GWTC 30K/15K Wrap-up Report!

As we wrap up the remaining issues of closing out the 30k/15k races held last weekend, one of the items on our list is to thank the runners and volunteers for getting out of their warm beds, year after year, to drive all the way to the Retreat at Bradley’s Pond and run a very difficult race or volunteer in below freezing temperatures!  We have now directed this race for eight years, and no two years have been alike.  Whether it is a deer getting caught in a fence, runners crossing the finish line with icicles in their hair, waking up to pouring rain, or realizing after the race started that the awards were left in our garage -- each year is unique, challenging, and full of great memories!

Thanks to the superlative job done by the early morning parking crew of Dick Dowdy, Bill Hunter, Kevin O’Donnell and Alan Johansen. Special recognition goes out to Bill Hunter and Dick Dowdy for not only parking cars starting at 6:30 a.m. - but also manning a water stop at the last moment when some volunteers did not show. Over and beyond the call of duty - Dick, after parking cars and assisting at a water table on short notice, then proceeded to help at the finish line for the duration of the race! Extra special recognition goes out to Alan Johansen for starting the fire at the race finish and especially for getting Jerry's butt out of the potential doghouse by driving almost 40 miles at the last moment to retrieve forgotten race awards!

The experienced registration team of Joy Opheim, Pam Brannon, Mary Jean Yon, David Yon, Mark Priddy, and Bill Snyder registered over 160 runners in just over an hour!  And it went off without a hitch.

Thanks to all water table volunteers - but especially to George Palmer, Betsy Thorpe and Rick Ashton at mile 7 for efficiency and encouragement, and the 30 K table turn-around table manned by dark-side volunteers Dana Stetson, Jeff Bryan, Gordon Cherr and Gary Griffin who provided entertainment and appropriate derogatory comments to the co-Race Director regarding the weather, his pace, and the inadequate pay for their efforts!   Special thanks for the perseverance shown by our FSU fraternity friends and Sara and Abe Middleton at water table # 1 which requires the longest stay on the course!  Water table #2 duties were the responsibility of John Finch and Vicky Droze and they also did a great job of insuring the 15k runners took a turn back to the finish line while sending the 30k runners on up to Sunny Hill Rd. 

Special thanks to Bill Perry who meets Jerry most years at 5:00 a.m. to mark the course, deliver water tables and water, unload the truck, and generally keep Jerry company in the early dark hours out in the plantations lands of OCR and Sunny Hill.

Thanks and recognition to Herb Wills who fought cold weather and boredom at times(due to race length) to take spectacular pictures providing runners and non-runners alike - a flavor of the beauty and difficulty of this unique course And along those same lines, we always appreciate seeing Fred Deckert at the finish line with camera in hand!  His photos are proof that we made it!

The chili and soup provided by Peg Griffin, Mary Jean Yon, Pam Brannon, Bill and Jessie Perry, Barbara and Kevin O’Donnell, Katie Showman, David Cox, Fran McLean, Joel Piotrowski and Dick Dowdy was outstanding!  There may have been several more chili contributions so if we missed naming you, we apologize.  Along with chili, Kathy Lindsay brought corn bread, Pam Brannon made brownies and there were other desserts that were contributed, but we’re not sure who to thank.  We appreciate you; and the runners do too!

The finish line crew of Bill Lott, Margarete Deckert, Stacia Keller, Michelle Brooks, Sara Wachman and Deb Burr, along with Peg Griffin, worked diligently to insure that the results were recorded accurately and timely. 

And speaking of Bill Lott and Peg Griffin – they are the core of the entire operation and we can’t say thanks to you two enough!

Jackie and Jerry McDaniel
January 2012