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Road Runners Club of America 2018 Annual Report
Celebrating 60 Years of Running the Nation !
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TABLE OF RRCA Mission, Vision, and Values ~ 3 RRCA Leadership ~ 4 2018 Financial Report ~ 5
RRCA
HIGHLIGHTS
Kids Run the Nation ~ 6 Roads Scholars & RunPro Camp ~ 7 Championship Event Series ~ 10 Runner Friendly Community Program ~ 12 Coaching Certification Program ~ 14 Race Director Certification ~15 60th Anniversary RRCA Convention Recap ~ 15 National Running Awards ~ 18 RRCA State Reps ~ 24 Donors and Sponsors ~ 26
On!the!cover:!On!April!16,!2018,!Desiree!Linden!became!the!first!American!woman!in!thirty>three!years!to!win!the!BAA!Boston!Marathon! and!earned!the!2018!RRCA’s!Road!Runner!of!the!Year!award.! !
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Dedicated to the Memory of Henley Gabeau, First Female RRCA President Henley!Fant!Gabeau!died!peacefully!on!November!7,!2018,!in!Bend,!Oregon!from!colon!cancer.!Henley!was! born!in!Orangeburg,!South!Carolina!on!February!14,!1944.!Henley!was!raised!in!Norfolk,!Virginia!and!lived!most! of!her!life!in!Alexandria,!Virginia!and!Middlebrook,!Virginia.! ! Henley!touched!the!lives!of!many!people!with!her!thoughtful!gestures!and!considered,!handwritten!messages.! She!hated!being!the!center!of!attention,!but!loved!networking!and!creating!magical!connections!between!people! she!knew!could!help!each!other.!! ! The!turning!point!in!Henley’s!life!was!when!she!began!running!at!age!thirty.!She!discovered!she!had!talent!as! a!runner,!and!the!running!made!her!self>confidence! blossom.!Henley!was!a!founder!and!charter!member! of! the! first! women’s>only! running! club! in! the! Washington! DC! area,! the! Washington! RunHers.! Henley!spent!many!years!volunteering!for!the!Road! Runners! Club! of! America,! was! elected! as! first! woman!President!of!the!RRCA!in!1986!and!served! as!its!first!paid!Executive!Director!from!1990!until!her! retirement!in!2001.!In!that!capacity!she!championed! women’s! running! safety! programs! and! pushed! for! the! inclusion! of! the! women’s! marathon! in! the! Olympics.! She! always! believed! in! the! power! of! running!at!the!grassroots!level.!Everyone!could!be!a! runner,!she!believed.! ! Henley!spent!many!happy!retirement!years!living!on! her! farm! in! Middlebrook,! Virginia.! She! was! a! ‘working’! retiree,! spending! numerous! volunteer! hours! supporting! local! causes! and! human! beings.! She! loved! her! town! and! poured! her! heart! into! the! development! of! the! Middlebrook! General! Store,! Ruritan! Club,! the! Middlebrook! Horse! Show! and! regional!conservation!programs.!Henley!became!an! EMT! and! volunteered! in! several! capacities! to! support!the!Middlebrook!Volunteer!Fire!Department.!! ! Henley! became! an! accomplished! horsewoman! later! in! life.! She! won! several! top! awards! on! her! beloved! Saddlebred! horse,! Magnolia! Morning.! Henley! never! met! a! dog! she! didn’t! love…she! will! certainly! meet! her! corgis,!rottweilers,!and!horses!in!heaven.! ! Henley!was!passionate!about!the!political!process.!She!was!a!staunch!Democrat,!but!loved!her!Republican!and! Independent!friends!just!as!much.!One!of!her!final!goals!was!to!vote!in!the!midterms!before!her!death.!She!did.! ! Henley!is!survived!by!her!older!daughter!Robin!(Roughton)!Judice!and!and!son>in>law!Ross!Judice,!of!Bend,! Oregon,!and!her!sister,!Elizabeth!Fant!of!Belton,!South!Carolina.!Henley!was!preceded!in!death!by!her!precious! younger!daughter!Lucy!Roughton!Miller!and!her!parents,!Agnes!Adele!Watson!Fant!and!George!Albert!Fant.! !
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RRCA The RRCA champions the development of community-based running clubs and events that serve runners of all ages and abilities in pursuit of health and competition.
RRCA Our vision is to see organized and active running clubs and events in every community.
RRCA •! All runners and their safety; •! Diversity in the sport and an enjoyable atmosphere for all; •! Fair competition, no cheating, anti-doping compliance, and respect by participants for race and club rules and policies; •! Positive relations with members, volunteers, donors, and sponsors; •! Best practices in organizational governance and management.
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.
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RRCA Leadership Mitchell Garner President
George Rehmet
Vice President & Western Region Director
Craig Minyard Treasurer
Jean Arthur
Secretary, At-Large Director
Blaine Moore
Eastern Region Director
Sue Brown-Nickerson Central Region Director
Ron Macksoud
Southern Region Director
Lisa Rippe
At-Large Director
Goody Tyler At-Large Director
Jean Knaack Executive Director
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2018 Financial Report for the RRCA Audited!financial!information!as!of!December!31,!2018! !
YEAR
ASSETS
LIABILITIES
NET WORTH
2016
$2,525,190
$1,114,425
$1,410,765
2017
$2,746,051
$1,062,870
$1,683,181
2018
$2,700,101
$1,069,430
$1,630,671
YEAR
INCOME
EXPENSES
NET PROFIT
2016
$3,214,726
$3,171,002
$43,724
2017
$3,303,788
$3,031,362
$272,416
2018
$3,263,788
$3,316,298
($52,150)**
2018 RRCA Statement of Financial Activities and 2019 Budget INCOME Insurance!Prog.!&!Music!Licensing! Membership!Dues! Certification!Programs!! Sponsorship!&!Convention!Revenue! Contributions!&!Other!Income! Investment!Income! TOTAL INCOME ! EXPENSES - PROGRAMS Championships!&!State!Programs! Certification!Programs! Kids!Run!the!Nation!Program! RunPro!&!Roads!Scholar!Program! Insurance!Program!&!Music!Licensing!! General!RRCA!Programs*! PROGRAM SUBTOTAL ! EXPENSES – ADMINISTRATIVE* National!Office!Management! Board!Services! Fundraising! ADMIN SUBTOTAL TOTAL EXPENSES NET PROFIT/(LOSS)
2017 AUDITED $1,758,687! $582,104! $434,415! $105,210! $162,246! $261,116! $3,303,788
2018 AUDITED $1,916,407! $586,968! $480,739! $151,630! $98,356! $29,688! $3,263,788
$167,895! $399,655! $88,929! $64,142! $1,881,401! $254,182! $2,856,205
$194,591! $448,064! $71,496! $75,338! $2,066,252! $297,027! $3,152,768
$77,054! $27,464! $70,639! $175,157 $3,031,362 $272,416
$69,448! $32,906! $61,176! $163,530 $3,316,298 ($52,510)
2019 BUDGET $1,899,500! $585,200! $452,500! $126,250! ! $100,500! $75,000! $3,238,950 ! $200,980! $475,300! $88,550! $80,500! $2,000,000! $213,320! $3,058,650 ! ! $78,500! $26,500! $70,500! $175,500 $3,234,150 $4,800
! *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.!Costs!have!been! allocated!among!the! programs!and!supporting! services! benefited.!**!The!RRCA!Board!of!Directors!approved!to!spend!net!assets!to!invest!in!the!60th!Anniversary!Convention,!and!the!performance!of!the! investment!account!as!of!12/31/2018!showed!unrealized!losses!as!the!U.S.!stock!market!experienced!a!downturn!at!the!end!of!the!year.! !
RRCA’s audited financial statements and IRS-990 tax return can be found online at: www.RRCA.org/about/governance
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Kids Run the Nation® Program The! Kids% Run% the% Nation% program,! is! the! RRCA’s! 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!kindergarten!through!sixth!grade.!The!RRCA’s!vision!is!to! help! establish! locally! managed! youth! running! programs! in! every!school!in!America.!! Forty>seven!programs!from!26!states,!serving!nearly!23,000! children,! will! receive! a! total! of! $35,000! in! grants! from! the! RRCA.! RRCA! member! clubs! and! events,! along! with! individual!donors,!have!once!again!shown!their!support!for! gender>inclusive,! participation>based! running! education! through! their! contributions! to! the! Kids! Run! the! Nation!Fund.!The!RRCA!will!also!donate!copies!of!the!Program%Guide%for%Teachers,%Coaches,%and%Program% Leaders%and!the!Running%Guide%for%Kids!booklet!to!14!additional!programs,!an!in>kind!donation!valued!at! over!$5,000.! ! The!youth!running!programs!chosen!to!receive!grants!this!year!represent!the!diversity!of!the!Kids!Run!the! Nation! Fund’s! impact,! both!geographically!and!demographically.! The! following! is! a! complete! list!of!this! year’s!Kids!Run!the!Nation!grant!recipients:! Under!Thunder!Runners!–!Juneau,!AK! Semper!Fit!Kids!on!the!Run!–!Yuma,!AZ! Rolling!Thunder!Special!Needs!Program!CT!Chapter!–! Orange,!CT! Matrix!Mighty!Milers!–!Novato,!CA! Running!for!a!Better!Oakland!–!Oakland,!CA! James!Dukes!Running!Club!–!Ramona,!CA! Sandburg!Running!/!Walking!Club!>!San!Diego,!CA! Training!for!a!Marathon...Training!for!Life!–!Tarzana,!CA! Kingdom!Kids!and!Families!Support!Running!Club!–! Kissimmee,!FL! PSE!Running!Club!–!Kissimmee,!FL! SS!Dixon!Primary!Running!Club!–!Pace,!FL! Mileage!Club!–!Carterville,!IL! Hillcrest!Running!Club!>!East!Moline,!IL! Seven!Oaks!Classical!School!–!Ellettsville,!IN! Westridge!Running!Club!–!West!Des!Moines,!IA! Manhattan!Cross!Country!Club!–!Manhattan,!KS! SJ!Run!Club!–!Louisville,!KY! Roberts!Wildcats!Running!Club!–!Melbourne,!KY! Tangi!Knights!–!Hammond,!LA! Judson!Elementary!Running!Club!–!Shreveport,!LA! Junior!Bulldogs!Running!Club!–!Jamaica!Plain,!MA! Amanda!Moore!Running!Club!–!Romeo,!MI! YMCA!Running!Club!–!Ashland,!MO! Fort!Leonard!Wood!Striders!>!Fort!Leonard!Wood,!MO! !
