Faces at the Finish Line; Countdown says goodbye until next year; see you at Mud Mountain XIV

Faces at the Finish Line: Photos from Mud Mountain XIII
Produced by Tom Atwood
Photos by Bryan Daley
© 2008 Edwardsville Cross Country and
Track & Field Booster Club
All Rights Reserved

The race results: what went wrong?

by Tom Atwood
Race Director

When I think about Saturday’s 13th running of the Mud Mountain 5K, I am reminded of the old, bad punch line: “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?”

The race itself went perfectly. A record turnout. The 5K Started on time. No injuries or heat-related problems. The fun-run was fun. There was plenty of water, free fruit, and energy bars at the finish line.

But when it came time to announce the results, the winners of the race, and the top finishers in each age category, things seemed to fall apart. What happened? It looks like several events combined to produce initial race results that were flat-out wrong.

First, several runners crossed the finish line--and were timed--who either did not register, or did not have a race bib (like #94 in photo above). The tags from those bib numbers are used to record results, and when they are out of order or some are missing, it throws off all the results.

It also appears that in the crush of almost 500 runners in the chute, some of the tags got shuffled.

Fortunately, we also use a backup method in the chute: literally writing down the number of each runner so we can cross check those numbers with the tags from the bibs. Since it soon became clear the tags were not correct, we switched to the backup, handwritten numbers to, in effect, score the race the old-fashioned way: by hand. That will be completed by this evening and the final, official results will be posted.

None of this is an excuse, just an explanation for those of you who might be curious about what happened. Again, as race director, I apologize for the delay in getting the final results, which will be posted later today on www.mudmountain.org.

Needless to say, we are already looking at ways to prevent this from happening again at next year’s Mud Mountain. And we hope to see you there!

Mud Mountain XIII sets registration record; 567 runners sign up; race director releases "Mud," issues apology for delayed results

MUD (SCENES FROM MUD MOUNTAIN XIII)
PRODUCED BY TOM ATWOOD
MUSIC BY TADASHI TOGAWA
VIDEOGRAPHY BY TOM ATWOOD AND JACK TWESTEN
© 2008 EDWARDSVILLE CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD BOOSTER CLUB
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

To see high resolution version of this video, click here.

THANKS, AND AN APOLOGY

Tom Atwood

Race Director

Mud Mountain XIII is history. The overall winners - Kent Wories and Candace Caveny - outran the largest field ever at Mud Mountain. In all, 567 runners registered for the 5K and One-Mile Fun Run. The weather was warm and humid, the course a bit wet and muddy in places, but no one required medical assistance due to the heat, and no one was injured in a slip or fall. The event was a great success for the Edwardsville Cross Country and Track & Field Booster Club.

However, there was some confusion at the end of the 5K Classic. We are still trying to figure out what happened, but regardless, it took longer than usual for us to determine the top finishers in the various age divisions, and we were unable to give out medals to the female age division winners at the race. Instead, we will be mailing those. There are a couple of men’s divisions that were also in dispute (including the Clydesdale division). We will make sure the right people get the right medals.

I want to apologize for the confusion. We will learn from this, and make Mud Mountain even better in the future. Most of all, I want to thank not only those of you who ran this challenging, muddy course today, but also the dozens of volunteers who give their time and energy to make Mud Mountain, by far, the best 5K race in the St. Louis area.

Over the next few days we’ll be posting lots of photos and video highlights of this year’s race, so keep an eye on www.mudmountain.org.

See you next summer!

p.s. if you have any questions about the results, or comments, please contact me.

Race day! Mud Mountain in all its glory; race director rates course condition 'good, muddy;' registrations cross 400-mark, over 500 expected to run

This Year Mud Mountain Lives Up to Its Name

by Tom Atwood
Mud Mountain Race Director

As of 7 pm, Friday, July 25, the Mud Mountain course is in good, but somewhat muddy, condition for the 2008 5K Cross Country Classic. After Thursday night’s significant rainfall, there are intermittent puddles along Mile 3 of the course, and lengthy stretches of mud on portions of Mile 3, particularly at the base of Mud Mountain. Runners are advised to run along the extreme edges of the course on those muddy sections. It is likely that course conditions will deteriorate during the race, as more and more runners attempt to negotiate Mud Mountain.

