www.ArkansasRRCA.com

In past years it has been helpful when information is posted about end of year nominees especially the "most improved" nominees. Has anyone looked at the numbers or have anything to say about any of the candidates?

This is just my opinion and I’m sure there are those who will disagree with me. I don’t feel that anyone that did not compete in the previous Grand Prix season can really be considered for “Most Improved”. This is based on the simple reason that someone just starting out running will certainly improve over the course of a year. So if you consider their times at certain distances at the beginning of the year and their times over the same distances later in the year, then they almost certainly will do better, in most cases. My apologies to both Kevin and Don because they both improved greatly over the course of this year.

Two of the four that were nominated are Cliff Ferren and Brent Morrison. Both of these competed in the previous Grand Prix season (2010). Based on distances alone, Cliff improved his best time in the 5K from 2010 to 2011 by over a full minute (22:59 to 21:48), 10K from 46:48 to 45:26 and 20K from 1:47:21: to 1:34:58. Brent improved in the half marathon from 2:13:57 to 1:59:27, 2 Miles from 15:57 to 14:33 and 10K from 59:22 to 50:33. Either one of these would be a great choice.

Joe, the Arkansas RRCA awards are not limited to performance in the Grand Prix Series. In this case, both the runners you mentioned that are Grand Prix rookies having been running for years but each have set multiple PRs this year. Runners only have to be members of Arkansas RRCA running clubs to be nominated and that is why voting is not restricted to GP runners as well.

It's always been this way since David Samuel started the awards back in 1989. Not too long ago, I was nominated for most improved runner in my first Grand Prix season. A few years after that Andrea was too, and she even won it. I'm sure there are many others. I know relatively recently there was a winner in the Volunteer category that had never signed up for the GP or had anything to do with the Series.

Brian, thanks for posting those important facts. But since there are no justifications included on why these individuals were nominated, you have to use your own judgment on whom to vote for. I chose to consider my vote based on information that I could quantify, which was a comparison from one year to the next. I do know that you don’t have to be a GP participant to be eligible, and the only one that I can think of in recent history that won an award and was not a GP participant was Megan. Anyway, as I said, this is just my opinion. Heck, I even voted for you in 2004, even though you were not a GP participant the year before (I was a rookie that year also), but I did vote for Andrea in 2008 based on her improvement from 2007, plus I had to vote for a fellow Ironman.

I Agree with you Joe despite how others take this IN THE STATE WE HAVE LOTS OF NEW ROOKIES some of which I will call friends make that ALL HOW CAN SOMEONE improve if this is their 1st time in the GP WITH OUT A PREV running record to compare against having TO SAY THIS THAT IS WHY HERE AT THE HOME OF THE NO NAME 5K AND RETURN OF THE 10K HERE IN DANVILLE IS NOW INTRO THE 2ND YEAR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD ONLY IN DANVILLE THIAT AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED SAT JAN 14 2012 AFTER THE RACES SO if you are nomatied for best improve and this is your 1st year FULL year in THE GP AND BEEN running no longer then 2010 you are ALREADY BEEN NOM.. so if you fit the requirements like Joe is comminting on you have a chance to win the 2nd ANNUAL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BUT I have to know who you are so I CAN SEE WHAT you did over 2011 HAVE A GOOD SEASON FOR 2012 ALL RUNNERS

Here are examples of how non-Grand Prix races might be factored into the season awards.

The only marathon in the Grand Prix will not have even taken place by the time the voting is closed and so cannot be considered. Although currently 5th in the overall standings, Joel Perez won the Arkansas Marathon in 2:57 in October and represented Arkansas with a 3rd overall finish at the Tupelo Marathon in 2:59 in September. Joel also won the Hogeye Half Marathon held at the same time as the relay that was the GP race. That was one of four wins in a row at the half marathon distance.

I haven't replyed on Joe's comments until now. As a "NEW" runner I am on the Wynne marathons 5/1/99 finishers list as well as the 5/4/2003 Little Rock marathons finishers list. I have run marathons and other races in TN, CA,MA and IL. I reviewed the top 50 males at the Chilli Pepper and found 4 grand prix members. Are the other 46 "NEW" runnners?

Don, I don’t think I referred to anyone as a “NEW” runner. Joshua asked if anyone had looked at the numbers or had anything to say about the candidates for most improved. I simply responded with how I decided on whom to vote for and included that it was just my opinion. It was easy to check past Grand Prix race results and use those to determine my choice.

I certainly did not mean to slight you or Kevin. I try to be fair when determining who I vote for on these types of awards and not just vote for a fellow running club member, which is what I think most people do. This will serve as a lesson to me to not post my opinions because everyone has one and they are most often different than mine.

LAST YEAR (2010 season)....I was nominated for Most Improved Female Runner and as the Female Master Runner award and I doubt I got many votes.

I had ran verifiable races in 2009 with times posted but was not a GP member. In 2010 I ran Grand Prix races like the Valentine's Day 5k but not as a GP member.

During the 2010 I brought my times down drastically in races that had verifiable online results. In 2010 did the Valentines Day 5k in 28:12 and brought that down to 22:40 at Russellville's Fall Fest 5k. That's over a 5 minute improvement within the same year! I also ran the Firecracker 5k that year in 22:43 and I had done GP races that year as low as 23:03 at the ARK 5k classic.

My 10k (first one ever and as a GP member) was at Toad Suck in 2010 in 56:23 and later that year I chopped over 6 minutes off and got a 49:35 finish at Chili Pepper of all places! I had ran the 15k on Mount Magazine in 2009 in 2 hours and 21 min. All stats that folks could look at.

That same year (2010) I started the trail series and went from my longest run of a 14 mile race to my first 50k (31 mile) finish in 5:52.

I started the series with my first race as a registered GP member in May 2010 at the Toad Suck 10k and I finished 1st in my age division and 4th masters runner by the end of the series.

Despite not having 2009 GP stats, I was a viable contender but no one knew where to look to find that out and IF you put it on the boards to educate voters then one is considered a VOTE hog.

I was labeled that last year so I didn't nominate anyone this year. I was so quiet that most of the RVR runners didn't even know nominations were happening. Heck, the only runners from RVR that were nominated were probably nominated by members from other clubs.

This year my running has sucked SO if I come back with a vengeance next year.....does that mean I'll be a MORE viable contender as most improved that I was last year because I will have two years of stats?

I do believe if you get nominated for an award, it would be worth letting each candidate write a paragraph about their accomplishments and have it submitted as if the club wrote it. It's worth a shot right.

Thanks for reading and For the Record...last year's Most Improved and Best Masters Female winners WERE definately justifiable! Congrats to both of them.

I realize that GP runners are probably naturally competitive by nature, but I think perhaps the awards are being taken too seriously. It's all for fun.
Whether or not you "win" a vote for Most Improved or Overall Runner of the Year doesn't change one thing about what you did in the past 12 months. The recognition for your efforts is nice, sure, but don't let any outcome take away from anything you've done.

(this is not directed at anyone personally, just randomly at large)

Thank Brian........they are fun but to newcomers like myself they think they are real awards that mean accomplishment. I bet if you asked past winners about their awards, they would show some pride in their RRCA award. I bet most put them someplace to admire.

LET IT BE FUN and FUN it shall be Pink not every RUNNER IS NOT LIKE YOU we all know what you do with a MVP YOU WILL find a way to post it on your back windshield for every one to see which is fine but you wont be able to see out I think you said it best I'M just sayn

Stallion,

You crack me up!