Places to Run in Cincinnati
If you are new to Cincinnati, just visiting, a local new to running or looking for a different place to run, the Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati website has a consolidated list of local places to run. If you have more places that you would like to include or just comments about the locations that are currently listed, please email us. To see the list, go to the homepage and select Running Routes in the navigation pane.

Valentine's Day Labor of Love 2 Mile Recap
Over 220 runners, and walkers participated this past Sunday February 15 at the Valentine Labor of Love 2 mile. It was such a big event that the Enquirer was there and took pictures. Congratulations to the overall men's winner Keith Knapp, the overall woman's winner and Runners' Club member Kelly Edmondson, the overall couple's winner Allen and Mary Pettigrew, the top Married Couple Wade and Jamie Gerdemann, and the top Ball & Chain - Joey and Elaine Zeinner.
Thank you to the following volunteers that made the race a success: Tom Glasscock, Mike Hauser, Stacy Osborne, Mike Smith, Laura Wagner and the Northern Kentucky Cross Country Team. See you at next year's race - the 30th Annual Valentine Race. Go to the club website for complete race results.

Sprint for Special Olympics
Formerly known as Molly Malone's Gaelic Gallop, the race has a new name, new time, new place but same great party and benefits the Hamilton County Special Olympics. View the flier for more information.

RACE DETAILS

• DATE: Sunday, March 1, 2009 - Open to All.
• TIME: 11:00 AM.
• PLACE: O'Bryon's Irish Pub, 1998 Madison Road, O'Bryonville.
• PACKET PICK-UP: The Running Spot, O'Bryonville, Saturday, February 28, 1 - 4:30 PM or at O'Bryon's the day of race.
• INFO: 3 mile course beginning and finishing at O'Bryon's. After you finish the run, enjoy the post-race party. View the flier for more information.

Valentine's 2 Mile Labor of Love this Sunday
This Sunday is the Valentine's Labor of Love 2 Mile Run. Please join us whether you have a valentine or not. This will be a lot of fun. Goody Bags to the first 150 registered.
Plenty of awards, music, and pizza. One of Cincinnati's best races. Race starts at noon at NKU, please arrive early. Registration is in Regents Hall. There will be an eating, and costume contest for those interested in participating prior to award ceremony. Visit the club website for more information.

29th Annual Valentine's 2 Mile Labor of Love Update
Mail in entries for the club's Valentine's Day Race on Sunday February 15 must be postmarked by this Monday February 9. Online Registration is open until Tuesday February 10. Get the flier or register online now before you forget and the price goes up!

Club Race Calendar
Check out the club calendar for Cincinnati Road Races. It includes 5Ks, 10Ks, Marathons, Half Marathons, and just about any other distance that you could imagine running. It includes Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati events, and a few regional and national races but mainly Cincinnati and Northern KY local road races. Access the club race calendar.

Volunteer Opportunities for the Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati

There are a few one time and couple of ongoing opportunities where the Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati needs you help. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and meet other members in the club.

• Valentine's Day Race: We need 2 volunteers to help with the Packet Pickup at Bob Roncker's in O'Bryonville on February 14 from noon to 3:00 PM.
  On race day we need about 5 people to help with the finish line and results for the race. Please help as this is one of our biggest fundraisers of the club. If you can help out on Saturday or Sunday, please sign-up using our online registration form.
• The Heart Mini Marathon Bag Stuffing - We need 15 people to help stuff goody bags for the Heart Mini-Marathon. on Saturday February 7, 2009 from 9:00 am to noon at the Heart Association Office at 5211 Madison Road. If you can help out, please sign-up using our online registration form and select bagstuffing. For your efforts, you get a heart mini-marathon poster.
• Ongoing - Currently, the club has openings for keeping the club running: Merchandise Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, and Social/Hospitality(plan the 3-5 social events a year like the Holiday Party, Summer Picnic, Annual meeting, Member Appreciation Happy Hour etc). Positions take only 1-2 hours a week of your time(no time at all if you enjoy them) and the only two requirements are that you enjoy hanging out with runners and be a Runners' Club Member. If you can fill one of these positions, send an email to cincinnatirunning@gmail.com.
  

Latest Poll Results
Here are the updates from the last poll. The last poll asked what is your running goal for 2009. Almost 40 people voted in the poll and run a marathon was your top goal with 10 votes followed closely by running a personal record with 9 votes. Tied for third was maintain fitness and resume/start running with 6 votes each. Thank you for those that voted. I will leave the full results up until I can think of another poll question.

RCGC Holiday Party Recap

The Runners’ Club of Greater Cincinnati held its annual Holiday Party on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at the Swaim Park Lodge in Montgomery Ohio. Approximately 30 club members and guests attended(see photos). The party was a gala potluck affair withthe Club providing meat and a variety of beverages, and members and guests bringing appetizers,salads, side dishes, and desserts. The pot luck dinner format was similar to that usedfor Holiday Parties of years past when they were held at the Clifton Recreation Center. In addition this year's featured a White Elephant Gift Exchange. A white elephant gift is an object that you would rather somebody else have. Thank you to the members and guests that contributed food items. The food was exceptional quality, variety, and amount to satisfy any hungry runner’s appetite. See you next year.

Valentine's 2 Mile Labor of Love

Please join the Runners' Club this winter in one of the most fun and unusual races you'll find in Cincinnati. In 2009 we made it more unusual by adding a couple of new specialty categories like Ball & Chain(a male and female runner are tethered together so they run together) and Blind Date(you randomly get a partner). The race is put on by the Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati and proceeds go to support running in the Greater Cincinnati area and the NKU cross country and track team.

