Friday, March 13, 2009

Fort Braden Trails (West Loop) Tallahassee, Florida

photo of signAnother good trail experience in the Tallahassee area is the Fort Braden Trails, 8.7 miles west of Capital Circle (SR 263) on the Blountstown Highway (SR 20).

The trails are located on the Fort Braden Tract of the Lake Talquin State Forest. The forest was established in 1977, mostly on land the State of Florida acquired from the Florida Power Corporation. Florida Power had held land in the area since 1929, when (as the West Florida Power Company) they constructed the Lake Talquin Dam on the Ochlockonee River to generate hydroelectric power.

The Fort Braden Tract itself is one of the few areas in the Lake Talquin State Forest that is closed to hunting, having been set aside for hiking and horseback riding. There are over nine miles of orange-blazed hiking trails, and over eleven miles of pink-blazed horse-riding trails. The hiking trails are closed to all but foot traffic. Foot traffic is allowed on the horse trails, but let's be fair and leave them to the riders. Anyway, large portions of the riding trails go through deep sand, and all of the water crossings are fords rather than bridges. Apparently, horses have not found an effective way to complain about poor footing or wet hooves. Both trail systems are closed to bicycles, although bikes are allowed on the tracts small network of forest roads. However, a better option for cyclists would be to head farther west to the Lines Tract of the Lake Talquin State Forest, which has a dedicated bicycle trail. The entire tract is closed to motor vehicles outside of the parking area.

Toilet photoThe parking area is quite spacious, or spacious enough to accomodate trucks pulling horse trailers. There's a picnic pavilion with a charcoal grill next to the parking area. A toilet is nearby but no water; make sure you bring everything you need to drink. Just north of the parking area are the trail heads.

There are three hiking loops; these are rather uninspiredly named the west loop, the central loop, and the east loop. These can be combined to form a single nine-mile loop; the mile markers on the trails are for this nine-mile loop. The individual loops range in distance from three miles up to about five miles. The trails are part of the Florida Division of Forestry's Trailwalker program; hiking any one of the three loops will satisfy the programs's requirements. The horse trails, by the way, are part of the Division of Forestry's Trailtrotter program. There is no Trailbiker program; bicyclists get the dirty end of the stick again.

The trail surface is good for walking and somewhat acceptable for running. Runners used to the roads will be put off by the roots, dips, and turns, while hardened trail runners will find the area a bit tame. I'd rather hike at Fort Braden and do my running somewhere else, but it's a matter of taste.

We've got to start somewhere, so let's start with the West Loop. The trail head for the West Loop is north and a tiny bit west of the parking area, through a wooden gate. The gate is supposed to keep all but foot traffic off the trail, but it's more of a reminder than a barrier. This is also the trail head for the Central Loop, which you'll notice almost immediately when you pass a sign directing you to go left for the West Loop and right for the Central Loop. The sign also lists the length of the West Loop as 2.9 miles--don't believe it. You actually pass a three-mile marker while you're still on the loop, and I've measure the entire loop at 3.37 miles.

From the sign you walk down to cross a small stream on a foot bridge at 0.11 miles, the first of many such crossings. The next is at 0.33 miles, after which the trail makes a hard left. Leaving the stream, the trail emerges from the trees and turns left to follow the edge of a field, crossing a forest road at 0.45 miles. A short distance later the trail returns to the trees, a wood of young oaks.

At 0.65 miles the trail crosses another forest road, this one the pink-blazed horseback-riding trail. This is not the last you'll see of the horse trail; the two networks intersect frequently. The trail crosses a third forest road at 0.86 miles; to the left you can see the north end of the road at the Blountstown Highway. Moving ahead, the trail passes a sign reading "MILE 1." This is for the nine-mile loop, but because the nine-mile loop starts with the West Loop, it's also the mileage for the West Loop. From the mile marker, the trail starts a descent to a small stream. Crossing the stream on a foot bridge at 1.03 miles, the trail then turns right to follow the stream as it flows down to Lake Talquin.

At 1.09 miles, the trail intersects with a blue-blazed trail on the left, the Eagle Scout Spur Trail. this is a short trail that connects the loop to a trail head at the back of Fort Braden Park, a Leon County recreation facility. There are rest rooms and water at the front of the park. The West Loop, however, continues on to recross the stream at 1.15 miles, and then turn left to follow the east bank of the stream. As the trail gets closer to Lake Talquin, it angles away from the stream. By one-and-a-half miles, you'll have caught your first glimpses of the lake through the trees. The trail makes gentle turns to the right to follow the shoreline.

By 1.56 miles, though, the trail is turning right again to leave the lake shore. Don't worry; there are more and better views of Lake Talquin up ahead. At 1.59 miles the trail crosses a pink-blazed horse trail and starts to follow a stream on the left. Eventually, the trail turns to the left to cross the stream on a foot bridge at 1.67 miles. Beyond the stream, the trail climbs to an intersection with a forest road at 1.80 miles, pink blazed to indicate that it's part of the horse-trail system. The trail drops to a foot bridge at 1.93 miles, followed by over half a mile of hill-free walking. The "MILE 2" sign is on this flat stretch, as is another stream crossing at 2.09 miles. At 2.23 miles the trail is back at the shores of Lake Talquin, and turns right to follow the water. Just past that, at 2.31 miles, is another intersection with the pink-blazed riding trail. At this point the two trails have a shared treadway, so it's possible that you might run into a horse. With so many miles of trails it's not particularly likely, but on a run one afternoon where I was the only person on the hiking trails, I met the only rider on the horse trails here. I stepped off the trail; there is no point in doing anything that might make a 1,500-pound animal nervous.

At 2.39 miles a sign on the left side of the road indicates a primitive campsite. "Primitive" means no plumbing and no electricity; nothing, in fact, other than a fire ring and a great view. Camping here requires a forest use permit, available at the Division of Forestry's office at 865 Geddie Road, Tallahassee, FL 32304. Whether you're camping or not, it's worth detouring a few feet to the campsite for an unobstructed view of the lake. Unless the weather is foul, you're likely to see boaters on the lake. Small islands peek out of the water, the tops of ridges and bluffs that were submerged when the Ochlockonee River was dammed 80 years ago. Turtles, ducks, and leaping fish may be visible on the surface. Overhead you may see hawks, cormorants, herons, egrets, or even bald eagles.

