RRCA National Grassroots Running Awards

The RRCA is accepting nominations for the 2008 RRCA National Grassroots Running Awards. Since 1971, the Road Runners Club of America has been honoring dedicated individuals for their service to the running community. Information about the award categories along with selection criteria and the NEW ONLINE nomination form can be found here. To complete the form, simply click on the "Awards Nomination Form" link, select the award category and complete the form. Be sure to include an essay (500 words or less) about the nominee in the text box provided on the form. Email or mail newsletter copies as instructed on the form. The RRCA will provide a small travel stipend and one complementary ticket to the 2009 RRCA Annual Banquet and National Grassroots Running Awards Ceremony to each winner.

Nominations will be collected for all categories, and the nominations should be submitted to the National Office by 5:00 PM Eastern on November 1, 2008 (NOTE: the deadline for website nominations is January 1st). The period of performance for the individual being nominated should be September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2008. All nominations will be forwarded to the appropriate selection panels tasked with selecting the final award recipients. Individuals interested in serving on one of the award selection panels should contact Jessica Sleight at office@rrca.org by September 30, 2008.

I hope the RMEC members will consider submitting some nominations. Below are a few examples of the awards they will give. Please take a minute to click on the link above and submit a person, race, club, or volunteer that you think is worthy.

BROWNING ROSS SPIRIT OF THE RRCA AWARD
The Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award was created to honor the memory of the RRCA’s founder, Browning Ross, who died in April 1998. The award honors a club member who is an unsung hero. These are the people who champion the RRCA tirelessly and enthusiastically, but prefer to stay in the background, letting others bask in the spotlight, just as Browning did.

RRCA JERRY LITTLE EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM
(Three categories: Club Newsletter - 2 print categories, Electronic Newsletter, and Club Writer)

Club/Event E-Newsletter:
Established in 2006, this award recognizes use of technology when communicating with members. It is open to any size club or event. The e-newsletter can be emailed to members or clearly posted on a website and should be in PDF, HTML, or another format such as Constant Contact e-newsletter. The e-newsletter should look like a newsletter and not simply be a page on a club website or a text email. When printed, it should look like a newsletter suitable for mailing. For an example, review the RRCA e-magazine, FOOTNOTES.

ROD STEELE OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARD
Rod Steele was a DC Road Runner Club President in 1974 until a plane crash took his life. This award is in memory of his contribution to the sport of running and as a volunteer and supporter of the RRCA. This award is given to recognize the outstanding volunteer (excluding the president) of a local club or event. Please send the nomination form and one page essay including as much information as possible about the contributions of the nominee.

RRCA ROAD RACE OF THE YEAR AWARD
In 2006, the RRCA launched the Road Race of the Year to acknowledge RRCA nonprofit member races that provide safe, well designed and enjoyable races which promote grassroots running and the mission of the RRCA.

WEBSITE AWARD - NOMINATION PERIOD IS DECEMBER 1, 2008 - JANUARY 1, 2009
This award is to honor and recognize those who have brought technology into their clubs as a means of communication and done so in an organized, efficient and technological manner. The website will be judged by the first impression, layout and graphic design, ease of navigation, use of technology, depth of content, up-to-date information, uniqueness, personality and contribution to the RRCA. Awards will be given to small (250 and fewer) and large (over 250) club websites. A top Website will be chosen from the finalists. Additional details will be posted in December.

Parent's Night Out

Tracy H. wanted to let you all know about the upcoming Parent's Night Out at the Harrison Family YMCA on October 17th from 6:30p.m. until 10:00p.m. They will be having organized games as well as "open gym" time. They will be serving pizza and drinks also.

This is being put together by the parents and coaches of the Harrison Family YMCA Gymnastics team as a fund raiser, so there will be a lot of supervision. The cost is $25.00/child and is being offered for children ages 5-12.

We hope your children can join us while you are out having a nice dinner and movie. Space is of course limited so hurry by the YMCA to sign up!

Chicago is my kind of town!

Five RMEC members are flying to to Chicago on Friday. The 2009 Chicago Marathon will begin on Sunday at 9:00 am EST, and Derek, Ryan, Tracy, John, and myself will be among the masses in the crowded streets. We have been watching and waiting to see what the weather will do. Just a few days ago, the forecast had a low of 47 and a high of 54 on race day (perfect weather). Now the forecast has changed, and the race day high is up to 79! No exactly PR weather.

Regardless, we are all looking forward to the race. We each have three 20+ mile runs under our belt, and our injuries seem to be enjoying the rest time of the taper. If anyone is interested (or your a dork like me), you can monitor us by signing up for alerts. If you are at church on Sunday, you will see Ursula checking her cell phone. . . but hopefully not during prayer.