Aside from the mud, the course itself has benefitted from excellent maintenance during the past week. Severe ruts have been repaired, overhangs have been trimmed, and the grass has been cut. However, at 8:30 am in July, expect the grassy portions of the course to be wet with dew and slippery. And be forewarned: if you run, you will get muddy.

Please run with caution, and enjoy Mud Mountain in all its glory!

---

How many runners have entered the race so far?
Entries to date: 404.

Traditionally on race day about 100 additional runners show up and register to run Mud Mountain. Registration opens at 6:30 am today, and if the weather is good, as many as 150 runners may sign up (based on the high number of pre-registrations). What is the official prediction for total registrations? 534. We'll know if that guess is a good one in a few hours...

--Tom Atwood

1 day til race day; Bipod offers packet pickup today; race director has message for runners on eve of 5K; entries total 401 so far

GOD'S RACE:

A MESSAGE FOR RUNNERS FROM

MUD MOUNTAIN RACE DIRECTOR TOM ATWOOD

Mud Mountain:

Running the way God intended--on grass.

Say no to asphalt.

Say yes to the Mud Mountain 5K Cross Country Classic:

God's race.

--rejected marketing campaign

for Mud Mountain XIII

I ran the course yesterday evening, careful to check its condition just a couple of days before the 2008 Mud Mountain 5K. A gentle rain was falling, misting the grass. The course was actually shimmering, even in the dim light of low rain clouds. Fallen mimosa blossoms occasionally carpeted the 2nd mile where it begins its endless incline; a Monarch butterfly circled me for a moment as I plodded along, wildflowers lining each side of the path.

A perfect evening for running, I thought, hoping this is what it might be like on race-day morning. But, the weather forecast suggests a warmer start when the running begins at 8:30 am on Saturday—temperatures in the low 80s, humid after a good chance of showers the night before. In fact, this year Mud Mountain may actually live up to its mysterious name. The steep hill on the third mile seems unlikely to dry out, and is almost certain to be truly, deeply muddy by the time 500 pairs of running shoes negotiate its climb.

I love this course. Green. Hilly. Almost tropical, in a summery, hazy, Midwestern kind of way. My kids have grown up running Mud Mountain. Riley was a half-foot shorter than me when he first ran here as a 6th-grader seven years ago. Now, on Saturday, he’ll duck to dodge delicate vines hanging down from Mud Mountain’s trees and shrubs. This is where he won his last home cross-country meet as a senior, the Tiger Finale. His younger sister, Ellen, has struggled with this course, like many runners, although she still has two years left to figure out how to run it.

But on Saturday, there is nothing to figure out, no real pressure. The Mud Mountain 5K Classic is a chance, once each year, to run the course for no reason other than to have fun. To take part in a celebration of running with other people who love to run, or at least who love to hate to run.

Do me a favor. Before you line up for the start of the race on July 26, look closely at the faces of the others gathered there. Old. Young. Very young. Look at the smiles. There is only one reason they are there—to run with others who enjoy running, or at least with others who enjoy hating to run.

On Saturday, only a few will be running to win Mud Mountain. Most of us will be running for other reasons. These days, I run mainly to keep moving. For those of you who are like me, I have this request: please be careful. The course will probably be slippery at that time of day, rain or no rain. Prepare for the heat. Each year, someone requires medical assistance due to summer’s temperatures and humidity. Drink the free water. Gobble up the free oranges, apples and bananas. But most of all, look around and take in the beauty of this moment. The beauty of doing something you love to do in a setting that is as lovely as any other 5K course in the area, a course that could have been—and, perhaps in a way, was—designed by God.

Enjoy God’s race.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How many runners have pre-registered for Mud Mountain XIII?

Entries received today: 55 (19 online, 34 Bipod registration, 2 mail in)

Total registrations to date: 401

Former EHS cross-country runner Bridgette Hoover to sing National Anthem at Mud Mountain XIII

Bridgette Hoover, pictured above medaling at the Madison County Cross Country Championships last year, will sing the National Anthem at this year's Mud Mountain 5K Cross Country Classic. Hoover graduated from Edwardsville High School in June, where she also participated in choir and drama, starring as Dorothy in the EHS production of The Wiz.

Thanks in advance Bridgette!