After leaving the campground, the hiking trail and the horse trail separate at 2.46 miles, the hiking trail going to the right and starting to climb up away from Lake Talquin. It's not a steep climb, nor an uninterrupted one, but you still have to pay back the elevation that you dropped while descending from the trail head to the lake shore. Near the "MILE 3" sign, a shallow trench runs on the left side of the trail. It runs straight enough to be some kind of earthwork, but it's too short to be a firebreak. Beyond the "MILE 3" sign, the trail makes a short drop to a bridge. After crossing a bridge, you come to a fork. Left will take you on the Central Loop and the rest of the nine-mile hike. To finish the West Loop, though, turn right and follow the shared treadway of the two loops up toward the parking area. A sign informs you that this is 0.3 miles away.

At 3.21 miles the trail dips to cross a stream on a small foot bridge, the last such crossing on the West Loop. From here it's an uninterrupted climb back up to the trail head. The trail passes the first fork and at 3.37 miles arrives back where it started.

The Fort Braden Tract is a fee area, by the way. As of 2 March 2009, there is a $2.00 per person charge for visiting the Fort Braden Trails. An annual pass good for all state forest lands is available through the Division of Forestry; this costs $30.00 and covers the driver of a vehicle and up to seven passengers. This could be your best deal if you're going to make several visits to the Fort Braden Trails. After you're first visit I'm willing to bet you'll want to make many more.


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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Running Rules of Thumb

While reading Bart Yasso's My Life on the Run, I came across his predictor for marathon times, "Yasso 800s." Yasso was in the habit of doing a 10 x 800m track workout; his rest in between each item was a 400m jog. He noticed that his average 800m time (in minutes and seconds) in one of these workouts in the weeks leading up to a marathon was about the same as his marathon time (in hours and minutes). For example, if he averaged about 2:50 in a 10 x 800m workout five weeks before the marathon, he was in shape to run a 2:50:00 marathon. Yasso used this predictor in his own training, and there it would have stayed, but he mentioned it to Amby Burfoot. Burfoot asked around and confirmed that this seemed to be a good predictor for other runners as well. Burfoot wrote up this rule-of-thumb in Runner's World, chistened the 10 x 800m workout "Yasso 800s," and history was made.

Yasso is quick to point out that running a good 10 x 800m workout is not the only requisite to running a good marathon. You still have to do all the usual marathon preparation--long runs, repeat miles, more long runs, etc. In the language of statistics, there is a correlation between the 800m average and the marathon time, but no causal relationship. Most likely both a good 800m average and a good marathon time result from the same underlying cause of good marathon fitness. But it's a good way of testing what kind of marathon you are ready to run without actually running a marathon. Average 3:10 for your 800s in the weeks before the marathon, and you know to pace yourself for a 3:10:00 marathon on race day. Trying to run a 2:40:00 marathon? If you can't average 2:40 in your 10 x 800m workout, you're not ready.

Now, I don't know how good a predictor this is. Burfoot doesn't seem to have done any statistical analysis, or even any research other than asking a few running buddies about their workouts and marathon times. So we really can't say how strong a correlation this is. I'm also certain that there are a few outliers--for instance, Marcus Trigg, one one of my running partners in college, once said, "If 10 x 800m were an Olympic event, I'd be a gold medalist!" Marcus ran some good marathons, but not Olympic-champion good.

Still, it's a rule-of-thumb, and a nice quantitative rule-of-thumb at that. It made me wonder what other running rules-of-thumbs were out there. There are a few.

The Ten-Percent Rule

I had this one quoted at me when I was making yet another attempt to get back in shape: never increase your weekly mileage by more than ten percent. Any larger increase puts you at risk for an overuse injury. This was a casual conversation, though, so of course I wasn't given a source. Like Yasso 800s, it goes back to Runnner's World and Amby Burfoot. You can read one of his articles about it here.

Naturally, I hate this one. Who wants to patiently increase ones training only ten percent each week? Additionally, a logical consequence of the Ten-Percent Rule is that non-runners can never start running--ten percent of nothing is nothing. It's also hard to see how this could ever be tested experimentally, which would be key to determining if the actual maximum rate of increase was 8%, or perhaps 13.6%. If nothing else, it's nearly impossible to find two runners who agree on how mileage should be counted.

But it's a rule of thumb. And if it's a rule of thumb that keeps runners from getting strained muscles or inflamed tendons, then it's a good rule of thumb.

Gavuzzi's Law of Training ("Three hours slow is better than two hours fast.")

Pete Gavuzzi keeps popping up in the history of North American distance running. Born in Liverpool, he became a great marathoner at an early age, but is omitted from the history of British athletics for the sin of having run as a professional. Gavuzzi ran in both of C. C. Pyle's races across America in 1928 and 1929, won professional distance races on both sides of the Atlantic, and coached several Boston Marathon winners during the 1930s and 1940s. He shows up as a coach in the biographies of marathon greats such as Gerard Cote, Pat Dengis, "Jock" Semple, and Walter Young. One consistent bit of training advice he gave was that "three hours slow is better than two hours fast." That is, long training runs at a gentle pace were more effective than shorter runs of greater intensity in preparing for a marathon. This was revived in the 1960s as the "Long Slow Distance" school of training.

Faul's Rule

As a collegiate runner I'd occasionally get injured (possibly from having ignored the Ten-Percent Rule). Hope springs eternal, so we'd always trek to the training room when we were hurt. The trainers at Florida State University were good, but they were used to football injuries--crushed bones, fractured skulls, and those sorts of things. Injuries that you put a little tape on and then you're back in the game a play later. Hurt distance runners puzzled them. We were up and walking, we weren't bleeding, and no jagged ends of bone were sticking out of our flesh--how could we be injured? Still, Don Fauls, the head trainer, understood our pain and frustration at not being able to work out. "You lose fitness about four times as fast as you get it," he pointed out. Now, that's probably impossible to measure, but the numbers sounded good to me, so I've repeated it ever since.

