July E-Blast

Hello...Hello...Yep, We're Still Here

Sorry for the gap in our E-blasts… We HAVE been busy planning our 30th Anniversary race to ensure that it is the BEST ever because, of course, the BEST times are still in Milwaukee.

There are at least three guys who are particularly serious about their LFM training. For 30 years Duane Tate, Bill Boehm and Jim Bahr have trained through the summer, laced their shoes, toed the start line in Grafton, and made the trip to Veterans Park. All three will be at the starting line again this year - WOW 30 years of the Best Times... Speaking of 30 years of dedication, we have at least two volunteers who also have a 30 year LFM streak. Both Len Wachinak and Don Weyer have volunteered each and every year - now, that is a WOW. No medals or LFM PR's - but 30 years of helping our runners to make their marathon dreams come true. They'll also be at the Start again in 2010 - I thank them for their support and commitment.

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LFM Kids Marathon

We are pleased to announce the return of our “Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon Kids’ Run”. Participating kids will run a total of 25 miles before race day – documented by a parent or adult. On race day they will run 1.2 miles, crossing the same finish line that our marathon runners cross. As part of the program the kids receive a special training log with training and nutrition tips, an in-training t-shirt, a finisher shirt, refreshments at the finish AND a special finishers’ medal. This program is completely sponsored by our friends at BodyBasix . There are still slots open for this program – see the information posted on the Kids Run page of our LFM web site.

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Special LFM 30th Anniversary Jacket

Stay tuned for an e-blast announcing our special 30th Anniversary Jacket that will be available for pre-order (only). This jacket will feature our special 30th anniversary logo that will also be featured on the runner shirts and other mercandise. Even your trusty RD - with tons of LFM merchandise in her closet - is lusting after this item...

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Details, You Want Details...

We are working on the details for the 2010 Runners Guide. We know that many of you can’t wait to get it. It is always a balancing act between getting the Guide out to you early and waiting until we have as many of the final details set as we can. You can expect to receive an e-mail with a link to the Guide in early September. In the interim, you can get much of what you need form the 2009 Guide.

There are a couple of things that we know will change. The first relates to our Hammer Gel stops. By popular demand we have moved our 23 mile gel stop to the aid station at Concordia University and will continue the second stop at Klode Park (approximately 19 miles). Although we would like to offer additional stops, these two areas are the only ones that allow our volunteers to safely pick-up discarded gel packet.

The second relates to parking at the finish. Local runners have read about the tragic accident that has closed the O’Donnell Park parking structure that we used for runner parking in 2009. We do not know if the structure will be open by race day so are looking to other alternatives for runner and spectator parking. We’ll provide information as soon as we can. In 2009 many spectators used the War Memorial parking lot on race day. We have been informed that they have two events at their facility on race day and that parking will not be available for our spectators. Again, we are investigating alternatives so that we can direct spectators to parking that can accommodate them. It will be important for you to make sure that your spectators know that this parking will not be available to them – it will prevent them from being stuck in traffic on race day. Also - just a reminder that on-street parking is prohbited in all areas of the City of Mequon and Villages of Bayside and Fox Point - effectively from mile 5 to mile 19. Spectators who violate these regulations can expect to be ticketed or towed.

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Marathon Build-up Program

Our marathon build-up runs began July 3rd and continue through September 25th at Lake Park in Milwaukee. These runs are open to anyone – you don’t have to be a Badgerland Strider member or registered for LFM AND there is no charge to participate – how great is that? Join build-up run director Dr. Jon Mueller for the weekly runs – with Gatorade and (in longer runs) Hammer Gel, both of which will be served again at LFM. Take a look at the schedule that includes the Saturday runs and a few races to get everyone in marathon shape.

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Volunteers...Health & Fitness Expo

Volunteers…we always need volunteers but what does that have to do with the expo???. We always need volunteers and non-profit organizations always need exposure – we thought that there may be a way to fill both needs. In 2010 we will pilot a program that will provide a limited number of non-profit organizations with free space at our health and fitness expo in exchange for providing a minimum number of volunteers on race weekend. If you are involved in an organization that might be interested in this opportunity, please have them contact our Volunteer Manager Alice . We also need individual volunteers - please use our on-line form to indicate when you, a friend, or family member are available and what you'd all like to do.

Speaking of the health and fitness expo, we do still have vendor space and can still accommodate goody bag items. Contact us at the LFM e-mail if you are interested in more information.

