 34
RUNNING AROUND THE NATION/STATE REPS OVERVIEW For over three decades, the RRCA State Representatives (State Reps) have served as ambassadors for the organization by providing a physical presence in each state for the RRCA. State Reps promote our programs and services to clubs and events in their home state. State Reps assist the National Office and the RRCA Board of Directors in carrying out the mission, vision, and values of the organization. State Reps monitor trends and issues at the state and local level and report them to the National Office. In addition, they promote membership in local clubs and recruit unaffiliated clubs, events, corporate supporters and individual members. Learn more about the State Reps, including their contact information and bios, at www.RRCA.org/about/state-reps/ The RRCA would like to thank the following individuals for volunteering their time to serve as RRCA State Reps promoting the mission of the organization and the sport of distance running. Alabama: Ron Macksoud Alaska: Steve Bainbridge Arizona: Randy Accetta Arkansas: David Meroney California - East: Simone Adair California - Coastal: George Rehmet California - South: Jackie Britton Connecticut: Art Byram (Outgoing) Rachel Tamblin (Incoming) Delaware: Ray Christensen District of Columbia: Goody Tyler Florida - North: Bryan Graydon Florida - South: Don Nelson Georgia: Mariska van Rooden (Outgoing) Rogelio Quintanar (Incoming) Hawaii: Ron Alford Idaho & Nevada: Steve Thornock Illinois: Doug Pitchford Indiana: Sue Brown-Nickerson (Outgoing) Rose Scovel (Incoming) Iowa: Chris Burch Kansas: Trevor Darmstetter Kentucky: Donna England Louisiana: Betsy Boudreaux Maine: Blaine Moore Maryland: Dwight Mikulis Massachusetts: Steve Viegas Michigan: Gary Morgan Minnesota: Lisa Rippe Mississippi: Bryan Lagg Missouri: Doug Marks Montana: John Devitt Nebraska: Tom Whitaker New Jersey: Erica Phillips New Mexico: John Farrow New York - City: Nicoletta Nerangis New York - Up-State: Michael Eighmey North Carolina: Peter Asciutto (Outgoing) North Dakota: Dick Boyd Ohio: Jim Latham Oregon: Mark Barrett Pennsylvania: Jeff Hills Rhode Island: Chuck Peabody South Carolina: Tim Arthurs South Dakota: Tom Whitaker Tennessee: Sherilyn Johnson Texas - North: Kathryn Gleghorn (Outgoing) Marcus Grunewald (Incoming) Texas - South: Lee Greb Utah: Dave Moore Virginia: Goody Tyler West Virginia: Tom Kramer Wisconsin: Barbara Jewell Wyoming: Dave Moore 34 • RRCA Annual Report
A detailed report for each State Rep can be found online at http://immersive.sh/smithandy/jgZMbdjvF or scan the code to see the report.
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 4/3/15 5:03 PM Page 35
RUNNING AROUND THE NATION/STATE REPS OVERVIEW 1
2
3
4
5 1. Illinios Vice President Mitch Garner teams up with Beth Onines and State Rep Doug Pitchford to host the RRCA booth at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. 2. Connecticut Connecticut State Rep Rachel Tambling stops by the RRCA booth at the Marine Corps Marathon. 3. S. Florida State Rep Don Nelson has the opportunity to award an RRCA Championship medal to the 2013 RRCA Masters Runner of the Year – Kevin Castille.
6
4. California State Rep Simone Adair, Western Region Director Bailey Penzotti, and State Rep George Rehment show that hosting an RRCA booth is a team effort at the Presidio 10. 5. Utah State Rep Dave Moore, inspired by his RRCA wear, works on drafting an email to RRCA members.
6
6. Nebraska, Virginia, Hawaii, Indiana, Texas State Reps around the U.S. represent the RRCA at Championship events and happily award medals to RRCA Champions. 7. Michigan State Rep Gary Morgan represents the RRCA at USOC events.
6
8. Minnesota From Minnesota (State Rep Lisa Rippe) to Alabama (State Rep Ron Macksoud) to Texas (Board Member Kelly Richards), State Reps and Board Members build bonds of friendship.
8
7
6
6
RRCA Annual Report • 35
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 36
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS TO THE RRCA
Annual Program Fund Thank you to the following individuals, events, and organizations that have contributed to the Annual Program Fund. Annual contributions to the RRCA by our supporters help fund the Kids Run the Nation program materials, Runner Friendly Community program, RUN@WORK Day promotional efforts, State Reps Program, RRCA National Running Awards Ceremony including award winner travel stipends, Championship Events Series awards and materials, 2,000 Hour Volunteer Recognition program, Join a Club marketing efforts, RRCA history preservation efforts, and much, much more.