Kilometers to Miles and Back

Multiply miles by 1.6 to get kilometers. Divide kilometers by 1.6 to get miles. Now, this arithmetic might be a bit unwieldy to do during a long run if you're not the Rain Man, so do it this way.

Miles to kilometers: start with the number of miles. Double it. Double it again. Double it a third time. Double it a fourth time. Now move the decimal point one place to the left. You've got kilometers.

Kilometers to miles: start with the number of kilometers. Move the decimal point one place to the right. Halve the number. Halve it again. Halve it a third time. Halve it a fourth time. You've got miles.

Metric Conversions

During my NCAA running career in the Bronze Age, there were quite a few 440-yard tracks left. It was easy enough to figure what three-mile time a given 440-yard split would give you, but what about that odd fraction of a lap you had to cover to make 5,000 meters? Our rule of thumb was that you covered this in 30 seconds. That is, add thirty seconds to a three-mile time to get a 5,000-meter time, subtract 30 seconds from a 5,000-meter time to get a three-mile time. This was a very rough approximation because we made no adjustment for pace. In fact, for the 10,000 meters, we just doubled the 30 seconds to one minute for a similar rule of thumb. Still, it let you get rough answers about pace when you needed them quickly (such as during a race). It also worked for road races, which even today are paradoxically marked off in miles in spite of the fact that all the distances are metric.

I don't remember any agreement about a similar rule-of-thumb for the 1,500 meters and the mile. Several runners on the team added 18 seconds to a 1,500 time to get a mile time. I used to add 20 (I was either more conservative or just slower). Either way, I was (and still am) a big fan of Sullivan's Law: A 1,500-meter time is not a mile time.

Strangely enough, none of these metric conversion rules of thumb seem to work for me anymore. Perhaps the laws of arithmetic have changed in the past thirty years?

The Gate-to-Gate Predictor

The Eglin Air Force Base Gate-to-Gate Memorial Day Run is an odd distance, 4.4 miles. Well, that's the distance from one gate of the base to another, so that's how far the race is. Of course, no one knows what kind of time they should be running for 4.4 miles. I was discussing this after the race one year, and came up with this. Take a recent 5K time (not your PR, but something that you could have run the day of the Gate-to-Gate race) and increase it by a half. There's your predicted time for Gate-to-Gate. For example, if you ran 19:00 three weeks ago, half of that is 9:30, so you should be able to shoot for 19:00 + 9:30 = 28:30 for Gate-to-Gate.

This rule-of-thumb seemed to work for the first three people I talked to, so I declared it a Law of Nature. Never mind that at least half of the people I subsequently discussed it with felt that it was at total odds with reality. Admittedly, there are a lot of variables. The weather, for one. And who really knows what kind of 5K time one is capable of running on any given day, let alone Memorial Day? To make matters worse, the course for the Gate-to-Gate Run has since been changed. It's still the same odd distance, but not the same hills and shade-free roads. In spite of that, if I'm ever at the start of the Gate-to-Gate run again, and some young runner wonders aloud what kind of time he should try to run, I'll know exactly what answer to give him.

That's it for the running rules-of-thumb that I've run across over several mis-spent decades. If you have any others, please pass them along.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

11 March 2009 Tallahassee 100-Mile Race Calendar

This is the Tallahassee vicinity road-race schedule for 11 March 2009. If that's more than a week ago, the latest schedule is always available via this link:


This is a listing of upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida, roughly the area in the map below. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

