It looks to be a challenging course travelling from Ft. Marcy to the Buffallo Thunder casino. However, it should be incredibly beautiful as well. Check out the following article from the New Mexican for additional information.

Article:

Half-marathon aims to lure runners for 13 miles of mountain views
By: Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican

A group of accomplished Santa Fe runners who are organizing the city’s first half-marathon this fall hope racers will include elite athletes, adventure tourists and local residents.

The new nonprofit the runners formed, Global Running Culture, would use the 13-mile race from the Fort Marcy Recreation Complex to Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino to raise money for youth fitness and nutrition programs.

“All of us have been competitive runners, so we know the sport from the athlete’s perspective,” said Joseph Karnes, an attorney who is part of the planning team along with Abraham Kosgei, a Pojoaque Valley High School running coach, and Antonio Lopez, a former state track and field champ who won the New Mexico Marathon in 2009.

“All of us have made a commitment to give back to the sport because it has given us so much,” Karnes said.

Karnes was on the board of directors for the Big Sur International Marathon in California for six years. Kosgei, who was born in the Rift Valley of Kenya but now lives in Pojoaque, is an international competitor who qualified for the Kenyan Olympic team in 2000.

The three hope their experience, combined with Santa Fe’s natural beauty and challenging conditions, will contribute to making the Sept. 18 race an annual success.

Big Sur was one of the first “destination marathons” to advertise tourist attractions alongside a major athletic endeavor, Karnes said. The idea has caught on since then. But given Santa Fe’s lung-crushing, 7,000-foot elevation, organizers opted to try for 13 miles instead of 26.

“Most people live a lot lower than that, and running a full marathon at altitude is really pushing it. But then we said, ‘Wait a minute, there are not many destination half-marathons that we know of,’ ” Karnes said.

The course starts at Fort Marcy and heads north on Old Taos Highway, paralleling U.S. 84/285 and offering views of the Sangre de Cristos and the Jemez Mountains. It then passes the Santa Fe Opera and Tesuque Village Market, and ends at the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino on Pojoaque Pueblo.

The pueblo has organized a 12K race for the last two years, so Kosgei said he’s banking on some of the 200 participants in last year’s Thunder Run to sign up for the longer event. Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera, who ran the Boston Marathon in 2009, also is lending support to the nonprofit endeavor this year, Kosgei said.

Kosgei was one of the founders of the AmeriKenya running club, which brought dozens of athletes to Santa Fe from African nations to train. Now, in addition to his duties with Pojoaque Valley High School, he’s also a youth fitness coach at Pojoaque Pueblo Wellness Center and operates an all-ages running club in Northern New Mexico.

Teaching children the value of being an athlete is important, he said, and bringing high-profile athletes to compete in Santa Fe will help inspire youth to eat well and stay fit.

“When we plant that in their mind, they will change,” he said, adding later, “Running is like a prayer. It is like a connection between you and nature. So if you’re running, you pass a certain limit where you are enjoying it, and good things come to you.”

Santa Fean Greg Gonzales, 48, said he’s already planning to participate and is looking forward to a race that requires no travel. In past years, he’s gone to Albuquerque, Phoenix and Los Angeles to run competitively. Years ago, he said, he participated in an event called Santa Fe Run Around and also recalls a local race around the Fiesta season.

“None of them really ever took off,” Gonzales said. “It sounds like what these guys are trying to do would really be something that will put Santa Fe on the map for runners.”

USA Track & Field recently certified the half-marathon course, which means it will be advertised as such for experienced athletes who want assurance that it’s well-organized.

Participants will be able to drive to the casino and park, ride shuttle buses back to the starting line, and then run back to their vehicles. Organizers also plan live music along the course.

Charity beneficiaries include the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Fe, Wings of America, which helps Native American youth get into competitive running, and Gotab Berur, a Kenyan charity that focuses on community improvement.

Cyclists have long visited Santa Fe for the annual Santa Fe Century, a 100-mile bike event that attracts about 3,000 participants and is planned for May 15 this year. The city of Santa Fe’s annual triathlon will be held July 16, and a 5K east-side race that benefits the Wood Gormley Elementary School Parent Teacher Association is scheduled for April 30.

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or jgrimm@sfnewmexican.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Global Running Culture’s half-marathon from Santa Fe to Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino

When: Sept. 18

Cost: $50, registration opens later this summer

Why: Proceeds benefit the Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club, Wings of America and Gotab Berur, a charity in Kenya

Link to Original Article Here

Contact Ryan Bolton and Matt Desmond

one of those is the Dale Ball trail system. In Santa Fe, unlike the other fitness “meccas”, you can access the trails within five minutes of downtown. The Dale Ball Trails are 17 miles worth of city own and maintained trails in the foothills of the rockies. This trail system also provides access to the Santa Fe National forest, and endless miles of  hiking, biking, running, snowshoeing, etc.

So please, join us in celebrating and personally thanking Dale, for the gift he has given Santa Fe.

Click Here For Information About Wood Gormley Parent Teacher Club

The races kick off at 8:00 a.m. with a 5K run and 2-mile walk. At 9:00 a.m. a series of shorter (1K) runs start for each grade level of the Santa Fe elementary schools. Last year there were about 500 participants in all of the races combined.  This year looks to be just as busy, despite the potentially cool temperatures.

The 5k and 2-mile walk course start/finish is at the Wood-Gormley Elementary School on 141 E. Booth street downtown Santa Fe just blocks from the Plaza. The course is an out-and-back with an uphill start from Booth street, and then along Old Santa Fe Trail to Museum Hill… returning for a flying downhill finish! This is a great early spring tuneup event, with chip timing provided by Athlete’s Edge. There will be an aid station with water at the 5k turn around.

