News

Please join us in a service of remembrance for Florida Track Club member, Board of Directors member, and beloved training partner, Steven Detweiler on Sunday, March 6th at 4PM at the Baughman Center on the campus of the University of Florida.  Contact Betsy Suda (esuda@chem.ufl.edu) if you would like to speak a few words.  All are welcome.

Join us for our next monthly meeting on March 14th!  We have the honor of hosting two former professional runners and current FTC members: Luke and Georganne Watson!  Luke ran collegiately at the University of Notre Dame and professionally for Adidas.  He qualified for and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3k Steeple, 5k, and the Marathon (2004, 2008, and 2012).  Georganne competed for the University of Kentucky and professionally for Brooks in the 800 meters.  Luke and Georganne now work at UF in the accounting department and are the parents of two young children.  Come hear their stories about training, competing, and now running for enjoyment and the exciting goals they are currently chasing! 

They dates are now available for the 43rd Annual Florida Track Club 2016 Junior Champs Summer Track, Field and Running Program!

Time: 8:30am - 10:30am daily (Weather Permitting)

When:

Week 1	June 13 - June 17
Week 2	June 20 - June 24
Week 3	June 27 - July 1
Week 4	July 4 - July 8
Week 5	July 11 - July 15

Where: Kiwanis Challenge Track

Contact: Coach Joel Dunphy 352-375-3064

View the Registration Form for more information.

The Florida Track Club will provide half and full marathon pacers for the 2016 Five Points of Life race weekend for several popular finish time goals.

More information about the Five Points Race Weekend is available here. 

Now you can get to know your fellow FTC members who have donated their time to help pace fellow runners:

Half Marathon

Drew Kieszek – 1:30 Half Marathon Finish

Drew started running to get in shape just over 3 years ago when he was 225lbs and tired of not being able to keep up with his wife and kids on simple walks through the neighborhood. He began with a simple couch to 5k run/walk program. Four months later he became addicted to running, lost 30 lbs, and raced his first 5K. Today he weighs in around 160lbs and has raced ten 5Ks, two 10Ks, two 15Ks, four half marathons, two full marathons, and logged over 6000 miles running. Last February he qualified for the 2016 Boston Marathon at the Five Points of Life Marathon. He looks forward to encouraging others to reach their goals while pacing.

Richard Garand – 1:45 Half Marathon Finish

Richard is a recent veteran of five marathons and countless half marathons. His favorite race distance is the 15K. He is a member of Florida Track Club, The Running Man Club and organizes a weekly trail run every Sunday. He is enthusiastic but not fanatic about running, and loves to meet new runners to hear their stories. His favorite movie is Rochelle Rochelle and he dislikes writing in third person.

Jay Peacock – 2:00 Half Marathon Finish

Jay started running as a high school cross country team member in 1978 and has been an active runner on and off since. A Gainesville resident since 1996 and an employee of UF Health, he enjoys running around town and training for triathlons. He has completed seven full marathons and many shorter races over the years. 2016 will be his third year as a pacer for the Five Points of Life Marathon / Half Marathon.

Rebecca Roueche – Galloway - 2:15 Half Marathon Finish

Rebecca is a 25 year old from Jacksonville native. She has been running for 4 years and greatly enjoys watching her race times improve! She recently completed the Goofy Challenge at Disney, has ran about twelve half marathons (PR 2:00), a few full marathons (PR 5:11) and a 50K trail race. She enjoys pacing friends through their training runs and is looking forward to her experience as a Five Points of Life Pacer!

Jessica Conde – 2:30 Half Marathon Finish

Jessica has been running on and off since high school, but did not run a half marathon until 2008 when she entered the Tom Walker Half (on a whim) to run with her daughter. She had no training and was one of the last finishers. The next year she successfully improved her time by 40 minutes. She has ran an additional five half marathons and one full marathon since having her third child. Her career highlight is breaking the 2 hour mark in the 2013 Five Points Half with the help of the FTC pace crew. She looks forward to helping others achieve their racing goals through serving as a pacer.

Sarah Russo – Galloway - 2:45 Half Marathon Finish

Sarah is an Ann Arbor Michigan native, and has been living in Gainesville since 2004. She has been running for 34 years, starting with her junior high track team. She has run 13 marathons, and numerous half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks along the way. Her marathon PR is 3:37 which carried her to Boston in 2001. As a two time cancer survivor, she’s a bit slower, but still running!

Elizabeth Hanselman – Galloway - 3:00 Half Marathon

Ten years after being told she could not do anything "strenuous" due to herniated discs, Elizabeth Hanselman ran the New York City Marathon in 1981. Since then she wisely moved to the Sunshine State in 1994 where she continued to run but without any real consistency. In 2010 she joined the Gainesville Galloway Group and a year later became its Program Director advocating the Galloway Run/Walk/Run® approach. Currently President of the Florida Track Club, Elizabeth aims to be the example of a very fit senior and looks forward to helping first-time half marathoners reach the 3-hour mark by using a :30/:30 ratio (that is running for 30 seconds followed by a 30-second walk break) .

