Houston - feb 25th Centurions walk

Ultrawalkers and friends:
I’ve cc’d race director Joe Sellers so he’ll know Andy Cable’s entry is for the walk.
You’re probably all conscious that a race director, especially for an event like this which lacks an established corps of volunteers such as a charity might provide, has more to do than time allows. Thus I’ve undertaken to line up the walking awards and the walk judges. Registration, lap scoring, and food/drink aid will be managed by the director’s regular volunteer staff.

One thing Joe hasn’t found time for is to modify the vintage wording of the entry form, seen at http://www.ultrarunners.info/BCracentry06.htm , to reflect the walk. I’ve posted a version showing the walk at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/ultrawalking/files/ and suggest that walkers use it for their entries. I’ve sort of lost track of who’s said they’re coming, but I anticipate about six people will have a reasonable shot at walking 100 miles in 24 hours. I hope they can all handle a flat asphalt course with only one right-angle turn. I’ll try to send this list one or two updates on walk entries during February. Total participation among the whole slate of races is likely to be 50-70.

I’d be interested in feedback, to the list or to me, this week (after that it’s too late!) on determining the top male and female walkers. My own inclination is that the first person to reach 100 miles is the winner, even if some walkers go farther before the end of the 24 hours. I didn’t see a way to squeeze this onto the entry form, so if there’s an overwhelming response in opposition, we can still change that and make the long walker the first place walker. All walkers will show up on the 24 Hour Run results with their completed distance but are ineligible for the running awards.

So whom are the awards named in honor of?

The Joe Duncan award is named for the man who founded the U. S. Centurion movement with his 1967 (and subsequent) race walks at Columbia, MO. Joe still directs the Heart of America Marathon, which by my moderately-informed reckoning is the second-oldest continuously-held annual marathon in the U. S.

The Ulli Kamm award recognizes that Ulli brought life back into a walking genre which seemed extinct in this country at the turn of this century. Ulli actually walked the Houston 48-hour a few years back. Ulli and Traude head up several ultra walks in Colorado each year: http://www.ultrawalk.com/ . Alas, one of them is the same weekend as the upcoming Centurion event.

Dave Gwyn, Treasurer
Race Walking Committee, Gulf Association, USATF
281-498-0027 fax 281-544-7512 jesfine@houston.rr.com
6502 Briar Bayou, Houston, TX 77072