It's past time to start getting the 2007 race listed on race calendars! So here we go:

active.com -- http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1316080

coolrunning.com -- http://www.coolrunning.com/eventcal/index.php

Everything Tallahassee -- http://www.everythingtallahassee.com/?module=julian&func=viewevent&event_id=1291

rrca.org -- http://www.rrca.org/calendar/showevent.php?id=9664

signmeup.com -- http://signmeup.com/54958

Another mention in the Tallahassee Democrat, 6 June 2006. Another step toward legendary status for the event.

Rosen gives to sport that gave her so much
Running community column by Gary Droze
DEMOCRAT CORRESPONDENT

It's common knowledge that in volunteer-dependent organizations a few altruists typically tote the load for everybody else. Running clubs certainly work this way. Moreover, the speediest members of most running clubs are even less likely than the also-rans to tithe time or labor for club functions. This is understandable; eschewing volunteer work to focus on themselves likely keeps some top talents in the winner's circle.

Then there's Sheryl Rosen. As a cross-country runner for Marianna High School, Rosen was often near the front of the pack. A creditable 19:07 for three miles earned her a trip to the state cross-country meet in 2001, where she placed a respectable 13th in the Class 2A final.

Rosen continued training on her own while attending the University of Florida. She obviously knew what she was doing: recent age group wins in the Palace Saloon 5K (19:20) and Rose City 10K (38:58) have established Rosen as one of the emerging young stars of our local running scene.

Given Rosen's rising success, her youth, and her full-time job as a communications specialist with Ron Sachs Communications, one would fully expect Rosen to guard her limited free time, keeping anything off her slate that could intrude upon her own running. And one would be fully mistaken.

Two weeks after Rosen attended her first Gulf Winds Track Club Tuesday Intervals session, she was already asking about helping out with area events. She dutifully showed up at high school track competitions, offering able assistance at district and regional championships this spring. Her interest in youth running thus piqued, Rosen set about arranging for speakers to address youth runners on a regular basis over the summer. Rosen's goal is to get information to the kids about training, racing, nutrition, injury prevention and running at the college level. In keeping with her volunteer spirit, Rosen is making these talks free to the community.

The Running Youth Education sessions will be conducted on Thursdays in June and July, immediately prior to the GWTC/TPRD Community Track Meets. Each talk will begin promptly at 6 p.m. at the Maclay School Track, and end by 6:30 p.m. so that youngsters may warm up for the 7 p.m. start of the weekly meets. For more information, contact Sheryl Rosen at 656-4503 or (678) 787-4022.

Uh-oh. Tallahassee Democrat, 11 April 2006:

Palace Saloon 5K gives you several reasons to run

Running community column by Gary Droze
DEMOCRAT CORRESPONDENT

This column occasionally mentions upcoming races. Typically, events are lightly described, and I use a soft-sell approach, leaving it to the reader to seek deeper details. Not so today.

I completely endorse and urge participation in the 32nd annual Palace Saloon 5K (see gulfwinds.org for entry information). There are many reasons to jettison your original plans for the morning of April 15, and instead head to James Messer Field for the 8 a.m. race. Here are a few:

Tradition: The Palace Saloon 5K is oldest race in Tallahassee that has been run on the same route since its inception. Hairstyles, music, and property values may have changed since 1975, but the Palace Saloon 5K still begins with a flat first mile around Messer Field, a downhill second mile on Jackson Bluff Road, a steady climb past Belle Vue Middle School and a screaming downhill for the last 1/4 -mile. Longtime citizens can use the course to chart their yearly climb to fitness - or decline to sloth.

Personal glory: For those who place a premium on running personal records, this race might well put a smile on your face. It features a net loss in elevation, and yielded the fastest road 5K in Tallahassee last year. FSU doctoral student Lee Willis notched a 16:06 last year. His wife, Irish Olympian Breeda Dennehy-Willis, holds the women's course record of 16:31.

Post-race fun: The finish line for the Palace Saloon 5K is co-located with the doorstep of the Palace Saloon, which, as fate would have it, will be open for revelry this Saturday morning. How convenient is that?

Homage to a legend: Meet director Herb Wills won't tout his own past 5K performances. He's simply conducting this race out of a love for running and for keeping traditions alive. When you thank Herb on Saturday for making this race happen, understand that you are thanking a multiple Olympic Trials qualifier, a sub-14:00 5K runner, and the fastest ever Leon County high school 2-miler (9:00). Most folks with these credentials are used to catering only to themselves. Luckily for us, Herb isn't most folks.

See you Saturday.

