www.ArkansasRRCA.com

I like pancakes who dosen't right IHOP TV add has a logo it is this "COME HUNGRY LEAVE HAPPY " ......As a RACE RUNNER that should be EVERY RUNNER logo COME TO THE RACE HUNGRY FOR what ever your goal is RATHER BE A OVERALL WINNER , a PR , MASTERS GRAND MASTERS are AGE WINNER AS a RUNNER we should leave the race happy.... That is not always the case YESTERDAY OCT 22 , 2011 10K NOT ALL RUNERS LEFT HAPPY I like to come and defend a RUNNING FRIEND at this time you and I know after each race this person is always smilling and cheerfull and they make us feel good to be around them but not yesterday in FT Smith ......I am saying this with RESPECT THE RDIC for yesterday race needs to make changes and a bunch of them THERE were to many RUNNERS left unhappy Some of the RACE officals ARE my one of mine close friends.....I know not every RUNNER after each RACE is not going to leave happy CAN'T please everyone I know but at the same time you can't make everyone unhappy either .... there is a fine line of balance .... I wish I could bring up the orig post up to here so I don't have to retype it Just listen to the RUNNERS COMPLAIN and try to make changes for next year

im confused with this post, I myself enjoyed the race even though i crashed and burned at the finish line. I guess i was blind to whatever it was and had to leave as soon as I finished.

Brian, you didn’t crash and burn as bad as I did, but I think what the Stallion is referring to is the difficulty of finishing the 10K while going around slower 5K runners. This is usually a problem when a 5K and 10K are both are run at the same time as with the Toad Suck and the Hot Springs 10K. It was a little more of a problem with this race in that there were so many walkers that were walking side-by-side that you could hardly get around them. I ran outside the cones for most of the last ½ mile and dodged in and out of walkers on the home stretch. At one point I even ran into the gravel on one side of the road to pass. I don’t know if there is a solution to this problem, other than starting the 5K runners earlier or only having a 5K, which is what it used to be a few years ago. Personally, I don’t really mind in that the race is for a great cause, and if it was only a 10K, there would be a lot less participants. How this all relates to IHOP, I have no idea.

That makes much more since to me, I did find it difficult to get around at the end but understood they were just walking for the cause so it didn't bother me. Did you fall on the hill also? It was great to meet you out there and look forward to talking again.

Ouch. I was looking at the photos from the race and they caught every grueling moment of your fall. So sorry you fell!

Thank you Joe for your understanding of this hard to read topic FOR THE IHOP THEME GOES I am happy after the race I hope you are as well but I was not happy how they did the walkers and the runners mix as usuall I ran back on the course we had one chair in the race I look back to make sure no walker was ran over for the scary thought did cross my mind in response go to IHOP HUNGRY AND LEAVE HAPPY as they sayIS RUNNERS CAN SAY ABOUT EACH AND EVERY RACE be excited be pump be hungry for a victory AND LEAVE THE race happy

Yes they did catch it all, I very seldom get in any pictures but they didn't miss those shots. It could have been much worse, after falling and fracturing my ankle back in March on a trail run I'm just glad it wasn't and I still have a chance for Iron. At least I didn't have far to the finish line when I got up also

I wasn't at this race but I remember similar problems in other races. Why not consider an out and back 5k course and therefore the 10k/5k people never meet except at the food tables during the final celebration? Sounds like a WIENER to me! If you need to see photos of what Stallion is talking about then check out the race photos and see what the runners had to run through: http://shill2.photobiz.com/cart/gallery ... ystart=241

On a more serious note, I would like to say that I take the Grand Prix races as what they ARE or are supposed to be and that is a COMPETITION. All races are for good causes and all of them are raising money for some organization that is worthy, but if they put their name in the hat to be a GP race then they need to make it GP friendly. They are putting it in the GP for more registrations and more fund-raising opportunities. Runners don't really have a choice as to what gets in the GP unless they are on the committee to vote, so we have to race where we are told.

Races should follow the rules they agreed to when they put a bid in for a GP race. I have posted this before but it seems that races or their helpers just forget. I heard there were duplication of awards at this race which breaks rule #10 for awards:

10.RACE AWARDS - The number of overall awards and age group awards should always be listed on the race entry form. Every race should award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places overall as the open category to both males and females, and exclude these open category winners from age group competition. Runners should NEVER receive two awards in the same race, i.e., no duplication. Awards, in non-state championship races, should be 3 deep overall male and female, 3 deep Master male and female, 3 deep male and female 0-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-, 3-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and 80+.

I wasn't at this race but as a member of the GP I felt like I could still comment. I know a lot of people think I talk too much, but many folks won't speak up and they have good points to make. I am just passing along comments that I have heard from other runners and with whom I agree. Thanks for reading.