Annapolis Half Marathon Atomic City Roadrunners Brevard County Dental Society Brian Miller Columbia Gas of VA * Daniel D. Edwards * Dwight Mikulis * Extra Mile Fitness Running Groups Fidelity Charitable Fund ** Grand Strand Running Club Hawaii Ultra Running Team Honeywell International Charity Mtg Indianapolis Marathon Road Runners James & Jean Knaack Jean Arthur Joel Sauer John G. Tyler Kansas City Track Club Kara Anne Forrest Kelly Richards Kim Fliege Kohls Legaci, LLC Lisa Paige MarathonGuide.com* Maria Larkin Mark Grandonico McKesson Foundation
Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend of Events Microsoft Miles to Go Athletics, LLC Nicholas Panebianco Northport Running Club Orlando Runners Club Pepsico Performance Running, LLC Project Strategies Robert Kozlorowski Robert Litowitz Rocky Mountain Endurance Club RunCollege.com Running Club of Granville San Francisco Road Runners Club Santa Fe Road Runners Club South Florida Racewalkers Tidewater Striders Trail Nerds Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc. Varsity Running Vendurance Tribe Virgin Island Pace Runners Wells Fargo * West Texas Running Club Bank of America Chicago Marathon**(In-kind) Crowell & Moring**(In-kind) Running Times Magazine***(In-kind)
Roads Scholar Fund The following clubs, events, individuals, and corporate supporters have helped raise over $40,000 to support the Roads Scholar Fund. We thank them for their support.
Alaska Salmon Runs Alta Vista Sports Annette Kilder Atlanta Track Club** Atomic City Roadrunners Blue Cross Broad Street Run Bobby Vance Brevard County Dental Society Championship Racing, LLC Cherry Blossom Inc.*** Club Northwest Cumberland Valley Athletic Club* Fulmont Road Runners Club Greater Redondo Youth Running Club Bee McLeod & Goody Tyler** John Maley Kansas City Track Club 36 • RRCA Annual Report
Kelly Richards* Lilac Bloomsday Association* Mitchell E. Garner Montana Amateur Sports Inc. NAPA Valley Marathon* Nashville Striders River City Run Inc. River City Runners and Walkers Club Riverbend Striders Running Club of Granville Seashore Striders Syracuse Chargers Track Club The Boilermaker Road Race Inc. Travis Eliot Landreth Memorial Scholarship* Utica Road Runners White Rock Racing Willamette Valley Road Runners
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 37
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS TO THE RRCA
Kids Run the Nation Fund Thank you to the following individuals, events, and organizations that have contributed $19,00 towards the Kids Run the Nation Fund. We thank them for their support.
Alta Vista Sports Ann Arbor Track Club* Annapolis Half Marathon Anton Struntz Atomic City Roadrunners Bloomsday Runners Club** Boston Police Runners Club Brevard County Dental Society Cajun Cup* Cameo Carter Cardinal Track Club Charlotte Road Runners* Christy Belsom Daisy Pearce Daniel D. Edward David Cabe Eastern Area Health Education Center Endurance Enterprise Running Club Hogeye Marathon and Relays Hunters Creek Elementary Kids Run the Nation Jennifer Forman Kansas City Track Club Kara Anne Forrest Kelly Richards Kim Fliege Lake Burton Road Runners Club Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers * Len Goldman Lena Hollmann Maine Marathon*
Mark Grandonico Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend of Events Meredith Weisel Michael Sloan Miles to Go Athletics, LLC Mark Robinson Murfreesboro Half Marathon North Coast Road Runners Club Orlando Runners Club Pamakid Runners Club* Peggy Mayo Performance Running LLC Rocky Mountain Endurance Club Run Lawrence Kansas Run4Fun Youth Running Club RunCollege.com Runner's High Club Running Club of Granville Southern Arizona Roadrunners Sue Brown-Nickerson Hammond Track Club Swampers 5K The Annihilator Running Club Tidewater Striders Tug Valley Roadrunner Club Varsity Running Vendurance Tribe Virgin Island Pace Runners West Florida Y Runners Club
*** $10,000 and above ** $5,000 and above * $1,000 and above
RRCA Annual Report • 37
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 38
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS TO THE RRCA
OFFICIAL SPONSORS Gatorade Sports Authority RunSignUp.com Official Sponsors of theFortius RRCA provide $10,000Group, and aboveLLC to support the RRCA mission Media Ashworth Awards
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS A4 Active Network, Inc. Brainshark.com Champion Systems Constant Contact ChronoTrack Electric City Printing Expert Brand Final Surge, LLC GreenLayer Sports, LLC Human Kinetics Innovative Timing Systems, LLC J-Chip K&K Insurance Localeikki My Custom Event My Laps Sports Timing Rainbow Racing Systems Inc. Sport Science Star Insurance Agency Inc. The Driven Race & Club Solutions
We Run the Nation! RRCA.ORG 38 • RRCA Annual Report
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 39
We Run the Nation! RRCA.ORG RRCA Annual Report • 39
2015 RRCA Annual Report.qxp_Layout 1 3/24/15 8:17 AM Page 40