RACE DETAILS

• DATE: Sunday, February 15th, 2009 - Open to All.
  
• TIME: 12 Noon.
  
• PLACE: Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY.
  
• PRE-REGISTRATION: ends Monday, February 9th, 2008.
  
• PACKET PICK-UP: The Running Spot, O'Bryonville, Saturday, February 14, Noon - 3 PM or at NKU day of race.
  
• DIRECTIONS: 471 ends at 27, go straight through light. Turn right at next light (NKU). Take first left, then first right.
  
• COURSE: 2 mile course beginning at Albright Health Center.
  
• OTHER: Get the flier or register online.

The Running Symposium presented by Wellington Orthopedic and Bob Roncker's Running Spot
This Saturday morning symposium will give you the latest information about running. Highly qualified presenters will instruct and entertain. There will be sessions where you will learn by doing. The morning concludes with a talk by Kevin Hanson, one of the founders of the Hanson's-Brooks Distance Project that enabled Brian Sell to make the 2008 U.S.A. Olympic Marathon Team.

2009 Running Symposium Details

• Date: January 24, 2009
  
• Time: 7:30 a.m. - Noon
  *Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast provided.
• Where: Wellington Anderson Medical Offices
  
• Cost: $15
• Presented by: Wellington Orthopedic & Sports Medicine and Bob Roncker's Running Spot
  

For more information, go to the Running Symposium.

Al Salvato Memorial Frostbite 5 Mile Recap

The Al Salvato Frostibite 5 Mile is held on January 1.  It was named after Al Salvato, an avid runner and supporter of both running and the YMCA.  Al founded the race to raise money for the Campbell County YMCA and was the race director for several years before passing away in 2006 due to complications from Leukemia.

I was not planning to run this race due to the earlier start at 8:30 AM.  I tend to get carried away on New Year's Eve so making the later start was a challenge. However, I enjoy this race since it is now the only 5 mile road race in the Cincinnati area which according to a friend of mine is the perfect distance to run(Not too short like the 5k, Not too long like the 10k but just right).  It has a great long sleeve t-shirt with a cute design and I am a sucker for cute along with humorous and minimalist for t-shirts.  Also, I heard rumors that after this year the Campbell County Y might not do the race in 2010 so I sucked it up to show up 2 hours earlier to do the race for possibly the last time.  There were 219 others who decided to do it as well even thought the start was earlier and it was much colder than last year's race. In addition, the local newspaper  was there to cover it.

For a 5 mile race, I thought that registration was reasonably priced. Included in registration was the t-shirt.  It was short sleeve rather than the long sleeve that they had in the past.  I must admit that I liked the race more when purchasing a t-shirt was optional instead of including it in the price.   Since I have so many t-shirts, I wonder when I will wear them all.   

The course has not changed in the years that I have run it.  It starts and finishes by the Campbell County YMCA , and there is an overlook of the Ohio River on the way back.  I did manage to finish the race in faster time than I expected even with an equipment malfunctioon(both my shoes came untied and I had to stop at 3 mile mark to tie them before I fell). Post Race featured bananas, and water. Since the race venue was the YMCA, you could shower after the race if you brought clothes and they did have lockers for your use as well to store your stuff, both underrated and underappreciated features.  I am hoping that they do the race next year and they can get a later start time so more can do it.  Frostbite 5 Mile Results.      

Happy New Year from the Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati

The Runners' Club of Greater Cincinnati would like to wish you a Happy New Year!  When you make your New Year's Resolutions, please consider volunteering at one of our club races, maybe sponsor a club race,  join our club, and helping someone who may need your assistance.  If you can do this, I am sure 2009 will be a great year for you and others.

Club Group Runs in the Winter
Beginning in January 2009, the club will have two weekly group runs. The club keeps the Hyde Park Group Run, but it will now meet on Wednesday at 6:30 PM starting on January 7. Beginning on Sunday, January 11 we will head south into Kentucky and meet at the Perk Station in Crescent Springs KY. If one is near where you live, come out and run with us.

Weekly Group Run Details:

• Wednesday - 6:30 PM Run - Hyde Park Square - meet by the fountain - begins January 7.
• Sunday - 9:00 AM Run - Perk Station, Crescent Springs KY - meet in front of Perk Station - begins January 11
  

For more information check out our calendar or email us.

Egg Nog Jog Recap

The Egg Nog Jog is one of my favorite races in Cincinnati. I have run this race more times than any other in Cincinnati with the exception of the Reggae Run. The course is one of my favorites as it a loop course that goes around Mount Adams, and Eden Park. It has one of the more difficult hills that I haver faced even though it is not very long. The 2008 race was held a week later than usual on December 20, 2008. Typically the race gets around 150-200 runners but this year it got 400 runners and they had a line for registration out the door of the Koka Coffee Lounge, the kind host and a sponsor for this race. I decided not to get the t-shirt since I have so many and due to the number of runners, I heard that they ran out during preregistration. However, you could order one on race day and they would send it to you. Many runners could not get to the Jingle Bell Run 2 weeks earlier due to snow, so they decided to do this one. The course starts on the Jerome in Mount Adams and you go by several Mount Adams landmarks like the Celestial, Rookwood Pottery, the Art Museum, Playhouse in the Park, the Krohn Conservatory, the Water Tower and of course Eden Park. In Eden Park, you run around Mirror Lake and up through Seasongood Pavilion back to the finish by the old Rookwood Pottery Builidng which I believe is now a restaurant known as Porkopolis. Post Race featured water, coffee, bananas, and of course Egg Nog. Since it was quite cold, most did not stick around for the the door prizes and awards so I even won a door prize. Egg Nog Jog Results.