Posted: February 23, 2006

Athletics: RRCA Announces National Award Winners

For over thirty years, the RRCA has given national awards on an annual basis to dedicated volunteers around the country that promote and support the mission of the RRCA and the sport of long distance running. Between November and December 2005, the RRCA collected hundreds of nominations for various award categories. Each award category has selection criteria and a selection committee that reviews nominations that determines the final winner. We thank everyone that nominated a candidate, and we applaud all candidates' contributions to grassroots distance running.

We are delighted to announce the 2005 National Award Winners. Congratulations!

RRCA HALL OF FAME
Developed in 1970, the RRCA American Long distance Running hall of Fame, inducts individuals who have made a significant contribution of the sport of long distance running either through excellence in the sport or significant contributions to the sport.

INDUCTEES: Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi, 2004 Olympic Marathon medalists

RRCA ROAD RUNNER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Developed in the 1975, the Road Runner of the Year Award was given to the runners with the most outstanding record of racing performances during the past year for Male and Female runners. In 1984, RRCA added the categories, Male Masters and Female Masters.

WINNERS:
Male Open: Matt Folk, Youngstown Road Runners Club, Youngstown, OH
Female Open: Mary Coordt, Tahoe Mountain Milers, Elk Grove, CA
Male Master: John Metzger, Florida Striders Track Club, Orange Park, FL
Female Master: Patti Stewart-Garbrecth, Florida Striders Track Club, Orange Park, FL

RRCA OUTSTANDING STATE REPRESENTATIVE
State Representatives provide assistance, guidance and information to clubs in their state. They are the local representation of the RRCA. This award was developed in 1984 to recognize the outstanding and superior service of our state representatives.

WINNER: Joan Davis, Hawaii, Western Region

RRCA SCOTT HAMILTON OUTSTANDING PRESIDENT AWARD
This award honors an outstanding RRCA Club President and is selected by the current RRCA National President. On July 30, 2005, Scott D. Hamilton passed away at the age of 77. Scott joined the Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club in 1965 and was an active runner for over 35 years. He served as the National President for the RRCA from 1966-67. In addition to running, he was an avid hiker and mountaineer.

WINNER: Alan Meyer, Bradenton Runners Club, Bradenton, FL

ROD STEELE MEMORIAL AWARD
Rod Steele was a DC Road Runner Club President in 1974 until a plane crash took his life. This award is in memorial to his contributions to the sport of running as a volunteer and supporter of the RRCA. This award is given to recognize the outstanding volunteer (excluding the president) of a local club.

WINNER: Ric Robinetter, Rocky Mountain Road Runners, Denver, CO

RRCA KURT STEINER CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENTAL AWARD
Kurt Steiner was born in Austria in 1921. He came to the US in 1945. He, along with Joe Kleinerman, of the NYRRC pioneered age group scoring and awards. The Kurt Steiner Children's Developmental Award is to recognize a local club member who is dedicated to either promoting children's running and/or coordinating an outstanding children's running program.

WINNER: George Martin, Peachtree Road Runners Club, Peachtree City, GA

RRCA / NYRRC FRED LEBOW WOMEN'S RUNNING AWARD
In 1972, the Women's Mini Marathon 10K was founded by Fred Lebow with help from Nina Kuscsik and Kathrine Switzer. It was the first "women-only" road race in the world. The RRCA/NYRRC Fred Lebow Women's Running Award is to honor someone who has promoted women's running on a national scale or through a significant community program.

WINNER: Carolin Dick, Ann Arbor Track Club, Ann Arbor, MI

BROWNING ROSS SPIRIT OF THE RRCA AWARD
The Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award was created to honor the memory of the RRCA's founding member, Browning Ross, who died unexpectedly in April 1998. The award honors a club member who is an unsung hero. These are the people who champion the RRCA tirelessly and enthusiastically, but prefer to stay in the background, letting others bask in the spotlight, just as Browning did.

WINNER: Phil Stewart, Cherry Blossom, Bethesda, MD

RRCA JERRY LITTLE JOURNALISM AWARDS
Jerry W. Little, Jr., who was president of the Electric City Printing Company, Anderson, SC, from 1969-1986, died of lung cancer in 1986. A graduate of Auburn University, Jerry was a Navy veteran and was prominent in business and political circles in the Anderson area. He had been an athlete all his life but took up running in the 1970s, becoming a devotee and advocate of the sport until his death.

JOURNALISTIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
WINNER: Gail Kislevitz

CLUB WRITER AWARD
WINNER: Wilma DePiore, Youngstown Road Runners, OH

OUTSTANDING CLUB NEWSLETTERS
LARGE CLUB
WINNER: Footnotes, Knoxville Track Club, TN
MEDIUM CLUB
WINNER: News Run, Maine Track Club, ME
SMALL CLUB
WINNER: Legacy, Peachtree Road Runners Club, GA

WEBSITE AWARD
This award is to honor and recognize those who have brought technology into their clubs as a means of communication and done so in an organized, efficient and technological manner.
BEST SITE
WINNER: Lake Ridge "Ridge Runners" Running Club
LARGE CLUB TOP SITE
Capital Striders, IA; Runner's Club of Greater Cincinnati, OH; Oregon Road Runners Club, OR
SMALL CLUB TOP SITES
Lake Ridge "Ridge Runners" Running Club; Melrose Running Club, MA; Tuscaloosa Track Club, AL

For a complete list of award winners over the years, visit www.rrcahouston06.org.

The Road Runners Club of America is a non-profit organization of over 700 running clubs and 175,000 members across the United States. The RRCA chapters organize races, have training runs, provide safety guidelines, promote children's and masters fitness running programs and have social programs. Visit: RRCA.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.

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