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From Our Charity Partner - American Cancer Society

Training for an endurance race is a huge commitment, but by joining the American Cancer Society DetermiNation endurance event program you can help save lives. Join our nation of athletes determined to save lives by dedicating your training and race participation in the Lakefront Marathon to fight a disease that has already taken too many lives. With every step you take and every mile you conquer, you’ll be helping create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Once again the American Cancer Society will be working with the Lakefront Marathon to provide the opportunity to fight back against cancer while running this year’s marathon. The American Cancer Society will also be hosting a pasta dinner the night before the race. If you are interested in more information please visit acsdetermination.org/lakefront or call 262-312-4041.

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Refunds, Transfers, Etc.???

At this time of the year we get questions about possible deferrals, entry transfers or refunds. As indicated in our registration materials, we do not allow them. We know that plans change, people get injured, etc. and that not everyone who registers actually runs the race and we plan for this in setting our entry limit. Please do not ask for a special exception.

April E-Blast

2010 Marathon Filling Quickly

We are quickly approaching our registration limit of 2750 marathon runners. As of April 4th we had just over 1000 spots remaining. Sounds like a lot, right??? Not so many… In 2009 it took just two weeks to fill those last 1000 spots and the last 300 filled in just two days. If you want to run in 2010, you do need to commit now.

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Help Locate Former LFM Winners!

Many of you know that 2010 marks our 30th Anniversary Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. Back in 1981 marathoning was a very different sport – mostly men and mostly fast men. However, even in 1981 Milwaukee provided an opportunity for both elite and citizen marathoners to test themselves and to meet their marathon goals. Over the years we have been honored to see several of our elites achieve Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying times and to see many of the rest of our runners (sometimes as many as 22%) achieve a Boston Marathon qualifying time. We have also been a race that even in that first year, also welcomed 5+ hour runners.

To mark this anniversary we are trying to locate ALL of our former winners. We are making good progress in this but need your help. Do any of you know these runners?

1981 Steve Benson 2:18:09
1983 Fred Torneden 2:14:43
1984 Jesse Garcia 2:23:42
1988 Mark Horwitz 2:27:23
1989 Dan Martin 2:27:43
1994 Mitchell Craib 2:25:27

1981 Mary Bange 2:55:31
1982 Sue Moen 2:54:29
1983 Nancy Mieszczak 2:39:15
1984 Betty Nelson 2:51:57
1985 Audrey O'Brien 2:56:02
1988 Sandy Lovejoy 3:02:55
2004 Aaron Clark 2:58:30

If you do, please e-mail us with their contact information. If you are interested in results from past years, we have located and posted ALL of them on the web site – Post Race tab.

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LFM Memorabilia??

Speaking of 30th Anniversary doings… we still have three guys who have run every year and are ready to toe the line again in 2010 – Jim Bahr, Bill Boehm and Duane Tate. They are amazing for their commitment to our race!

Do any of you have old LFM race shirts, posters or other memorabilia? If so, take a photo and e-mail it to us and we’ll post them on our Facebook Fan Page.

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Run for Charity

Many runners find that running for a charity enhances their marathon experience and will be running LFM to benefit an organization that is special to them. Again in 2010 we will have the American Cancer Society DetermiNation program as a charity partner. An important part of that relationship is their sponsorship of our pre-race pasta dinner. Information about their program and the dinner are on our web site.

In addition to ACS, we will also have runners associated with Project ADAM, TEAM SALUTE, and Team in Training. Information about these programs is also on our site . If you are running for any of these charities – good for you! If you are running for another charity and would like to publicize that, send us an e-mail with information about the charity and (most importantly) why it is important to YOU. We’ll post that on our page.

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An Army of Volunteers

Many of you are receiving this newsletter for the first time – you are not LFM runners but VOLUNTEERS, the key element in making this such a great race. Because you are so important and it is good for you to know what is going on, we decided to include you in these e-blasts. You may not know that our race requires one volunteer for every two runners – an army of smiling faces.

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An Army Requires Captains

We are always in need of volunteers and hope that you will help out if you can’t run the race this year. However, every year we also have vacancies in our Race Captain positions – these are the people who do the planning and other work in preparation for race weekend. Examples of these Captain positions are Course Sentry (we have 5 of them), Merchandise, Aid Station Supply (4 of these), etc.. If you are interested in serving your fellow runners in a leadership capacity, please contact us and we will see if we can find something that meets your interests.

