In The News!

The Red9Runners, a local running club I belong to was featured in an article that appeared on the Suburban Journal website.  It is good to get some publicity for the club.  I was also thankful to be mentioned specifically even though it wasn't for running.

Below is the article:

Madison County runners compete in events across region

Posted: Thursday, December 9, 2010 12:00 am

Members of the red9runners run club from the Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA have been busy going the distance. Twenty members of the club decided to take on the challenge of a fall marathon or half marathon.

Dan Keeton, Jeremie Lavrack and Holly Lavrack traveled to Dayton, Ohio, for the Air Force Marathon. Holly Lavrack competed in the half marathon while Keeton and Jeremie Lavrack ran their first marathon, completing the distance in under four hours.

Fifteen red9runners were at the Lewis and Clark Full and Half Marathon in St. Charles, Mo., with two tackling the 26.2 mile full marathon and 13 red9'ers putting in 13.1 miles in the half marathon. Thirteen of the 15 runners set personal records that morning. The other two red9'ers were first-time half-marathon runners Jeremy Jones and Sheila Acuncius who set a great pace to beat in the future. Completing the full marathon were Darrell Meek and Miriam Bell. Half marathon runners were Brandon Bell, Chuck Toennies, Chris Muenter, Debbie Sury, Erick Larson, Gloria Jones, Jeremy Jones, Julie Schottel, Kari Ulrich, Melissa Schmitt, Sarah Williams, Sheila Acuncius, Stephanie Renner and Tiffany Jenkins.

Cheri Becker and Donna Polinske took a road trip to Ashland, Wis., to take on 26.2 miles of the Whistle Stop Marathon.

To finish off the fall distance season, Chuck Toennies competed in the Monumental Half Marathon in Indianapolis on Nov. 6.

While many in the club were busy with long-distance, our multi-sport adventure racer, Patrick Albert, completed the Berryman 36 Hour Adventure Race in September as part of Team POW/MIA. This was his first year on the race and Team POW/MIA finished very well. In October, Albert successfully finished the BT Epic 50 Mile Mountain Bike Race. Both events were held in and around the Berryman Trail in Potosi, Mo.

The red9runners Run Club at the Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA has a thriving group of more than 40 runners of all abilities and who run varying different paces and distances.

The club meets four time each week to run together. They also host regular meetings and social gatherings as well as run races together. The club volunteers at the YMCA and for other community activities and charities. The group is lead by personal trainer and member of PowerBar Team Elite, Cheri Becker.

The red9runners are made up of regular people not elite athletes and truly has runners and run/walkers of all paces. Everyone is encouraged to run at their own level with members running everything from 6 minute miles to 13-plus minute mile run/walk. While some members prefer not to race, other members run races varying in distance from the 5K (3.1 miles) all the way up to the full marathon (26.2 miles) and beyond.

The red9runners did their first triathlon as a team in August 2010 and have planned future multisport events for 2011. The club sponsors a First 5K Program and Young Runners Club at the YMCA where kids and adults are coached to run the 5k distance. There is also a marathon and half marathon training program which fully prepares runners to take on an endurance event.

The Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA started a new marathon training program on Dec. 4 geared toward the Go! St. Louis Marathon and Half Marathon on April 10, 2011, or another spring distance event.

For more information about the club or to participate in a training program, please contact the Collinsville Maryville Troy YMCA at 618-346-5600.