Map

Here are some upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

14 MARCH 2009
  • 31st Annual Winston Howell 10,000 Meter Road Race. 9:00 am CT. National Guard Armory, Highway 52 and 167, Hartford, AL 36344. USATF certified course #AL96005JD. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Azalea 5K & One-Mile Fun Run/Walk. 8:00am ET fun run / 8:30am ET 5K. VSU Recreation Center, 1500 Sustella Ave, Valdosta, GA 31698. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Southern Oaks 5K & one mile. 8:00 am ET one mile / 8:30 am ET 5K. Southern Oaks Drive, Tallahassee, FL. Entry form and flyer.
21 MARCH 2009
  • Student Dietetic Association National Nutrition Month 5K. 10:00 am ET. Woodward Avenue Statue, Florida State University, North Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32304 (about 0.2 miles south of West Tennessee Street (US 90)). Registration form and flyer.
  • SouthWoodstock 5K & one mile. 4:30 pm ET one mile / 5:00 pm ET 5K. Terrebonne Drive and Grove Park Drive, Tallahassee, FL. Race web site. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • Wild Chicken Run 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 8:30 am ET one mile. South Main Street and West Magnolia Street, Fitzgerald, GA 31750. Registration form and flyer.
  • Torreya State Park 5K. 9:00 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Susan Chafin (850) 643-2415. Online registration at active.com.
  • Leprechaun Chase 5K Trail Run. 9:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Race web page.
  • Caring Hands, Caring Heart 5K. 8:00 am CT. Middlebrook Park, Banfill Avenue, Bonifay, FL 32425. Event web page. Entry form and flyer.
  • Pilot Fun Run for Brain-Related Disorders 5K and one mile. 7:00 am CT. Frank Brown Park, 16200 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, FL 32407. Online registration at active.com.
  • Kiwanis Club Annual 5K and one mile. 8:30 am ET 5K / 8:40 am ET one mile. Memorial Stadium, Massee Post Road, Adel, Georgia 31620. Registration form and flyer.
22 MARCH 2009
  • Race Judicata 5K. 8:00am ET. Florida State University College of Law, 425 W. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. USATF certified course FL02044DL. Registration form and flyer.
28 MARCH 2009
  • 34th Annual Springtime 10K, Publix 5K & Fun Station 1-Miler. 8:00am ET. Leon County Courthouse, 301 S Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Event web site. Online registration at active.com. USATF certified course FL96048DL (10 km).
  • 2nd Annual A.R. Inspirational 5K. 9:00 am ET. Bainbridge High School, 1301 E College Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Mandi O'Mara 229-400-3750 or omara@dcboe.com
  • Fire Ant Festival 5K. 8:00 am ET. Turner County Special Services School, College Avenue and Gilmore Street, Ashburn, GA 31714. Event web site. Entry form and flyer.
4 APRIL 2009
  • FAMU-FSU Engineers Without Borders Spring 5K. 9:00 am ET. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32310. Entry form and flyer.
  • Draggin’ Tail Ultra Trail Challenge 25K / 50K. 8:30 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Registration form and flyer.
  • 5-A-Day 5K Trail Run. 8:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Event web page.
11 APRIL 2009
  • 35th Annual Palace Saloon 5 km. 8:00am ET. James Messer Fields Park, Jackson Bluff Road and Dupree Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304. USATF certified course FL99027DL. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • Freedom Sports "Run For Reina." 8:00 am CT. Pier Park, 16150 Front Beach Road
    Panama City Beach, FL 32413. Online registration at active.com.
18 APRIL 2009
  • Autism Research 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 9:00 am ET one mile. Southwood Commerce Center, Merchant's Row Blvd at Four Oaks Blvd, Tallahassee, FL. veronica.jones@med.fsu.edu
  • Planting New Hope 5K. 9:00 am ET. Tom Brown Park, Tallahassee, FL. Event web site. Entry form and flyer.
  • 3rd Annual Hahira United Methodist Church Hope and Faith 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run. Hahira United Methodist Church, 100 East Stanfill Street, Hahira, GA 31632.
  • Mayhaw Festival 5K. 8:30 am ET. Colquitt, GA.
  • Festival on the Rivers 5 Mile. 7:30 am CT. Geneva High School, 505 Panther Dr, Geneva, AL 36340. Event web page.
25 APRIL 2009
  • 32nd Annual Rose City Run 10K and one mile kids' run. 8:00 am ET 10K / 9:30 am ET one mile. North Broad Street and Monroe Street, Thomsaville, GA. USATF certified course GA92011WN (10K). Entry form. Event web site.
  • Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Run. 8:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Event web page.

1 MAY 2009
  • 22nd Annual Gnat Days 5K. 7:00 pm ET. Courthouse Square Park, Camilla, Georgia. Entry form and flyer.
2 MAY 2009
  • Tails & Trails 5K / 10K / 1 Mile. 8:30 am ET. Animal Service Center, 1125 Easterwood Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32311. Event web site. Entry form and flyer.
  • Moultrie Technical College Classic 5K / 10K / 1 Mile. 7:30 am ET 5K & 10K, 9:00 am ET 1 mile. Packer Park, 343 Darbyshire Rd, Moultrie, GA 31768. Event web site. Entry form and flyer.
  • 24th Annual Race Judicata 5K. 8:00 am CT. Bay County Courthouse, 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401. Online registration at active.com.
  • Downtown Endurance 5K. 8:00 am CT. First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 300 West Main Street, Dothan, AL 36301. 334-792-3217 or bjones@fbcdothan.org
8 MAY 2009
  • River Town Days 5K. 8:00 am ET. Earle May Boat Basin, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Blaine Palmer 229-400-3674
9 MAY 2009
  • 6th Annual Marzuq Shrine Mothers Day 5K. 8:00 am ET. Maclay Gardens State Park, 3540 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32309. Keiff Lindsey, (850) 212-2926 or romanroch@hotmail.com
16 MAY 2009
  • Run for Wakulla Springs 5K Trail Run and 1 Mile Fun Run. 8:00 am ET (one mile), 8:30 am ET (5K). Wakulla Springs State Park, 550 Wakulla Park Drive, Wakulla Springs, FL 32327. Entry form and flyer.
  • 3rd Annual Missionette 5K / 10K Extraordinary Run. 8:00 am ET. Family Worship Center of Cairo, 1400 South Broad Street, Cairo, GA 39828. USATF certified course GA09001WC (10K) and GA09002WC (5K). Entry form and flyer. Katina Stewart 229-378-0970.
  • Army 10-Miler. 7:00 am CT. Fort Rucker, Alabama. 334-255-3794
23 MAY 2009
  • Dothan Fire Department / Dothan Runners Club “Fit to Fight” 5K / 10K. 8:00 am CT. Dothan Fire Department Station #1, 600 Columbia Highway, Dothan, AL 36301. Entry form and flyer.
25 MAY 2009
  • 3rd Annual Memorial Day 5K Night Race. 7:00 pm ET. 1500 East Shotwell Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Entry form and flyer. Mandi O'Mara 229-400-3750 or omara@dcboe.com
  • Cordele Kiwanis Memorial Day 8K. 7:59 am ET. Crisp County Middle School, 1116 24th Avenue East, Cordele, GA 31015. USATF certified course #GA07012WC. Entry form and flyer.
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Monday, March 9, 2009

Lake Elberta Park, Tallahassee, Florida

Park pictureIn 1922 the Elberta Crate & Box Company expanded their operations by building a factory in Tallahassee between the Florida, Georgia, and Alabama railroad tracks and Lake Bradford Road. The factory was Tallahassee's largest industrial employer until it shut its doors in 1977, combining operations with an existing Elberta facility in Bainbridge, Georgia. The site was empty for many years until it was converted into a stormwater retention pond. The maintenance road around the rim of the pond was not a bad place to run, if a bit rugged. Rather than fencing off the site, the city of Tallahassee put up a sign declaring that it was Lake Elberta Park, and began developing it.

Trail photoLake Elberta Park is located behind a row of young live oaks at 1339 Lake Bradford Road, with a parking area opposite the intersection of Daniel Street and Lake Bradford Road. The parking area is small, with room for maybe ten cars. There is a portable toilet on site, but no drinking water. There's a small but attractive picnic pavillion next to the parking area, but the jewel of the park facilities is the Lake Elberta Park trail.

