race director

Been a while

2011-02-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last blog. Sad to say I am writing this to recognize another one of our runners who passed away. Denise McFadden, age 51 was killed by a snow plow last month. Denise has run in 6 of 7 of our Delaware marathons and was scheduled to run again this year. She always ran the Caesar Rodney half, the Thanksgiving Day 10K, and just recently the PSCI Icicle ten miler. My heart sank when I saw her obituary. I received so many emails about her passing I thought it only right to do something to recognize her. I have started a new award at our Delaware Marathon. The first female Delaware marathon finisher will receive the Denise McFadden award. Plus the Delaware Marathon will make a donation to Padua Academy in Denise's honor. I have received so many emails from her friends and family thanking me for this new award. I will make a special presentation of Denise's marathon number to her family race day. Her spirit I am sure will be with us. Someone emailed me and told me that I touch so many lives with my events. I gave it some thought. "Touching lives one race at a time."

Obits

2010-11-30T08:57:00.001-08:00

I am one of those folks who read the obituaries. Don't ask me why. I guess it is because I would rather see that a friend or acquaintance died in print rather than hearing it via the grapevine. Either way I was shocked to see that one of my favorite runners had passed away. Some of you may know her since she placed in most events in the 60 plus age group. Her name is Beth Manning Tomanelli. She died peacefully on Nov. 18th from pancreatic cancer. At the Thanksgiving Day run walk for MS I spoke with her husband Rocco and her brother Bill Manning. Bill told me that she was a chubby kid who did not start running till in her 40's. I told Bill that she held both the 10k and 5k records in this event for her age group. Rocco told me she was diagnosed in September. Three months later she passed away. In her obituary instead of flowers she wanted donations to be made to the Western YMCA or to races2run. I cried when i read this. I felt that she chose me to help out others who are less fortunate. Barb and I decided that we would put together a scholarship in Beth's name for the Girls on the Run Delaware program. Beth's husband and family were thrilled about this and donations are coming in via mail and online. Donations online can be made here:
https://www.raceit.com/Fundraising/?event=2513
or via mail to PO Box 24, Montchanin, DE 19710.
I would hope that Beth too would be pleased.

Girls on the Run 5k

2010-11-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I have the honor of working on an event that really showcases what running in Delaware is all about. Today was one of those days. Liz Baldwin, Kim Chitty, and Melissa Rice are the hardest working race directors I have ever worked for. Meeting with them is time well spent. They are just so organized. From set up to break down these three ladies do it all. The indoor registration was perfect. No need to worry about weather conditions. The colorful GOR Team signs stationed through out Dravo Plaza let teams know where to meet. Over 1200 runners and walkers today. A perfect day on the Riverfront. I would like to thank all who came out to support Girls on the Run. You all really made it a special day.

It's out of here.....

2010-09-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

It's a long drive to center field....back....back...back....it's out of here.

Earl....

2010-09-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

I am at the beach for Sunday's Dewey Beach Lions Club 5k. So much talk about Hurricane Earl going on. Homes are boarded up.....trash cans on the boardwalk are in storage and the Rehoboth life guards were hanging out not even sure if they were going to work today. Storm warnings but NO rain, NO high winds, NO sunshine. The waves are not even that big. And yes....folks are in the water. I was thinking about what would happen if the Lions Club 5k was today rather than Sunday? My guess is that I would have had to postpone since ALL city services are on call. Weather wise we could have run a 5k this morning but would anyone show up? I use these methods to let folks know that an event is postponed or cancelled. I email the list of entrants, I use my Twitter account, I post a notice on my homepage and I leave a voice message on my work phone. When a hurricane warning like this goes into effect two days prior I get more time to get the word out. It gets really difficult when you have to make the call early race morning.

Fall weather in the air.....

2010-08-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

Getting closer to cool weather.....and that means getting ready to run longer distances and races. Sept. 11th kicks off our 34th Gary P Lister Bottle & Cork ten miler and 5k. Many run this event as a warm up for the following weeks Philly Half Marathon. For many this is a stepping stone to a fall marathon. Many of these marathons are selling out faster than ever before. The Philly Marathon is about to close out. Locally we have the Cafe Gelato ten miler and the Delaware Distance Classic 15k both held in Oct. We also have a series of 10k events starting with the E Racing the Blues 10k on Oct 31st. Next comes the annual Turkey Trot 10k the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving day the PNC run walk 10k
and 5k. I hope those of you who run our 5k's will step it up a notch and think about the 10k distance. Like they say...step at a time.

World record run....Kip Litton

2010-08-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

Check out this website http://www.worldrecordrun.com. You will not see any info on our Delaware Marathon. Why....because this guy Kip Litton was dq'ed. And I am not the only race director who has dq'ed him. Kip is trying to raise money for CF....but who are checks written to? His website. I have a team of 3 runners who have researched this guy. What we have come up with will blow your mind. Yes...he may be capable of running under 3 hours so why cheat? Look at the photo of his shoes as he crossed our DE Marathon finish line. NO D Tag! I emailed him about this and his response was "it was broken so I placed it in my sock". He stated that he has run over 100 races. OK...so he should know know how to put on D tag properly.... right? Before I dq'ed him I emailed our Regional RRCA director who also ran in our marathon and asked him what he thought. He said I have the right to DQ him. I then emailed Kip Litton to let him know that he has been dq'ed from my event. He did not respond back. NO splits....no photos on Brightroom.com...NO pics from the race director taking photos at the turn a round on the riverwalk at 14 miles. HELLO. Why would someone travel this far NOT to run a marathon.....I give up.

Rules

2010-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

I was doing my water workout in our community pool at 8:30 am the other day when a gentleman walks in with his two young daughters. I yelled out to him, "excuse me...but NO children under the age of 18 allowed in till 10 am." He says, "what do you mean...there is no one here." I answer "community and pool rules." He says...."I don't see anything posted." I say....."look at front gate." He turns around and head to the front gate. Now this guy gets really arrogant and says the F word and starts bitching to me. I reply "listen buddy...there is NO lifeguard on duty and we got a serious liability issue on our hands if you disobey the rules." He says a few more choice words to me. I say "you owe me an apology". He says "what for?" I say for your attitude and your vulgar language in front of your children. He storms off with his kids. Some people just don't like being told NO. Reminds me of those running in my events with baby strollers. Some folks just don't get it.

Ready...set....go.....

2010-08-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting email the other day. At the Tour de Lance 5k I was on the PA system and introduced Congressman Castle who said a few words prior to the start of the 5k. With over 1200 runners and walkers at the starting line not all were paying attention to what was being said. When I thanked him for joining us I yelled into the PA system that "Cannon Man" TJ Healy will start the race with his cannon. So the cannon goes off and 1200 folks cross our timing mats and head down Justinson Street. I have used a cannon start for many of my events including the Caesar Rodney Half and DE Marathon. At my Seven Sister series in Dewey Beach we have a couple pirates (Pete & Woody) who start our events using a cannon. The email i received was from an irate walker who was not aware of the cannon start. She stated that she almost had a heart attack when the cannon was fired and that I should reconsider using a cannon start for our events. She went on to explain that she does have a hearing problem and that loud noises are harmful. I am not the only race director who uses a cannon to start events. NYC Marathon and Marine Corp Marathon use cannons the size of a small car to start their events. I did apologize to her via the email. But to be honest with you.....cannon man will most likely continue to start our huge races.

Volunteers are awesome

2010-08-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday at our Highway One Group 10k and 5k I was fortunate to have a great group of kids volunteer. I received a txt message from their mother letting me know that they would be there to help out. The nice thing about this is we always need help whether it is working the water stops, passing out tee shirts, or passing out ice packs to finishers. These kids are awesome. They get a tee shirt and I sign a sheet of paper as race director stating they volunteered so many hours at this event. This way they can track how many hours of volunteer work each of them do. The more volunteers the better. When i sign their work sheets they always have a smile on their face and they make it perfectly clear to me how much fun they had at our event. Volunteering makes our events run smooth. I can't thank these kids enough for all their hard work. Kids....keep up the good work! We all thank you.

getting closer

2010-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

ok...i am getting so very close to dq'ing this cheater and have evidence to prove that he did not run our Delaware Marathon. I have been in contact with our district RRCA Representative and have sent him the facts and photos and he too agrees that it is grounds to dq this guy. I have also been in touch with 3 other race directors across the country and have emailed back and forth our concerns. Two others have been doing research of all marathons that he has run and have come up with data that will officially show that he is a cheat. One issue is he is running these marathons in all 50 states under 3 hours as a fundraiser for a certain charity and has raised close to $10,000. Checks are payable to his website not the charity. I have emailed him photos I took of the top 20 runners at the 13.75 mark of the marathon route which is on the Wilm. Riverwalk just past the Rowing Club. I took these photos while there setting up the turn around and making sure my volunteer was in place. No where is this guy shown. I smell a rat. Final proof will come in next blog.

Another Rosie Ruiz?

2010-08-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a two part blog. I received a phone call and email from a runner in Missoula, Montana who claims that one of our runners in the Delaware Marathon cheated. He said that he has been dq'ed from 3 other marathons and sent me emails from the three race directors as proof. I called him back and we had a nice chat. Seems like this guy who may have cheated is trying to run a marathon under 3 hours in all 50 states as a fundraiser for a certain charity. I looked up his time from our DE Marathon and also emailed my timing company to get his splits. They emailed back ....NONE. I looked him up on Brightroom.com photos section and guess what....NO photos of him posted. This seems weird since all the top 20 runners had photos posted and ALL had splits. So now what? I am in the process of contacting race directors of marathons he has run (including Boston) and will then email him to get his side of the story. If true he took away a deserving runners award and cash prize. Another Rosie Ruiz!

Seabreeze

2010-08-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Barb and I have a routine when heading to the beach for our Seven Sister Series. We leave late in the afternoon the day prior to the race and stop at the Big Fish Market for take out crab cakes. We then continue into Dewey Beach and head into the neighborhood of Seabreeze to chalk out the next days route. As we ride the route we stop when we see the residents who live in this beautiful neighborhood on the bay. We let them know that our 5k is going to take place and that the roads will be filled with runners from 8 am till approximately 8:30 am. These folks seem to enjoy the parade of runners. Some put out sprinklers to cool off the runners while others line the streets and cheer them on. I did have one neighbor stop me as i was marking the route and he explained that he can't get out to do errands since all the roads are full of runners and walkers. He had a good point and I apologized and told him we would change the route next year. He was cool with that and I did get the ok to do this. A change for the better and keeping those in the neighborhood happy. Once done chalking the route we head to the event location and count shirts so all those who pre registered will get the size they requested. Then it is home to relax and have a nice dinner before getting up at 4:45 am the next day. We are so fortunate to be able to stage these events in Dewey Beach.

Learning curve

2010-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

EdJaH Chip Timing Systems has now timed close to 60 of our events using the IPICO timing chip which is the chip we recycle. Our largest event has been close to 1000 participants and our smallest around 75. When we first started to use this chip timing system runners were a bit confused on how it worked and how the chip attached to their shoe lace. We explained this to the runners and walkers and have gone from 10 to 15 lost chips a race down to 2 or 3 lost chips. This learning curve reminds me of when i first started using race numbers with tear off tags to score races back in the early 1980's. I would tear off the bottom portion of the runners race bib and post on my score boards for all to see. When we first started using this system I can;t tell you how many times a runner would come across the finish line and not have his tear off tag. I would ask them where it was and most would say, "I did not know you needed it." Runners and walkers soon realized that this was an important part of the scoring system. Now 25 plus years later the same goes for the computer chip. This too is a learning curve and another reason why we use the IPICO chip for so many of our events. We want the runners to be familiar with the system. Funny how such a simple thing as putting a little piece of plastic on your shoe makes scoring a road race so efficient.

Tagged

2010-07-20T13:26:00.001-07:00

Barb and I were walking the Rehoboth boardwalk early one morning last week. You would not believe how many folks were running and walking the boardwalk. Many wore tee shirts from races they participated in and many wore no shirt at all. I told Barb to look at the runners shoes. Some had that orange band on their shoe lace which meant that they ran a chip timed event. I mentioned to my wife that it was funny how these folks never bothered to clip off their shoe tags. I told her I would bet her that this person also never tears off their luggage tags when getting home from a trip and if they were a golfer they would have tags from golf courses played on their golf bags. I must admit it is a pretty good conversation piece. Each tag represents a good time in this persons life. Tags I would think are like badges of honor. "Yes....I ran that race....yes....i played that golf course.....yes I visited that country." Come to think of it....these folks got it together. Something so simple brings a smile to ones face. At our Seven Sisters event last week I asked a runner who had two not one but two orange chip tags on his shoe. "Why the tags i asked?" A smile came across his face and the stories began.....see what i mean.