Marathon

John Davis – 3:30 Marathon Finish

John enjoys pacing to help others meet their running goals. He focuses on staying positive and consistent, so that other runners can focus on their own performance! He has eight marathons (PR 3:15, twice!) and several half marathons (PR 1:34) under his belt, and has served as a Five Points of Life pacer for the past two years.

Joshua Starnes – 3:30 Marathon Finish

Joshua is a 27 year old Sunshine State original from Jacksonville, Fl. When he’s not training, you can find him saving lives at the local Trauma Center or at Santa Fe College where he attends the Registered Nursing Program. He’s been running for over 10 years but mostly on the short course venues. For the past five years he’s been a multisport athlete, adding time to swim and bike. His list of race accomplishments includes a one mile PR of 4:06, 5K PR of 15:56, finishing an Ironman, and representing the USA at the World Stage in the 2015 Duathlon Long Course World Championships in Switzerland. He is grateful to all who have encouraged and supported him along the way and is now giving back by pacing friends through their training and serving as a Five Points of Life Pacer. He looks forward every opportunity to extend words of encouragement to total strangers and friends alike who are trying to make their goals possible.

Shannon Hays – 4:00 Marathon Finish

Shannon Hays is a high school cross country and track coach at Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, Georgia. Her cross country team was state runner-up in class 5A in 2015. She is pacing the 4:00 group with the experience of 76 marathons, having 4:00 pacing experience at such marathons as the RnR Savannah Marathon and Charleston Marathon and a sub four hour marathon in 45 states. She was runner-up best frequent marathon runner in the US in 2011 when she ran 24 sub four hour marathons in 24 states with a 3:43 average.

Soren Brockdorf – 4:15 Marathon Finish

Soren is a certified Public Accountant by day and a full out marathoner and triathlete on weekends. Though he ran when he was younger, he didn’t really pick it back up until 2014. He has made one attempt at qualifying for Boston since, coming up short by 4 minutes. After tax season he plans to get back to full training with hopes to make Boston in 2016, adding in 4 marathons, 2 Ironmans, and 6 Olympic or Sprint Triathlons to his training/racing schedule.

Srinivas Rao – 4:30 Marathon Finish

Srinivas believes he has transformed from an atypical runner by developing his art of running over the last few months. He attributes his growth to the guidance of Rick Swanson and friends in Asha Gators Running Club. He never misses a weekly run and has prospered from his consistency in training. When he’s not running, he enjoys hiking trails with the UF Adventure Club.

Vijaya Somu – 4:30 Marathon Finish

Vijaya is a graduate student in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. A Gainesville resident since 2010, he is a native of South India. He enjoys volunteering and running with the Asha Gators Running Club. When he’s not running, he loves hiking, international backpacking and reading books.

Anand Patil – 5:00 Marathon Finish

Anand is from Aurangabad, India, and has been enjoying Gainesville as his home for the past 6 years. He was never an athlete in his earlier years as strenuous activities didn’t come naturally. He’s turned that around in the past few years, after joining the Asha Gators Running Club in 2012. Now he’s hooked! Just 4 years later he has completed 10 Half Marathons, 7 Marathons, a 50K and numerous shorter distances. He’s thankful for the local running community for all of their support along the way (FTC, Team Asha, etc.). He feels it’s his turn to help other runners achieve their goal, so serving once again as a pacer for the Five Points of Life Marathon.

Keith Singleton – Galloway - 5:15 Marathon Finish

Keith started running 4 years ago after he saw how much fun his wife and kids were having doing 5Ks together. Since then he has participated in a number of running events including eleven half marathons and two full marathons (the last being part of the Goofy and Dopey Challenges at Disney World). He attributes running together as the reason why his family is so close. He really enjoys pacing with his wife for long distances and with his kids for shorter races.

Angela Singleton – Galloway - 5:30 Marathon Finish

Angela began running in junior high to improve endurance on the tennis court, and simply never stopped. She completed her first half and full marathons several years later, after becoming a mother. With three Ragnar Relays, four Goofy Challenges, a Dopey Challenge, seven full marathons, over 50 half marathons, and a few triathlons/duathlons under her belt, she uses her experience to encourage others to pursue their running and fitness goals by leading a local chapter of Moms Run THIS Town/She Runs THIS Town, supporting/directing the US Road Running Ambassador Program, directing the Five Points of Life Pace Team, and volunteering at races. One of her favorite race activities, however, is to pace. Her pacing experience includes Five Points of Life in Gainesville, FL (4 years straight), Disney Half Marathon, Treasure Coast Half Marathon in Stuart, FL, and Shipyard’s Portland Half in Portland, ME.

Take the bus and leave the driving to us!

All FTC members in good standing have the option of taking the FTC bus to this year's Gate River Run. No hotel expense, no parking issues, no hassles on race day. The bus parks right near packet pickup and you can safely leave your things on the bus while you race.

Here is the link! tinyurl.com/ftcgate2016. Just make sure you choose the "day of race" packet pickup option (cost $5.00) when you register for the race.

