What makes it special?
 

David Yon, July 8, 2008

If you find a special thing you love to do in your life, go with it because it will definitely bring happiness to your life because that is what it (running) has done to me. Jorge Torres - many years before making the 2008 Olympic team.

What makes a place special - a person or a community’s love for “something” is a good place to start. A special love for track and field was evident in Eugene for the Olympic trials where it was clear Jorge Torres truly loves his sport. Very few would have picked him to make the team in March of 2007 when he and his twin brother Edwardo were here training. So maybe Tallahassee’s rise to its own special place in the world of track and field and running is not so far fetched. Three consecutive NCCA titles, Bob Braman’s infectious enthusiasm and FSU’s willingness to open its excellent facilities to former athletes like Rafeeq Curry and Lacy Janson is one part of that development. But Jorge Torres, the son of an immigrant from Mexico, can tell a story about another key part.

Gary Droze’s love for the sport is quite obvious, not just from the perspective of a runner and coach, but also as a facilitator for the sport in Tallahassee. In addition to having a wonderful impact on the kids he has coached at Maclay, he is there for the community runners at interval training and with any other coaching assistance he can offer. But you can really see a big smile as he goes out of his way to make Tallahassee a place for elite runners to train. And that is how Jorge came to Tallahassee in March of 2007 as part of an elite group called, at the time, the Boulder Training Group. The group’s training coordinator, Toby Warden, described their stay in Tallassee as follows:

Our first sea-level camp of 2007 has brought us to the lush Florida state capital of Tallahassee, also known as “Trailahassee.” This city is home to a fantastic trail system, a vibrant running community and many sunny days. Lots of generous runners (and non-runners) from the GWTC and the Maclay communities have shown us the essence of Southern Hospitality. Coach Gary Droze has rallied tremendous support for our visit….I loved Tallahassee - best to place to run I have ever seen - and I have looked in over 25 countries

Gary found the group “a dusty old house on Ravine Drive” two blocks from Maclay, located right next to the Lake Overstreet Trails. He recalls: “Lisa and Doug Covert completely cleaned out and spruced up the downstairs. I borrowed two big portable wall partitions from school, and we created two makeshift rooms out of the basement. Luckily, the Torres’ had a great sense of humor about it; they joked about spending their first night in Tallahassee in what looked like the set of a ‘slasher’ movie.” The Torres’ good natured and engaging personalities also captured the hearts of the runners who attended the GWTC social to send the Boulder group off with well wishes.

On July 4, 2008, Edwardo and Jorge pounded 25 laps around the Hayward Field track competing for a spot on the Olympic 2008 team in the 10K. At 5000 meters, Jorge was one of three pulling away from the crowd, seemingly ready to lock up his spot on the Olympic team while Edwardo, back in 11th, watched his brother on the jumbo screens. "Even though I was running a race, my head was with him,'' Edwardo said. I had a good seat to see where he was from the screen.” And what he and Tallahassee got to see first was a pack of runners slowly closing the gap on Jorge. But then on a night when dreams were made, Jorge punched the last leg of the Tallahassee to Eugene to Beijing ticket with a strong kick that left the pack behind and maybe took Tallahassee one more step up the latter of great cities for the sport.