State Records

2010-07-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

At the Catherine Rooney's 5k for Ulster Project DE last Thursday night Mark Vilardo ran a 15:33 as a 36 year old which would set an age group Delaware state record (that he owns) by 11 seconds. The route is USATF certified. The problem is this.....the final turn up Rattle Snake Run at the 3 mile mark was under construction. Runners went 15 yards further to make the turn to home and I moved the finish line 15 yards down the hill to make up that distance. When Mark told me he broke his age group record I told him, "sorry but I can not accept it as a record due to the change in route." Mark was cool about it and said, "no problem.....I still have the old record of 15:44." I try my best to keep state records up to date. I recently received an email from a runner stating that she ran a 5 miler back in 1991 as a 20 some year old faster than what I have posted on my website. I told her that unless I have a hard copy of the results either posted online or on paper and had the usatf certification number my hands were tied and I could not post her faster time. She too was cool about this and will try and find me the hard copy results. Folks work so hard to set these records and as the keeper of the books I want to make sure that when a record is set that it is legitimate.

Pump n Run

2010-07-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

At our North Beach 5k in Dewey this past Sunday we staged the Schweizer Pump n Run. For those of you not familiar with what a Pump n Run is it is basically an event where you bench press your weight one or more times and that puts you in the pump n run category. Then you run the 5k. For each time you pump your weight we deduct 15 seconds from your overall time. So you are competing in both the 5k race and the pump n run event. For ladies and those over the age of 50 you have to bench a certain percentage of your weight. At the North Beach event we had 53 folks enter the Pump n Run. Pro Physical Therapy and Leisure Fitness are the major sponsors. Doug White is the event manager. We use a computer program to score the event and team leader Ed Hartwell (EdJaH Chip Timing Systems) handles this for Doug. This year only 6 events are on the schedule. But for next year the plans are for many more. If you pump your weight one time you get a cool tee shirt or give away item compliments of sponsors. So for those of you who work out with weights and also run....this event is for you! Rules and schedule are posted on the website.
http://www.races2run.com/pumpnrun.htm

The number 50.......

2010-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

This past July 4th we were in Dewey Beach for our Jimmy's Grill 5k as part of our Seven Sister Two Brother Run Walk Series. Pre registration was 320 and walk up day of 405. A record setting day making this event the largest 5k held at the beaches. It also marked the 50th race EdJaH Chip Timing Systems has timed for races2run using the IPICO timing chip. I can't thank my team enough. Team leader Ed Hartwell has put together a staff that will rival any timing team in the area. We are now capable of chip timing four events in one day. At Jimmy's Grill 5k we had three staff people doing race day data entry. We posted overall results in 30 minutes and the award ceremony started one hour after the start of the race. Results were posted on my website races2run during the awards presentation. Neat stuff. I have purchased a second chip timing system called "MyLaps." The chip is disposable and is placed on the back of your race number. NO chips to turn in at the end of the race. This will be use full when timing large events. Cost is only $1 more than the IPICO chip. We will start using the MyLaps chip starting this Saturday at Mimi's Run for Hospice. We will use races2run events as a stepping stone to time the Tour de Lance 5k August 18th using MyLaps. I hope you enjoy seeing your "gun" time and "chip" times posted. Now that I am walking in some of my events I sure do. Remember.....awards are based on "gun" times NOT chip times.

25 years and running......

2010-07-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Today marked our 25th Firecracker 5k at Rockford Park. It was the first year we did not run on the 4th of July due to a conflict in schedules. This event is sponsored by the City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation Department. Since I get folks telling me they have "way too many tees" we went with a really cool beach bag. Runners seemed to like the change. What has not changed in 25 years is the usatf certified route. The reason for starting and finishing outside the park is because 25 years ago the City of Wilm fireworks were staged at Rockford Park and for safety reasons they asked us to "stay away." We had 200 participants today as far away as Anchorage, Alaska and Fargo, North Dakota. Also runners came in from Kentucky, California, Florida, Rhode Island and states in between. I even got to walk in the race today and got beat by a gorilla, a banana, and Tarzan's girl friend Jane. (see photo) It is nice to see how my vols are doing and how the Wilm Police handle traffic. Lets see.....if i can make it another 25 years i will be 81 years old.....nah.....too old to work at that age. I think I'll show up and walk. Enjoy the holiday.

Daily Double

2010-06-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend and the weather could not have been hotter. On Saturday we were at Joe's Crab Shack for the 4th Race for Time 5k starting at 8:30 am. At 9:45 we were set to time and manage the Inaugural Education Fund 5k also on the Riverfront at the Overlook Pavilion next to AAA. Two races with in 2 hours both on the riverfront both using different routes and both being chip timed. Whew. Why the daily double? Because the second event was tied into a fund raiser starting at 11 am at Jr. Achievement across the river. I really tried to talk these folks out of staging a 5k starting so late. Heat is always an issue. But they decided to take the chance. So the Race for Time starts and I head to the mile mark to give splits and set up the starting line for the second race which is near the mile mark. From there I go over to the Overlook Pavilion to help staff member Jon Clifton with set up of the second 5k. At the same time my wife Barb is managing the Race for Time. Once done setting up the second race registration I head back on the course and move the one mile marker for the second race one mile mark and then move the 2 mile marker to the new 2 mile mark. I also set up a new turn around at Frawley stadium for the second race and make sure all vols and water stop are in place. I then head back to Joe's Crab Shack and watch the tail end of the walkers come in. My chip timing team is now ready to go. My data entry team was imputing race day entries for the second race and this second race starts on time while my wife Barb is announcing the awards for the first race. One hot busy day to say the least. My team did a fabulous job. Both events were successful and many who ran the first race ended up running the second race too. Would I do this again.....No way....! One a day is enough.

Hugs all around

2010-06-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday marked the 10th Anniversary of the Miles for Molly 5k. I remember when RT Christopher called me and asked if I would help him stage a 5k run walk in honor of their daughter Molly who had passed away. Proceeds from this event would benefit the Childrens Beach House in Lewes. I asked RT if he knew the owners of the Dead Presidents Restaurant. He said yes and set up a meeting with them. Me, RT, and Steve Lucy (owner of DP) sat in a booth and discussed the future of this race. Dead Presidents would be host sponsor and RT and Liz Christopher would be race directors. It has been a wonderful ten years working with this group. Over $175,000 has been raised from the Miles for Molly 5k. This year both RT and Liz decided that the 5k would be the last year that they would be involved. When the awards were done and the clean up began I gave Liz and RT a big hug and said, "you both should be proud of what you have done." The staff of the Children's Beach House 5k would like this event to continue. What has not been finalized is the date and location. Stay tuned.

Fun filled weekend

2010-06-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was out walking this morning and i could not stop thinking about what a cool weekend I just had. On Saturday we timed and managed the Girls on the Run 5k at Dravo Plaza. Liz Baldwin, Kim Chitty, and Melissa Rice work endless hours to put this event together and what a job they do! 560 girls signed up plus we had another 750 or so others joined in. I have never seen so many happy faces. At the same time my other team was timing and managing the U of DE Reunion Weekend Blue Hen 5k in Newark. Over 250 finishers and get this....male female winners were Father and daughter Jay Coughenour and Audrey. Now that sure does not happen very often. On Sunday I made it to the St.Anthony's Italian Festival 5k for the 31st consecutive time. The winner of this race was Stephen Garrett, 13 years old in a time of 17:46.
Wow....that is so impressive. And guess who else was there for the 31st year.....91 year old Becky Yencharis who used what she calls her "pusher" to walk a half mile in 31 minutes. She had a huge smile on her face as she crossed the finish line to the applause of runners. Maybe Delaware should be called the Fit State rather than the First State.

Scammed....

2010-06-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

As a race director I always try and take a runners "word for it." Many times folks tell me they mailed in a race application that we did not receive. I ask them to fill out another entry and we sign them up with no questions asked. Almost 100% of the time the entry does get to my po box. But here is one incident that really gets to me. The Friday night before the DE Marathon I listen to my voice box messages. One is from a runner from the Philly area. He is letting me know that he will not be able to make packet pick up Saturday since he is stuck in South Carolina for business. He goes on to tell me that he would like to switch from the full marathon to the half marathon and will be there Sunday morning to pick up his packet. I was doing a million and one things and did not have a chance to look at the roster of athletes. He shows up Sunday morning at 6:30 am and goes up to my volunteer at the trouble shooting table and lets them know that we do not have his race packet. My volunteer tells him that he is not on the pre reg roster (this was posted on the website and updated daily). He said he entered online but did not bring his receipt. I asked him if he ever looked at the pre reg list and he said "no". I asked him if he ever received any of our emails and he said "no". So the nice guy i am i say fill out this form and pay the pre reg price and i will look into active.com. His comment...."I do not have my wallet with me." Ok....what is your cell number which he did give me. I gave him a race number and goodie bag plus tech shirt. He runs the race and leaves. I call him Monday and left him a message that he was not on the list of those who entered online. He leaves me a message to call him in his office which i do and he states he will send out payment. OK.....almost 3weeks have gone by and NO payment. I have called a couple more times....guess what? Scammed...you bet.

It's back.....

2010-05-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

It was like starting camp all over again. Seeing old friends who we have not seen since Sept. Hugs, kisses, and high fives. They run, they eat, they drink beer. This is the Seven Sisters Two Brothers run walk series 2010. Today we kicked off the Series at the Rusty Rudder with a 5k. 230 pre registered runners......and another 370 signed up race morning to make it one of our largest race day turnouts. We chip timed this event (EdJaH Chip Timing Systems) and I must admit.....it was pretty cool to watch the folks start over the mats and go on their way getting a chip time and a gun time. Our staff was stretched to the limits and they did a fabulous job. The only issue was when we started to print the results our printer ran out of ink. We took care of this and Barb was on the p a system announcing the winners and giving out door prizes. So many families, so many from out of town, so many locals. It was quite a scene. Hope to see you at one or more of these events in Dewey this summer. It is really Dewey Beach at its finest. Drink up!

Should common sense be “common”?

2010-05-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are just a couple items that we had to deal with at our DE Marathon. I received an email from a women marathoner who decided to start with the early bird runners. For those not familiar with the early bird start we email all who write down that their marathon finishing time is 6 hours plus. For the safety of all and to get these folks off the course in a timely fashion we start a small group at 6:15 am. Our lead biker did not show due to injury so staff member Jon Clifton drove his car as lead vehicle. At the first major intersection he told the leader to go left and continue straight ahead to the dead end and follow the arrows onto the river walk. Her email states that she led the early bird group and when our vol stopped at the traffic light she did not know where to go. She was that far in front of all the others. I asked her what she planned on running that day...."a 4:15" she said....HELLO....."why would you start with the early bird runners" i asked? She said she heard the announcement on the p a system and decided she would start early. I said, "if you were in the pack with all others you would not have had any issues." Another issue was with a women who decided to give her race number to a friend who wanted to run the half marathon. Not only did this person place first in the masters age group but the she was a he. This idiot not only wore her race bib but also her computer chip. Thus taking away the thrill of a win for the runner up female. Now...does this make sense?

Something has to give....

2010-05-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

I am still sorting through all the emails i have received this week from our DE Marathon. I am averaging about 80 to 130 a day. Folks looking for awards, finishers certificates, lost and found, personal notes and of course complaints. I answer each and every one. I was at the turn around waiting for Mike Wardian to come by when I got the call that lead biker Doug White took a spill and was rushed to the hospital. I felt so bad about this accident and needed answers. Doug fractured his arm in two places and is in a cast for 6 to 8 weeks. We spoke later that day and I asked him what happened. He said he was leading Wardian down Kentmere and runners were coming up toward him and he was yelling at them to move out of the way. " These folks could not hear me due to the fact that they were wearing I-pods or similar." "I got squeezed in and hit the curb and went down." When i was at the intersection of Martin Luther King Blvd and S. Market Street where marathon runners bear right and relay and half bear left I too was yelling at folks to make sure they went the right way. It was like they were all deaf. Sign language may have worked better. I will have to reconsider allowing headphones in next years event. Accidents happen but when you can't hear instructions something has to be done about it.

What a day....

