Gunpowder Keg Kicks Off Fall Schedule

The Gunpowder Keg Ultra Race, featuring distances of 25 and 50K, will kick off the September season on Saturday, September 6 at 8:00 a.m. at the Bunker Hill section of Gunpowder State Park.  This "fat-ass" style race has no registration fee, though we do ask runners to make a $5 donation to the state park, if possible, and to bring a gallon of water for the aid stations and snacks to share.  Complete information can be found here.

We are using an ultra signup registration site for this race.  Register here or on race day. 

To volunteer, contact Kristin Bremer.
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35th Executive Stampede Coming Soon - Register Your Team

BRRC's 35th Annual Executive Stampede will be held on Sunday, September 14th at 8:00 a.m. in Hunt Valley.  The 5K race, which features teams from various organizations, including companies, non-profits, government agencies, and more, benefits the Charlie Reynolds Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Individual runners can join us, as well.

Complete race information and registration information can be found on our website here.
 
Contact Christy St. Clair to volunteer.
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BRRC Was There At the Start

In late November, BRRC will celebrate the 25th running of the NCR Trail Marathon.  Most of our members are familiar with the trail, where we run many of our annual races, including last weekend's Too Hot To Trot 10K, but we suspect few know that BRRC was there at the start, helping to mark the trail that we would eventually adopt as our own. 

BRRC member and former President Allen Field of Columbia, fondly recalls the days back when the trail was first developed.  Thanks to Allen for contributing the following article.
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"The Trail dedication for the first 7.18 miles (Ashland to Monkton) was Saturday, December 8, 1984.  Following the dedication, Bill Diegel, Larry Gang and I ran 10 miles out-and-back.  My memory is that we ran from the Phoenix Parking Lot dedication site at about the 2 mile mark up to Monkton and back.
 
I was the current and 4th President of BRRC at the time.  Larry, since deceased as a result of a hiking accident in Colorado, followed me as the 5th BRRC President.  And Bill was the Club Treasurer during my term as President.  John Roemer III was the second BRRC President and the person who got the Club and me engaged in supporting Trail construction.  It was his son, John IV, who spent the morning with me recently at the Monkton Station walking down memory lane!
 
I created the first set of mile posts – 1 through 7 – over the winter in my garage and basement, using a Boy Scout wood burning tool to burn the numbers into the top of the posts.  This was after receiving permission from Rick Barton, the Gunpowder Park head ranger, to “plant” the markers in the spring.  A group of us planted those posts on Saturday, April 20, 1985.   Shown here is what went into the BRRC 1985 Club Summer Newsletter regarding the posts.  I had totally forgotten that my at-the-time 9 year old daughter Christina (“Tina”) was part of the post-gang that day!
 
When the Trail was completed from Monkton to PA, Willard Freeman was BRRC President, if memory serves me correctly.  I believe that it was during his tenure that BRRC once again stepped up and planted the mile posts from 8 on.  My memory is vague on this as I had moved to Columbia in late 1985 and was pretty much disconnected from BRRC by the time of the opening from Monkton north.  Again, going on memory, I believe that the first North Central Trail Marathon (26.2 miles), conducted by BRRC, was held on November 24, 1990 and continues to this day as an annual event.  I ran the marathon 9 times from 1990 to 2000, missing only in 1991 and 1997.  Of my 41 marathon completions, this event still stands as my favorite, usually coinciding with the first weekend of deer hunting season which was always a little disconcerting when the guns started blasting in the woods and fields along the Trail!"
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NCR Trail Marathon Registration Still Open

DISCOUNT ENTRY FEE OF $85 IF YOU REGISTER BEFORE AUGUST 31

This is a reminder that registration is open for the 25th Anniversary Running of the NCR Trail Marathon and Marathon Relay on Saturday, November 29, 2014 starting at 8:30 AM. 

New this year will be the 8K Rails to Trails race to offer more runners the opportunity to participate in this special event.  In keeping with tradition, we offer our runners the best volunteer support 26.2 miles could offer and promise our signature post-race homemade soup as you cross the finish line. 

Hope to see you there!  Complete race information can be found here.  Go here to register early and SAVE!

It's not too late to volunteer to serve on the NCR Trail Marathon Committee.  Contact Race Director Christy St. Clair to volunteer.
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Baltimore Marathon Water Stop Leader Needed

BRRC has staffed a waterstop at the Baltimore Running Festival since the inaugural run in 2001. We are one of the few organizations that have participated in every marathon.  We need a point of contact for club members and other volunteers to register with in advance.  The point of contact collects the names, shirt size and email addresses of volunteers, identifies the time and location to meet, and provides the volunteer shirts to the people that show up.
The race organizers provide the shirts to the point of contact at race registration.
 
We normally have 28 - 30 volunteers at the waterstop. Page 3 of the November 2013 Training Group Newsletter has a photo and names of last year's group that staffed the waterstop for BRRC.  Here is the link to the newsletter and you will probably recognize some of the faces.

If you would like to lead this year's effort, please let us know.  We need a volunteer leader to begin this task right away.  This volunteer commitment will qualify for GPS credit.  Even better, the leader will have the satisfaction of representing BRRC at the Running Festival. 
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