The Amerikenyan Running Club will also be in attendance. The Kenyan runners attend this event annually, often running in all of the 1K races with the students.  It’s a great opportunity for the kids to run side by side with world class athletes.

You can register online or on race day at the race site.  However, race day registration closes at 7:30 a.m.

Click Here For More Information Or To RegisterOn Active.com

Contact Ryan Bolton and Matt Desmond

This video documents our typical Saturday mornings. Ryan and I are part of the Amerikenyan Running Club and spend a good portion of our free time coaching and training with these elite runners from Kenya.

Or club is an important part of our lives. Obviously, we are both fitness fanatics and Santa Fe, NM is of course a great place to indulge ourselves. But more importantly, we feel fortunate to have these athletes in our lives. These athletes make their living by winning races. In Kenya the average salary is about $2000 a year. Our athletes can easily win this much in one race. Most importantly, we have seen that these athletes are taking their winnings back to Kenya and putting the money to good use. One opened a medical clinic in his village, others have invested in real estate and improved infastructure.

Anyway, enjoy the video. I apologize as the camera work is amateur…more to come…it will get better!

CONTACT US if you ever want to join us and the Kenyans for a run!

She and dozens of other youngsters were practicing for Thursday’s second annual Roadrunner Turkey Trot, a 5K run/walk and a 1K fun run, with elite members of the AmeriKenyan Running Club.

Samantha, who placed first among girls under age 9 last year with a time of just over 29 minutes in the 5K race, is determined to do her best again this year. “You want to start off not hard at all,” she advised, “then build to a comfortable pace. You don’t want to start out so strong that you get tired in 10 minutes.”

Training for the race has been easier this year, she admitted. “Last year, I’m thinking, ‘when is this over?’ This year, it’s, ‘wow, this is fun,’ because I guess I was bigger and stronger. I love running.”

Samantha also plays soccer, takes dance lessons and jogs with her dog. And to give herself an edge, she eats right, she added, rattling off the healthy items she’d consumed earlier in the day including milk, an orange, an apple and a kiwi.

Last year’s Turkey Trot raised about $9,000 toward the salary for a physical education teacher. Atalaya parent Mariam Browne, who is helping organize the event, said she’s expecting at least 400 runners of all ages to participate.

The 5K run begins at 9 a.m. at the school and follows a loop around the east side to Amelia White Park and back. The kids run begins at 10 a.m.

The top overall male and female runners in the 5K receive a Running Hub certificate. The top three male and female runners in seven age groups get a pumpkin pie, and all participating kids will receive a finishing medal. There will also be a raffle with donated gifts.

Natasha Browne, 11, ran the 5K last year in a little more than a half-hour. She didn’t place, but “I think I did very well,” she said. The secret, she added, is “putting one foot in front of the other. You start slow and on the last lap you try to sprint.”

Will McDermott, 11, who also plays lacrosse, said he focuses on his breathing and tries to “get more air in” while keeping an eye out for obstacles. Tomás Rodriguez said his father’s been timing his practices. “I don’t stop. I focus on my pace,” he explained.

Mariam Browne’s task during the practice was to offer encouragement and support during some pre-running stretches and then to encourage kids to “just do two more laps.” Some of the smallest children, such as Gabrielle, didn’t seem to need Browne much. “I just did my 10th (lap),” she told Browne. “I want to run more. I want to win it.”

Others were more concerned about a small crate of soccer balls and water bottles. “How many laps do I have to do to win a prize?” one of the children asked.

Browne, who ran in high school in Las Vegas, N.M., and now participates in top marathons in the U.S., said the key for young runners is rewards. “They will do it if they see it gives them something,” she said. “Then they run to please others, like their parents, and finally, they do it for themselves. Some seem to get there faster than others.”

If you go

What: Roadrunner Turkey Trot

When: 9 a.m. Thursday

Where: Atalaya Elementary School, 721 Camino Cabra

Registration: 5K, $20 ($30 on race day); kid’s run, $10 ($15 on race day)

Anne Constable | The New Mexican

Earn your turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving!

From the Santa Fe Striders

Group Runs:
Workout List Subscribers: On Monday, August 31 we cleaned up our workout email list. If you are a non-member who would still like to receive workout notifications, please sign-up again (form on bottom of page). Please note that any Strider member on the workout list is not affected.

Tuesday – Speed Interval Training
March-October, starting at 6:00 pm at the Santa Fe High School track.
November-March, starting at 6:00 pm at the Running Hub.

Last Track Workout post on 10/26/2009:
*Final track workout of the season October, 27, 2009*
The final track workout of the year will be tomorrow night at 6pm at the Santa Fe High School Track.

For those interested in continuing speed/interval workouts through Winter, the Tuesday Track workouts will move to The Running Hub for about an hour of interval work. Those workouts will start Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2009 at 6pm.

After tomorrow’s workout join us at Second Street Brewery for recovery. Let’s end the season with a good turnout!

2 x 200
2 x 400
3 x 800
1 x 400
1 x 200
Recovery will be at Second Street Brewery at 7pm.
 
Thursday – Tempo Runs
Year round runs, starting at 6:00 pm at the Running Hub. Runs are of varying distance and difficulty. For the record, this is the “official” Eric’s Route

Sunday – Trail Runs
Trail runs typically begin at 8:00 am every Sunday.  Run details are generally posted on this page by Thursday.  For more information,  contact Striders’ run coordinator Eric Peters.

Last Trail Run post on 10/30/2009:
Fall Back Run for Sunday, November 1st
Set your clocks back one hour before you to to bed Saturday, then meet at Fort Marcy at 8:30AM for a run around Santa Fe.
There is a good chance that the run will take us to Stonehenge.

If you don’t want to adjust your sundials, then show up at 9:30AM.

Eric