Triple!Play!Walk/Run!Challenge!–!Joplin,!MO! Recess!Running!–!Missoula,!MT! KIDS!Klub!FitKids!5K!>!North!Platte,!NE! Golden!Knights!in!Motion!–!Lisbon,!NY! ACDS!Littlest!Runners!–!Plainview,!NY! SMART!Girls!and!Boys!–!Brevard,!NC! NDS!Warrior!Runners!–!Morganton,!NC! Run!Club!–!Cincinnati,!OH! Sandy!Valley!Elementary!Running!Club!–!Magnolia,!OH! Road!Runners!Running!Club!–!Burns,!OR! Grove!City!Athletics!Club!Elementary!Cross!Country!&! Track!–!Grove!City,!PA! Olivet!Running!is!Fun!–!Reading,!PA! iRun4Life.com!–!Warrington,!PA! Healthy!Soles,!Healthy!Hearts!Running!Club!–!Charleston,! SC! MRTC>KIDS!!–!Memphis,!TN! Pecan!Trail!Runners!Club!–!College!Station,!TX! DHNS!Run!for!Fun!–!Fort!Worth,!TX! Kids!Run!SARR!–!San!Antonio,!TX! Haun!Jogging!Club!–!Plano,!TX! Northern!Border!Running!Club!Inc.!–!Newport,!VT! Lourdes!Running!Club!–!Richmond,!VA! Newtown!Soaring!Eagles!Run!Club!–!Virginia!Beach,!VA! Oki!Warrior!Youth!Run!Clinic!–!U.S.!Marine!Corps!Camp! Butler,!Okinawa,!Japan!
! Learn!more!at!RRCA.org/programs/kids5run5the5nation5program!
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Congratulations to the 2018-2019 Roads Scholar® Class !
Since 1996, RRCA has awarded grants totaling more than $600,000 to 130 athletes through its Roads Scholar® program. !
Samantha Bluske-Palmer! (Tuscaloosa,! AL):! Bluske>Palmer!grew!up!in!a!town!with!less!than!300!people! in! rural! Wisconsin.!! She! later! attended! Pardeeville! High! School!where!she!won!the!2007!WIAA!State!Cross!Country! Championships!and!completed!her!prep!career!with!PRs!of! 5:04! and! 11:01! for! 1600m! and! 3200m.!! At! Iowa! State! University,! she! was! part! of! two! Big! 12! Cross! Country! Championship! teams,! was! a! 9! time! All>Big! 12! Performer,! and!won!the!2014!Indoor!Big!12!title!in!the!5000m.!!She!left! college!short!of!her!goal!of!being!an!All>American,!having! run! 16:19! and! 34:16! for! 5000m! and! 10,000m.! Post> collegiality,!she!continued!to!train!while!coaching!full>time!at!the!University!of!Toledo.!!In!April!2015,!Bluske>Palmer!ran! her!first!marathon,!the!Glass!City!Marathon,!but!ran!an!extra!mile!after!course!officials!sent!her!the!wrong!way!at!mile! 21.!! She! still! won! the! women’s! marathon! by! 21! seconds! and! set! the! course! record! by! more! than! four! minutes.!! In! December! 2015,! she! qualified! for! her! first! Olympic! Trials! with! a! time! of! 2:41:13,! at! the! California! International! Marathon.!!Since!that!time,!she!has!taken!nine!minutes!off!her!marathon!time,!when!she!finished!4th!at!the!2018!USATF! Marathon!Championships!in!2:31.55.!!In!spring!2018,!she!registered!a!sixth!place!finish!at!the!USATF!Half!Marathon! Championships!with!a!time!of!1:12.32,!and!qualified!for!the!2018!USATF!Outdoor!Track!&!Field!Championships!in!the! 10,000m.!! ! Reid Buchanan!(Mammoth!Lakes,!CA):!Reid!Buchanan!grew!up!in!Manhattan,!Kansas!and!discovered!his!talent! in!distance!running!his!junior!year!of!high!school!after!winning!the!class!6A!state!title!in!the!1600!meter.!He!followed! that!up!by!winning!the!800!meter,!1600!meter,!and!3200!meter!his!senior!year,!earning!a!scholarship!to!the!University! of!Kansas.!Buchanan’s!running!career!stagnated!due!to!injuries!while!at!Kansas,!but!found!life!again!following!a!transfer! to!the!University!of!Portland.!In!2016,!in!just!the!second!10,000!meter!race!of!his!career,!he!finished!fifth!at!the!NCAA! Championships.!Putting!an!engineering!career!on!hold!to!focus!on!running,!Buchanan!has!shown!dramatic!improvement! in!the!last!two!years.!His!5,000!has!dropped!from!13:48.56!in!2016!to!13:27.83!today.!His!mile!has!gone!from!a!4:01.57! outdoor!best!to!a!3:59.24!indoor!and!3:54!and!3:56!on!the!roads.!In!2018,!he!was!the!champion!at!the!USATF!Distance! Classic!5000,!champion!at!the!Tyson!Invitational!Mile,!champion!at!the!Dr.!Sander!Invitational!3000,!champion!at!the! 2018!NYRR!Midnight!Run,!and!champion!at!the!2018!Millennium!Mile.!He!has!also!lowered!his!10k!road!time!to!28:57! at!the!Crescent!City!Classic,!and!his!15k!time!to!44:40!!at!the!Mountain!to!Fountain!15k.!!
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Erin Clark!(Flagstaff,!AZ):!Erin!Clark!grew!up!in!Eugene,!Oregon,!competing!at!the!historic!Hayward!Field!many! times.!She!was!a!two>time!state!track!champion!at!3,000!meters!and!finished!sixth!at!the!state!cross!country!meet.!After! high!school,!she!chose!to!head!south!and!attend!the!University!of!Colorado.!Clark!had!a!decorated!career!at!Colorado,! including!achieving!All>American!honors!in!the!3000!meters,!the!3000!meter!steeplechase,!the!5,000!meters,!the!10,000! meters!and!cross!country.!She!competed!in!the!2016!Olympic!Trials!in!the!Steeplechase!in!her!hometown!of!Eugene,!
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Oregon.! Her! senior! year! in! 2018! included! big! PRs! of!15:30.59! for! 5,000!meters! and! 32:28.88! for! 10,000! meters.! In! 2018,!Erin!moved!to!Flagstaff,!Arizona!to!join!HOKA!ONE!ONE!NAZ!Elite!to!be!coached!by!Ben!Rosario.!In!her!first! post>collegiate!race!at!the!2018!USATF!Outdoor!Championships!in!Des!Moines,!Iowa,!she!finished!ninth!in!the!5,000! meters.!In!her!first!professional!road!race,!and!first!race!as!a!member!of!HOKA!ONE!ONE!NAZ!Elite,!Clark!finished! third!at!the!Reebok!Boston!10K!for!Women.!
Reed Fischer!(Boulder,!CO):!Reed!Fischer!spent!his!formative!years!at!Hopkins!High!School!in!Minnesota.!During! his!time!there,!his!coaches!instilled!an!enduring!love!for!running!in!him,!and!molded!him!from!a!23:54!5K!runner!as!a! freshman!to!a!Division!I!recruit!as!a!senior.!After!graduating!from!Hopkins,!Fischer!headed!to!Drake!University!to!pursue! his!running!career!on!the!Blue!Oval.!During!his!time!at!Drake,!Fischer!developed!into!one!of!the!NCAA's!top!10,000m! runners.!He!left!Drake!as!a!three>time!NCAA!Qualifier,!four>time!Missouri!Valley!Conference!Champion,!a!Drake!Relays! Champion,!and!with!school!records!in!three!different!events.!After!graduating!in!2017,!he!visited!post>collegiate!teams! and!attended!the!RRCA's!RunPro!Camp.!He!ultimately!decided!to!head!west!to!Boulder,!where!he!became!a!founding! member!of!Tinman!Elite.!After!dabbling!on!the!roads!and!at!cross!country!in!the!fall,!he!turned!his!sights!back!to!the! track!in!the!spring!of!2018.!In!his!first!year!as!a!post>collegiate!runner,!Fischer!lowered!his!10,000m!personal!best!to! 28:38!and!proved!his!prowess!in!the!disctance.!Back!on!his!home!track!in!Des!Moines,!Fischer!finished!4th!at!the!2018! USATF!Outdoor!Championships.!His!finish!earned!him!the!opportunity!to!represent!Team!USA!at!the!NACAC!Senior! Championships!in!Toronto,!where!he!finished!3rd.!For!the!2018>19!season!Fischer!is!returning!to!the!roads,!focusing! on!the!half!marathon!in!an!effort!to!qualify!for!the!2020!Olympic!Marathon!Trials.!
Nicolas Montanez!(Mammoth!Lakes,!CA):!Nicolas!"Nico"!Montanez!began!running!as!a!freshman!in!high!school! in!Tucson,!Arizona.!There,!he!anchored!his!4x800!relay!team!to!a!state!title,!the!first!of!10!state!titles!he!would!win!in!a! mix! of! individual! and! team! events.! After! high! school,! Montanez! initially! attended! junior! college! Cross! Country! powerhouse,!Paradise!Valley!Community!College!under!Coach!Dave!Barney.!While!at!Paradise!Valley,!he!helped!guide! the!Cross!Country!team!to!the!a!third!place!finish!at!the!NCAAJ!Championships!in!2012,!!and!seventh!place!finish!in! 2013.!Following! a!transfer!to!BYU,!Montanez!blossomed!his!senior!year.!Highlight!races!from!his!time!as!a! Cougar! include:!winning!the!BYU!home!meet,!placing!ninth!at!the!Wisconsin!Nuttycomb!invitational,!and!placing!ninth!at!XC! NCAA!National!Championships!in!2016.!After!college!Montanez!continued!training!with!his!college!coach!and!2016!U.! S.!Olympian!Jared!Ward,!his!chief!training!partner.!He!debuted!at!the!USATF!25k!in!2016,!placing!seventh,!and!also! ran! a! 48:53! in! his! debut! 10! mile! race! that! same! year.! These! results! convinced! Montanez! to! pursue! post>collegiate! running,!which!he!did!after!joining!the!Mammoth!Track!Club!under!Coach!Andrew!Kastor.!Since!joining!Mammoth,!he! has!lowered!his!10!mile!PR!to!47:53,!and!run!a!2:14:27!!at!Grandma’s!Marathon,!good!for!4th!overall!and!top!American! finisher.!