EHS boys turn to french fries as odd training tool for Mud Mountain XIII; freshman Brendon Colligan wins french fry race; others lose lunch

EHS runners down fries at Jack-in-the Box, first of several french fry stops during Wednesday's "French Fry Run," won by freshman Brendon Colligan. The event, devised by Coach George Patrylak, combines speed, endurance, and the ability to "eat & run."
Photo/George Patrylak (click image to enlarge)

Members of the EHS boys cross country team pose for photo after enduring annual french fry run.
Photo/George Patrylak (click image to enlarge)

2 days til race day; Bipod to host packet pickup Friday, runners can avoid race-day rush; Mud Mountain XIII entries total 346 and counting

Bipod, the running store in Edwardsville, is hosting a packet pickup for Mud Mountain runners Friday, July 25. Runners can avoid the race-day rush by picking up their Mud Mountain XIII t-shirt and bib number between 10 AM and 7 PM at Bipod, which is located at 1063 South State Rt. 157 Suite 9. The store is 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis and sits off Highway 157, just north of Center Grove Road. Telephone: 618-655-0351. Runners can also register for the race at Bipod on Friday for $15. That price jumps to $20 on Saturday for adults who wait to register at the course. (Race day registration begins at 6:30 am.) Thanks to Bipod - for hosting this packet pickup, and for sponsoring Mud Mountain.

How many runners have pre-registered for Mud Mountain XIII?
Entries received so far today: 33 (20 mail-in, 13 online)
Total entries to date: 346

3 days til race day; Active.com site repaired, online entries resume; Mud Mountain XIII pre-registrations total 313 so far

Online registrations resumed today on Active.com after the website corrected its technical difficulties. With 3 days left til race day, runners can register onine, or can register at the course on the day of the race (this Saturday, July 26). Registrations at the course begin at 7 am. See you there!

How many runners have pre-registered for Mud Mountain XIII?
Entries received yesterday: 31 (all mail-ins)
Entries received today: 30 (18 mail in, 12 online)
Total registrations to date (5K and Fun Run): 313

4 days til race day; technical problems halt online registrations; Active.com promises fix by Tuesday evening; race entries remain at 252 so far

Technical problems at Active.com have prevented many from registering for Mud Mountain XIII online during the past 24 hours. An Active.com spokesman says technicians are working on a "system-wide problem" and hope to have it fixed by the end of the day. We apologize for the inconvenience. Hopefully, Active will correct the problems soon. Keep checking. And remember, you can also register for Mud Mountain on race day. Registration begins at the course at 7 am. See you there!

5 days til race day; Olszowka warns Davis: 'I'll break your record'; Mud Mountain XIII entries set new daily mark (29), total 252 so far

Jason Olszowka wins Mud Mountain XII in 2007, finishing ahead of Eric "Jo Jo" Johannigmeier, and Aaron Werths.


Dustin Davis sat out Mud Mountain in 2007, but holds the course record of 15:36, which he set during an IHSA sectional meet in 2005.

by Tom Atwood

When Jason Olszowka first heard that Dustin Davis held the course record for Mud Mountain, he had his doubts. Olszowka contacted race officials to find out if Davis' claim was true. They confirmed that Davis holds the record, which was set in 2005--not at the Mud Mountain 5K Classic that year--but at an Illinois High School Association Sectional meet held at the Mud Mountain course in the fall of 2005. Davis won the event in the fastest time ever recorded for the 3.1 mile course: 15:36.

Olszowka, a former cross-country coach, who now works as a machinist and salesman in Greenville, says he will return to defend his 2007 title this year. In an email, Olszowka wrote: "If that [15:36] is the course record, and Dustin is going to be at this year's Mud Mountain, tell him that I am going to break his record. I will sign up the day of the race."

Davis, a junior at Southeast Missouri State, says he is "not terrified" of Olszowka. "It'll be a good race," Davis says, "but I honestly think that if I don't break my own course record, it will be out reach for him. I'm coming to Mud Mountain this
year the fittest I've ever been and I'm accepting his challenge."

Stephen Pifer, the former EHS cross country standout, has dominated Mud Mountain in the past. At this summer's US Olympic trials, Pifer ran the 5,000 meters more than 2 minutes faster than the Mud Mountain record. But so far, no word on whether Pifer will return to Edwardsville for Mud Mountain XIII.

Last year's 2nd place finisher, University of Illinois sophomore Eric Johannigmeier, will be at the course this Saturday, but Johannigmeier has been injured, and says he will not be running competitively. That leaves Olszowka and Davis as the favorites in what promises to be an interesting race, with both runners predicting victory.

