2005 HEB Texas 10K Challenge: My Thoughts
On Saturday morning at San Marcos' Country Roads 10K, there were lots of happy individuals of over the 100 finishers. But eight (8) of the runners were especially thrilled that they had the opportunity to complete something - running five (5) set 10K's around the state.
They had a great time and had gotten to know one another as they kept seeing everyone at various races, especially a handful that weren't as well attended as the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run or the Challenge's first race, the Bayou City Classic 10K. They were also disappointed that two runners from Sugar Land, John and Ryan DiMarco, weren't able to complete the Challenge because of a conflict.
One of the runners, 69-year-old Richard Kerr from Houston, had completed the Challenge in each of the three years of its existence. Some of the runners expressed having a great time seeing some parts of the state that they might not have. Houston-area runner Eddie Espinosa indicated that he and his wife, Julie, would spend a weekend and try to find one of the state's wineries in each location.
Another runner, 51-year-old Mark Ezekiel of Houston, had flown in from Europe on Saturday to do a race on Sunday and then flew back to Europe for work on Monday! (Boys and girls that is even crazier than anything that I've done so far!)
Unlike Roger Soler's Texas Marathon Challenge and Paula Robertson's Love the Half Challenge, the HEB Texas 10K Challenge had a fixed finish. The 5 races, like the original Texas Marathon Challenge, were set. You have to complete all of them and report your results. What do these folks get in appreciation for their efforts? Hmmm .... they don't know for sure.
It would have been nice for somebody involved with the Challenge to have made the drive to San Marcos to congratulate them in person, take a picture and truly thank them for taking part of the Challenge! This instead of a 38-year-old semi-journalist/semi-promoter/semi-publicist driving 2:45 early on a Saturday morning, running the event, telling SMRC president David Alexander what I was doing and asking to make an announcement so that I could get a picture.
In fact, some of the races didn't even know that they were part of the Texas 10K Challenge!
John DiMarco said that the Fort Worth Running Club wasn't aware and I personally spoke with the leadership of the San Marcos Running Club on Saturday and they said that they had stumbled on to it searching via the Internet. Brenham runners Calvin and Joyce Stout said they would have participated in it had they known more about it! (And Calvin and Joyce drive everywhere!)
I had written Pamela Willmon of the Bayou City Classic on December 28, 2004 to see if I could confirm the individuals that had completed the Challenge. Pamela's response the next day was: "Approx. 50 signed up for the Challenge initially but only seven were able to make all races and be classified as "finishers". We are planning to give the event another shot in 2005 and see if it attracts more interest."
Well, 7 last year. Eight (8) this year and almost 10!
This thing will work, but you have to work at it! But if you expect to just post something on the Internet, expect people to flock to it and never do any active promoting, it'll never go anywhere!
Many of the individuals found out about it AFTER running the Bayou City Classic 10K in March.
I should have NEVER had to have written to find out who the finishers were for 2004! The organizers should have had a listing out to every possible media outlet, including Runner Triathlete News and Inside Texas Running. Quite frankly, this isn't rocket science!
BUT I have a passion for the sport and a soft spot (and quite honestly a love) in promoting and recognizing people for their accomplishments!
Since the Bayou City Classic 10K is a HARRA event, HARRA quite frankly should do a better job in promoting this thing ... not just a HARRA member like myself.
The link that I built for the "Unofficial" results (http://www.walksports.com/2005heb10kchallengeresults.htm) should have been being maintained by the organizers through the HARRA website with a prominent link! On the Bayou City Classic 10K web site, the link isn't featured prominently.
Consider this. The Texas Marathon Challenge, which has a fee involved, had 50 or so finishers to run any five (5) Texas marathons or greater. The "Love The Half" Texas Challenge, which also has a fee, had almost 200 runners to run five (5) or more Texas half marathons or greater.
The HEB Texas 10K Challenge, which is free and has five (5) set races, had 8!
It is a great concept. It is just a shame to see it wasted!