The alerts are not as frequent as the were in New York (every 5k), but you can see our progress at the 6.2, 13.1, 18.6, and the finish line. Derek, Ryan, and I are in Corral B, and Tracy and John will start in Corral C, so there will be a short lag in their alerts.

Finally, if you are interested, Runner's World has a short video tour of the race course that I have listed below. Should be a blast!

Lake Royal Results

While many of us were busy trotting through the woods at Medoc, four RMEC members were taking on the challenge of the Lake Royal Triathlon in Louisburg, NC. This was another Finish Strong event, so it is safe to say we were supporting them very well this weekend.

Mary Whitwell continues to impress in every triathlon she enters. This week she place 6th out of all 44 women with a time of 1:28:25. She had the 4th fastest swim time, and the 2nd fastest bike time. As you would expect, this added up to first place in her age group. Also on the women's side, Carol Dickens completed the event in a time of 1:46:20. This knocked 14 minutes off her time at the same event last year. Wow! Way to go Carol.

On the men's side Tim Shea finished 10th out of 77 participants. Overall a solid performance in all three attributes for Tim, as he had 11th fastest bike time, and the 10th fastest run. All of this combined for a 1:24:00 and a 1st place age group victory. Andy Barker, was back again to take on Lake Royal, and did great. His overall time of 1:45:15 narrowly gives him bragging rights of Carol. His time was good enough to earn a 3rd place age group award. Complete results are available online.

Great job everyone! The "tri-season" is beginning to wind down. The RMEC can now wait to see how Cliff and Jason do in their upcoming Ironmans!

Medoc Trail Races Feedback

Congratulations Runners. In this post, we are requesting feedback on the Medoc Trail Races. If you ran, hiked, or volunteered we want to hear from you.

To leave feedback, click the comments link at the very bottom (way down). You do not need to register with blogger to post a comment. You also do not have to be a RMEC member. When we set out to put on this race, our strategy was to make an affordable "runner-first" event that was not like every other race. The Rocky Mount Endurance Club is a small non-profit running club, so our motivation was never about trying to turn a profit. This is why we provided runners what we feel were some nice extra perks. This included a full color race poster, a long sleeve technical race shirt, a truly one-of-a kind race medal, and even a running hat for all finishers.

We honestly value your feedback, because we want to improve in 2009. Please take a minute to let us know what we did right, and where we can improve. Like all races, our budget and resources are limited, so we want to make sure we are putting our effort in the right places, and not spending money on things that are not needed. We understand that no race will ever be perfect for everyone, but that does mean we should not strive for it.

We will be reading and listening to all feedback. Consider things like packet pickup, race amenities, volunteers, aid stations, the course, the shirts, the medals, the awards, the date and time, etc. If it is important to you, than it is important to us.

Race List

Help me keep the Upcoming Races Link to the right updated. I try to put area races in the list, but don't always know what might be coming up. We can't list them all, but adding more is easy to do. I especially want to know about races that RMEC members are doings.

Post a comment here with a link to the race, and I will have it added. Thanks!

Random Updates

Not much happening on the blog this week. With the Medoc Trail Races coming up, and the recent economic issues, my days and nights have been busy. Here are a few updates to get you through the week.

Ford's Colony Proceeds: Because of the generosity of the sponsors, the participation of 230+ runners, the help of many volunteers, and the hard work of the Rocky Mount Endurance Club, we are thrilled to announce that the Ford's Colony races raised $2,850! Proceeds from the event were originally set to benefit two Rick Ford Memorial Scholarships at Wesleyan and Nash Community College, respectfully. However, the Ford family made us aware of a third scholarship at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. To honor the request of the Ford family, we will divide the proceeds equally among these three scholarships - $950.00 to each.

Ford's Colony Awards: Do you know someone who earned an age group award, but did not pick it up? We have several unclaimed awards that we would love to get into the right hands. Check the results on the race site, and then check with your friends.

Medoc Arrival Time: We encourage RMEC members to arrive at Medoc between 6:15 and 6:30 am. We would love to have a big crowd line the road and cheer for the marathoners as they take off at 7:00 am. There should be ample parking, but arriving early will help us park cars safely and efficiently. Carpooling is always appreciated by the race committee and the environment.

Medoc Fluids: Most of the RMEC is doing the 10-miler. This means you will pass aid stations three times. You are of course welcome to bring your own water bottle, but with the current forecast you likely would be okay just taking cups on the run. Use your best judgement

Medoc Forecast: Things are looking great right now. At the time of this post, the Friday Night low is 49, and the Race Day high is 78. The 10-milers will be in near perfect conditions. The marathoners will get toasty on the last loop.

Medoc Shirts: The race and volunteer shirts arrived today. They look fantastic!

Medoc Packet Pickup: Please pick up your packets early. Unlike Ford's Colony, we have far more runners traveling to run, so many will pick up packets the day of the race. The more locals that get their packets early, the better for everyone.