"I don't think he can imagine what 15:36 feels like," Davis says of Olszowka. "But I'll show him."

====================================

How many runners have registered for Mud Mountain XIII?
Entries received today: 29 (7 online, 22 mail-ins)
Total entries to date: 252

6 days til race day; online registrations surpass last year's total; Mud Mountain XIII entries number 223 so far

How many runners have registered so far?
Entries received today: 8 (all online)
Online entries to date: 66
Total registrations to date: 223

7 days til race day; Mud Mountain XIII t-shirt design unveiled; online and daily registrations break one-day record; entries so far total 215

Here is the official design for the front of the Mud Mountain XIII t-shirts, produced by Gillans Graphics. All runners who pre-register are guaranteed a t-shirt. The design features a horseshoe in honor of the lucky 13th running of Mud Mountain.

Registration continues to gain momentum. Online registrations are coming in at twice last year's rate, and set a one-day record yesterday of 10, boosted by 5 online entries from one family in Quincy, Illinois. In all, 58 runners have registered online as of today.

How many runners have entered Mud Mountain XIII so far?
Entries received yesterday: 24 (10 online, 14 mail in)
Total registrations to date: 215

8 days til race day; Mud Mountain XIII entries set another daily record (23); registrations so far total 191

MUD MOUNTAIN EXPOSED: 5,000 METERS IN 5 MINUTES
A COURSE TOUR (WITH DUSTIN DAVIS*)
PRODUCED BY TOM ATWOOD
MUSIC: “THE LIFE OF SALLY O’BRIEN”
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY TOM ATWOOD
© 2008 EDWARDSVILLE CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK & FIELD BOOSTER CLUB
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
*DAVIS SET THE RECORD FOR THE MUD MOUNTAIN COURSE (15:36) AT AN IHSA SECTIONAL MEET IN 2005
(To see a high resolution version of this video, click here.)

How many runners have entered Mud Mountain XIII so far?
Entries received yesterday: 23 (17 mailed in, 6 online)
Total entries to date: 191

9 days til race day; entries so far total 168

Join us for Mud Mountain XIII, July 26, 2008.

How many runners have registered so far?
Entries received yesterday: 7 (4 mail in, 3 online)
Total to date: 168

10 days til race day; volunteers assigned to Mud Mountain XIII; race entries set another daily record (22); registrations total 161 so far

At this week's meeting of the Edwardsville Cross Country and Track & Field Booster Club, members volunteered to oversee the following areas of Mud Mountain XIII:

Setup on Friday, July 25: Tom Atwood, George Patrylak
Chute: Larry Thompson
Concessions: Valerie Sweatt
Registration: Diana Speicher, Sally Atwood
Signs/Directions to Course: Lee Speicher
Ice/Water: Stephanie Cann
Scoring: Sara Chapman, Valerie Sweatt
Sound System/Emcee: Keith Dudding
First Aid: Jeanne Cullen
Communications: Mal Goldsmith
Parking: Mike Chamberlain, Kevin Cullen
Results on web: Tom Atwood
Fruit: Monica Laurent
Medals/T-shirts/Awards: George Patrylak
Cleanup: Tom Atwood, George Patrylak

If you would like to volunteer to help in any of these areas, please contact Tom Atwood (tom@tomatwood.net).

How many runners have registered so far for Mud Mountain XIII?
Entries received yesterday: 22 (19 mailed in, 3 online)
Total entries to date: 161

11 days til race day; highest number of single-day entries yesterday; registrations total 149 so far

The number of runners entered in Mud Mountain XIII continues to increase, with the majority of entries expected to be received during the next 10 days. Traditionally, an additional 100 runners also register in person on race day. The Mud Mountain record for entries is 504, set in 2006. Will that record be broken this year?

Number of entries received yesterday: 19 (14 mailed in, 5 online)
Total entries to date: 149

To run Mud Mountain, visit www.mudmountain.org to register online, or to download an entry form.

12 days til race day; O'Fallon family enters 6 in Mud Mountain XIII; entries so far total 130

O'Fallon resident Sara Wise (pictured above at 2006 Mud Mountain) set a record by registering six members from one family for this year's race. Wise also wrote "Go O'Fallon!" on the envelope.

How many runners have entered so far?