2010-05-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday's Delaware Marathon Running Festival turned out to be one huge party! The weather was perfect, the volunteers were doing their jobs and the police were working to make the route as safe as possible which meant closing roads to traffic. I felt like a conductor leading the orchestra.... everyone was in sync. But with big crowds and the marathon distance comes issues. I have received many emails about the two runners who collapsed near the finish line. I was not there to witness but i did meet with the medical team to find out what happened. Due to the nature of these discussions I am not allowed to discuss in length. But i can give you current updates. Both the gentlemen who were taken to Christiana Care are doing ok. Both did have heart attacks. One was a bit more severe than the other. They were not the only folks taken to the hospital. Lead biker Doug White crashed at Kentmere and Union streets and and a runner in the half marathon went down with a broken leg as he approached the finish line. Two runners on the course were also treated by medical. One with a knee issue and another having leg spasms. Plus one knucklehead who ran the last leg of the relay drunk and had to be taken off the course. I thank all of you for your concerns. A special thank you to my wife Barb for handling the medical aspects of our marathon. And a double thank you to operations director Joel Schiller who has elevated this race to be Delaware's premier running event. My goal was for you to have a fun / safe time. I am only the guy who points folks in the right direction. It was the 300 plus volunteers who make this race a success.

confirmed

2010-05-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

It is the Thursday before our 7th CCHS Delaware Marathon. So far so good. This morning I spend my time making phone calls and sending out emails confirming that all my concerns are taken care of and so I will be able to sleep the next few days. Examples are confirming fencing with the City of Wilm Confirming with the traffic department that the no parking signs have been placed on Rosa Park Drive and two areas on route where we place Pack Rat containers for water stops. Confirming my bartender will be there to pour you a Michelob Ultra after your run. Contacting Grotto Pizza to confirm delivery of 150 pizzas Sunday morning. Calling my tee shirt vendor to confirm shirts to be delivered to Tubman Park on Friday, calling High Point Dairy to confirm delivery of ice cream sandwiches, ice teas and lemon aid and of course chocolate milk. More phone calls to Mayors office to confirm the Mayor will be there at 6:50 am to welcome the runners to the City of Wilmington, The list goes on and on.....For those of you running on Sunday I look forward to meeting all of you and wish you the best of luck. Enjoy our beautiful City of Wilmington. I believe May is the prettiest month of the year to be in Delaware.

A view from the back

2010-05-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

At the 14th Iron Hill Brewery Race Against Family Violence 5k held this past Saturday I did something that I have not done in over 12 years. I actually participated as a walker in this 5k. I just decided that my staff was very capable of handling this event. EdJaH Chip Timing Systems had all aspects of registration and finish line scoring taken care of and my wife Barb was with me to manage the event. The Girl Scouts handled the water stop and Child Inc. vols were on the route as course marshalls. I did chalk out the route earlier in the morning and worked with the security of U of DE and Newark Police to make sure all was ok on their end. My goal was to walk the 5k in 47 minutes. I was really not in a hurry and had a blast cheering the runners and walkers and taking photos along the way. As I approached the finish line the clock was ticking down to 47:00.....I crossed the finish line in 47:02. So close but wait....my chip time gave me a time of 46:56. Cool! Not bad for a guy with two new hips. I am already planning on walking another of my races soon.

That time of year.....

2010-05-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again....Marathon crunch time. The check list is getting longer each year as we increase the crowd. We are at 2100 runners up from 1800 last year. This was not to be but the demand was there and we will see if the course can handle the crowds. If not....sorry to say we will go back to the 1800 runners next year. We have ordered enough performance tees to handle. We have enough food to handle the crowd, and we have ordered enough finisher medals. My real concern is how the course holds up. A 2 loop course is a touchy subject. We have worked hard on making our mistakes from a year ago a non issue this year. Transition area for relay re arranged. Signage at Market Street Bridge where marathon runners go one way (onto river walk) and half and relay go another.....should be no problem this year. Traffic at Pena Ave...detour signs already made up. Lines for food....should be no problem since we will have double the space. Mylar blankets already in house just in case. Medical plans ...done. Folks....come out and enjoy.....we have worked really hard to please you. Good luck.

All charged up.....

2010-04-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have a routine that i go through when getting all my equipment ready for an event. One that needs plenty of electrical outlets. Lets see....have to charge up my digital display clock. Next I plug in my time machine (times and prints out record of times). Next I charge up the battery for my Nikon camera. Next comes the PA system with hand help microphone. This baby weighs a ton. All battery but no need to find a power outlet since it is wireless. Now only one more and that is a battery back up system by Black and Decker....whew.....5 outlets in all. I am looking forward to the day when i can lease a battery powered van to haul my equipment to events. And that may be in the near future. I wish Delmarva Power would sponsor some events. I sure do pay them enough for electricity

House that Love Built

2010-04-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we are staging the 21st Ronald McDonald House of DE 5k. This event is so special for my wife Barbie and I. This is how we met 20 years ago and where we got married 19 years ago. FBarb was on the very first board of the House and we have been involved with the House ever since. We donate all of our services year in and year out and this year my chip timing team will be there to chip time the race and they too will be donating their time to the House that Love Built. The only expense for this race are the tee shirts, permit, and police. Everything else is donated. Last year our goal was to raise $20,000 for the 20th anniversary of the house. We raised over $20,000! Folks are asking us why we moved the race from the ground of Nemours? Simple. We just out grew the facility. At this time we have close to 400 runners and walkers registered to run on the Riverfront. The Big Fish Grill is our host and we are thrilled to have them support this event. For those not familiar with the grounds of Nemours the route is a two loop course on a narrow road. I would lead the race in my van but when coming up on the second loop it was impossible for me to get by safely due to all the walkers who participate. With the riverfront route we now have plenty of parking and a nice flat route that is usatf certified and spectator friendly. Merchandise prizes to division winners and Michelob Ultra waiting for you at the finish line. Can't beat that!

Good, the bad, the ugly....

2010-04-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

I guess the good news is that our 7th CCHS Delaware Half Marathon and 4 person relay have sold out. I would guess that the marathon will sell out next week. The bad news is that many who waited have been shut out. And the ugly......well the ugly are the phone calls and emails i get letting me know how disappointed they are and that we did not promote the deadlines when we were close to selling out. HELLO! We had from the git go deadlines posted. IF we did not sell out early. We did post on the marathon website daily updates and notices on the updates page what the number of participants were for each event. So why the 2000 cap you ask. Because this is what we can handle using Tubman Garrett Park and our two loop route. We will look closely at this number and if possible up the number of participants next year. So as race director my comment to you who waited...."I hope you can join us next year." Or better yet....join us as a volunteer. You just may enjoy helping out.

dinner or not......

2010-04-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

This May 16th will be our 7th Delaware Marathon. We expect to sell out in the next two weeks. Pretty cool. But for the first year we will not be hosting a pasta dinner the night before the marathon. Why? Simple. We are just fed up with how poorly these pasta dinners have gone over the years. I believe it was year one or two we staged the pasta dinner at Catherine Rooney's on DE Ave. They did a great job BUT we could not accommodate all who wanted to have dinner thus long lines and frustrated runners. Another year ING Direct was a sponsor and they wanted to host the pasta dinner at their DE Ave Headquarters. Nice idea but they hired a caterer and it was a disaster. Long lines, small portions. You can't ask marathon runners to stand in line waiting to get fed. And the final straw last year at Joe's Crab Shack on the Wilm. River front. Joe's was going to close the restaurant to the public to feed the 300 folks who signed up for dinner but that never happened. The restaurant was full of their regular customers. Once again long lines and poor service. So enough is enough. We will be putting together a list of Italian Restaurants in the area to share with our out of town guests. Marathon runners.....ready....set....eat.

Tees and counting....

2010-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

So many tees? I would think so if you run many events. I for one have plenty. I use certain tees for certain types of activities. Dri Release tees for my hot yoga class. Under Armour type tech shirt for walking. And for hanging out I wear my special tees that i do nothing in but wear out on the town. At our DE Marathon last year Betty Olmstead collected unused tees from runners to give to kids in Africa. Her donation box was overflowing. OK.....so you don't really want another tee and you would rather pay a few bucks less in entry fees to run the race. I have no problem with this but the sponsors who support the event do. We always make sure to give sponsors enough shirts to give to staff and friends. They want to see folks wear their shirts and promote their company. For some 5k's this summer I will be doing tote bags rather than tees. Cost is the same and the totes are great to take to the beach. Charities that hire us look for us to make suggestions on what makes a race better. I always bring up the idea of no tee option but not once has a group agreed to this option. I may be race director but it is not my decision to cut fees with out tees.

Our next step....

2010-04-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

I was watching a Southwest Airline commercial during the Final Four games on TV. They sure do a great job of promoting NO Baggage fees. Other airlines first bag $25, second bag $35 etc. I fly Southwest but that is only one of the reasons. The other is customer service and friendly staff. Now why would I even discuss this on a blog? I was thinking about what chip timing companies charge for chips. A disposable chip costs .40 each. We get a credit for returned chips. So the total cost for disposable chips for a 1700 person race is around $680. When using our IPICO chip to time races we do not charge for chips used. We only charge for chips lost. Cost is $1.75 each. For a 1700 person race I would estimate we would loose maybe 25 chips. Cost is $43.75 or a savings of $636 for the events charity. Our next step with our IPCIO chip timing is to have splits at all our events. An example would be mats at the one mile mark for 5k's, the 3.1 mile mark for 10k's, 5 mile mark for ten milers, and a split at a distance to be determined at a half marathon. Also new is the ability we have to email you or text you your time after the race is over. Our goal is to have results posted on my website ten minutes after the final finisher crosses the line. Folks ask me why i decided to go with the IPICO chip rather than the disposable chip. My answer is, "the IPICO chip is disposable but it is up to the organization to decide if this is something they want to pay for or do they want to recycle the chips and save money." So just like Southwest Airlines.....we are offering cheaper ways to chip time events with friendly customer service. My team is ready to go!

Series of races

2010-03-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

About 20 years ago I staged a challenge to runners. Run the following events and you win an award. One mile, 5k, 5 miler, 10k, 15k, ten miler, 20k, half marathon and to finish the series a marathon. All these events were in Delaware. I thought I would have maybe 6 people who would complete the series. I had 34! Pretty impressive. Today, I organize a handful of series events which take place in our area. The Seven Sisters Two Brothers Series in Dewey. The Michelob Ultra Race to the Finish Line series where all you have to do is finish 6 of 12 events (the 6 pack). The Triple Crown Half Marathon Series (CR Half, LDAF Half, DE Marathon Half), the 26.2 mile series where you have to run a half marathon, a ten miler, and a 5k to see how fast you run 26.2 miles. And now we are working on a 10k series for the Fall. The E-Racing the Blues 10k, the Turkey Trot 10k, and the Run Walk 10k for MS on Thanksgiving Day. I hope you enjoy these series events.

Caesar Rodney Half 50th Anniversary

2010-03-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

In three years we will be celebrating or should i say running the 50th Anniversary of the Caesar Rodney Half Marathon. So what should we do to make this race a special occasion? Many of you who have run the old course (including me) say, "lets go back to the old course." That would be pretty cool IF we could get permission. A couple years ago I made a phone call to my contacts at Del Dot. I asked them if we could go back to the old course for our 50th anniversary. They commented, "we would like you to continue to use the new route." So they did not say NO....they just said "use the new route". I believe that with enough support we could use the old route IF we could:
1. get sponsors to pay for certification of new route
2. start race at 7:30 am so not to interfere with church traffic
3. find sponsors to help pay for Delaware State Police needed outside City of Wilm. limits.
So there you have it. Our CR committee will be meeting to discuss the future of the CR half and putting game plans in place. Your comments are welcome.

But my GPS says......

2010-03-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday's Citizen's Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon / 5k brought record crowds to downtown Wilmington. At the start it was 54 degrees with sunshine. With 1500 finishers in the half and another 208 in the 5k this years CR was our largest ever. A bit surprising with the winter weather we had here in Delaware. How do you run outside with 56" of snow on the ground? On the Friday afternoon before race day I rode the route with Jon Clifton. Jon was with me to chalk out the course since I am still recovering from hip replacement surgery. I had with me Doug White's USATF certification papers #DE07014LMB.
Doug marks the start, finish, and mile marks with white paint. Each mark has a description of where each marking is located. An example is 13' south of telephone pole 22856-2467 which includes a drawing of this location. When chalking out a route I always carry a fresh can of white spray paint. Why? So i can re mark all of the markings from what Doug has done. This makes it much easier to find year after year. The day after the race I received an email from a runner asking me if the course is certified. I emailed back "yes" and provided the certification number. He replied, "my GPS watch says the route was 13.3 miles." I called Doug White who ran in the race and asked him about this. His comment was, "if the GPS watch is so exact why do they use a Jones counter to certify race routes." Doug stated that we ran the exact route and his splits were right on. As race director I am a stickler for accuracy. 2/10 of a mile off is a huge amount of distance and is something I can't believe is true. For those of you wearing GPS watches.......have you had issues with routes that advertise certified only to find them not accurate according to your GPS? Just curious.

Feel like an astronaut

2010-03-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

It has been two weeks since my hip replacement surgery and rehab is going great. I have been doing most of my rehab using the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill at Elite Physical Therapy located at the JCC on Garden of Eden Rd. Jimmy Hashimoto (Hash) is my p.t. and he has introduced me to this latest rehab technology. This AlterG treadmill has allowed me to walk for 35 minutes pain free at 70% of my body weight. Want to feel like an astronaut? Drop it down to 20% of your weight and you feel like you are on a moon bounce. The AlterG Anti Gravity Treadmill gives you the opportunity to rehab from surgery or train through injury without pain. AlterG's unique unweighting technology reduces the impact of walking or running while the body goes through the normal healing process. I know for a fact that I am way ahead of my rehab from my left hip replacement. Who knows.....i may be walking in my 5k's sooner than i thought.

Getting ready.....