David Yon gave us a plug yesterday (8 April 2006) in his Fragments column, http://gulfwinds.org/Columnists/fragments_040806.htm on the Gulf Winds Track Club site:

Palace Work

If creative marketing helps a race, the Palace should have a great turnout this year. Co-Race Director Herb Wills (Reid Vannoy is his partner in crime) has left his mark everywhere. When I close my eyes at night I see "Palace Saloon 5K" on the back of my eye lids. Every race I have run since the 30K seems to have those words pasted somewhere in sight. Herb and Reid, "I will obey, I will be there." The Palace is at least one of, if not THE oldest, club race. It certainly has the longest running on the same course of any club race. With over three hundred finishers last year it has grown to one of the biggest club races and just might be its most fun. It is great to see the good work put into this race by Herb, Reid, and Jeff Bryan paying off.

From the Gulf Winds Track Club site, http://www.gulfwinds.org/:

Willis to defend title at 32nd Palace Saloon 5K

By Herb Wills

Lee Willis, A Florida State University doctoral candidate in history, will defend his title at the 32nd annual Palace Saloon 5K on April 15. Willis won the 2005 race in 16:06, the fastest 5K road time in Tallahassee last year.

In the women's division, defending champion Breeda Dennehy-Willis is injured and will not be competing. An Irish Olympian, Dennehy-Willis' 2005 time of 16:31 is the course record for the Palace Saloon 5K. She also won the race in 2004. Four other women (Jane Johnson, Vikki Saga, Karen MacHarg, and Janice Gage) have recorded back-to-back Palace Saloon Championships. The only woman to have won three straight Palace Saloon races is Sarah Docter-Williams (1997, 1998, 1999).

The Palace Saloon 5K will start from James Messer Fields Park at 8:00 AM ET on Saturday, April 15. Race day registration and packet pick-up will take place near the starting area from 6:45 - 7:45 that morning. The course is USATF certified and finishes in front of the Palace Saloon on Jackson Bluff Road. Sponsors of the event include the Gulf Winds Track Club, the Palace Saloon, and Tri-Eagle Distributing.

About Lee Willis:
http://campus.fsu.edu/profiles/willis/

About Breeda Dennehy-Willis:
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/athlete=70755/BioPopUp.html

Palace Saloon 5K Champions:
http://palacesaloon.com/champions.html

Palace Saloon 5K Entry Information:
http://gulfwinds.org/Fliers/palaceapplication_2006.pdf

This was the race's second week in the Tallahassee Democrat's "Community Calendar", and the first week that we showed up in the web-based edition of the calendar:

http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/SPORTS/603140349

RUNNING

32nd Annual Palace Saloon 5K: April 15 at 8 a.m. Start and race-day registration at Messer Field. Cost: $12 early, $15 on race day. Contact Reid Vannoy at 591-7891 or info@palacesaloon.com or gulfwinds.org.

Well, I don't remember listing the 2006 Palace Saloon 5K on Road ID, but here it is:

http://www.roadid.com/events/race_detail.asp?EventID=4jk9980688&SID=40344&EID=40051&MID=80688

We're in the Fleet Foot, thanks to editor Fred Deckert!

This was the inside front cover of the March 2006 issue. It's online at the Gulf Winds Track Club website at this URL: http://www.gulfwinds.org/newsletter/Mar2006.pdf.

Here's some finishers at the Tallahassee Marathon on 19 February:

Here's a quote from robbyturner.com:

Bobby finds time for relaxation too. He's an accomplished musician and plays regularly with Swing Shift, a local jazz band performing monthly at Bannerman's as well as other public and private venues. As a runner Robby has participated in many area running events such as the Springtime 10K, Palace Saloon 5K and the 15K Turkey Trot to name a few. To better integrate mind body and spirit Robby uses the practice of Yoga help bring focus to a seemingly scattered existence.

It's interesting that the Palace Saloon 5K is classed with the Springtime 10K and the Turkey Trot 15K. Now if we could just get the numbers up where a fixture of this class should be.

I have no comment on the yoga.

Guess which course is now on USATF's America's Running Routes?


No fair; you peaked!
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=8780

I requested race numbers today (January 31) through the Runner's World race sponsorship program. This is probably the very latest that such a request should be made. I also sent a message to Florida Race Place (http://flraceplace.com/) requesting a listing. This is also a bit on the late side.

Yesterday (January 30) I shot off my second (or third) request to flrunners.com to be listed on their road race calendar. Keep watching.

Mike Boll on the Mike Long Track, finishing the Capital City Challenge 5K, where we did our second bit of race-site advertising. The cups are probably better placed on the back stretch fence, which is higher.

Keith Rowe running by our promotion at the Gulf Winds Track Club 30K on January 21. In the future, it might be better to place signs on an earlier part of the course--i.e., a part of the course that the 15K runners also got to see.