Entries received yesterday: 11 (9 mail in, 2 online)
Total entries: 130

Dozens attend cross-country picnic; Booster Club meets tonight to assign Mud Mountain XIII volunteers

More than 100 runners and their families attended the cross-country picnic Saturday at Glik Park. The annual event kicks off the cross country season for Edwardsville middle and high school runners.

Tonight, the Edwardsville Cross Country and Track & Field Booster Club meets at 6:30 pm in the Media Center (Library) at Edwardsville High School. At the meeting, volunteers will be assigned for Mud Mountain XIII, and booster club membership policies will also be reviewed. See you tonight!

13 Days til race day; Roger Mueller, DMD, joins list of sponsors; race entries total 119 so far

Dentist Roger Mueller has become a major sponsor of Mud Mountain XIII, the cross-country 5K classic that will be held on Saturday, July 26th, at SIU Edwardsville.


How many runners have entered so far?
Entries received yesterday: 15 (3 online)
Total entries: 119

14 days til race day; Mud Mountain XIII in two weeks; 104 runners registered so far

Join us for the Mud Mountain 5K Cross Country Classic on Saturday, July 26th.

How many runners have entered so far?
Entries received yesterday: 5 (mailed in), 1 (online)
Total entries: 104

15 days til race day; cross country picnic tomorrow; race entries total 99 so far

Just a reminder, the picnic for Edwardsville cross-country runners and their families will be held tomorrow (Saturday, July 12) at 11 am at Glik Park, featuring a cookout, fishing, sand volleyball. Sign up sheets for Mud Mountain volunteers will also be passed around at the picnic. See you there!

How many runners have registered so far?
Entries received yesterday: 14 (mailed in) 1 (online)
Total entries: 99

16 days til race day; booster club meeting Monday to assign Mud Mountain volunteers; 84 runners entered so far

With Mud Mountain little more than 2 weeks away, the Edwardsville Cross Country and Track & Field Booster Club will meet next week to assign volunteers for race day. The meeting will be held in the Media Center (Library) at Edwardsville High School on Monday, July 15 at 6:30 pm. All booster club members are urged to attend.

How many runners have registered so far?
Entries received yesterday: 1 (mail in), 3 (online)
Total entries: 84

17 days til race day; Stratus joins Mud Mountain sponsors; 79 runners entered so far

Thanks to Pete Frese and Stratus Building Solutions for becoming a major sponsor of Mud Mountain XIII.

Starting today, Mud Mountain Countdown will begin daily updates detailing how many runners have signed up for this year's race.

Entries received yesterday: 12 (mailed), 2 (online)

Total runners entered to date: 79

18 days til race day; cross country picnic this Saturday

The annual cross country picnic for all Edwardsville cross-country runners and their families will be held this Saturday, July 12, at Glik Park. The picnic begins at 11 am with a cookout at the park, and features sand volleyball until 2 pm.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, and drinks will be provided by the Edwardsville Cross Country and Track & Field Booster Club. Families whose last names begin with letters A-L should bring salads or side dishes; families whose last names begin with M-Z should bring chips or desserts.

Each family is also asked to donate one 24-pack of Gatorade for concessions during the cross-country season. The Gatorade can be dropped off at the picnic.

This event is for middle school and high school cross country families. It traditionally kicks off the cross country season, and is also where parents can sign up to volunteer for Mud Mountain XIII, the fundraising race for Edwardsville's cross country and track & field programs.

Questions? Contact Coach George Patrylak at 567-5792 or 344-7040. See you there!

19 days til race day; Mud Mountain committee meets tonight

Mud Mountain IX
Photo by Tom Atwood

Brief meeting of the Mud Mountain executive committee will be held tonight at 6:30 pm at Imo's. T-shirt design, signage, publicity and course facilities are on the agenda.

20 days til race day; register online now

Photo by Carole Mestemacher
Mud Mountain IX

21 days til race day; Cassens Transport joins sponsors; sponsor list grows to 12

Cassens Transport, based in Edwardsville, has become an official sponsor of Mud Mountain XIII. Cassens joins 11 other sponsors of this year's race. Sponsor's logos are featured on the Mud Mountain XIII t-shirt, thousands of race flyers, and also on www.mudmountin.org. Thanks to all our sponsors.

22 days til race day; Happy 4th of July!