2010-03-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we will have close to 1800 folks running around our City of Wilmington as participants in our 47th Caesar Rodney Half Marathon. As part of my duty as race director I make sure the roads are clear of downed tree limbs and that the pot holes are fixed. I also notify the local residents to let them know that we will be running in their neighborhoods. Wednesday is pot hole day. Sgt. Robert Transue of our Wilm. Police Dept. rode the course yesterday and took notes on where pot holes needed to be fixed. The City of Wilm. will be out in full force Wed. to fill these holes. Due to the winter weather this year.....there are many to be filled. The other item is letting folks in the Rockford Park area know we will be running in their neighborhoods. Tomorrow I will post my yellow signs at three points near Rockford Park announcing the race and the times we will be in the area. On Friday the City of Wilmington will do what is called a reverse 911 call to all residents in certain zip codes that will be affected by the road race letting them know about the half marathon. Of course not all pay attention to signs and voice messages but we are trying our best to reach out to these folks. For those of you running Sunday.....watch your step and watch out for local traffic. Good luck.

Should the rules rule?

2010-03-13T05:23:00.000-08:00

This was the title of an article I was reading in the latest issue of Road Race Management. The article was about the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon held in Oct. of 2009. It seems that one of the winners was aided by a person in a vehicle giving her a water bottle that was not from an official water station. Another incident was the second place female overall wearing an i-pod during the last portion of the race. Both women were disqualified and were not awarded prize money. Both women did not argue about each incident but the issue here is understanding and interpretation of the rules and how those rules should be enforced. So....should all middle of the pack runners be dq'ed since they had friends run the last half of the marathon with them or a family member sets up their own water stop? USATF rules seem to effect the elite athletes not the middle of the packers. These two women were at least a half hour behind the men's winner. They did not think that they were "elite" athletes but due to the weak field they found themselves leading the marathon. As a race director for the DE Marathon I would find it very difficult to dq them. If the women winner of our DE Marathon wins in 3:10 I would not consider her an elite athlete. A good time but not an elite time. Both ladies learned the hard way. But just what does elite actually mean?

Babysitting duty?

2010-03-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

At so many of our events I see couples with their children. One parent runs and the other watches the children. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to have a baby sitter at some events so both parents could participate? This is something I have been working on for 2010. We may give it a try at the following events where we will have certified baby sitters looking after your kids. Buckley's, Teal Ribbon, DE Marathon, Rusty Rudder, Sprint tri at St Andrew's. This group plans to charge $5/hr. They will have a canopy tent that they can keep kids under & they are also going to make a list of stuff they will bring with them. The plan is to make up a sign up sheet to check kids in/out. Also, for the big races like DE Marathon, they would like people to sign up in advance for the babysitting. If it is a big race with lots of people they don't want to get overwhelmed with kids so they will bring one or two other people with them to help out IF there's that much interest in it. Is this something you would consider paying for?

33 years and counting.....

2010-03-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Opening day at the JCC Snowball yesterday and I was at the Wilmington Hospital getting ready to bust out with my new right hip. The surgery went really well and I am now home and can't wait to start rehab at Elite PT on Wednesday. They say second time around is much easier. I hope so. As I sat in my room and looked at the clock hit 11 am I was only thinking about my crew at the Snowball 5 miler. I only wished I could have been there. Sunday also marked my 33rd year of being in business for myself. I can't even begin to count the number of races I have staged in all those years. My running days are now over. I have to throw in the towel. I hope to start walking some of the 5k's down the road. I am so impressed with the number of runners who come out week in and week out to partake in our events. It is you who help raise funds for so many charities and I do know they are thank full. I hope to be at the Kelly's Logan House 5k on Sunday. I will be the one with the cane.

Opening day

2010-03-01T05:55:00.000-08:00

Finally....March is here and so are the road races. Starting Sunday with the JCC Snowball 5 miler now in its 27th year. This is the only 5 mile race we time and manage. The JCC is a wonderful place to stage this race. Inside registration, plenty of parking, showers and lockers (bring lock). We use to stage this event in February but if it snowed prior to race day the residential roads were never plowed and it made for slippery conditions. One year the USATF Grand Prix Series used the 5miler as part of their series but the roads were ice covered and I had to postpone the event. Some runners went out and tried to run the route but they too gave up due to the ice. The following week one of my favorite races takes place at the Logan House. The 11th John D. Kelly Logan House 5k for National Parkinson Fdn. With a noon start this race is a local favorite too. The Kelly Family are on hand to greet all the runners and walkers. Like Michael Kelly says at the start each year, "have fun and see you back at the Logan House so we can trash the place." The following week in the Grand Daddy of them all....the 47th Citizen's Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon at Rodney Square. Delaware's oldest road race continues to draw a crowd. We are lucky to have such great sponsors for this event. Citizen's Bank, Delaware Running Co., PSCI, Blue Cross Blue Shield,
New Castle Associates in Podiatry are just a few. I look forward to seeing everyone at the races.

Plan "B"

2010-02-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

Many of you have heard that the Myrtle Beach Marathon was cancelled the night before race day due to the fact that an upcoming snow storm was heading to the Myrtle Beach area. Approximately 5,000 runners were in town for the marathon and half marathon. City officials made the call the night before to cancel. The next morning the snow storm was actually a slush storm and the runners were to say the least a bit disturbed. As a race director you always try to have a contingency plan or Plan B. Our Caesar Rodney committee has been discussing the issue of what would happen IF a snow storm hit the day before the half marathon. Could we move it a week later? Delay the start till noon? Cancel the event? Just things we have to deal with. And things we actually are working on. I remember when i organized the very first Delaware Marathon back in 1978 called the Delaware Minuteman Marathon. This 26.2 mile event was held in Delaware City and was staged on the first Sunday in March. I remember that a couple days prior to race day we did get a huge snow storm. Lucky for us the Delaware National Guard was our sponsor. They were able to plow the entire 13.1 mile route so we could hold this event. It is always difficult to make these decisions to cancel but the number one goal is the safety of the runners. I will be watching the weather channel in the weeks to come.

Triple Crown

2010-02-25T08:15:00.001-08:00

When i use to run it was always fun to have a goal in mind to keep me motivated. May it be a marathon finish or a 5k to try and set a PR it was always a priority of mine. Have a goal. The Triple Crown of Half Marathons is something I put together to give folks a goal. Finish the March 21st Citizen's Bank Caesar Rodney, the April 11th LDAF Race for Autism, and the May 16th Delaware Half Marathon and you will receive a tech shirt for achieving your goal. So far we have 12 folks who have signed up to run all three events. If you would like to give the Triple Crown a shot please email me so I can track your progress. Hopefully the snow will melt soon and you will be able to get in some miles outside. Remember....all you have to do is set your goal to finish all three half marathons. Good luck.

Boston Bus

2010-02-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

I was chatting with Doug White today.....he is concerned that the DE Sports Club sponsored bus to the Boston Marathon may not fill up this year. Why? Seems that many who qualified did not sign up in time to get into this years race. Yep....the Boston Marathon sold out so early it caught many by surprise. Those planning to take the bus to Boston will not be going. What a shame. Folks work so hard to qualify and then get shut out. Maybe the Boston Marathon takes too many charity runners. If I am not mistaken anyone can run the Boston Marathon IF they are willing to raise x amount of money for the Jimmy Fund. Here is the note from Doug:

The early closure of registration for the 2010 Boston Marathon caught many people by surprise. Because so many of you didn't get into Boston, seats are available on the bus. For those of you who did, if you have friends or family who would like to go on the trip, let me know as there is room for them.
Thanks,
Doug White (302-234-0918 h)

Sprint tri at St. Andrews

2010-02-11T14:53:00.001-08:00

This Father's Day I will stage the 23rd Sprint Tri at St. Andrews School. For those of you who join us every year you will notice a change in set up this year. My staff of 22 years gave me notice after last years event that they were burned out. I got to tell you.....these guys were so much fun to work with and the stories we can tell would make you shake your head. We raised money that stayed in the Middletown area and we will continue to do this again next year. St. Andrews School has been wonderful to us. The venue is absolutely beautiful. The distance of 1/4 mile swim, 16 mile bike, and 3 mile XC run is doable by everyone. A great event for the first time tri-athlete. I decided that I wanted to continue to hold this race and I got permission from St. Andrews School to do so. I contacted Neil Semmel from Pirana Sports. I have known Neil for years and he has done my tri in the past. I asked if he would be interested in setting up our course and transition area and if he would chip time our event. We agreed on the terms and the Sprint Tri continues. As of today (2-11) we have 120 registered. We will accept 250 which gives this event a nice small town feel. It is so neat to see so many familiar faces year after year. I look forward to working with Neil and his staff and hope you will join us on June 20th.

Caesar Rodney update

2010-02-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

I received the latest update of participants for our 47th Citizen's Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon / 5k. Where are all the paper entry forms? Take a look at paper vs online:
5k online 61 paper 6
Half online 863 paper 193
both 5k and half online 4 paper 2
total online 928
total paper 201
total entries as of Feb. 5th 1129
You do have a choice here. Paper saves you a few bucks but looking at these stats it seems that folks would rather pay the extra fee for the convenience of online registration. But you do have a choice . I can't wait to see how many day of race registrations we have when entry fees are at its highest. We are on record pace to have our largest turnout ever for Caesar Rodney. Let's hope the snow has melted by March 21st!

at what age?

2010-01-31T05:27:00.000-08:00

I get so many emails about our Delaware Marathon. Course questions, time limits, water and gator aid stops, parking. On and on it goes. I always answer back in a timely fashion. But one email I really had to think about and in fact could not make a decision right away on was from a parent asking if their 14 year old daughter could run our marathon. I forwarded the email to operations director Joel Schiller. Joel emailed the parents asking if their daughter has run any long distances. They emailed back "only a few 5k in the 22:55 range and has run a training run of 12 miles". But they wrote that she would train and run our marathon with her father in approx. 5 hours. We have had a 16 year old participate in our marathon but never one this age. Even with a parents signature I just did not feel that we should allow this young girl to run the distance. Joel and I agreed that the half marathon distance would be ok or the 4 person relay. Joel wrote back a nice note to the parents explaining our decision. Just curious......if you were a race director for a full 26.2 mile marathon would you have accepted her entry?

Don't blame the race director.....

2010-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

At the PSCI Icicle ten miler we had a women who finished second in her age group using gun time but first in her age group IF we scored using chip times. She wanted her first place plaque. I contacted Doug White (certifies my routes) and Tom Fort (Pres. of DE Sports Club and at the time regional RRCA represenative) and both said awards are given out using finishing place or gun times. I contacted the President of the RRCA and he too agrees. His answer is below:

COLLEAGUES,
"The order in which the athletes cross the finish line will be the official finish position." USATF Rule for Road Events (quoated in full below).

LONG DISTANCE AND ROAD EVENTS (Running and Walking)
RULE 135 THE FINISH LINE 1. The finish of the course is the edge of the line closest to the approaching runners. 2. Should there be an extensive painted design adjacent and prior to the finish line, the exact location of the finish line shall be clearly stated in instructions to all competitors 3. A tape may be held above and parallel to the finish line and at right angles to the course by individuals who are not serving as 2001 Competition Rules 109 judges. The individuals holding the tape shall be positioned so they do not interfere with the view of the judges. This tape is not itself the finish line, but is there only to indicate the approximate location of the actual finish line to approaching runners. 4. In events using transponder timing mats, the mat shall be placed so that the edge of the mat closest to the approaching runners is the finish line and that at least 15 cm of the mat be of a color in contrast to the running surface to indicate the finish line. 5. Races may use separate points along the finish line as the crossing location of the first men's and first women's finishers. 6. In addition to an authorized finish line imaging system, an officially designated video or photograph may be used to review the order of finish. RULE 136 FINISH LINE RECORDING AND TIMING 1. Officials at the finish should record each number as the athlete completes the race, along with the athlete's finish time. The order in which the athletes cross the finish line will be the official finish position. 2. False starts in road races should not be recalled. The timers shall start their watches or timing devices at the flash/smoke of the pistol or approved apparatus or at the first moment a competitor crosses the start line, whichever happens first. 3. The official time will be the time elapsed between the start of the watches or timing devices and the athlete crossing the finish line. If an athlete crosses the start line after the start of the watches or timing devices, the athlete's time elapsed between the start and finish line can be made known to the athlete, but will not be considered as official time.

So don't be upset at the race director....I just try and follow the rules.

one hip guy......