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Run to Benefit Jenny Crain

As we indicated in the last newsletter, our 2010 special guest will be two-time Olympian Anne Marie Letko. Anne Marie will also RUN the marathon with a lucky and generous runner to raise funds for elite runner Jenny Crain. This opportunity is being auctioned on Jenny’s Facebook Fan Page . We know what you are thinking – me? Run with an Olympian? GIVE me a break? Really, this is a great opportunity. Anne Marie will be a registered runner and has committed to run at your speed – from 3:30 to 6+ hours – to make your marathon day special to YOU. In addition to the chance to run with her, the lucky bidder will receive entry to the marathon (or a refund if already registered), LFM In Training shirt, special Brooks TeamJenny hi-viz shirt or singlet, $150 Brooks gift certificate, and lunch on Saturday before the race with Anne Marie (you can bring a friend). Running 26.2 miles with Anne Marie will be a great experience and an opportunity to make a friend for life.

There is also an opportunity to run the marathon as part of TeamJenny with each member raising a minimum of $250 for Jenny. You must, however, be registered for the race to do so. If you would like more information about the team and perks to be provided, please send an e-mail to TeamJennyCrain@gmail.com

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Course Maps

Maps…everyone LOVES maps but (boy) are they a pain to keep current… In an effort to provide more options for everyone, we have provided three additional map options for you – all on the map tab of our web site . Using the 2009 course - we’ve mapped it on the USATF site, MapMyRun, and iRace. The MapMyRun map is available on the web and for iPhone and the iRace map is available for iPhone only. As soon as we have finalized the 2010 course, we will update these and provide up-dated links.

February E-Blast

2010 Entry Up-date

Entries for the 2010 30th Anniversary Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon are slightly ahead of 2009 when the marathon filled on May 16. The marathon is 25% capacity and the relay is just more than 50% to the 90 team limit. If you plan to compete in either event and have not yet registered, you can monitor the entry totals by going to our race website. Although we update the totals on a regular basis, it is important to recognize that the last spots go VERY quickly - if you wait too long you will not get into the 2010 race. Please remember that once your register you are IN - we do not allow transfer of entries, refunds, or deferrals to a future year - please do not ask.

2010 Special Guests

As many of you know, for the last few years we have been able to invite a special guest to participate in race weekend activities. We are very pleased to announce that our 2010 guest will be two-time Olympian Anne Marie Letko . She was in Atlanta for the marathon and in Sydney for the 5k. In 2009 Anne Marie and Khalid Khannouchi were inducted into the RRCA American Long Distance Running Hall of Fame. She will participate in all of our race weekend activities including expo program, the traditional Saturday morning fun run, and press appearances.

In addition to the customary race weekend activities, Anne Marie will also RUN the marathon - yep, that's right run the marathon! Not only will she run the race, but she will provide one lucky and generous runner with the opportunity to have her run the race right along with them. Anne Marie will be offering this opportunity as a way to raise money for former elite runner Jenny Crain's recovery from her August, 2007 accident. The "Jenny Crain Make it Happen Fund" will be auctioning off the opportunity for a mid-pack marathoner (3:45+) to have Anne Marie run with them - both (of course) registered for the race. The auction will be conducted on Jenny's Facebook Fan Page - beginning immediately and concluding 2 weeks after the LFM fills. This is a great opportunity for one of our marathoners to share some quality running time with a great runner and get to know a wonderful woman. It is also an opportunity to assist Jenny - who was serving LFM as a Race Captain at the time of her accident.

We also expect two more of Jenny's elite colleagues to participate in our race weekend activities. Two-time Olympian Elva Dryer (5k Sydney & 10k Athens) plans to be here but will not be able to run the marathon - the USATF National Marathon Championships will be held in NYC just a few weeks later. However, elite middle distance runner Janet Trujillo does plan to run the marathon. Both will be here in support of Team Jenny Crain - note the information in the "Raise $$$ for a Cause" article below. We are very lucky to have this trio of talented women participate in our race weekend - you will all have the opportunity to see what great people they really are!

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30th Anniversary Doings...