Grayson Murphy! (Flagstaff,! AZ):! A! multi>sport! athlete! growing! up,! but! with! no! running! background,! Grayson! Murphy! focused! on! soccer! throughout! high! school! and! even! played! soccer! in! college! at! Sweet! Briar! College! her! freshman!year.!However,!with!a!dwindling!passion!for!soccer!after!such!a!long!career!in!the!sport,!Murphy!made!the! decision!to!attend!Santa!Clara!University!where!she!walked!onto!the!Cross!Country!and!Track!team!with!no!experience,! just!a!competitive!drive!and!willingness!to!try!something!new.!Murphy!dramatically!improved!during!her!first!two!years! of!running,!and!by!2016,!she!had!qualified!for!the!NCAA!West!Outdoor!Track!Regionals,!in!not!just!one!but!two!events,! the!Steeplechase!and!the!5000!meters.!Murphy!transfered!to!the!University!of!Utah!to!compete!at!a!higher!level!for!the! remaining!two!years!of!her!collegiate!eligibility.!While!at!the!University!of!Utah,!and!with!support!from!Coach!Kyle!Kepler,! Murphy!became!a!5>time!All>American!in!Cross!Country,!the!5000meter!indoors,!and!the!3k!Steeplechase!outdoors.! Murphy!achieved!school!records!in!the!indoor!and!outdoor!5000m!(15:44!and!15:58!respectively),!the!Steeplechase!in! 9:48,!and!the!10,000!meters!in!33:17.!She!capped!off!her!career!at!the!University!of!Utah!with!an!8th!place!finish!at!the! NCAA! Cross! Country! Championships! in! 2017.! Along! with! Academic! All>American! selections! for! a! 3.9! GPA! in! engineering,!Murphy!became!one!of!the!most!decorated!athletes!in!the!school's!history.!After!graduation!in!2017!from! the!University!of!Utah,!Murphy!went!on!to!compete!at!the!USATF!Outdoor!National!Championships!where!she!finished! 7th!in!the!Steeplechase!final.!In!July!of!2017,!she!joined!HOKA!ONE!ONE!NAZ!Elite!under!coached!under!Ben!Rosario.! In!her!first!two!races!as!a!professional,!Murphy!finished!second!at!both!the!Deseret!News!10k,!where!she!set!a!new! 10k!PR!of!33:12,!and!the!Cow!Harbor!10k.!!
Learn more at RRCA.org/our-programs-services/programs/roads-scholars
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The! goal! of! the! RunPro! Camp! is! to! encourage,! support,! and! provide! the! tools! and! guidance! for! more! top! post>collegiate! distance! runners! to! pursue! a! professional! running! career,! and! train!at!a!high!levels.!!Our!goal!with!the!program!is!to!support!the! continued!improvement!of!U.S.!performances!at!!national!and!international!competitions.!Along!with!the!Roads!Scholar! program,!RunPro!Camp!continues!a!long!tradition!of!the!RRCA!providing!resources!and!financial!support!to!pave!the! way!for!the!future!of!American!distance!running.!At!the!2018!RunPro!Camp,!2016!U.S.!Olympic!marathoner!Jared!Ward! shared!lessons!learned!from!his!career!during!the!Camp’s!Friday!night!VIP.!
Congratulations to the following athletes that attended the 2018 RunPro Camp: ! Christine!Bendzinski!–!Bucknell!Univ.! Joey!Berriatua!–!Santa!Clara!Univ.! Colin!Bennie!–!Syracuse!Univ.! Allie!Buchalski!–!Furman!Univ.! Jacob!Dumford!–!Univ.!of!Notre!Dame! Philo!Germano!–!Syracuse!Univ.! Alexandria!Hackett!–!Abilene!Christian!Univ.! Michaela!Hackett!–!Abilene!Christian!Univ.! Michelle!Howell!–!Jacksonville!Univ.! Karis!Jochen!–!Texas!A&M!Univ.!
Christopher!Marco!–!Monmouth!Univ.! Jamie!Morrissey!–!Univ.!of!Michigan! Jaimie!Phelan!–!Univ.!of!Michigan! Quamel!Prince!–!Tennessee!State!Univ.! Chandler!Reid!–!Adams!State!Univ.! Troy!Reeder!–!Furman!Univ.! Maria!Scavuzzo!–!Miami!(Ohio)!Univ.!! Colin!Schultz!–!Liberty!Univ.! Madeline!Strandemo!–!Univ.!of!Minnesota! Emi!Trost!–!Univ.!of!Minnesota!Duluth
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RRCA Championship Event Series - 2018 !
The! RRCA! Championship! Event! Series! is! one! of! the! oldest! traditions! in! distance! running! 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!2018,! the! RRCA! Championship! Event! Series! included!244!races! at! the! State,! Regional!and!National!level!that!attracted!over!323,000!runners!nationwide,!making! it!the!largest!grassroots>organized,!running!event!series!in!the!U.S.! !
RRCA!Championship!Events!receive!sponsorship!support!from!the!RRCA,!GatoradeÂŽ!as!the!Official!Beverage!of!the! series! and! Ashworth! AwardsÂŽ! ! as! the! Official! Award! Provider! for! the! series.! The! RRCA! sponsored! over!104,000!championship>branded!race!numbers!to!events.!Over!2,000!medals!were!awarded!during!the!year!to! celebrate!performances!from!elites!to!senior!grand!masters!in!the!sport.!! ! !
RRCA National Marathon Champions Kaiser!Permanente!Napa!Valley!Marathon!>!March!4,!2018,!Napa!Valley,!CA! Male!Open:!Andrew!Bauer,!age!34,!2:24:04,!Martinez,!CA! Female!Open:!Casey!Crossom,!age!19,!2:50:49,!Los!Angeles,!CA! ! Male!Master:!James!Beyer,!age!50,!2:34:58,!Dayton,!OH! Female!Master:!Danielle!Quatrochi,!age!41,!3:06:54,!Boulder,!CO! ! Male!Grandmaster:!Steve!Rowbury,!age!50,!2:58:49,!Mill!Valley,!CA!! Female!Grandmaster:!Renee!Idone,!age!58,!3:19:27,!Melbourne,!FL! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Rod!Camp,!age!62,!3:11:20,!Saint!Helena,!CA! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Laurie!Clendenen,!age!61,!3:58:23,!Fortuna,!CA! ! !
RRCA National 10 Mile Champions
Credit!Union!Cherry!Blossom!10!Mile!Run!>!April!8,!2018,!Washington,!DC! Male!Open:!Jemal!Yimer,!age!21,!46:17,!Ethiopia! Female!Open:!Buze!Diriba,!age!24,!53:45,!Ethiopia! ! Male!Master:!Brock!Butler,!age!40,!53:04,!Chester!Springs,!PA! Female!Master:!Perry!Shoemaker,!age!46,!58:46,!Vienna,!VA! ! Male!Grandmaster:!Mark!Neff,!age!56,!59:52,!Derwood,!MD! Female!Grandmaster:!Mimi!Fallon,!age!52,!1:05:07,!Walpole,!MA! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Alan!Pembert,!age!65,!1:09:41!Silver!Spring,!MD! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Joan!Benoit!Samuelson,!age!60,!1:07:56,!Freeport,!ME! !
RRCA National Half Marathon Champions Christie!Clinic!Illinois!Half!Marathon!>!April!28,!2018,!Champaign5Urbana,!IL! Male!Open:!Fredrick!Kiprono,!1:06:54!age!27,!Terre!Haute,!IN! Female!Open:!Kristina!Aubert,!1:14:04,!age!26,!Chicago,!IL! ! Male!Master:!Jason!Holroyd,!1:12:40,!age!41,!St.!Louis,!MO! Female!Master:!Suzanne!Fox,!1:29:08,!age!47,!Mahomet,!IL,! ! Male!Grandmaster:!Terry!Meyer,!1:26:45,!age!60,!Teutopolis,!IL! Female!Grandmaster:!Tammy!Kimmel,!1:40:20,!age!52,!Bloomington,!IL! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Karl!Kreumsig,!1:40:56,!age!60,!Naperville,!IL! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Mary!McGrath,!1:49:51,!age!64,!Champaign,!IL! ! ! ! ! !
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RRCA National 5K Championship! Woodstock!5K!>!August!4,!2018,!Anniston,!AL! Male!Open:!Francis!Waithaka,!age!31,!15:13,!Homewood,!AL! Female!Open:!Gladys!Cheboi,!age!28,17:32,!!Homewood,!AL!! Male!Master:!Pete!Gibson,!age!62,!19:04,!Murfeesboro,!NC!! Female!Master:!Eugenie!Candon,!age!59,!21:38,!Huntsville,!AL! Male!Grandmaster:!Shawn!Garvey,!age!53,!20:29,!Anniston,!AL!! Female!Grandmaster:!Roberta!Hauck,!age!51,!21:38,!Huntsville,!AL! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Hank!Brown,!age!65,!20:57,!Vestavia!Hills,!AL! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Leslie!Latterman,!age!60,!26:44,!Pulaski,!TN! ! !
RRCA National Ultra Championship Anchorage!Running!Festival!United!Physical!Therapy!49K!>!August!18,!2018,! Anchorage,!AK! Male!Open:!James!Miller,!age!38,!3:20:48,!Anchorage,!AK! Female!Open:!Jaylee!Brendel,!age!33,!4:40:18,!Anchorage,!AK! Male!Master:!Matthew!Perkins,!age!40,!3:44:52,!Washington,!DC!! Female!Master:!Lorna!Tan>Friederich,!age!47,!5:40:14,!Chula>Vista,!CA! Male!Grandmaster:!Scott!Clemetson,!age!54,!3:51:53,!Anchorage,!AK!! Female!Grandmaster:!Dorothy!Rush,!age!68,!5:10:05,!Victoria,!TX! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Guido!Robotti,!age!64,!5:43:46,!Paradiso>Lugano,! Switzerland! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Betsy!Jacobsen,!age!68,!5:35:03,!Denver,!CO! ! !
RRCA National 10K Champions Toughest!10K!Kemah!>!September!16,!2018,!Kemah,!TX! Male!Open:!Calum!Neff,!33:45.3,!Katy,!TX! Female!Open:!Jessica!Belen>Rivera,!43:31.4,!Houston,!TX! ! Male!Master:!Olli!Haavikko,!39:11.4,!Houston,!TX! Female!Master:!Gladis!Melendez,!47:03.01,!Houston,!TX! ! Male!Grandmaster:!Steven!Penninton,!40:11.2,!Manchester! Female!Grandmaster:!Lynn!Malloy,!47:11.1,!Katy,!TX! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Pete!Gibson,!41:11.2,!Murfeesboro,!NC! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Jitka!Newald,!57:46.1,!Dickinson,!TX! ! !
RRCA National One Mile Champions The!Rocket!Mile!>!May!6,!2018,!Rocky!Mount,!NC! Male!Open:!Donnie!Cowert,!4:10.9,!age!32,!Winston!Salem,!NC!! Female!Open:!Samantha!George,!age!23,!4:57.2,!Raleigh,!NC!! Male!Master:!Barton!Bechard,!age!53,!4:53.7,!Durham,!NC! Female!Master:!Brennan!Liming,!age!41,!5:28.9,!Cary,!NC! ! Male!Grandmaster:!Greg!Dudra,!age!53,!5:10.6,!Apex,!NC! Female!Grandmaster:!Lone!Matthews,!age!53,!7:39.8,!Shawboro,!NC! Male!Senior!Grandmaster:!Pete!Gibson,!age!62,!5:35.9,!Murfeesboro,!NC!! Female!Senior!Grandmaster:!Suzanne!Gibson,!age!72,!8:37.2,!Murfeesboro,!NC! !