2010-01-23T07:34:00.000-08:00

Last April 17th I had my left hip replaced. I was at the point where once I sat down in a chair I could not get up with out severe pain. My rehab went better than I expected. I was back doing hot yoga in 5 1/2 weeks and playing golf in 6 1/2 weeks. Running was out of the question but I would take 3 mile walks with Barb. In late summer Barb and I were walking down the boardwalk in Rehoboth when I started to noticed pain going from my right groin down my leg into my knee. I mentioned this to Barb and said I would give it a wait and see before I would call my orthopedic. By end of October I was in pain again. Pain like a constant tooth ache in the groin to knee area. I went to my orthopedic (Dr. Steve Dellose) who took an x-ray and told me that I was stage 3. Stage 4 is the worst. I went to Diagnostic Imaging and got an injection which helped ease the pain. But again this only lasts for so long. Back to the doctor. This time I decided it was time to replace the other hip. So on March 5th I will once again go through another surgery and then start my rehab. My team is ready to handle my JCC Snowball run and the Logan House 5k. I should be able to be at the Caesar Rodney Half most likely using a cane to get around. I hope to be 100% by mid April when the running season goes into full swing. Was it all the marathons I use to run? The contact sports like football and Rugby I use to play? Or the golf that I try to plan now? Who knows.....all I know is that I am ready to get my life back. For those who are thinking about hip or knee replacements my words of advice would be, "don't put it off." Pain sucks.....

Posting results.....

2010-01-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Nothing like getting up in the morning while on vacation to check your emails and there you have a complaint from a runner who is upset that the Icicle results were not posted with complete age groups. Let me explain how these results get posted. I send a file of complete age group results to the Sports Dept. after all my events. They cut and paste into the results page of News Journal Sports page. Sometimes the Sports page is packed with other results like wrestling, U of De basketball, pro sports, etc. and they just don't have the room to post complete age group results. For the Icicle run I had no idea they only posted the winners only since i am on vacation in Fla. I spoke with Barb that morning and she told me that yes...only first place in age groups were posted. I am a huge fan of the News Journal. While away I check on what's going on at home via Delaware Online. The News Journal posts a running column every Wednesday and list upcoming events. I really believe this is a major reason why our race numbers are up. So when they post winners only I am sure they have a reason. I can not call them to discuss till 6 pm shift comes in. I know all these folks who work in the Sports Dept. on a first name basis. I make a call....they explain to me why only first place winners were posted (always a space issue) and they make sure to post the results again the next day. When running a race out of state you can always contact them to post your results. Just call 302-324-2850 after 6 pm. They will be more than happy to speak with you.

What if ?

2010-01-12T14:30:00.001-08:00

What if a bomb scare did take place on Sunday while the runners were out on the course. That would have been a nightmare. Runners coming across the finish line having no idea what was going on. Locked out of the YMCA in 19 degree weather, clothes and car keys locked inside, and who would know how long till the bomb squad would leave. Last week the Y was closed for 5 hours during one bomb threat. Can you imagine if this happened during our Icicle run. I always try and take the conservative approach when it comes to solving problems. There has to be a "plan B". I was fortunate to run into my friend Johnny Gilespie from Empowered Yoga after yoga class on Saturday the day before the Icicle run. I told him my situation and asked if we could use his Plexus Fitness facility located two blocks from the Y. He said, "no problem". Made a phone call and his staff was all set to open up early Sunday morning. Yes, I could have rolled the dice and prayed that no threats would happen and set up registration at the Y but to be honest with you I doubt I would have slept much Saturday night. Runners seemed to enjoy the change of venue and especially the locker rooms which had plasma tv's and towels. Thank you Johnny G and thank you Plexus Fitness staff. I was able to get a good night sleep thanks to your help.

Icicle run

2010-01-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

The PSCI Icicle Ten miler is one difficult race to stage. When planning a race in mid winter so many things can go wrong. The weather is only one item. Let me explain what I mean. Back maybe ten years ago I was just finishing up marking out the ten mile route when i got a call from the City of Wilmington Police Sgt. Alfree. He told me that we could not run through Rockford Park due to double homicide. What! So we ran a 10k that year. A couple years later we had a snowstorm the night before the race and the police told me we could not run on Penna. Ave due to snow emergency route. Thus another 10k. A couple years later when registering runners the fire alarm at the YMCA went off and we had to evacuate the building. We were able to run the ten miles with a late start. And now this year I get a call from the Central Y that they have had bomb scares the last 4 days and have had to evacuate the building each time. So what to do if we have a bomb scare on Sunday? Good question. Something you don't plan on but working on plan B. Never a dull moment with this ten mile event. Let's hope for the best.

January events

2010-01-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year that we keep our fingers crossed and follow the weather channel to see if our winter events can dodge the bullet. We lucked out with our New Years Resolution 5k with temp at 40 degrees. For next years Icicle ten miler I have been asked by our title sponsor to move the race back a week since he is away on vacation. So it looks like we will go with Sunday, January 16th or Sunday, January 23rd. So now do we continue to stage our Road to the Super Bowl 5k on the
9th or should we move to the week after the Icicle run to get closer to Super Bowl weekend? Or should we move to Super Bowl Sunday the first Sunday in February? My Barbie always laughs at me when I plan so far in advance. That is what being a race director is all about. Keeping things organized. So, when would you like to see these two events take place?

year in review...

2009-12-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 was a Super Bowl type year for races2run. In a down economy we had our best year in 32 years of business. If you know anything about football you know how difficult it is to repeat as Super Bowl Champions. So I know we have our work cut out for us in 2010. Yes......sponsorship for events was down. But the number of runners participating in our events was up. 2010 will be a challenge. We lost some events but we have also picked up some new events including the LDAF Race For Autism Half Marathon & 5k in Lewes, DE. My team and I are really excited about our new chip timing business. EdJaH Chip Timing Systems will be very busy in 2010. We have two teams ready to handle events and I am working on a third team. We use the IPICO chip which is what the Ironman Triathlon Championships just purchased. Our CCHS DE Marathon was a huge success. The weather was cool and wet early on and our new venue proved a hit to all involved. The Seven Sister Series in Dewey Beach also had great crowds which showed that even in a weak economy folks still come to the beach as long as gas in not $4.50 a gallon. The Michelob Race to the Finish Line Series was a blast. Restaurants are great venues to stage a road race and when you add beer to the refreshment list the race becomes a social hour or some would say, "Happy Hour." I guess my most proud moment of 2009 is how my staff took over my business when I was laid up from hip surgery. Once again I will put them to the test as I am scheduled to have my other hip replaced in March of 2010. We all look forward to the racing walking season 2010. See you next year.

New 26.2 mile series.....

2009-12-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

I think this new series will get some attention. How fast can you run a marathon? Now...how fast do you think you can run 26.2 miles using three events? That's right.....3 events: April 11th LDAF Half Marathon (13.1 miles), July 11th North Beach 5k (3.1 miles) and the Bottle & Cork Ten miler Sept. 11th will combine for a total mileage of ....you guessed it.....26.2 miles. I am working with Michelob Ultra as sponsor for this series and will announce prize structure and rules after the new year. To enter this series you have to send in an extra $10 payable to LDAF when entering the LDAF Half Marathon. This entry fee will go directly to LDAF as proceeds from this series. We will post updates after each event on races2run home page. BTW....if you have not heard races2run is now the event manager for the LDAF Half Marathon and 5k now starting and finishing at Irish Eyes in Lewes, DE. EdJaH Chip Timing Systems ( a division of races2run) will chip time both events. Other series events are going to be discussed at my meeting on January 6th so stay tuned. Enjoy the holidays

Running in the snow......

2009-12-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today (12-19) we are getting over a foot of snow. I went to yoga class this morning. I live 2 blocks from the yoga studio so I have no excuse when the weather is bad. As I walked home I could not help but think about the old days when i was in training for a marathon and how I would run in weather like this. I will never forget a snow storm back in 1979. I was training for our Minuteman Delaware Marathon to be held the first Sunday in March. I was scheduled to run for two hours but had second thoughts after a serious snow storm. So what was one to do? Back then i use to live above my running shoe store at 623 Delaware Ave across the street from the old O'Friels Irish Pub. On the other side of the street was a cemetery. The loop inside the cemetery was plowed. The iron door gate is always open so I got my two hour run in by doing loops around the cemetery. I got to admit....it was spooky but also quiet and in a weird way beautiful. I am sure you too have some interesting stories about running in the snow.....feel free to share them with me. Time to go shovel the walk way.

Early bird special

2009-12-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

One thing you just have to love about Ft.Myers ......early bird specials! You know......eat dinner between 4 pm and 6 pm and get a huge discount. My problem is that I just don't eat dinner that early thus the early bird deal does me no good. I did find plenty of happy hours here from 3 to 6 pm. .99 cent 16oz draft beer got my attention. Believe it or not I get more work done here this time of year than i would at home. I have been working on my website and emailing my contacts about our events in 2010. I had lunch with Mark Toretsky from Lin Mark Computer Sports the other day. We met in Sanibel at Grandma Dots. A nice restaurant on the water. We talked about last years events and about my Delaware Marathon. Best part was he picked up the lunch tab. If you are looking to save money on entry fees next year please sign up early. Most r2r events will have a 3 tier entry fee schedule. An example is our Seven Sister Series. Sign up early and entry fees are $16. Sign up the week of the race and the entry fee is $20. Wait till race morning and the entry fee goes to $25. I know for some the early bird discount will be beneficial. But for those who procrastinate .....well.....expect to pay a bit more. Here in Ft Myers the last race staged had pre entry $15 and day of entry $25. Guess you snooze you loose.

In kind sponsorship

2009-12-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

When ever I work on a budget for a road race I always tell who ever I am hired to work for that sponsors are needed to help pay expenses. In today's world easier said than done. Money sponsors this past year were down. Runners at our events were up. So where does this lead to? In kind sponsors can make a race a financial success. For years Pine Mt. Water Co. donated water to our events. That is one less expense to pay. Someone on a race committee will print 500 copies of the race flyer using company paper and copy machines. One less expense to pay. A committee member owns a restaurant and we decide to stage the race there. No need for porta potties. One less expense to pay. The restaurant will also bring in a food vendor to donate refreshments. One less expense to pay. Now comes the kicker. At our Caesar Rodney Half Marathon I wrote in a blog about the idea of using tech shirts for all runners. But we could not afford both tech shirts and finisher medals. Would someone out there be able to donate these tech shirts? Yes. Mike from the Delaware Running Co. was able to work this out with one of his vendors to have them sponsor our shirts for next years event. Wow! That is a savings to the American Lung Association of over $6,000. De. Running Co. is now a Platinum sponsor for the CR Half. In kind sponsorship.....as good as money.

Compliments and complaints

2009-12-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

As a race director I always like to hear a compliment about a race we stage. But to be honest with you a complaint helps make me a better race director. For our Delaware Marathon I don't bother to read the comments posted on Marathonguide.com till 6 months after the race. I hold a meeting with my operations director Joel Schiller immediately after the marathon to go over what we feel we can improve on. We take notes and get to work on making the negatives a positive. I just read the comments on Marathonguide.com about our latest Delaware Marathon. So many nice comments but yes....many complaints also. We compare notes of what folks would like to see improved. I would say 95% of the complaints we have already discussed and have game plans to correct. So keep those comments coming. We try to do our best but we always like to hear what you .....the runner has to say.

Got to go......

2009-11-29T06:37:00.000-08:00

This years PNC Bank Run Walk for MS brought out over 2000 runners and walkers. And guess what? No porta potties on site. So where do you go when you "gotta go"? For this event we asked folks to head over to the Central YMCA or the Sheraton Suites both next to the starting line of the 10k. Why? MONEY is the main reason. Porta potties cost close to $100 each. You do the math. 10 potties and you have spent a grand. We had HUGE signs placed on the windows of PNC Bank letting folks know where bathrooms were located. Some lucky ones used the bathrooms behind the PNC Bank lobby which we did not have permission to use. I guess they were vip's. (very important pee'ers?) Did I get any complaints about lack of porta potties? You bet I did. You can never have enough bathrooms prior to race start. Another example is my CCHS Delaware Marathon. We have 20 porta potties at the start and folks tell me that is not enough. If I was a runner waiting in porta pottie line at my DE Marathon I would have gone half a block down the street to the Wilmington Train Station and used their bathrooms. No lines....plenty of stalls, and much cleaner. So if you gotta go you gotta go.

Teaching this old dog new tricks

2009-11-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

My webmaster lives in California and works for Disney. Just came back from vacation he sent me an email explaining why he believes races2run should have a twitter account. He said it would be good for my business. I have heard so much about "Twitter" that I was curios to hear more. He explained it all to me and even sent me a "etiquette guide" for sending Tweets. I let him set up an account for
races2run. Tweets are short sentences that you send to your followers usually once a day. So lets say my PSCI Icicle run in January has issues with the weather. I can send out a Tweet to let folks know the latest updates. I am still learning all about Twitter but so far so good. So if you want to follow us just click Follow races2run located on my homepage. Who know....maybe Facebook is next.....

Rotherham Harriers.....

