Lavely Wins 2009 Rocky Mount Marathon

With an incredible burst of speed in the final exciting final stretch to the finish line, Dave Lavely managed to lean forward just enough to pass his nearest competitor to win the 2009 Rocky Mount Marathon. Lavely's feat also set a new course record on a rugged day where most entrants decided the bitter winds and freezing temperatures just weren't worth the effort. When asked about his winning PR performance (the marathon was also a PR for Lavley!), he commented " . . . . well . . . . that was fun. Want me to bring your jacket to your car?"

Unfortunately due to the unexpected pace, the official race photographer was not in place to capture a picture of the thrilling finish and Lavely's gravity defying lean to claim the victory. When asked about if he is planning to defend his crown next year. Lavely refused to answer saying he "just wanted to bask in the glory of the victory."

Frank Lilley, the second place finisher commented, "Dave ran a great race. I really didn't believe he would be able to hold the pace for the entire race, but he showed incredible mental toughness and focus. A pace at this level had to be extremely difficult for him to maintain."

It should be noted that Frank went on to finish the inaugural Rocky Mount 50k+ Ultra.

On a more sincere note, thanks to Frank and Scott for setting up the route. A a BIG thanks to everyone that came out to run. We had a huge crowd, and everyone had a great time. The RMEC right now is really at a peak. Our membership numbers are up, but more importantly, you are all staying active. January is a tough time of year to convince people to run. The days are short, the weather is cold, it is just a busy month. If you guys are out logging miles now, you are setting yourself up for a fantastic year of running and racing!

It is 5k Season!

If you are an avid racer, or just getting in to running, you have probably already noticed there are LOTS of 5k race options out there at the beginning of every year. I have been getting several emails about them, so I though it would be easiest for me to summarize them in one post to help spread the word. This list is only 5ks within 50 minutes of us. There are of course other 5k options further away.

• 02/08 - Run for the Roses (Raleigh) - Valentine theme race with a couples option and also a "pump-n-run".
• 02/14 - Sweetheart (Rocky Mount) - Maybe you have heard about this one?
• 02/21 - Tennis Shoes for Africa (Rocky Mount) - New off road race at Wesleyan.
• 02/28 - Polar Plunge (Raleigh) - Race includes an optional plunge in to Lake Raleigh (Brrrr)
• 02/28 - Lace up for a Cure (Greenville) - New event to raise money for a Relay for Life team.
• 03/28 - Raleigh Rocks (Raleigh) - There is a 5k that goes with the Half Marathon (which is on a new course in 2009)
• 04/04 - Moving for Community Outreach (Tarboro) - Fun race. 1st year had 100 runners and all RMEC runners placed. Close by, and worth supporting.
• 04/18 - Pirate Alumni (Greenville) - 2nd year event. Out and back course in Greenville. Wear your purple!
• 04/25 - Operation Sunshine (Greenville) - New cross country event put on by the ECU running club. They really helped support Medoc with runners. Let's return the favor!

I know being a club full of marathoners we don't always run 5ks, but I hope you will consider some of these. It is nice to get out and support the local running communities while having a good time with friends. Everyone should get in a few 5ks a year!

National Tell-a-friend day about the Sweetheart 5k

UPDATE: A weekend stay at Atlantic Beach will be given away at the race!

This may surprise some of you to know that today is Tell-a-friend day about the Sweetheart 5k Day! This means for the next 24 hours, your goal as a RMEC member is to get at least one person to sign up for the either the 5k, or the Family Fun Run. We have 50 members in the club now. If each of you would find one more person to register, we could sell this race out!

Honestly, it would be a tremendous help if you each took the time to get a friend signed up. The event already has over 160 participants, and is well on it's way to raising money for the local Little League Baseball program, so we are not begging for runners. We are however trying to show eastern North Carolina that Rocky Mount is a racing destination. To do this we want well run and well attended events.

Make it a personal goal to get a person signed up for the race before the February 1st price increase! Seriously. . . don't just read this post and check back to the blog tomorrow. Get people signed up!

RUN RSVP: Saturday @ Rocky Mount Marathon

I am posting the RSVP early this week, becuase I am expecting a big crowd and we need to plan the aid stations accordingly. As discussed a few posts below, January 31st will be the Offical 2nd Annual Unoffical Rocky Mount Marathon. This years event will be held on the FCSB Half Marathon course.