GeeseThe trail makes a complete circuit of the lake shore, and consists of two ten-foot wide "lanes." The inner "lane" is a ten-foot wide asphalt strip a bit less than 3800 feet long, while the outer "lane" is a ten-foot wide dirt strip a bit more than 3800 feet long. At the time of my last visit (7 March 2009), the unpaved strip was graded smooth and excellent for walking or running, but one rainstorm could change that. The entire trail gives you a view of the lake and the bird life it hosts--just casually glancing around, I saw american egrets, mallards, turkey vultures, herring gulls, red-winged blackbirds, american coots, and several other species. Oh, and some aggressive canadian geese. Aggressive and noisy. Aggressive, noisy, and messy--watch where you're stepping. On the east side of the loop some construction activity was visible along an old rail grade, perhaps work on an additional park entrance, a connection with the St Marks Trail, or a connection with the FSU campus and the Stadium Drive Bike Path.

Campbell Stadium PhotoYou won't mistake the trail for a path in the wilderness, however. The lake, after all, is really a holding pond. Commercial property is visible all around you. Freight trains regularly rumble by the southern boundary of the park, and the bulk of FSU's Campbell Stadium and the University Center loom to the north. Still, this is good use of open space in an urban area. There is no reason that Lake Elberta couldn't become as popular as Lake Ella, as the city of Tallahassee seems to be hoping.

The Tallahassee running community is already making some use of Lake Elberta Park. Runners from FSU head south from campus to do a few laps around the park, and Godby High School coach Chris Sumner has hosted some 3 km time trials on the trail around the lake. As long as the path isn't crowded, it's a good length for interval-type workouts, and I'd be surprised if no one has used it for that yet. The Tallahassee Marathon currently runs by the Lake Elberta Park on its way to and from the St Marks Trail, future expansion of the trail may see the course tweaked to run through the park.

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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Lake Overstreet Trail, Tallahassee, Florida

Like much of the land in north Leon County, the Lake Overstreet property was cultivated for cotton in the nineteenth century, and then became hunting land in the twentieth century. In 1994 it became part of Maclay Gardens State Park, and many of the old hunting roads became trails while others were allowed to return to the forest.


The Lake Overstreet Trail itself consists of two loops--the Lake Overstreet Loop and the Ravine Loop--connected by a short trail. There are at least five trailheads, but the most popular is located across Meridian Road from the Forestmeadows Athletic Center (4750 North Meridian Road), a facility of the Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Department. The following tour of the trail will be given starting from the Forestmeadows trailhead, then making a circuit of the trails by starting out counter-clockwise around the Ravine Loop, taking the connector to the Lake Overstreet Loop, going clockwise around the Lake Overstreet Loop, taking the connector back to the Ravine Loop, and then finishing the remaining portion of the Ravine Loop to return to the Forestmeadows trailhead for a total 4.91 miles. There are other ways of covering the same ground, of course, but this circuit is the one that Daniel Smith measured and marked with green-numbered mileposts as an Eagle Scout project. So by going this way around the trails, you can take advantage of his labor. Make sure to pay no attention to the brown-numbered mileposts, however--these were also placed by Smith, but measure distance starting from the Maclay Gardens trailhead.


Park at Forestmeadows Athletic Center and follow a paved, concrete path east to a crosswalk on Meridian Road. Once across Meridian Road you're at the trailhead. If you don't have a current Florida state parks pass, you'll need to drop a dollar in honor box at the trailhead. Straight ahead is an off-road bicycle trail, but we'll be going to the right and following the multi-use trail south as it parallels Meridian Road through the woods. The trees here are fairly young sprinkled with a few older live oaks, possibly the previous owners logged the property shortly before selling it to the state. The trail is used by horseback riders, cyclists, walkers, hikers, and runners, and if you arrive after work or on a weekend you're likely to see representatives of all these groups, some accompanied by their dogs. The surface includes sandy stretches that are loose when the weather has been dry, baked clay stretches that are slick when the weather has been wet, and more than a few stretches that are just right in almost any conditions.


Nearly 100 yards past a brown-numbered milepost ("2") that you should ignore, at 0.40 miles you'll need to make a left turn taking you east, away from Meridian Road. The park has placed a brown left-pointing arrow sign here to make sure you go the right way. (When in doubt at an intersection, follow the arrow signs.) Going straight would take you along an old hunting road through a gated fence an onto the property of Maclay School, but we want to continue around the Ravine Loop. This stretch is the only part of the circuit that is not old hunting road, but was constructed soon after the land became part of the state park. It thus winds a bit more than the rest of the Ravine Loop Trail. If you're already ready for a break, there's a bench on the left side of the trail at 0.54 miles. A bit beyond the bench, at 0.58 miles there is a small pond through the trees on the left side of the trail. Depending on the season, the undergrowth may be too thick to see the pond, or, if it has been wet, the pond may come up to (or over) the trail here. Ducks use the pond, and you may hear some taking flight, startled by your presence.


Moving away from the pond the trail rejoins an old (and very straight) hunting road at 0.70 miles. There is an intersection with the off-road bicycle trails on the left at 0.83 miles. At 0.91 miles you come to the connector road. The Ravine Loop continues on the left, but we'll keep to the right and take the connector road to the Lake Overstreet Loop. About halfway down the connector, the green-numbered mile mark will be on the right side of the road. At this point, the trail becomes noticeably downhill; you're starting the descent to Gum Pond. The Ravine Loop is almost flat, but the Lake Overstreet Loop definitely features some hills. Erosion has always been a problem on this downhill stretch of the connector trail, and at some distant point in the pre-park past someone dumped a load of brick fragments here to improve the road. I have yet to meet anyone who thinks this was a successful project.