2009-11-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

I received an email that really made me think of when I started my running store business. It was from Ralph Rowbotham from Rotherham England. I will never forget back in 1979 (way before the internet and emails) I received a letter mailed to my store from England. I opened it up and it was a letter from the president of the Rotherham Harriers Running Club, Jack Phipps. A group of 12 were coming to the US to run the New York City Marathon and he wrote me to see if I would be willing to play host to their club after the marathon for a week stay in of all places....Wilmington, DE. They got my name from Runners World Magazine. I use to advertise in their classified section. I called Tom Fort, Pres. of the DE Sports Club and he said he would host a couple. Doug White said the same as did Bill Spiker. My brother Ray and I also had room for a couple. Guido Schiavi too was game. I wrote back that we would play host. We all met at the Wilm. train station. One week of parties. I set up visits to Washington DC via Joe Biden's office. A trip to Philly to see the Liberty Bell. A trip to the Amish Country and much more. They even ran a 10k while here that I organized and the News Journal sponsored. All had a great time. The following year 8 of us went to Rotherham (Yorkshire County) and spent a week with them and ran their marathon. They showed us around and we all had a fabulous time. Ralph Rowbotham sent me the surprise email to say hello and to say hello to all who played host to the Harriers visit. Vice President Biden's name in the news brought back fond memories of their visit to Washington and the states and via the internet he found my email address. It really is a small world.

time to delegate

2009-11-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Here I sit at the Orlando airport waiting out flight delay back to Phila. Weather here is perfect...sunny and 70 degrees. Barb told me I may not make it home in time for the Girls on the Run 5k tomorrow (Sat.). I told her if that's the case I would delegate my duties to her and my management and chip timing team. I will never forget the first time I delegated some of my work to my wife. It was at the Run for Independence 5 miler with the post race party at Oscars Restaurant on Market Street Mall in Wilmington. This was back in the eraly 90's. I was just coming off a case of mono and could not talk. I asked Barb to handle the awards for me since I could not speak. I hung out at the back of the restaurant sipping a beer as Barb handled the awards. I was with two friends, Chuck Highfield and Gail Kasey. I could not believe how well spoken Barb was on the microphone. She was doing a fabulous job! I turned to Chuck and Gail and said, "Guess I will not be doing awards anymore." I learned a small lesson here. Don't be afraid to delegate some duties to your key people. Barb is so much better than I am on the microphone. She is the "voice of races2run." As I get older I have learned how to delegate more and more. The greatest honor I can get is when I delegate a race to one of my staff and the organizer emails me to let me know what a fabulous job my staff did at their event. Compliments don't come easy and this really puts a smile on my face. I am on the right track.

2010 race calendar....

2009-11-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

This time each year I start emailing the race directors who hire us to see if they plan on staging their event again in 2010. Some emailed me months ago to reserve a date. To be fair I try and pencil in all existing races we manage in my 2010 calendar. I then contact these folks and hopefully they are happy with their existing date. Before I book a new event I always have what I call "first right of refusal" for an existing race date. An example would be if an organization contacts me and wants to stage a race on lets say June 6th of 2010. I would tell them that is the annual St. Anthony's Italian Festival 5k race date and they have first right of refusal for using that date. If for some reason St. Anthony's decides not to hold their event of if they decide to move to another date then I would book this new race. When handling events on the Wilmington Riverfront I work closely with Shane Brey from the Riverfront Development Corp. He schedules not only my events but many other walks and functions on the Riverfront. When a group wants to move to an open date on my calendar I may be able to schedule them on the riverfront IF nothing else is going on that day. I have already started to plug in dates for 2010 through June. Some new events have been added and some first time events from last year may not be back. October is always the most difficult month to schedule since we do so many home coming 5k's and the Scott Mackler 5k moves dates each year due to scheduling of bar mitzvah's at the synagogue. Like a jig saw puzzle....it takes time to coordinate but it always seems to work out in the end. Hopefully 2010 will be no different.

Running junkie

2009-11-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

Two weekends ago we had an unusual schedule. Saturday, Oct. 24th and Sunday, Oct 25th we were handling 5 events. The rain dampened spirits at the Buddy Run Walk on the river front but sill almost 200 runners and walkers participated and raised over $25,000. That afternoon Ursuline Academy (1pm start) held its Mrs. Cap Memorial 5k. With rain coming down we had less than 100 finishers but the sponsors were happy. Jon Clifton handled that event for races2run. Barb and I headed south to Lums Pond State Park for the DE Greenways 5k a 3pm start. With rain still coming down this event had less than 100 finishers but all had a great time. This could be one of Delaware's fastest 5k's. Sponsors plan on certifying the route next year. On Sunday morning Barb and I headed to the river front for the E-Rasing the Blues 10k and 5k. We chip timed this event working with EdJaH Chip timing systems. The weather cleared out and we had 800 finishers and raised over $130,000! At noon Chip and Doris Bixler handled our 10th Scott Mackler 5k with almost 500 finishers. For those looking to get in a few races it was a weekend made in heaven. Bob Wolhar from Rehoboth Beach has a goal of running over 100 races a year. This weekend he ran all 5 of our events plus the 10k and 5k at the E Racing the Blues for a grand total of 6 races in two days! 21.7 miles total running plus he drove back and forth from the beach since he had to let his dog out. Bob....your a "running junkie." Impressive.

Male Search.....

2009-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

It has been 6 months now since i got my new titanium hip. I am thrilled with my progress. No pain what so ever. That is the good news....the bad news is I went to my orthopedic surgeon to have my other hip x-rayed. Bad news is I am stage 3 (4 is the worst) and will now get my hip injected with cortisone on Tuesday. The good news is that it should last for 6 months to a year. We'll see what happens. It is a bitch getting through airport security. I stand there and the officer waives me through the metal detector. I tell him, "new hip." "Male search" he yells and then asks me to step aside. A male security guard opens another door and puts me in this glass room where I can watch my baggage come off the conveyor belt. "This your stuff" he asks? Yep....and he puts it on floor where I can see that no one is walking off with my laptop and cell phone. He tells me to have a seat and I watch him put on latex gloves. He then takes the magic wand and go over all parts of my body to make sure I am not carrying a bomb and then they frisk you just to make sure. A bit humiliating but I no longer have a choice if i want to continue to travel via air. I just wish they would have a female security officer frisk me rather than the guys. Would be much more fun.

Plodders Have a Place, but Is It in a Marathon?

2009-10-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

I checked my email acct today and had a handful of folks forward me the article in the New York Times Sports section about "Slow Marathoners." Just how slow is slow? Well if you can't run walk a marathon in 6 hours I would say that you are slow. Now...that is just my opinion. This is the time we give runners at our Delaware Marathon. Last year at our Delaware Marathon we had 529 finishers. Out of those only 12 runners did not break the 6 hour mark and one finished in 7:11. That is like .022% of the field. What you don't know is we sent out an email to all those who put down estimated time of 6 hours plus to let them know we were going to have an early bird start beginning at 6:15 am which would be a 45 minute head start. With chip timing we can do this unofficial start. It worked. It got the slow runners off the course in the 6 hour time limit and allowed our volunteers to relax and head home. Also, we have to have time limits with the City of Wilmington to open up the streets to afternoon traffic. Six hours into the marathon was the best we could manage. The medal at the finish line means so much to the slow marathon runners. They know they will never win a marathon but for them to finish is good enough for them. I applaud them all.....I remember when i was running marathons. My best was 3:20 but i started to slow down and enjoyed the 4 hour marathon pace. But after 4 hours i just get too beat up. I told my wife Barb, "if it takes me longer to run 26 miles than it does to play a round of golf then i am done with running the marathon." You know what..... my golf game improved.

Weather or not......

2009-10-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

What do you tell the organization that hires you when they have concerns about the upcoming weather pattern. Heavy rain and high winds with cold temps in the low 40's is not your ideal running / walking weather. I try not to cancel a race the day prior since the weather channel is not 100% accurate (don't tell that to my wife). I always meet with race organizers the morning of the event to make the call. When you are running on public roads safety concerns are issue #1. At the Nun Run I discussed options with the race committee. Option one was to run the race. Option two was to cancel the race. And option 3 was to re schedule. Barb rode the race route with one of the committee members and there were no issues with the course. If the committee decided to cancel folks who showed up (85 pre registered) would get their tee shirt. When race day weather is that bad you can't count on race day registrations. In fact only 20 folks signed up race day. We had 60 finishers total. A shame since this was a major fundraiser. But the Nun Run committee did have many sponsors to pay the expenses. So they were able to show a profit. The following day we had the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer at Rodney Square. We had horrible wet cold weather and 219 finishers. Not too bad considering the weather. The walk that followed had 2,500 participants down from 5,000 in ideal weather last year. Good news was that the other 2,500 no shows already paid but just did not show up. Like Vic Zwolak says, "you just can't control the weather."

One Big Fish.....

2009-10-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

I met my wife Barb via the Ronald McDonald House of Delalware back in 1990 when she was on the first board of the Ron McD House. She approached me to stage a 5k run walk as a fundraiser for the house. This past April we held our 20th anniversary of our 5k with a goal of raising $20,000. We staged this event on the grounds of the duPont Hospital for Children. Even with horrible weather we were able to hit our financial goal. I was nursing my new hip at the time and was not able to be at this event. My streak of 19 in a row now broken. We are always thinking of ways to make this event better. We have pretty well maxed out on participants at the duPont Hospial location and we want to continue to grow this special event. So next April
24th we will move the 21st annual event to the new Big Fish Grill on the Wilmington Riverfront. Barb and I have been customers of the Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth for many years and we got to know the staff on a first name basis. When we approached them to sponsor this event they emailed back, "we would be thrilled to be host to this long standing fundraiser." A usatf certified course, post race refreshments compliments of the Big Fish Grill, and plenty of Michelob Ultra beer. Barb and I hope you will put us on your 2010 calender.

International flavor....

2009-10-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

At Sunday's Grotto Pizza Run Eat Run event we had 38 participants sign up for the He Man division. That means eating a 16" large pie. 81 entered the Jr. Division and only a handful did the no pizza division. For a first time event I must say that it was a blast. We even had a gentleman visiting his girl friend partake from Ottawa, Canada. Here is the note he email me:

Chris Macknie from Ottawa, Canada here.
I'd like to say a belated but very big thank you for organizing the Grotto Pizza Run last Sunday. It was the funnest race I've ever done. I sent a race report about it to my running friends here in Ottawa, and they're all very jealous of the fun I had in Newark. My girlfriend Zoe (who won the women's Jr. Pizza title) will still be attending UD next fall, so we'll both be back to defend our Masters' titles.
Thanks again, and good luck with the rest of your races. You guys have an awesome running scene in northern Delaware.
Chris

What is your choice?

2009-10-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

It has been one hectic week. Eleven races in 8 days. Plus meetings to go to during the day. Time to catch my breath. Our Caesar Rodney Half Marathon committee met last week. In this economy we are holding our own with sponsorship money but still not near where we would like to be. At last years CR half we gave out finisher medals. A nice perk. The long sleeve tee shirt continues to be a blend of cotton polly. I looked into what a long sleeve performance tee would cost. I found a well made performance tee that would cost $2.50 more than a long sleeve cotton poly tee. Problem is if we order 1600 psc. that would add $4,000 to budget. It does not look like we could do both performance tee and finisher medals with our budget so tight. So, as a runner who plans on running the CR half ....if you had to choose would you prefer a performance long sleeve tee and no finisher medal? Or a cotton poly long sleeve tee and a finisher medal? Or do you have any other suggestions? Your feedback is welcome.

Staples and chips

2009-09-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

Today at our Pro PT 5k in Middletown we used our chip timing system for the 4th time. The difference was that today we placed our timing mats at the start of the race so runners received both gun time and chip times. I have all the confidence in the world in my business partner Ed Hartwell and put him to the test today. The start was about a quarter mile from the finish line. This meant that we had to pick up the timing mats and move to finish line in timely fashion and then re set up before the first runner came across the line. We are talking about 8 minutes to set up at the finish line. Set up went better than expected. The first runner came across the mats and was chip timed. As a back up I continued to use my time machine to click in runners but instead of stapling tags on my scoreboards i placed them on a spindle. No staples needed today. The age group results were posted in 40 minutes. I asked Ed to go ahead and print out the complete list of finishers even though there were a handful of walkers on route. This caused an issue with the software and we had to hand enter the last few walkers. A call to the software developer should solve this problem. Our next chip timed race will be at the Run for Rett 5k at Frawley Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4th. I will leave the score boards home. No staples needed.

Power of the safety vest

2009-09-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

I keep a safety vest in my car at all times. At the Miles for Melanoma 5k on the Riverfront I used my vest acting as a traffic cop. Two days before this 5k at Dravo Plaza we found out that 4 to 5,000 Muslims would be attending a celebration of Eid-al-Fitr at the Chase Center. Depending on the phase of the moon Saturday night this ceremony would be Sunday at 8:30 am or on Monday. Riverfront Development Corp. and the Chase Center never warned us about this conflict. Either way cars filled with runners and walkers and cars with Muslims were all trying to get to the same location. Cars backed up going nowhere. So with vest on I stood at intersection on Justison Street at the new Big Fish directing cars to Frawley Stadium parking lot rather than to lot at Dravo Plaza. I got my cell phone out and called my connection at the Wilm. Police to let him know that traffic was a nightmare. At the same time a Wilm. Police car comes up from behind. I said, "hey...I got Gordie (Sgt. Transue) on the phone" and handed him my cell. I am still directing traffic and the cops take off with my cell phone. Five minutes later they come back and tell me to call Gordie back. I asked, "can you help me out here?" They took off and went down to the intersection at Beech St. and Justison to control traffic flow. Next thing i know a Muslim dressed in traditional garb comes running at me yelling that his people need to get to the Chase Center for service and he wanted them to go straight to Dravo Plaza for parking. I told him that Frawley Stadium has more open spots since the runners took up the parking spaces at Dravo. He would not listen and jumped in front of me like some crazy man and starting directing cars to Dravo. One thing i have learned in life....don't get involved and don't argue so I said ..."adios amigo" and headed back to Dravo to get ready for our 9am start. What a way to start my day.