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The goal of the
RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community®
program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that standout as runnerfriendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming runner-friendly communities. Dayton, Ohio! ! –! The! 2018! Outstanding! Runner! Friendly! Community!>!The!sixth!largest!city!in!Ohio!and!the!fourth!largest!metropolitan!area,!Dayton,!has!a!population!of!over! 140,000.!Dayton!and!the!greater!Miami!Valley!boast!an!extensive!trail!network!stretching!over!340!miles!in!total.!These! paved,!multi>use!recreational!trails!stretch!across!county!lines,!connecting!schools,!parks,!historic!landmarks!and!area! attractions.!!Dayton!also!has!a!strong!business!community!devoted!to!running.!Monthly!pub!runs!are!a!big!part!of!the! Dayton!running!scene,!fostering!a!social!side!to!the!sport.!!Dayton’s!largest!running!club!is!RRCA!member!the!Ohio! River!Road!Runners!Club!(ORRC)!who!submitted!the!Runner!Friendly!application.!Established!over!50!years!ago,!the! club!now!boasts!over!1,200!households!in!its!membership!making!it!the!biggest!running!club!in!the!state!and!one!of!the! largest!in!the!country.!! ! Salisbury, North Carolina! –! Forty>four! miles! from! Charlotte,! and! considered! within! its! metropolitan! area,! Salisbury! is! a! fast>growing! city,! with! a! population! of! over! 33,000.! A! major!factor! in! what! makes! Salisbury! a! Runner! Friendly!Community!is!the!strong!support!of!its!local!government.!The!police!department!works!with!the!RRCA!member! Salisbury!Rowan!Runners!(SRR)!on!15>20!races!a!year.!!SRR!are!Salisbury’s!largest!running!club.!Its!1,000!members! make!it!one!of!the!larger!clubs!in!the!state,!and!a!spirit!of!community!involvement!permeates!much!of!the!club’s!activities.! Salisbury!has!also!taken!steps!recently!to!improve!an!infrastructure!that!actively!supports!runners.!The!city’s!greenway! system,!currently!a!5.2!mile!loop,!continues!to!grow!toward!a!completely!connected!route!that!will!eventually!encompass! parks,!suburbs!and!city!streets.!Salisbury!and!Rowan!County!area!a!part!of!the!Carolina!Thread!Trail,!a!coordinated! trail!system!that!connects!16!surrounding!counties.!! ! Allentown, Pennsylvania! –! Located! in! the! Lehigh! Valley! in! southeast! Pennsylvania,! Allentown! is! the! third! most!populous!city!in!the!state,!with!just!over!118,000!residents.!!The!city!was!recognized!in!April!2016!by!the!Urban! Land!Institute!as!a!“national!success!story”!for!its!downtown!redevelopment,!and!its!currently!the!fastest!growing!city!in! Pennsylvania.!Some!of!Allentown’s!transformation!to!post>industrial!city!can!be!seen!in!its!running!infrastructure.!Within! five!miles!of!the!city’s!center!is!an!extensive!network!of!former!railways!now!converted!to!running/walking/biking!trails,! including! the! D&L! Canal! Trail! and! the! Ironton! Rail! Trail.! Allentown’s! largest! running! club! is! the! Lehigh! Valley! Road! Runners!(LVRR)!who!submitted!the!Runner!Friendly!application.!Established!in!1993,!the!club!now!boasts!over!600! households!in!its!membership!making!it!one!of!the!biggest!running!organizations!in!the!state.!LVRR!hosts!over!17!races! per!year,!with!participant!numbers!approaching!11,000!in!total.!! ! Carrollton, Georgia –!Located!in!western!Georgia,!in! Carroll! County! near! the! Alabama! border,! Carrollton! has! an! estimated!population!of!26,562.!Generally!included!as!part!of! the!greater!Atlanta!Metropolitan!Area,!Carrollton!is!just!under! 50!miles!from!downtown!Atlanta,!and!has!historically!been!a! commercial! center! for! many! of! the! more! rural! surrounding! counties! in! both! Georgia! and! Alabama.! In! April! 2017,! Carrollton!officially!opened!the!Greenbelt,!an!18>mile!shared> use!path!designed!for!pedestrians!and!non>motorized!users.! The! brainchild! of! community! activists,! the! trail! connects! existing! neighborhoods! with! the! city! school! campus,! the! University! of! West! Georgia,! the! city! parks,! and! several! commercial!shopping!areas.!Carrolton’s!largest!running!club! is! the! West! Georgia! Track! Club! (WGTC).! WGTC! has! two! dedicated! coaches,! and! they! partner! with! Tanner! Health!
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System!to!provide!two!couch!to!5K!training!programs!each!year!for!novice!runners.!WGTC!has!also!been!instrumental! in!organizing!local!RUN@Work!Day!events!each!fall.! ! Cleveland, Tennessee –!Roughly!30!miles!from!Chattanooga,!Cleveland,!TN!is!the!fourteenth!largest!city!in!the! state,!with!a!population!of!over!41,000.!Lee!University,!located!in!downtown!Cleveland,!plays!a!large!role!in!making!the! city!runner!friendly.!The!physical!campus!has!many!trails!and!routes!that!are!conducive!to!running.!The!school!also! made!a!recent!significant!financial!commitment!to!a!new!track!facility!to!which!the!public!will!have!access.!The!city’s! largest! race,! the! 65! Roses! 5K! takes! place! on! the! Lee’s! campus.! Cleveland’s! local! government! is! also! proactive! in! assuring!the!community!is!open,!inviting,!and!inclusive!to!the!interests!of!runners.!The!City!of!Cleveland!works!very! closely!with!Terra!Running!Company,!Lee!University!and!other!race!organizers!to!help!create!running!routes,!create! road!closure!plans!when!races!require!it,!and!make!sure!runners!are!safe!and!protected!during!local!runs.!The!largest! running! club! in! Cleveland! is! the! Ocoee! Track! and! Trail,! who! submitted!the! Runner!Friendly! Community! application.! Ocoee!Track!and!Trail!works!with!local!businesses!to!organize!runs!from,!promoting!the!business!to!runners!and!giving! runners!a!chance!to!run!in!different!parts!of!town.!!
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Georgetown, Texas!–!Thirty!miles!outside!Austin,!the!city!is!home!to!Southwestern!University,!founded!in!1840,! and! considered! the! oldest! university! in! the! state! of! Texas.! A! key! aspect! of! what! makes! Georgetown! hospitable! to! runners!is!its!infrastructure.!!The!City!of!Georgetown!Park!and!Recreation!Department!continues!to!invest!in!and!expand! the!pedestrian!trail!system.!The!city!maintains!nine!miles!of!pedestrian!trails.!In!addition,!the!Army!Corp!of!Engineers! maintains!the!28!mile!Lake!Georgetown!Good!Water!Loop,!which!connects!to!the!city!trails.!The!City’s!newest!park! opened!in!Junev!Garey!Park!includes!six!miles!of!running!and!hiking!trails.!RRCA!member,!the!Georgetown!Running! Club!(GRC),!is!a!key!supporter!of!running!in!the!city.!For!ten!years,!they!have!worked!with!the!local!Parks!Department! to!host!a!low>cost!5K!as!a!means!of!promoting!running!in!the!community.!Each!fall!the!Georgetown!Running!Club!holds! a!Thanksgiving!Day!Turkey!Trot!for!almost!1,000!runners.!to!man!intersections!to!keep!runners!safe.! ! Mesa, Arizona –!Sitting!20!miles!east!of!Phoeniz,!Mesa’s!population!of!over!439,000!makes!it!the!third!largest!city! in!Arizona.!Located!in!the!Sonoran!desert,!Mesa’s!geography!very!much!defines!the!city.!There!are!over!2,280!acres! of!parkland!in!the!city!limits!with!numerous!scenic!trails!suitable!for!running.!!Mesa’s!local!government!plays!a!key!role! in! making! the! city! runner! friendly.! Recently,! they! have! undertaken! projects! ranging! from! increased! multi>use! paved! paths!to!renovations!and!up>keep!on!local!parks!and!trails.!The!city!has!578!miles!of!pathways!connecting!over!205! parks.! Mesa! boasts! a! large! bike! and! pedestrian! program! that! works! to! reduce! barriers! to! safe! running,! biking! and! walking! areas,! and! increase! safety! and! awareness! of! pedestrian! friendly! roadways.! Mesa! Parks! &! Rec! has! spearheaded!many!of!the!infrastructure!developments!geared!towards!runners.!The!city’s!biggest!running!event!is!the! annual!Mesa>Phx!Marathon,!which!boasts!over!50,000!participants!and!serves!as!a!Boston!Marathon!qualifier.!
Congratulations to the following communities that successfully renewed their Runner Friendly Community status in 2018 for another five years: Salibsury, NC >!Renewed!by!Salisbury!Rowan!Runners!Club Chattanooga, TN >!Renewed!by!Chattanooga!Track!Club! Grapevine, TX >!Renewed!by!Lake!Grapevine!Runners!and!Walkers Kalamazoo, MI 5!Renewed!by!Kalamazoo!Area!Runners Peachtree City, GA >!Renewed!by!Peachtree!City!Running!Club! ! ! !
Learn more about the Runner Friendly Community program at: RRCA.org/our-programs-services/programs/runner-friendly-community
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RRCA Coaching Certification Program Since! 1998,! the! RRCA! Coaching! Certification! Program! has! provided! a! baseline! of! education! for! individuals! seeking! to! become! an! RRCA! Certified! Coach.! The! goal! of! the! program! is! to! create! a! national! community! of! knowledgeable!and!ethical!distance!running!coaches!to!work!with!runners!at!all!ages!and!abilities.!The!RRCA!Coaching! Program! offers! educational! opportunities! that! includes! a! Level! I! and! Level!II! curriculum! and! certification! process!for! interested!coaches.!The!RRCA!Coaching!Certification!Level!I!Course!is!an!in>person!course!designed!to!accomplish! our!goal!of!educating!coaches!so!they!may!direct!training!programs!for!their!RRCA!member!running!clubs.!We!believe! all!RRCA!Level!I!Certified!Coaches!volunteering!in!their!running!clubs!have!the!knowledge!needed!to!coach!runners!in! their! com>! munities.! The! Level! II! curriculum! and! certification! process,! launched! in! 2016,! provides! for! a! deeper! understanding! of! the! scientific,! psychological,! competitive,! and!managerial! aspects! of! working! with! individual! clients! and!training!groups.!! We! thank! our! Director! of! Coaching! Education! Randy! Accetta,! Ph.D! along! with! his! team! of! course! instructors! Cari!Setzler!DVM,!Bobby!Gessler!MD,!and!Brent!Ayer!for!another!successful!program!year.!We!also!thank!the!RRCA! members!and!supporters!that!hosted!a!coaching!certification!course!on!behalf!of!the!RRCA.!! Since the program’s inception over 9,000 people have become RRCA Certified Running Coaches.