At 1.07 miles you come to the end of the connector road and reach the Lake Overstreet Loop. Remember that we'll be going around this loop clockwise, so keep to the left (you'll be returning on the trail to the right). There is a bench at this intersection, as well as an information board, and a number of signs that probably only make sense to someone who already knows the trail so well that he doesn't need them. Beyond the intersection, the trail continues even more steeply downhill till it reaches bottom at the bridge over the Gum Pond drain at 1.21 miles. Gum Pond will be on your left. Inviting you to sit and view the pond is a small bench, the Eagle Scout project of Hardin Lovett. To the right of the trail is a small stream, the overflow from Gum Pond. During dry periods this stream may not be flowing at all, but when it does carry water it flows into Lake Overstreet.


Past the Gum Pond drain, the trail climbs steeply to pass under a set of transmission lines at 1.35 miles. To your right, the transmission line right-of-way drops away to give you a view of an arm of Lake Overstreet. Beyond the lake you might be able to make out a trail crossing under the lines--this is where you'll be in another two miles. You can see places where large birds have built nests on top of the transmission line supports, ignoring nearby nesting platforms. The grassy power line right-of-way is also a good place to spot wild turkeys and grazing deer.


Across the power line right-of-way the trail re-enters the woods and passes an old homesite on the left. The building had grown gradually more decrepit over time and has now been largely removed by the park. It's likely that soon only the concrete foundation pillars will be left. Nevertheless, a sign warns you of dire consequences if you remove anything from this "archaeological site." Beyond this, the trail starts to drop again, this time into the Lake Overstreet basin. Still going downhill, at 1.52 miles you arrive at another intersection with picnic tables and a restroom. The loop continues to the left. To the right is a short spur that takes you to an old landing on Lake Overstreet. There is a bench here overlooking the lake, and a bike rack and hitching posts for the convenience of cyclists and equestrians respecively. Bird watching on the lake is excellent, especially with good binoculars or a telescope. This would not be a bad destination, but for us it's a detour--we continue around the loop.


The trail drops almost to lake level, then starts to meander as it roughly follows the lake shore. The trees on the Lake Overstreet Loop tend to be larger and older than those on the Ravine Loop, with more than a few ancient live oaks. There is a lot of uphill and downhill on this stretch, sometimes steep but never long. For most of the next mile-and-a-half you'll be able to catch glimpses of Lake Overstreet on your right--less often in the summer when the undergrowth is thick. Just past the green-numbered two-mile post, a bench on the left side of the trail at 2.03 miles invites you to take a break and listen for owls and woodpeckers. At 2.16 miles and old hunting road, now used by trail bicycles, joins the trail from the left. The trail comes very close to the park boundary here, and you can see a house in the High Grove sub-division on your left. In fact, at 2.23 miles the trail runs next to a corner in the park's boundary fence.


Another trail goes off to the left at 2.65 miles, this one comes from a trailhead in High Grove. At 2.83 miles a bench awaits the weary at the top of a rise. Beyond and below this a short trail runs to the shore of the lake. There's a warning sign here about alligators, and another one about keeping your pets leashed. It was here that a pet owner didn't have their dog leashed, and it was eaten by an alligator. Beyond this, I won't vouch for the details; both the dog and the alligator have gotten larger over time. I expect to eventually hear that Betty White was daily leading full-grown saint bernards down to the lake to be devoured by a 'gator the size of a moving van.


Shortly past the green-numbered three-mile mark, the trail meets another old hunting road at 3.08 miles. Someone has done his best to block the old road to the left, which is good, because the trail goes to the right (follow the brown arrow). No up or down on this stretch, the trail is quite flat. On the left you should be able to make out a fence, this was the old boundary of Maclay Gardens State Park before the addition of the Lake Overstreet property. Somewhere on this stretch a stream (according to the Florida Geological Survey) or a canal (according to a newspaper article) connected Lake Hall and Lake Overstreet. This waterway has apparently vanished, and best of luck finding any sign of its location. I know I've looked.


At 3.35 miles the trail makes its closest approach to the old boundary fence, and you can see some of the park's administrative and residential buildings on the other side. This view gives you advance notice of the water fountain coming up at 3.39 miles. Tallahassee's Gulf Winds Track Club funded the drinking fountain, an appreciated addition to the trail. After the drinking fountain, the fence and the trail angle apart as the trail reaches the south end of Lake Overstreet.


At 3.51 miles you arrive at another intersection. The left fork would take you 0.25 miles to the parking lot of the Maclay Gardens trailhead, the one that goes with the brown-numbered mileposts that we've been ignoring. You'll take the right fork, which almost immediately crosses a bridge over the Lake Overstreet drain. During wet periods, water flows through here on its way to Lake Jackson. When Lake Overstreet is low, however, it's just a dry ditch. From the bridge you can see a clearing up ahead, this is the second crossing of the transmission line right-of-way. An alternate route to the Maclay Gardens trailhead is to the left, and Lake Overstreet is in a hidden low spot on the right. The right especially is a good direction to look for animals that appreciate the open, grassy land under the power lines. Beyond the power lines, the trail heads back under the trees and begins a long, steady ascent out of the Lake Overstreet basin and back to the Ravine Loop.


3.93 miles finds you back at the connector trail, having completed the Lake Overstreet Loop. Make sure that you go to the left, uphill onto the connector trail, and not downhill for a second time around the Overstreet Loop. Follow the signs leading you back to the Forestmeadows trailhead. You'll know you've gone the right way when you pass the green-numbered four-mile post. When you come to the Ravine Loop end of the connector trail, you'll have gone 4.11 miles and you'll need to take the right-hand fork.


Here is where you get to see how the Ravine Loop got its name. On your right is a deep ravine which drains into Gum Pond. At some places you'll be able to see all the way to the bottom, especially at times of year when the underbrush has died back. Signs warn, "SENSITIVE AREA STAY ON TRAIL." There's a bench on the right at 4.30 miles for anyone who wants to stop, rest, and enjoy a view of the ravine. The last glimpses of the ravine from the trail are around 4.51 miles. After that, the trail climbs a little and the tall hardwoods of the ravine area give way to the younger trees, signalling a return to the woods around the trailhead.


