CRR Activities Through the End of 2012

• William and Mary to host Colonial Athletic Association’s Collegiate Cross Country Championships,
• Saturday, October 27th over W&M Homecoming Weekend, at Eastern State Hospital course
• Colonial Road Runner’s annual William and Mary Homecoming Run 5K cancelled due to conflict with CAA cross country meet schedule
• “Retro” W&M Homecoming Group Run (non-competitive, un-timed) to serve as replacement, Saturday morning, Oct. 27th, 8 a.m., from the Wren Courtyard, and will go down Duke of Gloucester Street to the Capitol and back
• Christmas Town Dash 8K replaces W&M Homecoming Run 5K on the Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix 2012 schedule, set for Sunday, December 2, at Busch Gardens
• Colonial Road Runners also to host Virginia State RRCA 5K Road Championships with the 11th annual Governor’s Land 5K/Walk on Saturday, November 17th over the flat-and-fast Governor’s Land course, and to conclude the 2012 Grand Prix season with the traditional fourth annual Sentara Sleighbell 5K Run on Saturday, December 15th, both races on USATF-certified courses

By Rick Platt

It was good news-bad news-good news for the Colonial Road Runners and the 2012 William and Mary Homecoming Run 5K.


The first good news was that, after an absence of over 10 years, the William and Mary men’s and women’s cross country teams are hosting the Colonial Athletic Association Cross Country Championships that they’ve dominated through the years, to be held on the Eastern State Hospital course on Saturday, October 27, over the W&M Homecoming Weekend. The last time W&M hosted the CAA meet was in 2001.

The CAA championship cross-country races will start at 10 a.m. (women’s 6,000 meters) and 11 a.m. (men’s 8,000 meters) on Saturday, Oct. 27. There will be a W&M alumni tent set up on the course, 50 meters from the starting line, offering food and hot beverages. The W&M men are defending CAA team champions.

The bad news was that, due to conference championship administrative guidelines, no outside groups are able to use a CAA championship site for another event prior to the CAA races, and after extensive discussion of alternatives, Lafayette High School head cross country coach Craig Wortman was forced to cancel this year’s William and Mary Homecoming Run 5K, which originally was scheduled to be held on the same Eastern State Hospital cross country course earlier in the morning.

The CRR had hoped to run their Homecoming Run 5K at 8 a.m. on the ESH cross country course, and to have the CRR runners stay around after they finish, to watch the two CAA championship races, but that was not possible, as the CAA pre-race warm-up period started at 8:30 a.m., and the CAA’s women’s 6K course and the men’s 8K course would be different than the CRR’s 5K race, with different fencing and signage. There would also be issues with parking and traffic conflicts between the two events.

Wortman and the Colonial Road Runners also considered a late Friday afternoon race (not possible due to the Friday course-familiarization period for the CAA’s), a Saturday afternoon race (not appropriate since the W&M alumni would already be at the Homecoming football game), a Sunday race (that day not allowed by the James City County schools for any athletic events), a return to the on-campus road 5K for the W&M Homecoming Run (Wortman tried, but encountered the same hurdles with the W&M administration about parking, traffic control and facilities that forced the move to the Eastern State Hospital location in 2011), or for another venue on Saturday morning, specifically the Warhill 5K road-and-trail course a couple miles away (that would really not have any connection with W&M and the Homecoming Weekend theme). Reluctantly, Wortman made the inevitable decision to cancel the Homecoming 5K race for 2012. Since the CAA conference cross country championships rotate among the CAA schools, the conflict should only occur every once in a decade.

Lafayette High’s Wortman, the Homecoming 5K race director, said, “We are sorry to say that the W&M Homecoming 5K will not be held this year. Unfortunately, we have been unable to resolve a conflict about the date and location of our event. William and Mary won a bid to host the CAA Cross Country Championships at Eastern State Hospital on October 27, and we cannot host our races at the same time. We encourage you to watch the CAA event and/or attend another local race on the 27th. We look forward to hosting the Homecoming race again next year.”

But the final good news is that the Colonial Road Runners were able to find a replacement event for the 18-race 2012 Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Series, reaching agreement recently with Flat-Out Events and the third annual Christmas Town Dash 8K, scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 2, starting at 8:30 a.m., at Busch Gardens . That event attracted 2,264 runners and walkers last year, second only to the Run for the Dream Half Marathon and 8K, as the largest running event ever held in Williamsburg . Coincidentally, the two previous overall winners of the Christmas Town Dash 8K have been W&M cross country alumni, course-record holder Adam Otstot in 2011, and Skeeter Morris in 2010.

Jason Todd, executive director of Flat-Out Events, welcomed the affiliation with the CRR, saying, “Flat-Out Events is very excited for the 2012 Christmas Town Dash 8K. We are anticipating this year to be our largest runner turnout yet, Busch Gardens will be spectacular as always, and the fact that it is now a part of the Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix makes it that much more special.” The 8K race will start at 8:30 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 2 at the Busch Gardens toll plaza. For additional details on entering the 8K, visit the race website at: www.ChristmasTownDash.com. The event also includes the Running of the Chick-fil-A Cows, a half-mile family fun run at 8 a.m.

To welcome the Colonial Road Runners to their Christmas Town Dash 8K event this year as a CRR Grand Prix event, executive director Jason Todd and the Flat-Out Events crew have offered a special $5 race entry discount exclusive to Colonial Road Runners members. To get that discount CRR members must enter by mail, and must use the full-page entry form (available on the CRR website, at upcoming CRR and Peninsula Track Club races, and at Colonial Sports ( 513 Prince George St . , Williamsburg ). To get that $5 discount, write “CRR” on the entry forms down where you select the race that you are running. This discount is not available for the online entry.

