GWTC Extreme Challenge

Gulf Winds Track Club offers a full calendar of running events that includes various distances and running surfaces. In addition to the Summer Track series, the Club sponsors over 20 official events throughout the year. The Extreme Challenge is a boot camp only for those who have the physical and mental training to complete and finish it.

Few meet the challenge. Many years, there have been no finishers. It will require you to carefully plan, train, and utilize your decision-making skills. To qualify, you must run all GWTC Club races within the same calendar year. If a Club race offers several distance events, you must complete the longest distance event presented at that race. You must complete the event within the race director’s established time limit.

Current GWTC Club races and the distance that you must complete in that event:

• 20 Miles     Swamp Forest Trail 20-Mile Challenge, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon  (January)
• 5K              Bowlegs 5K  (January)
• 30K            GWTC 30K/15K  (January)
• Marathon   Tallahassee Marathon/Half Marathon  (February)
• 12K            Flash 12K/6K  (February)
• 10K            Springtime 10K/5K/1M  (late March or early April)
• 5K              Palace Saloon 5K  (April)
• Summer Trail Series: This offers four races with only one distance at each race, and you must complete all four races. Trails, distances, and race dates are subject to change annually at the discretion of the race director, and they are typically held between May and August. They vary in distance, and they are typically between three and seven miles long.
• 4 Miles       Potluck Bash 4-Miler  (June)
• 1 Mile         Breakfast on the Track 1 Mile  (August)
• 8K              Miller Landing Madness 8K/5K/3K  (August)
• 5K              Sickle Cell 5K  (September)
• 5K              Women’s Distance Festival 5K/1M  (September)
• 5K              Prefontaine 5K  (September)
• 20K            Pine Run 20K  (October)
• 15K            Turkey Trot 15K/10K/5K/1M  (November)
• 10 Miles     GWTC 5 & 10 Mile Challenge  (December)
• 50 Miles     Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50M/50K/Marathon  (December)
• 6K              Tannenbaum 6K  (December)

If you complete the challenge, you will be handsomely rewarded. Awards will be unique because few are tough enough to conquer the challenge.

I will monitor and track your progress. All you have to do is register to be a member of Gulf Winds Track Club prior to the first race of the year, then register for the races and complete the longest distance at each and every Gulf Winds Track Club race. Please note that one is not required to do the track events on Thursday evenings in the summer, nor does one have to do a race that doesn’t fall under the GWTC umbrella. There are some non-Club races that rent our equipment, but only the races previously listed are part of the challenge.

GWTC members are eligible to purchase “GWTC365” for $365. GWTC365 offers a single discounted purchase price for all GWTC Club races for one year. Members who purchase GWTC365 will still be required to register for individual races (100% discount will be reflected at checkout; participants choosing shirts or other add-ons will be charged for them at the same price charged to other registrants). To learn more and/or to purchase GWTC365, visit the page at https://runsignup.com/Club/FL/Tallahassee/GWTC365. Please note that membership in the GWTC365 program is not required for competing in the Extreme Challenge, but it will save you money.

Contact Extreme Challenge Coordinator Mark Tombrink (marktombrink@gmail.com) with any questions. Below is a list of finishers. If a year is not listed, then nobody completed the Extreme Challenge that year.

• 2015 – Joel Piotrowski, Zack Scharlepp, Emma Spencer, Mark Tombrink
• 2016 – Mark Tombrink
• 2018 – Mark Tombrink
• 2022 – John Baughman

Now that I’ve very likely retired from participating in this challenge, I would enjoy having others attempt it. Please remember to simply have fun with it. These are all quality events, and participating in them gets you involved in an outstanding local community that is difficult to rival. Make new friends, find new places to run, and simply enjoy this great hobby.