President’s Corner
As you can imagine, I like to run. I like the feeling I get from running, I like the health
benefits, I like running with friends and I especially like the competition, the
RACE. Races are a way to see how you compare to others but also a way to test your
training and see how you compare to yourself. Although the comparison to yourself is
not always comparable. So many factors go into race day like hydration, food, sleep,
race day weather, and training cycle. Let’s face it, some race days will be better than
others and you can probably figure out why you did better or worse than in past
races. There are those race days that everything goes perfectly and you set a new
PR. It’s great to go back and review all that went into that race so you can try to
duplicate it and even build upon it. Actually, the same goes if you have a horrible
race. Review what led up to the race and see what could have been done better to
reach your race goals. Over the years I know I have had some races that were
amazing versus some races that I questioned why I run. I recently ran the 2025 Lloyd
Clarke’s Newnan’s Lake Race. I have probably done that race about 10 times over
the years. I set my PR for the 15k in this race years ago but I have also had some
tough runs here as well. This year was not my fastest but also not my slowest, but
the best part of the race was that it just felt good. We all run for many reasons but I
would say go out and enjoy running! Realize that we are not professional runners and
we ultimately are competing with ourselves
no matter what pace you are running. Take
the good runs and races with the bad ones
and just embrace your love for the sport.
Kenny Vogel, FTC President
by Michael Tudeen, [edited by Luis Sordo Vieira]
In early winter 2019, my wife and I made the exciting leap from 5Ks to our first half- marathon – at Disney World nonetheless! We were thrilled at the prospect, but our enthusiasm was short-lived as the event was cancelled due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, we reluctantly participated in a virtual half-marathon, which, despite receiving a fancy medal in the mail afterwards, left us feeling a bit deflated.
We didn’t let the disappointment deter us, however. We signed up for the next year’s Disney half-marathon and, after smashing our expectations, we decided to take on the full Disney marathon the following year. After missing out on the lottery for several world marathon majors (NYC bucket list!), we began to think about our next challenge. That’s when we heard about the “Goofy Race and a Half Challenge”, which involves running the Disney half-marathon and then full marathon on consecutive days. Without overthinking the logistics of training, we figured this would be an ideal next test for our endurance and signed up for the 2025 iteration – which happened to be the race’s 20 th anniversary.
Training with three young kids under 7 was no easy feat, but we were able to meet our mileage goals and complete the races alongside some supportive friends who joined us for the individual events. Most of my training runs were in the pre-dawn hours which prepared me for race day, which starts with a 2am wake up alarm in order to make it comfortably to the corrals for a 4:30am start. Running through a
pre-dawn, fully illuminated Main Street USA with Cinderella’s castle in the distance with hundreds of cheering spectators (twice!) truly made you feel like you were in the “the “happiest place on earth”. Winding our way through and between the theme parks, we made the most of it by squeezing in a few rides and taking plenty of photos with the Disney characters. While shaving off a few minutes from our times by skipping these accoutrements might have been nice, it was special afterwards to share the experience with our kids by showing them pictures of our run with their favorite characters. That said, being able to act like kids again ourselves, even if just for a few hours, was also a welcome bonus.
Mary Andrews Marathon Race Recap
by Kenny Vogel
Everything was perfect except for one very important thing. Mother Nature decided not to cooperate with us. Unfortunately Sunday’s planned race was cancelled – a decision made for the safety of runners and volunteers which is paramount over everything we do. Throughout the week it looked like the rain would clear by 8-9 am so we first moved the race to 9:00 am. Very early Sunday morning the outlook was then calling for a second round of thunderstorms at around 10-11 am. It was this change in the outlook that ultimately pushed the decision to cancel the race. We could not have runners and volunteers on the course (in the middle of wooded areas) during a severe thunderstorm. The next big decision was whether we could have a make-up race. The only option was to have it the next day. We quickly confirmed that the timer could be there as he had to go home and come back from Fort Meyers, that Paynes Praire Park would allow us to go the next day, and that the food truck and porta potties would be there. Some amazing volunteers then went out and cleared the entire course of debris Sunday afternoon. And most of all it took an incredible effort to make sure we still had volunteers at all positions.
