Gate River Run 15K/5K

March 10

Jacksonville, FL

Tobacco Road Marathon/

Half Marathon 

March 18 Cary, NC

Germantown Half

Marathon/5K March 18

Germantown, TN

NC Half Marathon at

Charlotte Motor Speedway

March 25 Concord, NC

Georgia Ultrarunning &

Trailrunning Society

For schedule of upcoming

 events, click on logo above

Race to Stop the Silence 8K

April 29 Washington, DC

Big Peach 5K Run/Walk

May 5 Atlanta, GA

Run/Walk To Break The Silence On Ovarian Cancer 5K/1mile

May 12 Reston, VA

Divas Half Marathon

May 20

North Myrtle Beach, SC

Cotton Row 10K/5K

May 28 Huntsville, AL

Amica Insurance Seattle

Marathon/Half Marathon

Nov. 25 Seattle, WA

Race Directors

If you are interested in having your race become a Featured Event on the RJ website and this newsletter or want information on advertising in our print issue:

  Email:

rj@running.net  

Spring is almost here and that means lots of road races on the schedule. If you are a new runner, we encourage you to find a race to run. Road races are fun and a great way to make new running friends. Chances are you'll be like so many other runners, once you run your first race, you'll be hooked!

It's easy to find a race in the Running Journal race calendar, click here and get ready to run.

If you're looking for a new pair of running shoes, you don't want to miss the Spring Shoe Review from the Running Network's expert shoe reviewer, Cregg Weinmann, in the March issue of Running Journal. There is also coverage of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, along with more articles, features, race results, and our comprehensive race calendar!

If you are not currently a subscriber to Running Journal, see the special offer at the end of this newsletter and subscribe today!

Who will cross the finish line first - a male or female runner? That's a big question at the forthcoming Gate River Run 15K to be held March 10 at Jacksonville, FL.

The women are to be given a seven minute head start and an "Equalizer Bonus" of $5,000 will be given to the first person to cross the finish line - male or female. That bonus goes along with the first place gender prize of $12,000.

The guys will be chasing the girls, for sure, and the girls don't want to get caught.

Local running stores need your support. Store owners are invested in the running community with real money. Recently, a local running store in Winston-Salem, NC, closed. Factors included larger store competition and cyber-shopping. Owners and employees of running stores are involved in the local running community and deserve your support. Local store personnel can give good advice, make sure you get a proper fit, and provide running encouragement in many ways.

Bobby Mack of Raleigh, NC, was the winner of the USA Cross Country Championship in St. Louis Feb. 11. Mack made his move on the final hill and won by 10 seconds in 35:42. Liz Costello of Knoxville, TN, was third in the Senior Women's 8K in 27:18. Margaret Drazba of St. Mary's, WV, was second in the Junior Women's 6K in 21:08.

How many days in a row have you been running? The United States Running Streak Association (http://runeveryday.com) is a membership organization that keeps track of those stats through member participation. There are quite a few southern runners in the lists, including Jon A. Simpson, 73, of Memphis, TN, who started his streak on Aug. 30, 1971; Robert R. Kraft, 61, of Miami Beach, FL, who began Jan. 1, 1975; and James Behr, 64, of Trinity, FL, who began March 19, 1975. Barbara S. Latta, 70, of Raleigh, NC, is the top female, having started her running streak on Dec. 5, 1983. An active husband and wife team are Bill and Ruth Gorman of Belleview, FL, both of whom started their daily streak on Dec. 8, 2008. The national leader is Mark Covert, 61, of Lancaster, CA, who began his streak on July 23, 1968. (Note: We would like to hear from runners participating in the running streak competition. Email us at Bruce.Morrison@Running.Net and give some comments on your streak.)

Wake Forest Area Runners club has been added to the list of running clubs on the Running Journal website. The new North Carolina club has a primary goal to enhance the local running community by "organizing and hosting group runs and bringing area runners into contact with each other, building the camaraderie associated with our sport. Our socializing will further develop the knowledge and benefits of running for our members while sparking an interest in those around us that do not already share in the joy and ecstasy of our enduring footfall upon the ground."

Effort counts - A French study shows that seniors who walk fast are three times less likely to die of heart-related diseases than seniors who walk slowly. Over 3,000 seniors between 65-85 were tested.

Bruce Davis, newsletter editor of the Peninsula Track Club in Virginia mentioned a familiar "obstacle" in his "The End of the Chute" newsletter - Newton's First Law: "An object at rest tends to remain at rest and an object in motion tends to remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force." Bruce's point was to get more active a person has to "overcome inertia."

Love2Run is a new running store in Dothan, AL, under the ownership of Amie Wiley. The store is on Westgate Parkway.

Old Daytona Beach race. Paul Riefberg, who has been seeking results of a few old marathons, is also seeking complete results of the 4-mile Easter Beach Run held March 29, 1970 at Daytona Beach. Interesting event - it was held at low tide, when the sand is at its firmest, and the entry fee was 75 cents. There were 95 finishers. The Daytona Beach News Journal listed the top 10 finishers, plus a few local residents, and Riefberg said the man who headed up the race is deceased. Anyone know how to get those results? If so, respond to Riefberg at priefberg@gmail.com.

The Knoxville (TN) Track Club is among the top ten largest clubs in the U.S. and will be featured in the April issue of Running Journal. The club encourages life-long physical well-being through running and walking. Its youth program provides year-round track & field and cross country events. Website: http://www.ktc.org

Today's thought: -- Thanks to all volunteers.  You make the races possible.

Here are some volunteers to salute as representatives of volunteers across the South:

Bethany Harry and Er Ralston were named Volunteers of the Year by the Twin City Track Club of Winston-Salem, NC.

Dana Stetson was named Volunteer of the Year of the Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, FL.

Carl Smith of the Huntsville (AL) Track Club was nominated by his club as its nominee for the RRCA Rod Steele Outstanding Volunteer in the Nation Award.

Note to race directors - Check the Running Journal calendar or email us to see if we know of other nearby races on a specific date. Setting your race date is important and you need to avoid the same date as a nearby race. Check with running clubs and running stores in your region. You can get a list of clubs and stores by clicking the "Resources" listing on the Running Journal website (http://Running.Net).

Send news items, suggestions, and questions to RJ@Running.Net.

 Why Do You Run?

 By Bryan Graydon

 Why do you run? How many times have you been asked that one? When I am out to dinner with friends on a Saturday evening and pass on that second beer because I have to run in the morning, they look at me funny and ask, "Why do you run?" When I tell people I go to bed at 9:00pm so I can get up at 3:15am to run, I always get asked, "Why do you run?" I often think of the self-induced torture I put myself through in those wee hours of the morning and I look in the mirror and ask, "Why do you run?" Click here for the rest of the article.

Charles Futrell is oldest known Duathlete

Futrell participated in the sprint distance event of the Florida Duathlon Festival, competing in a 5K run, 10 mile bike, and one mile run. Click here for the rest of the story.

Don't forget to send information on your race for the print and online Running Journal Race Calender. It's easy to list your event. Click here to submit your race details to our race calendar today.