Sunday Morning BP 10 Miler
By Dick Dowdy and Nick Yonclas
For over 10 years now, many local runners have been gathering at the BP gas station at the intersection of Thomasville Road and Glenview Avenue (near Betton Road) every Sunday morning for a 10 mile run through some of Tallahassee's oldest and finest neighborhoods.
On most Sundays, there will be anywhere from 15 to 30 runners, some of whom will run at a 7:00 minutes per mile pace and others who will run at a 10:00 minute per mile pace.It seems that many in this group are always training for a marathon, and they tack on additional miles either before or after the 10 mile run.
For those runners who are not yet up to a 10 mile run, the course is such that one can easily break off from the group and get back to the BP Station with a 4, 6 or 8 mile run, and no one will care!
You do not need to contact anyone about joining this group - just show up some Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m., and you are a member.
Here are the specifics on the run and course:
Start Time: 7:30 a.m. (ET) (EDT) for core group (Other start times vary for longer
distance runners) Core group varies from 10-15 runners. Average turnout - 20. Largest
turnout - 40. Male/Female: 50/50
Course Description: Measured 10 mile course with mile splits through "rolling" hills and quiet Betton Hills and Waverly Hills neighborhoods. Measured add-ons also available. Some steep hills for building strength and longer flat stretches for pace work. Car traffic is light in neighborhoods and moderate on major road intersections for Sunday mornings. There are cut-off opportunities along the course for shorter distances.
Water/Facilities: Available at start/finish at the BP Station. Water stops at 5K and 7 mile mark. Designated volunteers handle water and replacement fluids for the group.
Start Location: From Thomasville Road BP Service Station, Parking available in adjacent Capital Plaza at the intersection of Thomasville Road and Glenview Drive, approximately 2 and 1/2 miles from Downtown Tallahassee.
Course Directions:
Map
From the BP Station proceed north on Thomasville Road, along sidewalk on west side. Turn right on to Armistead Road, go east for approximately a mile, turn left on to Marston Circle, go around circle and turn right on to Demoron Road. Go up the hill, then down to Cline Street. Turn right up the hill, then left on Winthrop Way down the hill to Thomasville Road. Carefully cross the road to the intersection of Waverly Road to the first water stop at the Waverly Hills entrance sign, also the 5K mark. After a brief break, proceed up the hill on Kenilworth Road, along the left side of Waverly pond. (This road becomes a monster hill, but the course turns right on to Ivanhoe Road, about half way up Kenilworth, before the steepest part.) Proceed on Ivanhoe Road which climbs, then flattens as it approaches and crosses Waverly Road. Turn left on to Lothian Drive then a quick right on to Windsor Way on your way to Live Oak Plantation Road. (At this point the course becomes flat for about a 1 and ? miles.) Turn right on to Live Oak Plantation Road and continue until you approach Timberlane School Road on your left.
At this point, the course is just over 5 miles and runners have to make a choice of second-half finishes. You never know who is going to take which course on any given day.
Option I. - The original course turns left, down the hill on Timberlane School Road, then right up the steep sidewalk to the right of Timberlane Road. Stay on the sidewalk in front of Gilchrist Elementary School then wind through the parking lot of Timberlane Shops on the Square, turning right back on to Timberlane Road. (Look for the water faucet next to the sidewalk in front of the bank on hot days.) Cross Thomasville Road to the east sidewalk, turn right and proceed south on Thomasville Road. Go under the I-10 underpass, continuing south on the sidewalk, enjoying the gradual downhill grade. Continue on Thomasville Road, crossing Hermitage Road where the course climbs steeply for a quarter mile or so. Cresting the hill at Tallahassee Nursery brings on a gradual downhill recovery back to the first water stop at the intersection of Waverly Road. From the water stop, cross Thomasville Road turning left on to Winthrop Way, then right on to Armstrong Way, then left on to Armistead Road to the first intersection - Cline Street. Turn right on to Cline Street. With a mile to go, turn right on to Trescott Drive. At the Betton Road intersection, turn right, crossing the road to the south sidewalk, staying on the sidewalk, turn left at Thomasville Road and continue on the sidewalk heading south, until you are even with the gas pumps at the BP Station, at the 10-mile mark.
Option II. - The "new" course was created due to construction at Timberlane and Thomasville Roads at the time. Instead of turning left on to Timberlane School Road, continue on Live Oak Plantation Road to Thomasville Road. Cross over to the sidewalk on the east side of Thomasville Road and turn right and proceed south. Continue on Thomasville Road, crossing Hermitage Road where the course climbs steeply for a half mile or so. Cresting the hill at Tallahassee Nursery results a gradual downhill recovery back to the first water stop at the intersection of Waverly Road. With 3 miles left from the water stop, cross Thomasville Road turning left on to Winthrop Way, then right on to Armstrong Way, then left on to Ellicott Drive. Continue up the short hill and then gradually downhill to Harriman Circle. Continue left around the ? mile closed circle, watching for those ahead and behind. Once back on Ellicott Drive, take a quick left on to Troland Road, then a quick right on to Armistead Road. Continue to the four-way stop intersection at Chamberlin Street, turn left, then a quick right on to Trescott Drive. With a little over a mile to go, continue on Trescott Drive to Betton Road. At the Betton Road intersection, turn right, crossing the road to the south sidewalk, staying on the sidewalk, turn left at Thomasville Road and continue on the sidewalk heading south, until you are even with the gas pumps at the BP Station, at the 10-mile mark.