This was a huge effort to get it moved and could only be done by a small flexible club like ours and some amazing people! Monday’s race turned out to be an amazing picture perfect running day. The race ran as smoothly as you could imagine and the weather was cold but perfect for racing. In the marathon it was very close between Gainesville’s Cedric Torres and Baker Herrin, with Cedric pulling away and winning in a time of 2:53:00. On the women’s side Abbie Garcia- Tunon of Miami ran a 3:18:05 to beat second place Gainesville’s Brittany Carney by 3 minutes. The Masters winners were Andres Vasquez from New York in time of 3:16:25 and Gainesville’s Gretchen Lloyd 3:34:52. In the half marathon Alex Krynski from Vieira Florida won in 1:20:44 with Gainesville’s Grace Kelly in 1:28:58. The Masters winners were Gainesville’s Joelson Martins Bezerra in 1:32:09 and Tampa’s Meredith Defranco in 1:33:40.
Upcoming Events
Archer 5K and 10K We’re heading to the Southwest on March 8th, 2025… Southwest Alachua County! Join us for the inaugural Archer Braid Trail 5k & 10k race. We’ll start at the trail head of the Archer Braid Trail in Archer and run out- and-back along the flat and fast course. Sign up here!
Run with Purpose Sign up to participate in the annual Run with Purpose to support Traumatic Injury survivors and their families presented by ProjectOne45 on March 15th, 2025. This event will offer a 5k (3.1 mile) run/walk route as well as a 1.6K (1 mile) route. FTC members can use the promo code promo code FloridaTrackClub for a 20% discount.
Gator Mountain Challenge Are you ready for an exhilarating challenge that will push your limits and bring out the true champion in you? The Climb for Cancer Foundation invites you to participate in the fourth annual Gator Mountain Challenge presented by UF Alpha Epsilon Delta taking place at the iconic Ben Hill Griffin Stadium! AEDs spring philanthropy is the Climb for Cancer Foundation. The Climb for Cancer Foundation focuses on patient centered care by alleviating the financial, emotional, and spiritual stresses cancer places on families affected by cancer. By focusing on underserved needs, the gifts provided by the Climb for Cancer Foundation fill in the cracks left by organizations that focus on the big picture. This tournament style event has teams of five relay racing up the steps of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, UF’s very own mountain! This event occurs on February 23rd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
To get involved:
- Form a five-member “climbing” team ready to take on the ultimate climbing challenge.
- Register for free and secure your spot in the competition.
- How to Register
- Raise a minimum of $250 per team to support a great cause.
- Enjoy the thrill of the climb, competing against other teams for the fastest time!
Volunteering opportunities
Volunteer at our next FTC race Without volunteers like you, we would not be able to put our races together. The next FTC volunteering opportunity is for our new 2025 Archer Braid Trail race on March 8th, 2025. Sign up here.
The Gainesville Sports Commission is looking for volunteers for multiple events and dates at the new Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe!
Come out and volunteer at the indoor track and field meet at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe(4870 Celebration Pointe Avenue Gainesville, Fl. 32608)! The track & field meets listed below are College and Master level meets! These events are a great way to volunteer and gain service hours through assisting the officials on the track and with field events, while also getting to experience large-scale indoor track & field meets. In addition to receiving volunteer hours, lunch/dinner will be provided to the volunteers during their shift. Spots are first come, first serve and fill up quickly!
- February 20-23, 2025 – USATF Masters Indoor Championships
Examples of Duties Include: Athlete check in, awards, information specialist, hospitality coordinator, packet pick up
Please see link for volunteer shifts and descriptions and to SIGN UP for USATF Masters – https://givepul.se/auf766
- February 27-March 1, 2025 – NAIA Indoor Track & Field Men’s & Women’s Championships
Examples of Duties Include: Assisting officials with field events like High Jump and Pole Vault bar adjusting, long jump sand pit, and shotput throwing area, assisting with hurdles; Assisting officials in the clerking area to get athletes lined up and ready for next races.
If you are interested in volunteering for NAIA, please email: egrissom@gainesvillesportscommission.com with your name/group names, contact emails and phone number(s), and time/day available.
Thursday, February 27 11:30AM-4:00PM 4:00PM-7:00PM 4:30PM-7:00PM
Friday, February 28 11:30AM-2:30PM 2:30PM-6:00PM 12:30PM-3:30PM 3:30PM-6:30PM
Saturday, March 1 11:00AM-2:30PM 2:00PM-5:00PM 12:45PM-5:15PM
- March 23-30, 2025 – World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships 2025
Examples of Duties Include: Athlete check in, awards, information specialist, hospitality coordinator, packet pick up
Please see link for volunteer shifts and descriptions and to SIGN UP for World Masters – https://givepul.se/10ay92