Photo by Andy Thomas
Mud Mountain XXII

23 days til race day; Market Basket to donate oranges, bananas, apples

Once again this year, Joe's Market Basket of Edwardsville has offered to provide fruit for runners at Mud Mountain. The fruit (hundreds of bananas, apples, and oranges) will be available before and after race on tables placed near the start and finish lines.

24 days til race day; wanted: Missouri runners

Today Mud Mountain flyers are being mailed (and emailed) to coaches of cross country teams in St. Louis. This year's race is being held earlier than in the past so runners from Missouri can participate before the "blackout date" under MSHSAA rules. Flyers are also being mailed to the cross country coaches of high school teams in Illinois.

25 days til race day; directions to course posted

One of the issues that came up at the Mud Mountain committee meeting last night was the need for directions to the course, and signs to be put up on race day. Directions have been posted now at www.mudmountain.org, so hopefully, no runners will get lost on the way to the race.

Also, last night the committee approved a contract with the Edwardsville Fire Department to provide an ambulance and 2 paramedics at Mud Mountain XIII.

26 Days til race day; committee meets tonight

Just a reminder, the Mud Mountain committee will meet briefly tonight at 6:30 pm at Imo's. The meeting shouldn't last very long, but there are a couple of important items we need to discuss. One is a contract received from the Edwardsville Fire Department for the ambulance and paramedics. We also need to distribute posters that have been printed to publicize the race. Other items on the agenda: T-shirt design, revised sponsor list, flyers, and registration update. See you there. Thanks!

27 days til race day; Mud Mountain sponsor list grows

The number of area businesses sponsoring this year's Mud Mountain 5K is getting larger. Those that have donated financially to support the race (and the cross country and track & field programs in the Edwardsville School District) include:

Real Estate Agent Jennifer Faulkner (Coldwell Banker/Brown Realtors)
BiPod
The Cyclery
Hurford Architects
First Cloverleaf Bank
Cassens Transport
Family Physicians of Madison County
Bauer Orthodontics
Bard and Didriksen
TheBank of Edwardsville
Running Start

Thanks to these sponsors who help make Mud Mountain possible.

28 days til race day; join the crowd!

Mud Mountain XII
Photo by Andy Thomas

29 days til race day; Mud Mountain committee meets Monday

Members of the Mud Mountain XIII Committee will meet at 6:30 pm on Monday, June 30 at Imo's. We'll update publicity, sponsors, registrations and mailing flyers to previous runners. Also on the agenda is a contract from the Edwardsville Fire Department to provide an ambulance and paramedics for the race.

30 days til race day; Sara Chapman to the rescue

Thanks to Sara Chapman (pictured above with Tiger Coach George Patrylak) for locating spread sheets with names and email addresses of runners entered in previous Mud Mountain races. Today emails with entry forms for Mud Mountain XIII were sent to those past participants (almost 400). The emails also contained links to Active.com, and to www.mudmountain.org. Sara's spreadsheets also listed mailing addresses for runners who did not provide an email. Entry forms and flyers will be mailed to those runners the old-fashioned way.

31 days til race day; early entries outpace 2007

More than 500 runners are expected to enter this year's Mud Mountain 5K Cross Country Classic. As of today, with the race more than a month away (Saturday, July 26th at 8:30 am), 38 runners have registered. This number may seem small, but is well ahead of last year's pace. So far, 19 entries have been mailed in, and 19 have registered online (through Active.com). Last year at this time, only six online registrations had been received.

It's early, but all indications are that this year's race will surpass last year's in terms of attendance, and may approach the record of just over 500 entries in 2006.

32 days til race day; publicity posters unveiled at planning meeting

Posters to promote Mud Mountain XIII were unveiled last at last night's meeting of the Mud Mountain committee. The posters will feature photos from previous races, and will be posted at high traffic businesses in the area. The committee also decided to mail entry forms to runners who entered the 2007 race, and to email entries to previous online registrants.

Paramedics contacted for race day

A letter requesting an ambulance and paramedics for race day has been faxed to Capt. Tom Dannenberg of the Edwardsville Fire Department. The letter asks for paramedics to be on the course from 8 am to 10:30 am.

33 days til race day; Mud Mountain committee meets tonight

Members of the Mud Mountain committee will meet tonight at 6:30 pm at Imo's. We will update the sponsor list, flyer distribution, t-shirts, medals, course condition, ambulance/paramedics, publicity, and race day volunteers and assignments.