Learn more at RRCA.org/programs/coaching-program-overview
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RRCA Race Director Certification Program ! In!December!2018,!Rob!Wolfe!of!Washington,!DC!became!the!300th!person!to! successfully!complete!the!RRCA’s!Race!Director!Certification!course.!!Wolfe’s! certification!is!significant,!as!he!completed!the!education!requirements!at!the!first! ever!in>person!version!of!the!RRCA’s!Race!Director!Certification!Course,!held!in!November!in!conjunction!with!Road! Race!Management’s!annual!Race!Directors’!Meeting.!! ! Course!presenters!included!Phil!Stewart!and!Becky!Lambros!>!Director!and!Deputy!Director!of!the!Credit!Union!Cherry! Blossom!10!Milev!Dave!McGillivray!>!Director!of!the!BAA!Boston!Marathonv!Sean!Ryan!>!Director!of!the!Fall!50!and!Co> Director! of! the! Across! the! Bay! 10Kv! and! Jean! Knaack! >! RRCA! Executive! Director.! They,! along! with! a! class! of! 12! participants!from!places!ranging!from!Montana!to!the!Bahamas,!shared!their!expertise!on!topics!of!importance!for!race! directors.! ! Plans!are!in!the!works!to!hold!the!second!in>person!RRCA!Race!Director!Certification!Course!as!part!of!the!2019!RRM! Race!Directors’!Meeting,!with!more!details!and!registration!information!to!be!released!in!the!spring.!However,!those! interested!in!the!course!can!sign!up!at!any!time!for!the!online!version.!! ! With! planning! for! spring! running! events,! including! April’s! Credit! Union! Cherry! Blossom! 10! Mile! Race! about! to! get! underway,!Wolfe!is!excited!to!apply!the!knowledge!he!gained!in!the!course!in!the!coming!year.!
Learn more at RRCA.org/programs/race-director-certification! ! !
2018 Marked the RRCA’s 60th Anniversary ! Since!1958,!members!and!supporters!of!the!Road!Runners!Club! of! America! (RRCA),! the! oldest! and! largest! organization! dedicated!to!the!promotion!of!distance!running,!have!gathered!in! different! cities! around! the! country! for! the! RRCA! National! Convention.!This!year,!the!60th!RRCA!National!Convention!was! held! in! Arlington,! Virginia! in! partnership! with! the! Credit! Union! Cherry! Blossom! Race,! which! served! at!the! RRCA! National! 10! Mile!Championship!Event.!!While!the!official!founding!date!of!the! RRCA! is! February! 22,! 1958,! the! organization’s! birthday! bash! was!held!on!April!7.!Nearly!400!attendees,!volunteers,!and!VIP! guests!enjoyed!the!events!of!the!RRCA!Convention.! During! the! birthday! celebration,! the! RRCA! unveiled! its! 60th! Anniversary! cake! created! by! Charm! City! Cakes! in! Baltimore,! Maryland.!! Past! RRCA! presidents,!Gar!Williams,! David! Cotter,! Brent! Ayer,! Don! Kardong,! and! Mitchell! Garner! (current! president),!were!on!hand!to!help!cut!the!cake!that!was!served!to! all!the!guests!at!the!dinner.!2018!Hall!of!Fame!inductees,!Bart! Yasso!and!Amy!Cragg,!were!celebrated!for!their!contributions!to! the! sport! along! with! the! many! 2017! National! Running! Award! Winners!in!attendance.! !
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The!RRCA!welcomed!nearly!twenty!current!RRCA!Hall!of!Fame!Members,!including:!Craig!Virgin,!Steve!Spence,!Jon! Sinclair,! Amby! Burfoot,! Hal! Higdon! (RRCA! founding! member),! Julia! Emmons,! Meb! Keflizighi,! Bob! Larsen,! Deena! Kastor,!Don!Kardong,!Bart!Yasso,!Jacqueline!Hansen,!Sara!Mae!Berman,!Doug!Kurtis,!Kim!Jones,!Lisa!Rainsberger,! Jeff! Darman,! Anne! Audain,! and! Gar! Williams! (RRCA! founding! member).! Guests! to! the! event! were! treated! with! a! complete!history!book!of!all!RRCA!Distance!Running!Hall!of!Fame!Members.!
“It! was! an! amazing! evening! and! opportunity! to! see! friends! that! I! raced! with,”! said! Anne! Audain.!! “We! were! fierce! competitors!back!in!the!day,!but!after!the!race!was!over,!we!celebrated!each!other’s!victories!over!a!beer.!!It!was!simply! amazing!to!see!these!great!women!after!so!many!years.”!
Thank you to our 60th Anniversary Convention Sponsors:!!Final!Surge,!RunSignUp.com,!Credit! Union! Cherry! Blossom! 10!Mile,! Leslie!Jordan,! Star! Insurance! Agency,! K&K!Insurance,! Marathon! Printing,! the! Drive! Race! and! Club! Solutions,! Ashworth! Awards,! Ragnar! Events,! ElliptiGO,! Hasty! Awards,! National! Event! Services,! MyLaps,!SymbolArts,!Feetures,!Sport!Science,!MPA!Event!Graphics,!You!too!Can!Run,!RunDisney,!Running!Awards! &!Apparel,!and!Blue!Footed!Timing.!
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49th Class – RRCA Hall of Fame Inductees Nancy Ditz Mosbacher As!a!member!of!the!1988!United!States!Olympic!team,!Nancy!Ditz!Mosbacher!was! the! first! American! finisher! in! the! women’s! marathon! at! the! 1988! Seoul! Summer! Olympics.!!Born!in!San!Jose,!CA!in!1954,!Ditz!Mosbacher!graduated!from!Stanford! having!competed!in!diving!and!crew,!and!did!not!begin!running!competitively!until!age! 25.!However,!she!quickly!found!herself!naturally!talented!in!the!sport.!In!1982,!she! won! her! debut! marathon,! the! San! Francisco! Marathon! in! 2:44:34.! In! between! her! debut! and! making! the! Olympic! team,! Ditz! Mosbacher! won! numerous! road! races,! including! the! U.S.! National! Marathon! Championships! (1985),! the! Los! Angeles! Marathon!(1986!&!1987),!the!San!Francisco!Marathon!(1982),!the!Oakland!Marathon! (1983),!and!Bay!to!Breakers!(1984).!In!1984,!she!set!a!course!record!at!the!California! International!Marathon!with!a!time!of!2:31:36.!! ! Since!the!1988!Summer!Olympics,!Ditz!Mosbacher!has!been!a!color!commentator!for! NBC!and!CBS!Sports.!She!has!covered!events!such!as!the!1996!Olympic!Marathon! Trials,! the! 1988! and! 1989! NCAA! Track! and! Field! Championships,! and! the! 1994! Examiner!Bay!to!Breakers.! !
Oscar Moore
A!groundbreaking!American!distance!running,!Moore!qualified!for!the!1964!Olympics!in! Tokyo,!Japan,!where!he!became!the!first!African!American!to!represent!the!U.S.!in!the! 5,000! meters.!Born! in! 1938! in! White! Plains,! NY,! he!first! discovered! his! talent!for! the! sport!by!running!track!in!high!school.!Moore!won!a!track!scholarship!to!Southern!Illinois! University,! where! he! earned! his! bachelor’s! and! master’s! degrees! in! recreation.! His! school!records!for!the!indoor!3,000!meters!(7:59.98),!5,000!meters!(13:51.20)!and!the! outdoor!5,000!meters!(13:51.20)!stood!well!into!the!2000s.!Returning!to!the!east!coast! after!college,!he!won!the!legendary!New!York!Road! Runners!nine>mile!cross!country! race!in!1963!and!1964,!setting!a!course!record!of!46:19.6!in!the!process.!At!the!1964! Olympics,!Moore!placed!eighth!in!the!5,000!meters!with!a!time!of!14:24.!!His!prospects! for!an!even!better!showing!at!the!1968!Olympics!looked!promising,!however,!a!badly> timed!ruptured!Achilles!tendon!derailed!his!chances!to!run!for!the!U.S.!at!the!games!in! Mexico!City.!Though!doctors!feared!he!would!never!run!again,!Moore!persevered!and! returned!to!the!sport!still!competing!at!a!high!level.!!! ! He!retired!as!a!three!time!qualifier!for!the!U.S.!Olympic!trials!and!six>time!All!American. In!1971,!Moore!started!the!men’s!track!and!field!program!at!Glassboro!State!College,! now!Rowan!University,!where!he!would!coach!for!23!years.!The!Profs!competed!at!the!NCAA!Division!III!Outdoor!Track! and!Field!Championships!for!20!straight!years!under!Moore,!and!they!captured!five!straight!national!titles!from!1980> 84.!His!teams!also!won!five!national!outdoor!crowns,!the!third!most!in!Division!III,!and!won! the! New! Jersey! Athletic! Conference! (NJAC)! Championship! 19! straight! years.! Moore! produced!over!130!All>Americans!and!24!NCAA!individual!champions!and!was!named!the! NCAA!Division!III!National!Coach!of!the!Year!five!times!(1980>84).! !
Joan Ullyot A!pioneer!distance!runner,!author,!and!medical!physician,!Ullyot's!expertise!and!lobbying! helped!open!doors!for!women!in!running.!Notably,!her!efforts!helped!changed!the!minds!of! the! IAAF! and! IOC,! who! had! previously! clung! to! an! archaic! view! that! that!the! sport! was! detrimental! to! a! woman’s! health.! A! 1961! graduate! of! Wellesley! College,! Ullyot! is! an! accomplished!runner!herself,!having!finished!the!Boston!Marathon!ten!times,!winning!the! masters!title!there!in!1984.!Additionally,!she!is!the!only!woman!to!run!in!every!women’s! international! marathon! championships,! held! in! Waldniel,! West! Germany! (1974,! 1976,! 1979)!and!she!set!a!PR!of!!2:47:39!in!winning!the!St.!George!Marathon!in!1988!at!age!48.! ! !
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However,!her!biggest!contributions!to!the!sport!came!off!the!race!course.!In!the!early!1980s,!her!research!on!the!sport’s! impact!on!women!was!presented!to!the!IOC!by!the!organizing!committee!for!the!Los!Angeles!Olympics,!leading!to!a! vote!to!include!the!women’s!marathon!in!the!1984!Games.!Additionally,!Ullyot’s!work!as!a!writer!both!through!her!regular! columns!in!Runner’s%World!and!Women’s%Sports%&%Fitness!magazines!and!her!books,!Women’s%Running,!and!Running% Free!helped!an!unknown!number!of!aspiring!participants!in!the!sport.!Ullyot!was!a!member!of!the!Advisory!Board!for! the!Melpomene!Institute,!an!organization!focused!research!projects!on!behalf!of!female!athletes,!and!served!on!the! International!Runners!Committee,!seeking!parity!for!women!distance!runners!in!the!Olympic!Games!and!all!international! competition.! !