Main Street, Newark, DE

2009-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

A busy day yesterday. Physical therapy in the morning.....meetings all afternoon. Met with folks who are organizing the 5k at St Anthony's in the Hills at 3 pm. The route we were going to run had to be changed. The last time we ran this 5k was back in 1988. Doug White will remeasure in time for Saturday's race. Then off to Grottos Pizza on Main Street in Newark to meet with managers about the Run Eat Run 2 miler on Oct. 4th. We discussed the route, volunteers, set up, and awards. Jon Clifton was with me and he took these folks on a tour of the course (he measured) and showed them where the pizza truck would be set up and where volunteers were needed. In the mean time I walked down Main Street to meet with Ryan Germain at Cafe Gelato to discuss his 10 miler on Nov. 1st. It was the first time I was in his restaurant. I was very impressed. Chip and Doris Bixler will handle this race for me due to conflict of schedules. I then walked back to Grottos to wait for Jon to pick me up for our next meeting down Main Street at Fusion Fitness to discuss the Main Street Mile on Oct. 3rd. Sitting there I was amazed at how many students were walking and talking on cell phones. Just a sign of the times. At my meeting at Fusion we decided on two starts. One at 8 am for open men and women and one for elites at 8:15. A very productive day on Main Street.

Wake up call

2009-09-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday the 12th of Sept. Seven Sisters event at the Bottle & Cork. My 33rd Bottle & Cork event in a row. My alarm goes off at 4:00 am. Coffee, weather channel and Sports Illustrated and out the door to set up route. Field chalk for the turns......spray chalk on the straight a ways. I have all the mile markers placed in order that I was putting them out. In Henlopen Acres I use yellow directional arrows on metal stakes to put in the ground. (No chalk allowed). Then I placed traffic cones along Route 1. I usually delegate this job to Doug White but he was in Montreal with the Wellness Community. It was a bit scary that time of morning. Only saw two other vehicles. One a bread truck and one a garbage truck. I saw one "Walk of Shame." (young babe heading home at 5:45 am with pillow under arm after a long night out). When i got to Bellevue Street at Bayard Street I breathed a sigh of relief. The foot of water which was there the day before was now gone so no need to re route course. We had a horrible storm Thursday night. Many areas of Dewey were flooded out. I went back to pick up Barb and on to the Cork we went. Set up tables, chairs, water table, registration table. All in 15 minutes with the help of the Cork staff. Beebe volunteers showed up on time at 6:30 am and registration opened on time at 6:45 am. The weather was overcast and cool. Not your typical Cork weather. Sad part of the day was saying goodbye to our friends we have made at the Seven Sister series. Kind of like camp. We hug each other good bye and can't wait till next years series. At noon Barb and I sat and drank a few beers at a local bar and watched Penn State kick butt over Syracuse. All in a days work. I feel jet lagged.

Conflicting events

2009-09-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

I received an email from a friend of mine to let me know that the ALS organization out of Phila. would be staging their annual walk on Saturday, Sept. 12th. No problem here i thought. I continued to read the email when it said on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk starting at 9 am. Oh no....here we go again. Our 33rd Bottle & Cork ten miler runs the length of the boardwalk and the leaders would hit the 6 mile mark which is on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Ave around 8:30ish. But the middle of the pack runners would have some serious issues getting through the crowd of walkers and wheel chairs. I called City Manager Greg Ferese of Rehoboth and asked him why would he give out two permits for the use of the boardwalk on the same day? "I made a mistake" was his answer. The ALS folks did not realize that the Cork run is always the Saturday after Labor Day. I called the person in charge of the ALS walk. I always try and work out a compromise if possible. I asked him if he could move his walk back one hour. "No way since it gets too hot for those in wheelchairs>" I said how about I move my start up 15 min to 7:45 am and ALS move a half hour back to 9:30 am. We struck a compromise. Hopefully this will allow all runners to get through this portion of the race without any problems. One more issue to deal with. The boardwalk is going to be under construction from Laurel street to Prospect Street starting Tues. Sept. 8th. But I will not know if we have to detour off the boards till I come down on Friday. Just in case Doug White re measured so course will still be certified. I wish the ALS folks all the best with their walk. I just hope they move their event back one week next year.

Pizza Run

2009-09-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Runners love to eat. Now lets see if you like to run, eat, and then run. Grotto Pizza called me to set up a meeting for an event they would like to stage. While driving to meet with them I was thinking how cool to have a race that Grotto's sponsor. Runners and walkers can do a 5k then pig out on pizza and beer. But this is a race like no other. Only two miles as a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House of DE set for Sunday, October 4th at 11 am. We will start at Academy Street at Main Street and run down Academy to the new trail. Once you get there you either have to (1) turn around and head back to finish (open category), (2) eat a Jr. pizza, or
(3) go for it and eat a large pizza (the He Man division). Grotto staff will handle this and I can't imagine how many can eat a whole large pie and then run another mile. But if I did not have to work this race I would be at the starting line in the He Man division. Just to fill you in (no pun here) Krispy Kreme donuts has a run in N. Carolina where you have to eat a dozen donuts on route. And they get over 1,000 runners and walkers. I will delegate tearing tags for this one. I would like to keep my shoes clean.

To feed an Army......

2009-08-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

I never really thought about how much food we put out for runners and walkers. I just make sure we have enough to go around. At this past Sunday's Inaugural Greene Turtle Lewes 5k manager Jason King gave me the stats on what it took to feed 200 runners and their guests. Here goes:
40 lbs bananas, 120 danish, 60 lbs egg mix, 30 lbs bacon, 2 cases cantaloupe, 200 muffins, 200 bagels, 240 16oz bottles of water, 2 lbs cream cheese, 15 lbs of chicken wings and to wash it all down......2 kegs of Michelob Ultra. I got to tell you......and I believe all who were at this race will confirm......one of the best post race spreads of all the events we handle. Nobody left hungry. Just a fantastic fundraiser for the Wellness Community. Congratulations to the Greene Turtle Lewes. A first class sponsor.

Footloose and Carefree

2009-08-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

I had a good laugh the other day at my Highway One Group 10k held in Dewey. I was in the chute tearing tags when this young kid comes through the chute and hands me his tear off tag. I looked at his feet and he was wearing a pair of those 5 finger (toe) Vibram shoes. I asked him what he thought of them and he said, "love em." Ok.....so this new best selling book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (who is from Lancaster, Pa) is getting folks thinking about barefoot running. I have no problem with this since I remember when I was in high school getting in shape for the upcoming football season part of my training was running on the beach barefoot. I loved it. At the Westside Health 5k held a few weeks ago I had a runner run bare foot. I asked him how it felt to run a 5k in bare feet. "Painful" was his answer. Just something he wanted to try after reading the BOOK. So for you folks looking for something different try going barefoot. Look at all the money you will save on running shoes.

Little league parents

2009-08-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

I just love having all these young kids at our events. At our Seven Sister Series in Dewey we have age groups 9 and under, 10 to 13, 14-18. It is always a kick to watch these kids get up on stage and receive their medals. At Sunday's 5k I neglected to announce that one of the young kids set a new course record. Not on purpose mind you but just an honest mistake. His father approched me and let me know I did not announce that his son set a record. I apologized to both him and his son. He went on to let me know how unhappy he was. I brought his son back up on stage and had Barb announce to the crowd that he set an age group record. And here i am thinking about what little league parents must go through. Not easy being a parent. Foul Ball!

10k detour

2009-08-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

This coming Saturday will be our 7th Highway One Group 10k and 5k at Ruddertown in Dewey Beach. This race is unique in the fact that both 5k and 10k runners start the same time and run the same first 5k together. Those running the 5k turn into Ruddertown and head to the finish while those in the 10k continue down Highway One (heading South) to the 10k turnaround. They then head back to Ruddertown for the finish. Depending on the weather (and how much you drank the night before) some who sign up for the 10k end up running the 5k. I have no problem scoring these folks as part of the 5k. If you know Dewey Beach you also know that there is not much room to run a 10k thus the route along the "dead zone" or Highway One. So for those who hated this section of the course I have some good news. Del Dot will not be able to place traffic cones on the route this year due to budget cuts. (if someone out there would like to sponsor this it will only cost you $1,700) so this year those running the 10k will run the 5k course twice. It will be certified and water will be available at 4 locations on route. I think this will work out just fine. The 10k runners will now have a cheering section as they make the turnaround in Ruddertown. Don't forget....free parking at meters and on street till 11 am. IF you get a ticket make sure you give to me or Barb.

Paper Chase

2009-08-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan of paper race applications? Or do you just search the internet for upcoming events? Over the last few years I have found as race director that more and more folks are NOT using paper entry forms but going online to enter events. There are two events that I manage that will no longer be using paper race applications. Both may surprise you. The CCHS Delaware Marathon and the Seven Sisters of Dewey Beach will go digital next year. Both events have their own websites:
www.delawaremarathon.org
www.sevensistersdeweybeach.com
For those who do not wish to pay the online administrative fee you will be able to print out a universal entry to enter these two races. Plus the Delaware Running Co. is gracious enough to let folks drop off entries to their store. We do plan on sending out electronic e-mail post cards to our e-list as a save the date notice. We will have a enlarged post card advertising the event at our local races and other events in the area. So if you see less paper on our entry form table just think of all the trees we will be saving. I hope.

Will you be there?

2009-07-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have been timing the Newark Turkey Trot for years. One of Delaware's oldest road races it will celebrate its 36th year come this November. It use to be a 10k only and about ten years ago (maybe longer) I suggested they add a 5k. Bingo. The race started to grow and last year over 1000 runners and walkers participated. Last year entry fees were $15 pre and $20 day of event. If you wanted to run both the 10k and the 5k cost was $25 which I believe is reasonable. A friend of mine handed me an article that was in the Wilmington News Journal with headlines, "Newark recreation fees going up." Seems that City Manager Kyle Sonneberg believes he can bring in more than $50,000 extra with increased fees. Here is one example of what he has in mind. Turkey Trot fees go from $15 pre registration to $62 for Newark residents and $82 for non residents. What City Council agreed upon was that entry fees will continue to go up the next four years instead of all at once. with fee increases limited to a 25% increase for residents and a 33% increase for non residents. I have no idea at this time what they plan on charging for day of registration. With entry fees for a 10k / 5k at $62 and $82 how many runners walkers do you think will attend? One of Delaware's oldest road races may just become one of Delaware's most expensive. Will you be there?

It's about time......

2009-07-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

There is so much history in Delaware road racing. Not only for those who run but for folks like me who organize and time these events. I remember the first event I timed in 1977. We handed out numbered popsicle sticks to each finisher who would then have to go to the scorers table and tell them who they were and the scorer would fill in the blanks for awards. Soon enough I started using tear off tag race numbers. I would post these tags on score boards that I make up. I would use the DE Sports Club Chronomix timer which would print out times and places. Soon enough I bought a Seiko timer that did the same thing but was the size of a remote control that you use for your t.v. I started to computerize my events and soon enough I bought a Time Machine that would allow me to down load times into my soft ware rather than doing so by hand. So what is the next step. Chip timing? Yes. I am getting into the chip timing business. I have invested in the IPICO chip timing system which I believe is an affordable way to time our races. I have a business partner Ed Hartwell who will be handling this for me. Our new partnership will be called EdJah Chip Timing. A division of races2run. Both Ed and I are very excited about this new venture. We will not be timing all races2run events but I do hope to time many of them. The cost for a lost chip is only $3.50. Entry fees that have been at $16 pre and $20 day of will go to $18 pre and $22 day of event IF using the chip. If timing by hand fees will stay the same. We hope to be up and running by mid August. You will not see an increase in entry fees till Dec. of 2009. I continue to be amazed at the technology involved in scoring road races. I guess I could always go back to the popsicle sticks if all else fails.

Tour de France....Tour de Lance

2009-07-17T03:51:00.001-07:00

I am not much of a biker......hate riding the roads with cars and trucks. Spinning class is more my style. I must admit.....I do love watching the Tour de France in HD. The country side these guys ride is beautiful. They are all super human. And talk about traffic.....the only traffic is the bikers staff and medical in their inked up autos. Cool look if i must say so myself. This is also the time of year when i start getting emails asking when the Tour de Lance 5k will take place. Sad to say we are not having this event this year. Race director Brad Glazier built an event that grew in popularity from day one. But it was just him, his wife and friends who did all the work. Yes...I timed and managed the event but Brad and the gang went out and got sponsors and volunteers. With huge crowds and many sponsors he gave back to the runner more than anyone expected. With the economy in the tank (but getting better) many of the sponsors who helped out with cash donations were just not able to come back this year. After forwarding emails to Brad from those looking to run the 5k Brad has decided to bring back the 5k next August 18th on the Wilmington Riverfront. Promise....it will be worth the wait.

