RunVassar

Despite a damp course and threatening clouds, 93 people made their way to Ballantine Field to kick off the Founder's Day activities with the 21st annual Fun Run, sponsored by the Vassar Cross Country teams and RunVassar.  In the 4th annual VCXC Alumni Challenge, the Vassar women's team prevailed while the men fell to their alumni rivals.  Lead by Mera McGrew '10, the Vassar women packed in tightly for a decisive 24-35 victory in a sport where lowest score wins.  Meanwhile, the 2nd place finish of VCXC captain Colin Sanders '08 wasn't enough to defeat the strong showing by male alums, who won the competition 24-31. 

In non-varsity action, Evan O'Dea was the top finisher, coming in 13th with a time of 17:49.  Soccer alum Kate Bossange was the top non-VCXC female finisher in 21st with a time of 19:35.  The faculty contingent was paced by the strong effort of French professor Mark Andrews, who finished 50th overall in a time of 22:53, while Andy McKenzie '10 won the annual basketball race, edging out Coach Mike Dutton by 6 seconds (22:50 and 22:56, respectively).

Complete results can be found by clicking the Founder's Day Fun Run link in the left navigation panel.  Thanks to all who participated!

RunVassar is pleased to announce the election of its new officers for the 2008-2009 academic year.  Andrew Utas '09, who helped to create the site in 2007, has been elected President.  Jon Erickson '11, a rising sophomore on the VC track and cross country teams, has been elected Vice President.  Alex Booth '09 will continue as Treasurer of the club, a position he has held since 2006.

Freewebs.com, our wonderful webhosts, have added yet another feature to their Site Builder!  The Web Store is a great update over RunVassar's former CafePress store.  Now, all of your purchases will go directly to support RunVassar!  Our store features tshirts, totebags, and other gear featuring the RunVassar.com logo.  Help support our organization so we can continue to support you!

RunVassar.com has updated the Upcoming Races schedule to include a thorough list of "approved" road races for the Spring season.  Click "Upcoming Races" on the left to see what's coming up.  This is a great time to pick a target race and start a training plan!  The Founder's Day Fun Run is exactly 8 weeks from this Saturday (March 8th).  Now is the perfect time to choose one of our 5k training plans!

And don't forget, we are currently accepting applications to the RunVassar Sponsorship Program.  No previous running experience is required, and you'll find many benefits, including a soon-to-be-introduced Sponsored Runners Home Page!

RunVassar is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 Leap Day Giveaway:

The following students have won a RunVassar totebag: Elysia Glover '11, Will Jobs '10, Ariel Kleinberg '09, Alina Von Korff '11, and Carolyn Demougeot '11.

The following students have won a RunVassar magnet: Lindsay Wood '11, Christina Peltier '10, Julia Hirsch '08, Amrita Kundu '10, and Eliza Herschkowitz '09

Lillian Reuman '11 has won the Bud Coates Runners World running log.

Thank you to all who entered the Leap Day Giveaway.  Look for a similar giveaway next year.

Just for visiting RunVassar.com, you are eligible to receive a free totebag from the RunVassar store!  Just click the link below to fill out the entry form.  The drawing will take place on February 29, so enter now!

• 5 grand prize winners will receive a quality RunVassar.com totebag
• 5 first prize winners will receive RunVassar.com magnets
• 1 runner-up will receive a Runner's World training log, created by Budd Coates

   

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

The site is constantly updating, and we're preparing for another!  Over the next several weeks, the RunVassar team will be working to make significant additions to the Upcoming Races schedule.  Also, we'll be adding several Training Plans to work with more levels of runners who are training for events like a 10k or even the marathon.  The Sponsorship Program section will see drastic improvements, and we'll do our best to add another city to the Running Routes section. 

Also, stay tuned for details on a RunVassar.com sponsored Trail Race, coming in May!

RunVassar.com offers a selection of training plans meant for all ability levels who are training for a race or just to get in shape.  The longest of these plans is three months.  With the Spring road racing season approaching, now is the time to start!  Check out the Training Plan Menu, and choose the one that seems right for you.  Need help deciding?  Ask in the Ask A Coach section, and we'll help you pick the ideal plan for your situation.

Also, don't forget about the RunVassar Sponsorship Program.  This is a unique opportunity to get a personalized training plan and a RunVassar.com t-shirt... you can even put it on your resume!  Look for improvements to our Sponsorship Program page with the March 1st updates.

Thanks for visiting RunVassar.com... spread the word!  Click the "Send to a Friend" button at the bottom of this page.

The Shoe Review Menu more than doubled in size yesterday, with several new shoes reviewed in different categories.  In addition, the menu now features testimonials from Vassar runners who have worn the shoes, giving you a better idea of how the shoe might work for you.  Check it out!

RunVassar President Jamie Anderson '08 and Treasurer Alex Booth '09 will be attending the USATF Level 1 Coaches' School at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO February 9-10.  The two will learn the latest training strategies from Troy Engle, an accomplished racewalker who once held US high school records in the 2 mile and 5k racewalk events.  The two-day conference focuses on basic strategies of coaching distance athletes, as well as the throwing and jumping events of Track and Field.  RunVassar hopes that the experience will help the officers to further their knowledge in the sport of running, and to more effectively produce training programs for RunVassar athletes.

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?  Click here to submit a comment form.  Also click here to refer to the RunVassar constitution for questions concerning the organization.