2018 RRCA National Running Award Recipients! ! !Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA – Betsy Boudreaux, Best Bank Track Club,
Gretna, Louisiana
Betsy!is!a!tireless!volunteer!at!the!local,!state,!and!national!level.!She’s!often!setting!her!alarm!at! 3:00!AM!to!set>up!a!race!course!or!to!drive!across!Louisiana!to!be!at!the!finish!line!to!hand!out! RRCA! championship! medals.! Since! 2005,! she! has! served! as! Louisiana’s! State! Rep,! enthusiastically!promoting!the!benefits!of!running!and!fitness!to!people!of!all!ages,!demographics,! and!skill!levels.!!!In!2011!she!was!named!the!RRCA’s!Outstanding!State!Rep!of!the!Year.!!She’s! helped!shaped!the!RRCA!leadership!through!her!work!on!the!nominating!committee!from!2013! to!2017.!!!Most!impressively,!Betsy!chooses!to!only!focus!on!the!positive!aspects!of!the!sport,! and!in!the!most!difficult!moments!of!staging!an!event,!or!in!responding!to!a!complaint!or!conflict,! it’s!her!optimism!and!thoughtfulness!that!carries!the!day.!Despite!all!that!she!does!to!promote!the! sport! of! running,! and! the! RRCA,! her! willingness!to! sit! in! the! background,!refusing! to! demand! attention!makes!her!the!ideal!recipient!for!this!award.!
! Outstanding Club President of the Year – Jim Graham, Traverse City Track Club, Traverse City, MI Jim!Graham!has!served!as!the!Traverse!City!Track!Club!(TCTC)!President!since!2014.!!One!of! his!major!contributions!to!the!club!was!to!guide!the!board!through!a!smooth!transition!from!being! a! "working"! volunteer! board! to! becoming! an! oversight/governance! board! with! a! paid! administrator.! ! This! type! of! transitional! change! can! be! a! challenge! for! the! president! of! any! nonprofit!organization,!but!Jim!handled!it!gracefully!with!his!knowledge!of!how!nonprofits!work.!! He!has!!a!pure!"love"!for!the!sense!of!community!that!a!strong!!and!well>managed!running!club! can!provide.!!His!list!of!accomplishments!also!include:!helping!to!author!the!club's!revised!by> lawsv!single>handedly!forming! a!thriving! weekly!fun! run! program! attracting! 50>100! participants! weekly!and!year>roundv!creating!a!"Grand!Prix"!to!help!support!the!nearly!60!local!running!events! in! the!five! county!service! areav! starting! the! Annual!Membership! Awards! Recognition! programv! and!helping!to!see!Traverse!City!designated!as!an!RRCA!Runner!Friendly!Community.!Under!Jim's!guidance!as!president,!the!TCTC! is!a!thriving!organization,!giving!back!nearly!$250,000!annually!in!the!five!county!community!to!support!programs!that!align!with!the! club's!mission.!To!date!the!club!has!granted!$1.7!million!to!support!and!promote!running!and!walking.!!Membership!has!grown!to! 103%,!with!current!membership!trend!forecasting!over!1,000!members.!
! Outstanding State Representative of the Year – Lee Greb, Texas – South RRCA!South!Texas!State!Rep!since!2009,!Lee!has!consistently!worked!hard!to!promote!and! expand!the!RRCA!Championship!Program!in!South!Texas.!His!determination!in!this!endeavor! focuses!on!getting!race!directors!to!grasp!the!value!and!benefits!of!the!RRCA!Championship! designation.!In! 2018,!Lee! was! instrumental! in! generating! eleven! Texas! championships! bids,! including! one! chosen! as! the! RRCA! National! 10K! Championship! and! one! selected! RRCA! Southern! Region! Championship.! Lee! is! an! active! ambassador! for! the! RRCA! all! over! South! Texas,!setting!up!the!RRCA!tent,!distributing!RRCA!literature,!ensuring!RRCA!Championship! banners!are!displayed!at!races,!sharing!insight!into!RRCA,!and!awarding!RRCA!Championship! medals! at! events! big! and! small.! ! For! the! past! seven! years,! Lee! has! been! At>Large! Board! Member! for! Houston! Area! Road! Runners! (HARRA),! the! “umbrella”! organization! for! over! 40! running!clubs,!many!of!which!are!RRCA>member!clubs.!In!that!role,!he!keeps!the!HARRA!Board! updated!on!all>things!RRCA.!Last!year,!he!again!organized!and!supported!the!13th!Annual!Tour! de!Art!Run!in!downtown!Houston,!held!in!conjunction!with!RRCA’s!Run@Work!Day.!Lee!uses!his!training!as!an!RRCA!Certified! Coach!to!coach!walkers!in!the!Striders!Smart!Training!Program.!He!communicates!with!running!clubs!through!quarterly!newsletters! and!does!everything!asked!of!him!modestly,!without!fanfare,!in!a!timely,!efficient!manner.!Lee’s!active!participation!with!HARRA!and! the!Houston!Striders!has!made!him!the!“Face!of!RRCA”!in!the!Houston!area.! !
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Outstanding State Representative of the Year – Doug Pitchford - Illinois Doug's!biggest!attribute!in!his!more!than!six!years!as!the!RRCA!Illinois!State!Rep!is!his!pride!in!representing! RRCA!throughout!the!state.!!He!uses!his!veteran!State!Rep!experience!and!enthusiasm!to!promote!running! and!RRCA!programs.!!He!assists!member!clubs!and!events!by!answering!questions!and!providing!guidance! on!best!practices.!!He!actively!recruits,!selects,!and!attends!RRCA!State!Championship!events.!!In!2018,!he! attended!six!events!on!behalf!of!the!RRCA!to!present!awards!and!support!race!directors.!He!also!solicits! donations!from!the!event!hosts!to!support!RRCA!programs.!His!personal!knowledge!of!club!leaders,!events,! and!race!directors!in!his!state!is!evident!in!any!conversation!you!have!with!him.!!He!hosted!RRCA!booths!!at! the!Chrisite!Clinic!Illinois!Marathon!and!the!Quad!Cities!Marathon.!!He!actively!maintains!the!RRCA!Illinois! Facebook!page.!!He!attends!club!socials!proudly!in!RRCA!gear!to!show!support!such!as!the!Chicago!Area! Runners!Social/Chicago!Marathon!weekend!happy!hour!and!the!Rockford!Runners!50th!anniversary!dinner,! to! name! a!few.! ! He! is! instrumental! in! working! with! communities! annually!to! acquire!the! Runner! Friendly! Community!designation.!!Doug's!RRCA!presence!in!Illinois,!and!his!commitment!to!the!RRCA,!make!him!a! most!deserving!recipient!of!this!award.!
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – Alice Chin, Alpine Runners, Lake Zurich, Illinois! Alice!Chin!is!one!of!those!rare!people!who!always!raises!a!hand!to!volunteer!or!lend!a!hand.! Demonstrating!the!breadth!of!her!contributions,!she!has!been!a!member!of!the!Alpine!Runners! Board!of!Directors!for!several!years.!!She!is!the!sweeper!runner!for!weekly!club!training!runs,! making!sure!no!runner!gets!left!behind.!Alice!serves!as!the!sponsorship!coordinator!for!the!club,! going!to!area!businesses!to!get!them!to!contribute!to!the!race!fund!or!offer!discounts!to!members.!! Through! her! efforts,! the! Alpine! Runners! have! developed! a! great! relationship! within! the! community! and! raised! funds! for! the! area! food! pantry.! ! Alice! is! also! co>director! of! the! club’s! successful!kids!training!program,!which!had!over!200!runners!in!fall!2018.!!She!has!her!RRCA! Coaching!certification!and!coaches!the!youngest!group!of!kids.!!At!every!club!function,!Alice!is! there:!highway!clean>up,!farmer’s!market!booth,!running!store!info!table,!setting!up!the!holiday! party,!purchasing!food!for!post!run!events,!and!more.!The!Alpine!Runners!could!not!be!what!they!are!without!her!contributions.! !
Beginning Running Program – Reason to Run, Portland, Oregon Trisha! Swanson! is! an! RRCA! certified! coach! who! voluntarily! leads! training! sessions! at! Coffee! Creek! Correctional! Facility! in! Wilsonville,!Oregon!through!the!program,!Reason%to%Run.!Numerous!8>week!running!sessions!are!offered!every!year!in!all!areas!of! the! prison.! These! training! programs! provide! coaching! for! both! new! and! experienced! runners! and! include! informational! talks,! endurance!running,!speed!sessions,!strength!training!and!stretching.!!Each!session!ends!with!a!5K!'race'!complete!with!race!bibs,! finishing! times! and! a! certificate.! While! the! primary! focus! of!the! Reason% to% Run! Bunk! to! 5K! training! program! is! physical! fitness,! participants! are! encouraged! to! explore! how! running! positively! impacts! mental! health! and! how! to! incorporate! goal! setting! and! accountability! into! a! running! plan.! ! During!training! sessions,! inmates! cheer!for! one! another,! pace! each! other! on!runs,!and! work! together!to!accomplish!boot!camp!exercises.!!! !
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Outstanding Youth Running Program – YOUth FIT, Shreveport, Louisiana Dr.!Shelley!Armstrong!launched!YOUth!FIT!in!2009,!through!a!partnership!with!the!Red!River!Road!Runners!(RRRR)!and!Shreveport! Parks!and!Recreation!(SPAR).!YOUth!FIT!is!open!to!100!boys!and!girls,!7>17!years!old,!who!have!the!desire!to!learn!the!fundamentals! of!endurance!running,!prepare!for!XC!!season,!or!simply!get!involved!in!a!healthy!lifestyle!sport.!Each!week,!the!kids!participate!in! the!RRRR!Summer!Fun!Run!Series,!starting!with!either!a!one>mile!or!5K!race.!All!kids!finish!the!program!with!the!5K,!picnic,!and! awards.!The!YOUth!FIT!participants!frequently!end!up!being!the!top!area!runners!in!high!school!and!middle!school!Cross!Country! each!fall.! !