Is there a doctor in the house?

2009-07-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago at one of our 5k events the organization that hired my company told me that they did not want to hire para medics for their 5k due to the cost. Now you have to understand that when I am hired to manage a race the first thing i do is put together a budget estimation so each and every event knows up front what these road races will cost. Under medical I have 2 para medics. Cost $160. My wife Barb handles ALL medical issues for me. She arranges to have para medics at all our events. Especially in the heat of summer. For the City of Wilmington events she deals directly with Cheif Kalanowski of the Wilmington Fire Dept. Emails go back and forth and we get a final email stating which two para medics will be there and at what time. For this event the organization said they had a nurse who could handle medical. Now ....don't get me wrong. This just does not cut it. I told these folks that they ok'ed the budget when they hired us and that a nurse is not going to handle an emergency and would just call 911. They did ok the expense and the para medics were at this event. Wouldn't you know it.....a runner goes down at the finish line with an asthma attack. The nurse standing by watched as the para medics went into action. They put on an oxygen mask to help this person breath and she ended up scared but ok. The nurses comment to me, "thank god the para medics were on hand." With 32 years of experience I can say that things can and do go wrong at a road races and for $160 you just can't justify NOT having para medics there. Like my Barb says...."better to be safe than sorry." BTW....this is my
100th blog and counting.

road trip

2009-07-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

I love it when folks ask how my weekend was......well....lets say busy.
Here is a quick rundown of how I spent my holiday weekend.
Friday at 4 pm I chalked out route for Saturday's Firecracker 5k. Up Sat. morning at 5:30 to meet at Rockford Park for set up of registration. Race starts at 8:30 am.....awards done by 9:45am .....home posting results and photos by noon. 1pm to my garage to load up for Jimmy's Grill 5k in Dewey. Leave Wilm. at 3:30pm. Arrive in Dewey at 5:30pm. Unload groceries in condo and then off to Dewey Beach Liquors to pick up tee shirts, computer label print outs of pre registered runners, and gift certificates for award winners. On way to do this I chalk out route for Sunday's 5k. At Dewey Beach Liquors we load the 6 boxes of tees in my van and head back to our condo at Spring Lake. We count out pre reg shirts and then place labels on race numbers......have dinner with Barb and then watch some Tour de France. Bedtime at 10 pm. Up at 5:15 and out the door by 6:15. We head back to Dewey and on the way we stop to place mile markers and turn around signs on route. Set up is done by 6:45 am and registration opens......race starts at 8 am and 470 runners take off. At 9:05 Barb starts award presentations and I clean up finish line area and re load my vehicle. 10 am we are hanging out at Jimmy's. 10:30am I drop off check to police for their services and then it is finally time to relax and have a beer. Make that beers. A typical weekend in the life of a race director.

Fast times.....

2009-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

We had some fast times at our 5k on Saturday at our 3rd annual Race for Time 5k.
15 male runners ran under 18 minutes. I received emails asking if the course was short. My answer is NO. It is USATF certified and YES they ran the correct route. In fact Doug White who certified the course stopped by Joe's Crab Shack to check the course to make sure they did run the correct route..... and all was ok. Of all the 5k routes on the Riverfront this may be the fastest. Not many turns and there are many nice long straight a ways. When you get over $2500 in gift certificates on the line folks take notice. Our Michelob Ultra Race to the Finish Line Series is going strong. Our participant numbers are way up from a year ago. With the point system many are coming back each series race to try and improve their age group standings. I did receive a nice email from a runner who was at this race that I would like to share with you:

wayne - just wanted you to know that I love the races on the waterfront. Easy to get to, plenty of parking, fast times. this year it was great to be inside the crab shack after the race. I hope the crab shack and iron Hill realize that it provides me an opportunity to check out their place. the crab shack and Iron hill are on my list of places to go when i am in Wilmington. Feel free to pass this on to the crab shack crew.

Always nice to support a sponsor.

Sprint tri at St. Andrews

2009-06-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

For the last 22 years I have spent my Father's Day at St. Andrews School in Middletown for our Sprint triathlon. I did miss one year to run in the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage, Alaska as part of Team in Training. For those not familiar with St. Andrews School it is an exclusive (and expensive) boarding school in Middletown, DE. It is also the site where Robin Williams movie Dead Poet Society was filmed. Back 23 years ago I came up with the idea to stage a triathlon. I thought of St. Andrews because I knew someone who worked there. We got the ok and what a 22 years it has been. The distances are 1/4 mile swim in Noxontown Pond, 16 mile (2-8 mile loops) bike ride and a 3 mile XC run. I like this distance because we get so many first timers and once they do this event they come back year after year. St. Andrews asks us to limit the field to 250 participants which is fine with me and the athletes like the low key approach we take with this event. After 22 years my set up crew have given me notice that they all plan to retire working this event. Thus the rumors that this event would not continue. Let me be the first to tell you.....we received permission from St. Andrews to continue with our event so like they say, "the show will go on." I have a new group that will help with course set up and clean up. One neat story I have to tell you. I got an email from a women who was signed up to do our tri 12 years ago. The doctor told her she could not due due to her pregnancy. So she came back this year and competed with her 12 year old son ....how cool is that.

friendly neighbors

2009-06-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

This will be the third weekend in a row that we use the Bancroft Parkway to Gilpin Ave to Williard to Rockford Park route. St. Anthony's, Kid Shelleen's, and Saturday's Miles for Molly. All 5k's. I live on Bancroft Parkway and know many of my neighbors. I always try and warn them that a run walk is coming.
All say, "no problem....we enjoy watching the parade of runners." Thank goodness! At our DE Marathon not only did we use both sides of Bancroft Parkway as part of our route but we made up distance by running a loop in the residential neighborhood of Wawaset Park which connects to Bancroft Pkwky. I received many emails after the marathon. I would like to share with you one paragraph that a marathon runner emailed to me:

"The course was about as scenic as a city marathon can hope for. I never ran the previous course but this years was very nice. I especially liked the river walk, Brandywine Park, and the residential area with the really nice houses. For what it's worth, the last area had the best fan support by far! "

So many emails like this one.....I purchased a thank you sign that i have placed at entrance to neighborhood. It says, "thank you for your support and enthusiasm," the Delaware Marathon. Wilmington shines once again.

New race series

2009-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

I had a nice meeting with representatives of the American Cancer Society on Tuesday. They asked me about the possibility of staging another race series in the month of August as a fundraiser for the ACS. I explained to them that our Seven Sisters of Dewey Beach and my Michelob Ultra Race to the Finish Line Restaurant series have been both very popular with the runners and walkers. Why? Cause runners like to hang out and relax after a race especially if good eats and a beer are available. With this in mind I was able to work with Bob Ashby owner of McGlynn's Pub and the Deer Park for a 3 race series to be staged in the month of August.

Sunday, August 16th at McGlynn's Pub in People's Plaza in Bear, DE
Saturday, August 22nd at The Deer Park in Newark, DE
Saturday, August 29th at McGlynn's Pub in Dover, De

All events start at 8:30 am. All 3 events will feature Michelob Ultra beer. 5 year age groups scoring top 2 and a gift cards from sponsoring restaurants. Come hungry.....work up a thirst......relax and have fun......Support the American Cancer Society.

A special lady......

2009-06-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

I had an aniversary of sorts today. Thirty years ago this week I staged the first of now 30 St. Anthony's road races. Hard to believe. Back then the race was a
10k with crowds of 600 runners. One of Delaware's largest road races at the time which would be 1980. What you may not realize is that there just were not that many road races to choose from. In fact I would bet that there were more 10k's (called mini marathons) than there were 5k's. Thus the huge crowds at our 10k I decided to make the move to a 5k when high (90 degree) temps hit one year and we had to cart folks off and pack em in ice. Yes......we no longer get the huge crowds at this event but with 250 entrants this year the St. Anthony's Italian Festival continues on. This year was special as our gal Becky Yencharis joined us once again. She is using a walker now but as she approaches 90 years of age she is still able to get around. Her mind is still sharp and she will tell you that "St.Anthony's is where I started my running career 30 years ago." This year she walked about 1/4 mile with an aid at her side. She was almost in tears as the runners cheered her on as she crossed the finish line. A special moment....a special lady.

The morning after.....

2009-06-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was reading a good article in my Road Race Management newsletter written by Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray. Basically what he writes about is how many emails he receives after a big event like Boston. Most are congratulations on a job well done but there are many he receives from runners making complaints about certain aspects of their run and the race. With the internet and emails you just can't put off answering these folks. He makes it a point to answer all emails and explain why things were done certain ways. I have to agree with him. I could not keep up with all the emails I received after our Delaware Marathon. Most were positive but some were from irate runners complaining about certain aspects of our event. I spent a good hour and a half race night answering some of these emails and then spent at least 2 hours Monday morning answering more. This continued most of the week. I have to admit.......many of these emails had very good points. I save these emails in a file so we can do better next year. I was surprised how many runners responded to my emails right away thanking me for getting back to them so fast. The way I look at it is the same way that Dave McGillivray does......."if you don't respond and totally ignore the complaints this just adds insult to injury." Thus the morning after headaches.

Nemours Gardens

2009-06-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we were at the DuPont Hospital for Children to run on the grounds of Nemours Museum and Gardens for the Inaugural Hear We Go 5k. With 205 pre registered runners and walkers I knew we were in for a nice race day crowd. But could success also bring problems. YES. The route that we use on the property of Nemours (which is gated) can not really handle a crowd of over 200. Why? Here are some of the reasons:
1. roads are very narrow
2. walkers and those pushing strollers getting in the way of runners
3. not allowed to use field chalk to mark out course
4. have 30 volunteers on route for a loop and a half course
5. no one allowed on the grounds due to liability insurance with out a race number
We have a biker leading the lead runners on route but this is not enough. Some runners did not hear the volunteer or see the bright yellow signs in the ground that we had posted that said straight first loop.....go right second loop to finish. And the walkers with strollers were taking up the narrow roads making it impossible for the runners to keep pace. We only use this route for one other event. The Ronald McDonald House of DE 5k. The Ron McD 5k committee has already decided that we will not be using this route next year due to these issues. As for Hear We Go 5k. We do plan on using this course next year but will make two major changes:
1. Runners start at 10 am
2. Non competitive walk starts at 10:45 am and only a 2 mile walk.
This will make for a much better event so all those on property can enjoy their run and walk.

Time flies.....

2009-05-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

They say, "Time flies when your having fun." I am not sure I can use that line but it is hard to believe that 6 weeks today I had my hip replacement surgery. I went to see my surgeon on Tuesday. They took an x-ray and I got to admit it was pretty cool to see my new hip on the screen. But the best news was when my surgeon (Dr. Steve Dellose) said, "ok wayno....time to get on with your life." "Start hitting golf balls, start going to hot yoga, start walking, but NO running." OK....so I went to my first hot yoga class in 7 weeks. I was thrilled with how much I could do. I would say 95% of the exercises I could handle. Of all the exercise I do the one that tires me out the most is walking. I can handle a half hour on the stationary bike or the EFX machine but walking 3 blocks beats me up. I still have a bit of a limp but that will go away in time. The hardest thing for me to do now is rest. Like they say....day at a time. I am thrilled to be back at the races working the chutes setting up the routes and just being me.....the guy with no more pain.

Beach weekend

2009-05-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

Our first 5k in Bethany took place on Saturday. The weather cooperated and we had a really nice turnout for our inaugural 5k for the JWJ Fdn. The Bethany Police Dept were a pleasure to work with as were the volunteers. Doug White measured out a nice two loop route which was of course fast and flat. On Memorial Day we were back in Dewey for our 7th Rusty Rudder 5k held in Ruddertown. We had 225 pre entries and 315 sign ups race morning. The 540 finisher total was the largest 5k in Seven Sister history. Yes....we ran out of beer but still all had a great time. I always enjoy heading to the beach for my work. At the Rusty Rudder 5k it was like a homecoming for Barb and I. We get to see all our friends who we have not seen since last seasons series. Talking about series......JR Ward who is handling the series updates and I have come up with a point system ranking for age groups. First place in age group gets 10 points, second place 9 points, all the way to 1 point for showing up. This way the faster runners don't always win and this gives the folks who run all the events a better chance to place in overall standings. Most points win. We have also changed our Michelob Ultra Race to the Finish Line Series to point system standings. June 14th at North Beach is our next beach run. The Inaugural Outlet Liquors 5k. Also, a new 5k we have picked up is the Inaugural Greene Turtle Lewes 5k on Sunday, August 23rd. This event is also part of our Michelob Ultra Series. Come thirsty!