A bicycle trail crosses the trail at 4.62 miles, and another at 4.73 miles. The trail makes a bend to the left and brings you back to the Forestmeadows trailhead, 4.91 miles after you started.


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4 March 2009 Tallahassee 100-Mile Race Calendar

This is the Tallahassee vicinity road-race schedule for 4 March 2009. If that's more than a week ago, the latest schedule is always available via this link:


This is a listing of upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida, roughly the area in the map below. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

Map

Here are some upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

7 MARCH 2009
  • Thomasville Road Baptist Church 5K, 10K & 1 Mile Fun Run. 8:00am ET one mile / 8:30am ET 5 km and 10 km. Thomasville Road Baptist Church, 3131 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Event web site. Online registration at active.com.
  • Snickers® Marathon® Energy Bar Marathon, Half Marathon, and one-mile fun run. 7:00am ET. Veteran's Park, Front Street, Albany, GA. Event web site. Online registration at active.com. Registration form and flyer. USATF certified course GA07003WC (Marathon), GA07002WC (half-Marathon).
  • Shamrock Shuffle 5K. 8:00 am ET. Valdosta State University Recreation Center, 1300 Sustella Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31698. 229-333-5674 or jowright@valdosta.edu.
14 MARCH 2009
  • 31st Annual Winston Howell 10,000 Meter Road Race. 9:00 am CT. National Guard Armory, Highway 52 and 167, Hartford, AL 36344. USATF certified course #AL96005JD. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Azalea 5K & One-Mile Fun Run/Walk. 8:00am ET fun run / 8:30am ET 5K. VSU Recreation Center, 1500 Sustella Ave, Valdosta, GA 31698. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Southern Oaks 5K & one mile. 8:00 am ET one mile / 8:30 am ET 5K. Southern Oaks Drive, Tallahassee, FL.
21 MARCH 2009
  • Student Dietetic Association National Nutrition Month 5K. 10:00 am ET. Woodward Avenue Statue, Florida State University, North Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32304 (about 0.2 miles south of West Tennessee Street (US 90)). Registration form and flyer.
  • SouthWoodstock 5K & one mile. 4:30 pm ET one mile / 5:00 pm ET 5K. Terrebonne Drive and Grove Park Drive, Tallahassee, FL. Race web site. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • Wild Chicken Run 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 8:30 am ET one mile. South Main Street and West Magnolia Street, Fitzgerald, GA 31750. Registration form and flyer.
  • Torreya State Park 5K. 9:00 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Susan Chafin (850) 643-2415. Online registration at active.com.
  • Leprechaun Chase 5K Trail Run. 9:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Race web page.
  • Caring Hands, Caring Heart 5K. 8:00 am CT. Middlebrook Park, Banfill Avenue, Bonifay, FL 32425. Event web page. Entry form and flyer.
  • Pilot Fun Run for Brain-Related Disorders 5K and one mile. 7:00 am CT. Frank Brown Park, 16200 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, FL 32407. Online registration at active.com.
  • Kiwanis Club Annual 5K and one mile. 8:30 am ET 5K / 8:40 am ET one mile. Memorial Stadium, Massee Post Road, Adel, Georgia 31620. Registration form and flyer.
22 MARCH 2009
  • Race Judicata 5K. 8:00am ET. Florida State University College of Law, 425 W. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. USATF certified course FL02044DL. Registration form and flyer.
28 MARCH 2009
  • 34th Annual Springtime 10K, Publix 5K & Fun Station 1-Miler. 8:00am ET. Leon County Courthouse, 301 S Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Event web site. Online registration at active.com. USATF certified course FL96048DL (10 km).
  • 2nd Annual A.R. Inspirational 5K. 9:00 am ET. Bainbridge High School, 1301 E College Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Mandi O'Mara 229-400-3750 or omara@dcboe.com
  • Fire Ant Festival 5K. 8:00 am ET. Turner County Special Services School, College Avenue and Gilmore Street, Ashburn, GA 31714. Event web site. Entry form and flyer.
4 APRIL 2009
  • Draggin’ Tail Ultra Trail Challenge 25K / 50K. 8:30 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Registration form and flyer.
  • 5-A-Day 5K Trail Run. 8:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Event web page.
11 APRIL 2009
  • 35th Annual Palace Saloon 5 km. 8:00am ET. James Messer Fields Park, Jackson Bluff Road and Dupree Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304. USATF certified course FL99027DL. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • Freedom Sports "Run For Reina." 8:00 am CT. Pier Park, 16150 Front Beach Road
    Panama City Beach, FL 32413. Online registration at active.com.
18 APRIL 2009
  • Autism Research 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 9:00 am ET one mile. Southwood Commerce Center, Merchant's Row Blvd at Four Oaks Blvd, Tallahassee, FL. veronica.jones@med.fsu.edu
  • Mayhaw Festival 5K. 8:30 am ET. Colquitt, GA.
  • Festival on the Rivers 5 Mile. 7:30 am CT. Geneva High School, 505 Panther Dr, Geneva, AL 36340. Event web page.
25 APRIL 2009
  • 32nd Annual Rose City Run 10K and one mile kids' run. 8:00 am ET 10K / 9:30 am ET one mile. North Broad Street and Monroe Street, Thomsaville, GA. USATF certified course GA92011WN (10K). Entry form. Event web site.

1 MAY 2009
  • 22nd Annual Gnat Days 5K. 7:00 pm ET. Courthouse Square Park, Camilla, Georgia. Entry form and flyer.
2 MAY 2009
  • 24th Annual Race Judicata 5K. 8:00 am CT. Bay County Courthouse, 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401. Online registration at active.com.
8 MAY 2009
  • River Town Days 5K. 8:00 am ET. Earle May Boat Basin, Bainbridge, GA 39819.
25 MAY 2009
  • 3rd Annual Memorial Day 5K Night Race. 7:00 pm ET. 1500 East Shotwell Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Mandi O'Mara 229-400-3750 or omara@dcboe.com
  • Cordele Kiwanis Memorial Day 8K. 7:59 am ET. Crisp County Middle School, 1116 24th Avenue East, Cordele, GA 31015. USATF certified course #GA07012WC. Entry form and flyer.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

25 February 2009 Tallahassee 100-Mile Race Calendar

This is the Tallahassee vicinity road-race schedule for 25 February 2009. If that's more than a week ago, the latest schedule is always available via this link:


This is a listing of upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida, roughly the area in the map below. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

Map

Here are some upcoming races within 100 miles of Tallahassee, Florida. If a race isn't listed, I probably haven't heard of it, so post a comment and let me know about it.