We are very excited to announce that the Florida Track Club is sponsoring The Frank Shorter Mile on January 1st, 2016!  Come join us for your first race of the new year!

Race details:

*full mile on fast/flat road course

*one heat for both men and women

*start time is 12noon - plenty of time to sleep off NYE festivities!

*race headquarters at Crafty B'astards Restaurant and Pub (post race party!)

*pre-race coffee and snacks provided by Barre Forte

*course starts by heading straight down NW 51st Drive, then takes a left into Huntington neighborhood, ending right before you hit NW 39th.

*timing by Start 2 Finish Race Management (thank you, Jonathan!)

*CASH PRIZES for top three male and female finishers ($200, $100, $50)

*CHAMPAGNE for age group winners

*FREE Kids Run "Mustache Dash" around Magnolia Parke

*running gloves for preregistered runners!

*****online registration and day of registration only!***

*$20/$25 preregistration for FTC/non-FTC members until 12/25

*packet pickup at Gainesville Running and Walking on 12/30 and 12/31

See you on the first!

FTC members get a $5 discount when registering:https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Gainesville/FloridaTrackClubpresentsShorter1MileRace# 

Until October 17th entry fees for the Tom Walker Memorial Half Marathon are only $30 for FTC members and $35 for non-members.  After that date the entry fees increase by $5.  Sign up now before the rate increase!

We are excited to announce that the FTC Tom Walker Half Marathon will be partnering with the ChORD Half Marathon this year to provide the Half Crazy Challenge. Anyone that runs both races will receive a commemorative wine glass! 

October 17th - ChORD Half Marathon

Novemeber 14th - Tom Walker Half Marathon

Florida Track Club Race Scholarship

Goal: To financially support athletes within the Florida Track Club when representing the Club at races.

 

Moneys

Total Funds: $500 allotted biannually ($1000 per year)

Maximum allotment per individual per term: $100-250 (Recipients per term: 2-5)

Maximum allotment per individual per year: $250

Timeline       Each applicant may submit one (1) application per bi-annual term. The application must be submitted by 11:59 pm on November 1^st, for races in January through June and by 11:59 pm on May 1^st for races in July through December. The application includes a Questionnaire Form and a Budget Form. The applicant will be notified approximately two weeks after each deadline.

Reimbursement      The travel grant will be used to cover racing fees, transportation, and lodging. Other expenses, such as meals, souvenirs, etc. will not be reimbursed. The recipient of the award must keep all itemized receipts. After the event, they must fill out the reimbursement spreadsheet and submit all receipts through email to thefloridatrackclub@gmail.com. The awarded amount indicated prior to travel is the maximum amount the recipient will be reimbursed. If the individual doesn’t submit receipts they will receive $0.

Transportation        Plane fare can be reimbursed as long as the total funds for the trip do not exceed the allotment per individual per term ($100-250). Gas receipts from en route travel days and MapQuest/GoogleMap (etc.) directions to and from race will suffice for reimbursement.

 

Lodging         Lodging expenses can be reimbursed as long as the total funds for the trip do not exceed the allotment per individual per term ($100-250).

Expectations   If receiving a sponsorship, the participant is expected to:

1) Give an oral race report at a FTC meeting within 6 months of the event

2) Deliver a written race report  submitted to [Betsy]  for the FTC newsletter within 1 month of the event

3) Represent the Florida Track Club! Submit a photo wearing the Florida Track Club singlet at the race.

Review

The application will be reviewed based on the following characteristics:

1) Active membership in FTC

2) The applicant’s prior service and involvement within the FTC and the Gainesville running community

3) The significance of this race to the individual

4) Competitive potential

5) Financial needs of participant

FTC 2015 Running Scholarship Application

 

Name:

 

Email:

 

Phone:

Are you an active member of FTC? If so, how long have you been a member?

What other activities (especially fitness, running, and community service related) you are involved in, within the community and the state?

What are your running goals for this race, this season, and long term?

Please share why you would like to run this race and how the funds from FTC are important.

Are you willing to do an oral (within 6 months of event) and written race report (1 month following event) and wear the FTC singlet for a photo at the race?

 

Budget Spreadsheet (Application)

Applicant Name	1	(name)
Race Name	2	(Race name)
Date(s) of Race	3	(MM/DD/YY)
Dates(s) of Travel	4	(MM/DD/YY)
Location of Race	5	(Anywhere,USA)
Race Entry Fee	6	$
Mode of Transportation	7	(Car/plane/running)
Approximated Distance	8	(x miles)
Approximated Travel Cost	9	$
Expected Accommodations	10	(Friends/family/Hotel
Approximated Lodging Cost	11	$
Notes	12
Total race cost	13	#VALUE!

Calling all artistically inclined runners!  We are offering a free race entry including a race T-shirt for the winning 2015 Tom Walker Half Marathon T-Shirt design.  Bonus points for images that include a buffalo (bison) or some other theme that ties in Paynes Prarie.    Please submit your entry to jay.peacock3@gmail.com by October 1^st.