We set the start time at 7:00 am, becuase that seems to be working well based on the recent crowds at the group runs. If you need to start earlier or later, that of course is not a problem. We still want to know you are coming, so we can be on the lookout for you.

Run Details:

• Where: Saturday, 7:00 am @ Sunset Park (by the Tennis Courts)
• Supported: Yes - see below
• Weather: Forecast
• Routes: 13.1 Miles x 2

Fluids: There will be two fluid stops. One at the start/finish are, and the other at the dog pound before the wooden bridge. If you are running the full distance, this means there will be aid at the following intervals: Start, 5.7, 8.8, 11.2, 13.1, 18.8, 24.3, Finish. There are also a few fountains on the route, but I beleive only City Lake has them turned on. We will have Gatorade and Water. I should be able to locate some energy gels too.

Bathrooms: There are bathrooms by Chicos, Tom Stith Park, MLK Park, and some port-o-pots by the start finish. They are normally unlocked, but there is no guarantee.

Directions: Most of you already know the half marathon course. If not, please review the map closely, and create turn-by-turn directions if needed. There are arrows painted in the road, but they are not alway easy to see. Not getting lost is your responsibility.

Distance: You can choose your distance. This route sets up very well to customize for your needs. The half marathon course is really three sections. 1) West Haven; 2) Church/Falls Road; 3) Greenway. You can easily skip a section, or turn back to the finish at any time. Plan your route before the run, so people can decide who to run with.

Who: EVERYONE is welcome to run. This is a great time for you to bring out a non-member for a group run. If you are not a member, consider this your invitation to join us! You do not need to know someone to come. . . just let us know you are coming so we plan for enough fluids.

Cost: Free

RSVP if you are coming. We really need to know your pace and distance, so we can set up the aid stations.

Little River Trail Run

These race results should have been posted a few weeks ago. While we were at Disney, a group of RMEC members decided to take on a challenge of another trail race here in North Carolina. Kevin Boudreau and Brad Weisner drove to Durham two weekends ago and ran in the Little River Trail Run. This annual event is held by the Trailheads club.

Kevin finished 80th overall out of 259 finishers in the 10 miler. His time of 1:32:05 was good enough to earn him third place in the category of "people-named-Kevin". Brad finished with a time of 1:46:44 in 171st place. . . Brad however won his "name-group".

Both agree that the trails were more technical than Medoc with lots of switch-backs, but said it was a fun race, and the Trailheads did a great job with their organization. This is certainly a race for the RMEC to consider in 2010 if you are looking for a winter trail run.

Congrats guys! (Sorry for my confusing attempt at humor about the name-group placing)

Membership Roster

We will be sending in our annual dues to the Road Runner Club of America this week. As a reminder, being a member of the RMEC also makes you a member of the Road Runner Club of America. Our membership in the this club enables us to host races like the Ford's Colony 5k and 10k and the Medoc Trail Races. It also gives us the means to create new programs like the Rocky Mount Endurance Kids.

Below are the names that we have had confirm their membership. If your name is not on this list and it should be, please let me know. The club discounts (race entries, shirt discounts, shopping discounts, etc.) are intended for active club members.

Below are three lists. Paid are those that have paid. Pending are those that confirmed they want to join/renew but we still need to collect the payment. TBD are those that have not commented if they plan to join/renew.

I have not been around much the past three weeks, so do not worry if you are still outstanding. Unless we hear otherwise, the names in the first two groups will be sent as our official roster. We need to collect the remaining payments to help cover the fees and insurance premiums we must pay the RRCA. We can of course add new members during the year should anyone else want to join.

If I have missed anyone, or if I have your payment status incorrect, please let me know. Between RMEC Shirts, the Medoc Rerun, and the annual dues, I have received a good amount of cash. I believe I have reported it all correctly to Scott, but want to make sure I have done it correctly.

Relay for Life

RMEC Member, Eric Pate is a co-chair on the Accounting Committee for this year's Relay for Life. He is trying to see if there is interest in assembling a RMEC team for the event. The entry fee is $10 per participant and each participant will to try to raise $100. Eric cannot participate because of volunteer responsibilities.

The Relay is April 24 & 25 at the track beside the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. To date there are 38 teams with over 460 participants.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at the local track and take turns walking or running. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during 24 hours of the event.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
• Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

If someone would like to be a captain and organizer of a team, please speak up now and post a comment ASAP. If you are interested in being on the team, post a comment as well.