Outstanding Challenged Athlete – Marko Cheseto
Marko! Cheseto! came! to! Anchorage,! Alaska! from! Kenya! in! 2008! on! a! University! of! Alaska! Anchorage!(UAA)!athletic!scholarship.!He!earned!the!NCAA!Division!II!All>America!honors!six! times! in! track! and! cross! country.! In! November! 2011,! stricken! with! grief! after! the! death! of! a! teammate,!he!disappeared!into!the!woods!surrounding!the!school!during!a!particularly!intense! winter!storm.!!After!a!massive!but!unsuccessful!search!for!Marko,!he!stumbled!into!a!hotel!near! the! UAA! campus.! His! sneakers! were! frozen! to! his! feet.! ! As! a! result,! both! feet! had! to! be! amputated.!Marko!remained!in!Anchorage,!subsequently!graduating!with!a!degree!in!nutrition,! getting!married!and!having!three!children.!Eighteen!months!after!his!ordeal,!he!was!fitted!with!a! pair!of!running!blades!and!resumed!running.!!This!past!summer,!he!moved!to!Florida!to!work!and! train! at! Prosthetic! and! Orthotic! Associates.! He! returned! to! Alaska! in! August! to! run! the! 2018! Anchorage! RunFest! Skinny! Raven! Half! Marathon,! an! RRCA! State! Championship! race.! He! finished!in!1:26:55,!placing!10th.!!In!November,!Marko!ran!the!New!York!City!Marathon,!his!first! marathon! on!carbon>fiber! running! blades.! He! finished! in! 2!hours,! 52! minutes,! 33! seconds!—! about!10!minutes!off!the!world>best!for!a!double>leg!amputee.!!Marko!placed!613th!overall!in!a! field!of!nearly!53,000.!!He!is!believed!to!be!the!second!person!with!two!prosthetic!feet!to!break! the!3>hour!mark!in!the!marathon.!This!same!week,!Marko!became!an!American!citizen.!!Marko! currently!resides!in!Florida!where!he!is!training!for!the!Boston!and!Chicago!Marathons.!His!goal! is!to!run!a!sub>2:10!with!elites!in!a!major!marathon.! !
Road Runner of the Year – Desiree Linden On!April!16,!2018,!Desiree!Linden!became!the!first!American!woman!in!thirty>three!years!to!win!the! BAA!Boston!Marathon.!In!brutally!cold!and!rainy!conditions,!Linden!powered!through!a!rough!start! that!had!her!contemplating!dropping!out!of!the!race!early.!By!the!25!kilometer!mark,!Linden!had! found!her!stride,!but!still!trailed!leader!Mamitu!Daska!by!27!seconds.!A!second!half!surge!saw!her! pull!even!with!Daska!at!famed!Heartbreak!Hill,!and!by!40!kilometers,!Linden!had!a!three!minute!lead! she!would!never!come!close!to!relinquishing.!The!victory!was!the!culmination!of!several!previous! close!calls!for!Linden!in!Boston.! ! !
Learn about all RRCA Hall of Fame Members and National Running Award Winners at: RRCA.org/about/history !
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!! Road Runner of the Year – Sam Chelanga Sam!Chelanga!kicked!off!2018!in!impressive!fashion,!placing!sixth!and!as!the!top!American!at!January’s! Aramco!Houston!Half!Marathon.!Chelanga’s!time!of!1:00:37!was!the!fourth!fastest!ever!for!an!American! male!in!the!half!marathon.!!In!March,!at!the!IAAF!World!Half!Marathon!Championships,!he!was!again!the! top!American!finisher,!placing!14th!overall.!!Later!that!spring,!he!took!first!place!in!1:14:52!at!the!U.S.! 25K! Championships.! ! ! His! strong! year! continued! at! July’s!AJC! Peachtree! Road! Race! 10K! in! Atlanta! where!he!finished!fourth!overall!with!a!time!of!28:56.!At!the!conclusion!of!the!race,!Chelanga!announced! he!was!retiring!from!professional!running!in!order!to!enlist!in!the!U.S.!Army!with!hopes!of!becoming!an! officer,! capping! a! career! that! saw! him! break! NCAA! records,! and! become! a! multiple! time! NCAA! and! USATF!national!champion.!
Road Runner of the Year – Male Master – Jean Pommier At! age! 54,! Jean! Pommier! completed! a! prolific! running! schedule,! scoring! near! the!top! of!many!races,! especially!ultramarathons,!in!2018.!Countless!events!saw!him!beating!runners!decades!younger!than!he,! and!he!frequently!finished!as!the!top!master,!as!well!as!grandmaster.!Highlights!from!the!year!include:! first!at!the!Jed!Smith!50K!and!Ruth!Anderson!50!Mile!in!3:26:44!and!6:20.14,!respectivelyv!second!overall! at!the!Jackpot!100!Running!Festival!100!Mile!in!15:34.11v!and!third!overall!in!5:06:41!at!the!the!Ohlone! Wilderness! 50K! which! involves! 7,800! feet! of! climbing.! Finally.! At! the! USATF! 50! Mile! Road! Championships! in! Boalsburg,! PA,! Jean! came! in! 4th! overall! in! 6:39:10! to! claim! the! Masters! title.! In! addition,!to!his!racing!accomplishments,!Jean!is!the!Ultra!Committee!President!for!the!Pacific!Association! of!Track!and!Field.!
Road Runner of the Year – Female Master – Jenny Hitchings! In!2018,!at!age!55,!Jenny!Hitchings!turned!in!an!impressive!array!of!performances,!setting!four!American! age>group! records! in! four! months.! In! August,! she! ran! a! women’s>only! 5K! in! 18:05,! a! 5:49! pace.! In! September,!she!ran!the!Buffalo!Stampede!10!Mile!in!1:01:20!(6:08!pace).!!In!October,!she!ran!1:21:17! at!the!Urban!Cow!Half!Marathon!(6:12!pace)!in!which!she!took!nearly!two!minutes!off!the!old!record.! Finally,!in!November,!Hitchings!ran!the!Food!Bank’s!Run!to!Feed!the!Hungry!10K!in!Sacramento!and! finished!in!37:27!(6:01!pace)!besting!by!53!seconds!the!record!that!Joan!Benoit!Samuelson!set!five!years! ago.!The!last!race!earned!her!USATF!athlete!of!the!week.!In!between!these!record>setting!races,!Jenny! also!won!the!Mountains!2!Beach!Marathon!in!2:51:28!and!beat!the!nearest!competitor!by!two!and!a!half! minutes.!!In!perhaps!the!greatest!indication!of!her!dominant!year,!Jenny!was!master’s!champion!of!the! Pacific!Association!of!USATF's!Road!Racing!Grand!Prix!Series!with!468!points,!102!points!ahead!of!the! runner!up.!
! Communications Excellence – New Orleans Track Club, New Orleans, Louisiana Since! joining! the! New! Orleans! Track! Club! (NOTC)! Board! of! Directors!in!2013,!Fred!Ruckert!has!used!his!unique!professional! experience! to! revamp! the! club's! communications! and! identity.! Through! his! volunteer! efforts! serving! as! the! Communications! Committee!Chair!for!five!years,!the!NOTC!now!has!a!strong!and! all>encompassing!communications!strategy.!Part!of!the!strategy! employed! is! an! email! that! serves! as! a! direct! outlet! of! communication! to! subscribers.! On% The% Run,! distributed! every! Wednesday,!allows!readers!the!opportunity!to!find!out!club!need> to>know!facts!and!organizational!initiatives.!Along!with!a!complete! website! overhaul,! major! results! from! the! communication! strategies! have! come! from! the! NOTC’s! presence! on! social! media.! Continuous! content! updates! on! the! club’s! accounts! encourage! engagement! from! both! event! participants! and! volunteers.! Posts! on! social! media! support! efforts! from! all! club! committees,! especially! revenue! driving! initiatives! that! include! membership!dues,!race!registration!fees,!and!sponsorships.!!While!the!NOTC!is!established!as!one!of!the!longest!standing!running! clubs!in!the!country,!these!efforts!have!brought!the!club’s!communications!into!the!twenty>first!century.! !
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Excellence in Running Journalism – John Stifler, Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club, Florence, MA John!is!a!longtime!member!of!the!Sugarloaf!Mountain!Athletic!Club,!and!a!regular!contributor!both!to!the! club’s!newsletter!and!to!New%England%Runner!magazine.!His!journalistic!style!is!clean!and!clear,!and!he! provides! polished,!fact>based!reporting! on! events! and!topics! in! a!conversational! and! engaging! tone.! John’s!skillset!as!a!writer!and!reporter!is!diverse,!and!his!portfolio!of!work!ranges!from!a!short!story!on! the!Amherst!10>Miler,!one!of!his!club’s!oldest!races,!to!a!recap!of!the!50th!running!of!the!Ron!Hebert! Road!Race,!to!a!more!introspective!and!thoughtful!piece!about!well>publicized!ultrarunning!efforts!on! the!Appalachian!Trail.!! ! !
Road Race of the Year – Toughest 10K Kemah, Kemah, Texas
The!Toughest!10K!Kemah!is!a!well>organized,!safe,!fun,!and!as!tough!as!it!gets!10K.!Really!–!it’s!tough!!If!crossing!an!elevated! bridge!FOUR!times!doesn’t!get!you,!there’s!the!heat!and!humidity!of!late!summer!Texas!to!deal!with,!too.!The!race,!directed!by! Robby!Sabban,!starts!and!finishes!at!the!Kemah!Boardwalk!with!a!fantastic!post>race!spread:!ice!cream,!popsicles,!pizza,!Gatorade,! massages,!and!many!more!vendors!with!products,!samples!and!merchandise!to!sample!or!buy.!Plus!there!are!half>price!rollercoaster! rides!for!race!participants.!The!awards!ceremony!was!super!festive!and!rowdy,!with!robust!Houston,!Kemah,!and!Galveston!area! running! clubs! out! in! force! cheering! loudly! if! one! of! their! members! earned! an! award.! The! race! was! proudly! the! RRCA! National! Championship!10K!and!the!championship!designation!was!heavily!marketed!on!all!race!materials,!press!releases,!shirts,!and!on! race!day.!!
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RRCA Running Around the Nation ! 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.!They!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.!
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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 running: ! !
Alabama:!Alex!Morrow! Alaska:!Sharron!Fisherman! Arizona:!Tim!Bentley! Arkansas:!David!Meroney!(Outgoing)!Jayme!Butts>Hall!(Incoming)!! California!>!East:!Simone!Adair! California!>!Coastal:!Stephanie!Davies! California!>!South:!Jackie!Britton! Colorado:!John!Perez! Connecticut:!Rachel!Tambling! Delaware:!Vacant! Florida!–!North:!Michael!Bowen! Florida!>!South:!Don!Nelson! Georgia:!Rogelio!Quintanar!(Outgoing)!F.M.!Barron!(Incoming)! Hawaii:!Ron!Alford! Idaho:!Holly!Fleming! Illinois!>!North:!Doug!Pitchford! Illinois!–!South:!Erica!Hunt!! Indiana:!Robert!Lopez!(Outgoing)!Frank!Murphy!(Incoming)! Iowa:!Chris!Burch!(Outgoing)! Kansas:!Brenda!Groskinsky! Kentucky:!Lilly!Riherd!(Outgoing)! Louisiana:!Betsy!Boudreaux! Maine:!Chandra!Leister! Maryland!&!DC:!Bob!Cawood!(Outgoing)!Lou!King!(Incoming)! Massachusetts:!Stephen!Viegas! Michigan:!Scott!Fiske! Minnesota:!Paulette!Odenthal! Mississippi:!Bryan!Lagg! Missouri:!Jacob!Varadian! Montana:!John!Devitt!(Outgoing)!Ronda!Vukasin!(Incoming)! Nebraska:!Tom!Whitaker! New!Hampshire:!Chandra!Leister! New!Jersey:!Vacant! New!Mexico:!John!Farrow! New!York:!Mickie!Sanders>Jauquet! Nevada:!Vacant! North!Carolina:!Brad!Broyles!(Outgoing)!Scott!Waldrop!(Incoming)! North!Dakota:!Vacant! Ohio:!Samantha!Collmar! Oklahoma:!Stormy!Phillips! Oregon:!Steve!Wright! Pennsylvania:!Jeff!Hills! Rhode!Island:!Stephen!Viegas! South!Carolina:!Lionel!Adams! South!Dakota:!Tom!Whitaker! Tennessee:!Sherilyn!Johnson! Texas!>!North:!Marcus!Grunewald! Texas!>!South:!Lee!Greb! Utah:!Dave!Moore!(Outgoing)!Carrie!Underwood!(Incoming)! Vermont:!Dara!Zink! Virginia:!Grattan!Garby! Washington:!Grace!Martinez! West!Virginia:!Tom!Kramer! Wisconsin:!Barbara!Jewell! Wyoming:!Marlene!Short!
