The 2009 cross-country running season is just a short pair of months away, and Tallahassee's Apalachee Regional Park cross-country course should be ready, thanks to the efforts of the Leon County Division of Parks and Recreation, the Gulf Winds Track Club, and Florida State University. The course will be on a portion of the Apalachee Regional Park devoted entirely to cross-country running; coaches will be able to schedule races without worrying about anyone trying to use the land for golf, horseback riding, a soccer game, or anything other than running.Already the course has been laid out, a path cut through the woods, fields mowed, roots removed, and gravel and oyster shells put down where needed. Much work remains to be done. This Saturday, 11 July 2009 at 9:00 AM ET, volunteers will be spreading mulch on parts of the course. Judy Alexander, president of the Gulf Winds Track Club, has outlined the details of this work day in the following message:
There will be a second ARP work day this Saturday, July 11! If you came to the first one, you know how much fun we had while getting a LOT done out at the new cross country course. If you weren't able to make it the first time around, come on out and join the fun! Work starts at 9:00AM, but Brian Corbin, one of the course architects, will be leading a guided run tour of the course starting at 7:30AM. Since the course loops vary in length between 1.2-2 miles, depending on how you run the course, this will leave time for you to get in additional mileage after the tour if you wish.
We will be doing a lot of mulch raking; gloves and rakes will be provided, but if you have favorites of your own, feel free to bring them!
Hope to see you there!
Anyone willing to pull a rake is welcome as a volunteer at the work day. Apalachee Regional Park is located at 7550 Apalachee Parkway (US 27), which is about four-and-a-half miles east of the intersection of Capital Circle (US 319) and Apalachee Parkway. The tour of the course is a nice touch--teaching more runners the course will get more people running on the course, and more foot-traffic can only benefit the course.
For more information about the work day, contact Judy Alexander at jalexander98@comcast.net or 850-383-1361.
Links:
- A dedicated cross-country running facility for Tallahassee
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/05/dedicated-cross-country-running.html - Gulf Winds Track Club delivers financial support for cross country in Apalachee Regional Park
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/05/gulf-winds-track-club-deliver-financial.html - A tour of the Apalachee Regional Park cross-country course
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/06/tour-of-apalachee-regional-park-cross.html - A later (17 July 2009) set of photos of the course
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2681514&id=5215641&l=dd3a9d8acf
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