They had a great time and had gotten to know one another as they kept seeing everyone at various races, especially a handful that weren't as well attended as the ConocoPhillips Rodeo Run or the Challenge's first race, the Bayou City Classic 10K. They were also disappointed that two runners from Sugar Land, John and Ryan DiMarco, weren't able to complete the Challenge because of a conflict.
One of the runners, 69-year-old Richard Kerr from Houston, had completed the Challenge in each of the three years of its existence. Some of the runners expressed having a great time seeing some parts of the state that they might not have. Houston-area runner Eddie Espinosa indicated that he and his wife, Julie, would spend a weekend and try to find one of the state's wineries in each location.
Another runner, 51-year-old Mark Ezekiel of Houston, had flown in from Europe on Saturday to do a race on Sunday and then flew back to Europe for work on Monday! (Boys and girls that is even crazier than anything that I've done so far!)
Unlike Roger Soler's Texas Marathon Challenge and Paula Robertson's Love the Half Challenge, the HEB Texas 10K Challenge had a fixed finish. The 5 races, like the original Texas Marathon Challenge, were set. You have to complete all of them and report your results. What do these folks get in appreciation for their efforts? Hmmm .... they don't know for sure.
It would have been nice for somebody involved with the Challenge to have made the drive to San Marcos to congratulate them in person, take a picture and truly thank them for taking part of the Challenge! This instead of a 38-year-old semi-journalist/semi-promoter/semi-publicist driving 2:45 early on a Saturday morning, running the event, telling SMRC president David Alexander what I was doing and asking to make an announcement so that I could get a picture.
In fact, some of the races didn't even know that they were part of the Texas 10K Challenge!
John DiMarco said that the Fort Worth Running Club wasn't aware and I personally spoke with the leadership of the San Marcos Running Club on Saturday and they said that they had stumbled on to it searching via the Internet. Brenham runners Calvin and Joyce Stout said they would have participated in it had they known more about it! (And Calvin and Joyce drive everywhere!)
I had written Pamela Willmon of the Bayou City Classic on December 28, 2004 to see if I could confirm the individuals that had completed the Challenge. Pamela's response the next day was: "Approx. 50 signed up for the Challenge initially but only seven were able to make all races and be classified as "finishers". We are planning to give the event another shot in 2005 and see if it attracts more interest."
Well, 7 last year. Eight (8) this year and almost 10!
This thing will work, but you have to work at it! But if you expect to just post something on the Internet, expect people to flock to it and never do any active promoting, it'll never go anywhere!
Many of the individuals found out about it AFTER running the Bayou City Classic 10K in March.
I should have NEVER had to have written to find out who the finishers were for 2004! The organizers should have had a listing out to every possible media outlet, including Runner Triathlete News and Inside Texas Running. Quite frankly, this isn't rocket science!
BUT I have a passion for the sport and a soft spot (and quite honestly a love) in promoting and recognizing people for their accomplishments!
Since the Bayou City Classic 10K is a HARRA event, HARRA quite frankly should do a better job in promoting this thing ... not just a HARRA member like myself.
The link that I built for the "Unofficial" results (http://www.walksports.com/2005heb10kchallengeresults.htm) should have been being maintained by the organizers through the HARRA website with a prominent link! On the Bayou City Classic 10K web site, the link isn't featured prominently.
Consider this. The Texas Marathon Challenge, which has a fee involved, had 50 or so finishers to run any five (5) Texas marathons or greater. The "Love The Half" Texas Challenge, which also has a fee, had almost 200 runners to run five (5) or more Texas half marathons or greater.
The HEB Texas 10K Challenge, which is free and has five (5) set races, had 8!
It is a great concept. It is just a shame to see it wasted!
posted by WalkSports.com | 11:50 PM
1 Comments:
Jon,
Please email this bog entry to the President of HARRA. HARRA either needs to get serious about the 10k challenge or drop it. It's pretty embarassing the way it currently stands.
Steve
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