ROSE CITY RUNNERS CLUB PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE PAGE   <-Club President Cande Olsen with Bill Walsh

President's Column - Cande Olsen

Now that we are into the hot summer months, and there is a lull in the USATF and marathon race schedule, we look forward to some alternative competitive running activities – the Interclub Challenge on Sunday, July 11 and the River to Sea Relay on Saturday, July 31.  (See Program Director Vivian Wilson’s column for details).   Each of these events offers an opportunity to mix runners of different ages, genders and skills in one race.

In the Interclub Challenge, the older age groups start the 3 mile race first.  This gives the older runners an opportunity to win the race, and the younger runners an even bigger challenge since they have to beat the older runners who have had a head start!  Then the results are tallied up by running club for an overall age-adjusted winning running club!     River to Sea Relay Team 2006-->

In the River to Sea Relay, teams with the slowest runners and the highest expected finishing times start the 92 miles across NJ first, giving them an opportunity to beat the faster teams, and giving the fasters team a bigger challenge.  This is always a very hot, very long day.  Some people say it is the longest, hottest, most tiring event they have ever participated in and that they would NEVER do it again!  Others say that the teamwork involved gets their adrenalin going and the 12 or so hours of running just whizzes by - despite living on power bars and Gatorade, and spending the day in close quarters with several other sweaty team members!  This year’s team - the Rose City Allstars – is very excited about the event.  In fact three team members have done it several times before.  We anxiously await their race report!