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Generous! support! from! our! members,! individual! donors,!corporate! sponsors,! and! foundations! enables! the! RRCA! to! grow!and!enhance!our!valuable!programs!that!benefit!the!running!community.!!The!RRCA!is!proud!to!be!a!BBB!Wise! Giving!Alliance!Accredited!Charity!and!is!a!Platinum>Level!Guidestar!Exchange!Partner.!
Kids Run the NationÂŽ Fund Thank!you!to!the!following!clubs,!events,!individuals,!and!corporate!supporters!that!contributed!$22,729!towards!our!$30,000! fundraising!goal!for!the!Kids!Run!the!Nation!Fund!in!2018.!! ! 15th!Street!Flyers! Houston!Striders!**! Porter!County!Community! 5!Star!Race!Productions! Jean!Arthur! Foundation! Alaska!Salmon!Runs! Jean!&!James!Knaack! Queen!City!Run!Club! Alexander!MacRae! Jeff!Hills! Race!SLO! Altis!Endurance!Sports!LLC! Jeff!&!Samantha!Nitto! Racine!Area!Running!Club*! Andrew!Kastor! Jennifer!Davis! Randy!Accetta! Ann!Arbor!Track!Club*! Jersey!Shore!Running!Club! Renaissance!Running!Club! Annapolis!Half!Marathon! John!Farrow! Ribbit!Running! Atomic!City!Roadrunners! Kansas!City!Track!Club! Richard!Bouchaert! August!Luptak! Kelly!Richards**! River!City!Run,!Inc.! Badgerland!Striders*! Kyle!Cutler! Rochester!Track!Club! Barb!Jewell! Lake!Grapevine!Runners!and! Rockhopper!Races!LLC! Bee!McLeod***! Walkers*! Rocky!Mountain!Endurance!Club! Big!Sky!Wind!Driners**! Lake!Run!Club! Ron!Macksoud! Bonnie!Sexton! Laura!Coyle! Run!to!Remember!1st!Responders! Bullseye!Running! Laura!Murphy! Run!Tucson! Cardinal!Track!Club! Lena!Hollmann! RunCollege.com! Charmed!by!Endurance!LLC! Let's!Run!After!School!Program! Runners!High!Timing!and!Race! Chattanooga!Track!Club*! Lisa!Rippe*! Mgmt.! Chicago!Area!Runners!Association*! Maine!Track!Club*! S.!Wren!Stratton! Chicago!Road!Runners! Malibu!Race!Series! Sam!Benger! Colorado!Runner!Events!LLC! Mammoth!Track!Club! Scott!Fiske! Colorado!Runner,!LLC! Mark!Grandonico! Sean!McCracken! Craig!Henderson! Mark!Stickley! Seashore!Striders! Don!Lindley! Marshall!County!Running!Club! Seaside!Running!Club! Drew!Haro! Indiana! Skelton!Law!Racing! Dwight!Mikulis! Mary!Connolly! Spring!Lake!Five!Mile!Run! eBay!Matching!Gifts!Fund! mb!LoGistics!&!Events! Stephen!Viegas! Elizabeth!Freeman! Megan!McQuinn! Steve!Kearney! Ex2!Adventures! Mercedes>Benz!Marathon!Weekend! The!Sheehan!Classic,!Inc.! Experience!Running! of!Eventse! Velo!Amis!!!! Frederick!Steeplechasers! Michael!Tat! Warrior's!Run! Gary!Babcoke! Mickie!Sanders>Jauquet! Wildland!52! George!Rehmet! Miguel!Alemar! Get!in!Gear,!Inc.! Mile!26!Tribe! *$500!and!above!donors! Greater!Redondo!Youth!Running! Mitch!Kusick! **$1,000!and!above!donors! Club! Mitchell!Garner! ***$5,000!and!above!donors!! Hammond!Track!Club!of!NW! Nashville!Striders! ****$10,000!and!above!donors! Indiana! New!Orleans!Running!Systems,!Inc.! Heather!Johnson! Paul!Pierce! Helene!Walker! Pinedale!Half!Marathon!
Roads ScholarÂŽ Fund We!thank!the!following!clubs,!events,!individuals,!and!corporate!supporters!that!helped!raise!$24,265!of!our!$30,000!fundraising! goal!in!support!of!the!Roads!Scholar!Fund!for!2018.!!! ! Alaska!Salmon!Runs! Chris!Tatreau!Race!Cons,!Ltd.! Julia!Emmons! Andrew!Kastor! Dalton,!Rich!&!Poor! Kansas!City!Track!Club! Ann!Arbor!Track!Club*! Experience!Racing! Kelly!Richards**! Annapolis!Half!Marathon! George!Rehmet! Lilac!Bloomsday!Run,!Inc.**! Atomic!City!Roadrunners! Goody!Tyler***!! Lisa!Rippe*! Brent!Ayer!! Greater!Redondo!Youth!Running!Club!! Mammoth!Track!Club! Bullseye!Running!! Henley!Fant!Gabeau!Living!Trust!! Megan!McQuinn!! Carl!Sniffen! Jacksonville!Track!Club! Mile!26!Tribe!! Credit!Union!Cherry!Blossom!Runs!****! Jim!Stasaitis!! Mile!Square!Consulting! Chicago!Area!Runners!Association*!! Jersey!Shore!Running!Club! Mitchell!Garner!
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Nashville!Striders!! Randy!Accetta!! Ribbit!Running!LLC! River!City!Run,!Inc.! River!City!Runners!and!Walkers!Club*!! Rocky!Mountain!Endurance!Club! Ron!Macksoud!! Run!Tucson! Sean!McCracken!!
Seashore!Striders!! Skelton!Law!Racing!! Spring!Lake!Five!Mile!Run!! Stuart!Brahs!! The!Boilermaker!Road!Race,!Inc.! The!Sheehan!Classic,!Inc.! Tom!&!Sue!Kramer! Trail!Nerds!! Utica!Road!Runners!!
Warrior's!Run! Wildland!52! ****$10,000!and!above! ***$5,000!and!above! **$1,000!and!above! *$500!and!above!
Annual Program Fund Thank!you!to!the!following!clubs,!events,!individuals,!and!corporate!supporters!that!have!contributed!over!$37,351.80!to!the! Annual!Program!Fund!towards!our!goal!of!$40,000!in!2018.!Annual!contributions!to!the!RRCA,!along!with!our!fundraising!auction! proceeds,!help!support!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,!and!much,!much!more.!!! Alaska!Salmon!Runs! Anonymous! Amazon!Smile! Anchorage!RunFest!(In>kind)! Andrew!Kastor! Ann!Arbor!Track!Club*! Annapolis!Half!Marathon! Athletic!Equation,!Inc.! Atomic!City!Roadrunners! Barb!Jewell! Best!Foot!Forward! Bob!Rall! Brainshark!(In>Kind)***! Cindy!Petovits! Chris!Burch*! Christie!Clinic!Illinois!Marathon!(In> kind)! Constant!Contact***! Craig!Minyard! Cresent!City!Classic!10k!(In>kind)! Crowell!&!Moring!(In>Kind)**! Dallas!Marathon!(In>Kind)! Durbin!Race!Management! Experience!Running! Frank!Murphy! Front!Runners!Tampa!Bay! GCR!Runner! George!Rehmet**! Greater!Redondo!Youth!Running! Club! Greenburagh!Road!Runners! Hawaii!Ultra!Running!Team! Howard!County!Striders! !
Humboldt!Redwoods!Marathon!(In> kind)! IMT!Des!Moines!Marathon!(In>kind)! James!Cotter! Jean!Knaack*! Jeff!Hills! Jeff!Weiss! Jersey!Shore!Running!Club! Jim!McCue! Kansas!City!Track!Club! Keith!Crist! Kelly!Richards! Kevin!Smith! Kyle!Cutler! Leave!your!Mark!Events! Len!Goldman! Mammoth!Track!Club! Lou!King! Malibu!Half!Marathon!(In>kind)! Mammoth!Track!Club! Marvin!King! Megan!McQuinn! Manfred!Galatowitsch! Mercedes>Benz!Marathon!Weekend! of!Events! Mile!26!Tribe! Nele!Lefeldt! Napa!Valley!Marathon!(In>Kind)! Omaha!Running!Club! Pacesetters!Running!Club! PayPal!Giving!Fund! Pro>Motion!Events! Prairie!Fire!Half!Marathon!(In>Kind)!
Quad!Cities!Marathon!(In>kind)! R.!Navin! Ramie!Mundy! Randy!Accetta! Ribbit!Running,!LLC.! River!City!Run,!Inc.! Robert!Goldfarb! Rocky!Mountain!Endurance!Club! Ron!Macksoud! Run!Lawrence!Kansas! Run!Tucson! Runners!High!Timing!and!Race! Mgmt! San!Francisco!Half!Marathon!(In> Kind)! Scott!Fiske! Sean!McCracken! Seashore!Striders! Skelton!Law!Racing! Spa!Running!Festival**! Team!Footworks****! Tom!Whitaker**! The!Sheehan!Classic,!Inc.! USA!Track!&!Field! Warrior's!Run! Wildland!52! ****$10,000!and!above! ***$5,000!and!above! **$1,000!and!above! *500!and!above!
RRCA Official Sponsors and Corporate Supporters RunSignUp.com! Gatorade! ElliptiGo! Ashworth!Awards! Final!Surge! Leslie!Jordan! Star!Insurance!Agency! K&K!Insurance! !
Marathon!Printing! the!Drive!Race!and!Club!Solutions! Ragnar!Events! ElliptiGO! Hasty!Awards! National!Event!Services! MyLaps! SymbolArts!
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Feetures! Sport!Science! MPA!Event!Graphics! You!too!Can!Run! Running!Awards!&!Apparel! Runs!Done! RunDisney! Blue!Footed!Timing
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WE RUN THE NATION! 1958 - 2018 !
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