Thanks, From the Bottom of Our Muddy Hearts

Jerry and I would like to thank all the brave hardy souls who showed up and ran the GWTC 30k or 15k this past weekend. As Jerry stated earlier, these conditions on slick muddy roads are definitely character building! And many many thanks to the volunteers who step up and help us, most of them, year after year! David and Mary Jean Yon, Joy Opheim, Wendy Smith and Nancy Stedman processed 79 new registrations and around145 pre-registered runners in just an hour! The water table volunteers were not fazed by the conditions – they all showed up and made sure everyone had what they needed on the course. Thanks go to Chuck and Jana Davis, Tad David, Trevor Knauf, Lindsey Perkins, Michael McDaniel, Abe Middleton, George Palmer, Betsy Thorpe, Gary Griffin and Gordon Cherr. I heard that several additional people showed up at the water tables to help – thanks for seeing a need and jumping in! The parking crew; Jerry’s running “sloth” buddies, did an incredible job in the dark making sure everyone had a place to park. Thanks go to Dick Dowdy, Bob Brown-Barrios, Bill Hunter, Brian Deffenbaugh, and Kevin O’Donnell. I understand that most of you also helped out at several water tables. Dick Dowdy was one of the first to show up on race morning and one of the last to leave. He is always willing to do any and every job needed, from unloading my car for me to sweeping the course for runners and equipment. Allison Mitchell, Jane Johnson, and Margarete Deckert kept the food coming and made sure everyone had plenty to eat. Bill Perry made the chili run and delivered freshly made chili from Cabo’s Island Grill and Bar. Jane Johnson was an enthusiastic cheerleader at the finish line encouraging the runners to make it to the end. And to Peg Griffin and Bill Lott, saying thanks doesn’t seem like enough for all you do. I’m sure there were volunteers assisting that we aren’t aware of but you know who you are and we appreciate you. We’re already making plans for next year, and hope to see you at the 2015 GWTC 30k/15k.