28 FEBRUARY 2009
  • 2nd Annual Syrup City 5K & one-mile fun run. 9:00 am ET 5K / 10:00 am ET one mile. Cairo Grady County Chamber of Commerce, 961 North Broad Street, Cairo, GA 39828. USATF certified course GA07027WC. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • 7th Annual Holy Nativity Episcopal School 5 km run and one-mile fun run. 8:00am CT. Holy Nativity Episcopal School upper campus, 205 Hamilton Avenue, Panama City, FL 32401. 850-747-0060.
7 MARCH 2009
  • Thomasville Road Baptist Church 5K, 10K & 1 Mile Fun Run. 8:00am ET one mile / 8:30am ET 5 km and 10 km. Thomasville Road Baptist Church, 3131 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32309. Event web site. Online registration at active.com.
  • Snickers® Marathon® Energy Bar Marathon, Half Marathon, and one-mile fun run. 7:00am ET. Veteran's Park, Front Street, Albany, GA. Event web site. Online registration at active.com. Registration form and flyer. USATF certified course GA07003WC (Marathon), GA07002WC (half-Marathon).
  • Shamrock Shuffle 5K. 8:00 am ET. Valdosta State University Recreation Center, 1300 Sustella Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31698. 229-333-5674 or jowright@valdosta.edu.
14 MARCH 2009
  • 31st Annual Winston Howell 10,000 Meter Road Race. 9:00 am CT. National Guard Armory, Highway 52 and 167, Hartford, AL 36344. USATF certified course #AL96005JD. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Azalea 5K & One-Mile Fun Run/Walk. 8:00am ET fun run / 8:30am ET 5K. VSU Recreation Center, 1500 Sustella Ave, Valdosta, GA 31698. Event web site. Registration form and flyer.
  • Southern Oaks 5K & one mile. 8:00 am ET one mile / 8:30 am ET 5K. Southern Oaks Drive, Tallahassee, FL.
21 MARCH 2009
  • Student Dietetic Association National Nutrition Month 5K. 10:00 am ET. Woodward Avenue Statue, Florida State University, North Woodward Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32304 (about 0.2 miles south of West Tennessee Street (US 90)). Registration form and flyer.
  • SouthWoodstock 5K & one mile. 4:30 pm ET one mile / 5:00 pm ET 5K. Terrebonne Drive and Grove Park Drive, Tallahassee, FL. Race web site. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
  • Wild Chicken Run 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 8:30 am ET one mile. South Main Street and West Magnolia Street, Fitzgerald, GA 31750. Registration form and flyer.
  • Torreya State Park 5K. 9:00 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Susan Chafin (850) 643-2415. Online registration at active.com.
  • Leprechaun Chase 5K Trail Run. 9:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Race web page.
  • Pilot Fun Run for Brain-Related Disorders 5K and one mile. 7:00 am CT. Frank Brown Park, 16200 Panama City Beach Parkway, Panama City Beach, FL 32407. Online registration at active.com.
  • Kiwanis Club Annual 5K and one mile. 8:30 am ET 5K / 8:40 am ET one mile. Memorial Stadium, Massee Post Road, Adel, Georgia 31620. Registration form and flyer.
22 MARCH 2009
  • Race Judicata 5K. 8:00am ET. Florida State University College of Law, 425 W. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. USATF certified course FL02044DL. Registration form and flyer.
28 MARCH 2009
  • 34th Annual Springtime 10K, Publix 5K & Fun Station 1-Miler. 8:00am ET. Leon County Courthouse, 301 S Monroe St, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Event web site. Online registration at active.com. USATF certified course FL96048DL (10 km).
  • 2nd Annual A.R. Inspirational 5K. 9:00 am ET. Bainbridge High School, 1301 E College Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819. Mandi O'Mara 229-400-3750 or omara@dcboe.com
4 APRIL 2009
  • Draggin’ Tail Ultra Trail Challenge 25K / 50K. 8:30 am ET. Torreya State Park, 2576 NW Torreya Park Road, Bristol, FL 32321. Registration form and flyer.
  • 5-A-Day 5K Trail Run. 8:00 am CT. Westgate Park, 801 Recreation Road, Dothan, AL 36303. Event web page.
11 APRIL 2009
  • 35th Annual Palace Saloon 5 km. 8:00am ET. James Messer Fields Park, Jackson Bluff Road and Dupree Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304. USATF certified course FL99027DL. Registration form and flyer. Online registration at active.com.
18 APRIL 2009
  • Autism Research 5K and one mile. 8:00 am ET 5K / 9:00 am ET one mile. Southwood Commerce Center, Merchant's Row Blvd at Four Oaks Blvd, Tallahassee, FL. veronica.jones@med.fsu.edu
  • Mayhaw Festival 5K. 8:30 am ET. Colquitt, GA.
  • Festival on the Rivers 5 Mile. 7:30 am CT. Geneva High School, 505 Panther Dr, Geneva, AL 36340. Event web page.
25 APRIL 2009
  • 32nd Annual Rose City Run 10K and one mile kids' run. 8:00 am ET 10K / 9:30 am ET one mile. North Broad Street and Monroe Street, Thomsaville, GA. USATF certified course GA92011WN (10K). Event web site.
2 MAY 2009
  • 24th Annual Race Judicata 5K. 8:00 am CT. Bay County Courthouse, 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401. Online registration at active.com.
8 MAY 2009
  • River Town Days 5K. 8:00 am ET. Earle May Boat Basin, Bainbridge, GA 39819.
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