The regular entry fees are $40 (postmarked through Oct. 31), $45 (postmarked Nov. 1-24), $50 (Nov. 25-Dec. 1) and $50 (during packet pick-up). The special CRR member mail-in discount rates will be $35 (postmarked through Oct. 31) and $40 (postmarked Nov. 1-24). Entries should not be mailed after Nov. 24th.

Also, since this is a Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix race, the Christmas Town Dash 8K will have a special competitive race-walking category, but entrants must write “race walk” on the entry form where the 8K event is selected. All competitive race walkers will start together at the front of the second corral of participants (they will all be assigned to that second group).

There have been precedents for replacement races to occur on the Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix race schedule. In 2010 the Ford’s Colony 5K Run for the Heritage Humane Society was canceled several months before that scheduled race, and was replaced by the Run for the Hills 10K (formerly known as the Breast Health 10K). A number of current CRR Grand Prix races started out as independent or non-CRR Grand Prix events for their first year(s), then were incorporated into the CRR Grand Prix schedule the following year, including the Walsingham Academy 5K, the Salute to the Military “Red, White and Blue” 5K, the Sweatin’ for Scholarships 5K, and the Crapolfest 5K. The original suggestion about using the Christmas Town Dash 8K as a replacement CRR Grand Prix race came from CRR race-walking champion Tom Gerhardt.

The W&M Homecoming Run started out as simply a group run from the Wren Building , down Duke of Gloucester Street, to the Capitol Building and back. After a few years it evolved into a competitive 5K race from the W&M Student Recreation Center . This year, as a retro replacement event, the Colonial Road Runners will again hold an un-timed, non-competitive group run (no timers, no digital clock, no CRR finish line crew), starting in front of the Wren Building at 8 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 27th, and running the traditional DOG Street route to the Capitol Building and back. Those wanting to run longer can add a loop around campus, and still have plenty of time to drive to the CAA championship races at 10 a.m., three miles away at Eastern State Hospital . The CRR’s Brenda Mitchell will be the starter for the group run from in front of the Wren Building . Parking for this group run can be anywhere in the nearby Merchants Square parking lots. For further details on the W&M Homecoming group run, visit the CRR website at www.colonialroadrunners.org
There will be two additional Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix event for the 2012 series, besides the Christmas Town Dash 8K. Entry forms, course maps and additional information for each can be found on the Colonial Road Runners website: www.colonialroadrunners.org

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11th Annual

The Governor’s Land 5K Run/Walk

The 2012 Virginia State RRCA 5K Championship Race

Saturday, November 17, 2012

1 mile fun run (8:30 a.m.), 5K run/walk (9:00 a.m.)

Park East, The Governor’s Land at Two Rivers, Route 5, Williamsburg, VA


To benefit the American Cancer Society through Relay For Life.

A Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Event

USATF certified 5K course (VA-07030-RT)

5K limited to 400 runners or walkers.

“Fastest 5K course on the Peninsula ”

$25 postmarked by Friday, November 2 for 5K, $35 late and race day for 5K run/walk.

$3 fee (no T-shirt) or $10 (with T-shirt) for one mile fun run/walk.

Beautiful long-sleeve T-shirt to all pre-registered entrants. Race day as supplies last.

Information: Rick Platt, Race Coordinator, Colonial Road Runners (757-229-7375, cell 757-345-1431). Email: rickplatt1@juno.com

Kaye Vickerman, Race Director, Governor’s Land (757-345-2549)

Tami Brown, Community Coordinator, American Cancer Society (757-591-8330)

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4th Annual

Sentara Sleighbell 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run

Saturday, December 15, 2012

1 mile fun run (9:30 a.m.), 5K run/walk (10:00 a.m.)

Geddy Outpatient Center, Sentara Regional Medical Center campus,

400 Sentara Circle, Williamsburg , VA 23188

A Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Event

A new, faster 5K course this year, again USATF-certified.

Entries: Pre-registered mail-in fee is $25, postmarked by Dec. 8. Online registration $20 through Dec. 13. $15 pre-registered fee for students 18-and-under or college students with college ID. Race day entry fee is $30 for all entrants. Free for 1 mile fun run ($10 with T-shirt). T-shirts or exact sizes cannot be guaranteed to race day entrants. Special free entry for 70-and-over age group, if pre-registered. For online registration: http://www.raceit.com. Type in “Sentara Sleighbell” in search engine and scroll down.
Information: Janice Kailos, Race Director (757-784-3394). Email: kailosj@wjcc.k12.va.us

Rick Platt, Race Coordinator, Colonial Road Runners (757-229-7375, 757-345-1431). Email: rickplatt1@juno.com


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Colonial Road Runners ongoing workouts

Every Wednesday – Walsingham Academy interval workouts, 5:30 p.m. (through October 31st and the end of daylight savings time), 4:30 p.m. (November 7th through end of January), Walsingham Academy , Jamestown Road at Route 5, Williamsburg

Every Monday – WISC/Warhill Trail tempo runs, 4:00 p.m., meet in parking lot in front of Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex (WISC) building, to run the Warhill Trails. At Warhill Sports Complex, 5700 Warhill Trail, Williamsburg 23188. Same location as June’s Warhill 5K Run.


Contact for CRR workouts: Rick Platt (757-229-7375, 757-345-1431). Email: rickplatt1@juno.com