Miramichi River Runners

The following was part of the message in our Running Times newsletter which I distributed at the annual meeting.

Welcome to the Miramichi River Runners annual awards party for 2006.
I would like to thank Ann and Billy for hosting tonight’s party. If you are interested in hosting the 2007 awards night in December of next year,let me know.
2006 was our best year ever in the club’s 23 year history. We had 692 runners take part in this years races an increase of 30% over last years total of 532. This was due mainly to the 81% increase in women’s catagory.
Our last race in November the women had 17 of the 36 runners in the race, a few years ago we were lucky to get 17 out for the full season. In 2003 we only had 16 women race compared to 58 this year. Keep on coming out ladies.
Last year at this time I challanged the club to average 30 runners per race and we actually had an average of 33. Can we make it 35 next year. You decide.
Our host Billy Morrissy once said to me I was President for life, well from where I work life means 25 years and it looks as if I might get a parole in a few more years.
Our 12, five km races drew 421 runners for an average of 35 runners per run. The longest was the most popular with the 10km races averaging 37 runners whilethe mile races didn’t draw as good as in the past with an average of 30 and the cross country the lowest of them all with an average of 23.
Our first run of the year in 2007 will be the annual Rocky Blackmore New Years Day fun run. Here you must surrender your watch and predict your time to win. This race does not count for points in our quest for the club championship.
Again this year we will be holding 12 races at the 5km distance and you need to run in seven of these to qualify for the club titles. We will have three cross country races, three 10km races and three, one mile races as well. You must run in one of the three races to qualify for a total of 10 runs.
Last year we had 75 men run in at least one race up 42% while 58 women ran in at least one race, for an 82% increase. If everyone showed up for one race we would have 133 people in the race.
Of the 75 men, 16 ran in the qualifying 10 races or 21%. Wehad 6 women run in the 10 races for 10%. On one hand I’m incouraged by the increase numbers but on the other hand we only had 22 interested in reaching the magic goal of 10 races to qualify.
This years Ironman award goes to Andy Carruthers as the only runner in the club to run in all 21 races.