We have come a long way since about 600 people toed the line at the innagural Miller Lite Lakefront Marathon in October, 1981. That first year we had 586 finishers - only 40 (!!) women... Back in those days there were very few marathons so this race, with the assistance of significant sponsorship from Miller Brewing, attracted a diverse and fast field. Just imagine what it would be like today if there were just a few quality marathons for the fast runners to race... Although our fastest finish times go back to those first years, I was surprised to see that we have always also been a race for the citizen racer - back in 1981 we had a significant number of 5 hour finishers at a time when "slow pokes" were not so welcome at marathons. While a lot of things have changed over these 30 years, a lot of things remain the same - our start at Grafton High School, the majority of the course along the same Northshore streets, and our finish at Milwaukee's lakefront in Veteran's Park. As we move into our next decade, we hope to keep all of the things that you like and to make strategic improvements to keep the race fresh.

In 2010 we have invited all of our male and female winners to come back to run the marathon or participate on special "Champions" relay teams. We have had a great response from many of them and hope that we will see them at the start in Grafton on race morning. For those who cannot be here, we hope to get an update to include in the Runners Guide. We would particularly like to locate our male and female course record holders - Steve Benson - 1981 & 1982 winner and Nancy Mieszczak - 1983 winner. We will also again be honored by the presence our three (!!!) runners who have completed every LFM - Jim Bahr, Bill Boehm, and Duane Tate.

Also in 2010, we will welcome our 35,000th marathon finisher home to Veteran's Park - yep almost 35,000 people have finished our marathon, enough to populate a pretty good-sized city. We plan to recognize that special finisher with a special award and to secure some special sponsor goodies for that lucky marathoner.

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Raise $$$ for a Good Cause

We are very happy to welcome the American Cancer Society DetermiNation program back as a charity partner in 2010. Again in 2010, they will host the pre-race pasta dinner - open to all LFM participants, friends and family. Take a look at our Charity Page for information about this program.

In response to the many runners who have asked for the opportunity to run LFM and raise funds for Jenny Crain, Jenny's friends are organizing "Team Jenny". Details are still being finalized - if you are interested in joining the team or finding out more about it, send an e-mail to TeamJennyCrain@gmail.com . As with other fund raising teams, Team Jenny spots will only be available to runners who register before the race fills.

Many of our other runners are also running to support causes dear to their hearts - if you are one of these runners, we'd love to use our Charity Page help you publicize your effort. Simply compose a paragraph telling everyone about your cause, why it is meaningful to you, and how to help you and then send it to our LFM e-mail. We'll post your story.

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RRCA National Marathon Championship

We will be honored to serve as the host of the Road Runners Club of America National Marathon Championships. This is a great honor for our race and will provide us with access to some additional perks for our winners as well as additional resources to benefit the race as a whole.

E-mail sent to runners on October 15, 2009

LFM 2009 is now history. For 29 years, the Badgerland Striders Running Club’s Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon has welcomed marathon runners to the finish at Veteran’s Park from our start at Grafton High School.

I am sure that by now most of you have heard or read about the events surrounding our female winners. In my ten years as Race Director I have done my best to ensure that you – the runners – have been informed of important race-related events and issues. This year is no different. Hence, this very long e-mail summarizing the events and rules that governed the decisions.

The Lakefront Marathon is a race sanctioned by USA Track & Field (USATF). This sanction has many dimensions for us and for the runners. For example, it is USATF that provides standards for certification of race courses – this ensures that you are running the correct distance and that your performances are accepted as qualifiers for other races, most notably the Boston Marathon. USATF has extensive rules for the conduct of long distance races, many of which apply to our race as the USATF State Championship, one that provides prize money and a sanctioned race. What many people don’t know is that in the case of a championship race or one that involves prize money there are really two races going on at the same time – the one for the Open/prize money or Championship awards and one for what might be termed “citizen” runners. In some cases the rules are different for each race. In general, however, the Rules of Competition were formulated by USATF to ensure a level playing field for each race and to ensure that the race(s) are conducted in a safe manner.

I will briefly summarize the process used for addressing potential rule violations. In our case, it is the responsibility of our race management leadership to bring potential issues to my attention. Potential violations can also be identified by other competitors. It is then my responsibility to bring the issue to the attention of our USATF Official – someone who is an expert in the USATF Rules and their application. Once that official makes a determination, the runner involved has the option of appealing the decision to a Jury of Appeals who makes the ultimate decision. It is important to note that there is no mechanism in road racing to allow a time to stand but to be “qualified” by an asterisk indicating that the competitor was not eligible for awards or a provision to apply a time penalty.

In the case of Cassie Peller, a race official indicated that they had observed a vehicle stop halfway between the (approx) 21 and 23 mile aid stations, a woman got out of the vehicle, and then ran with her for some distance providing fluids to her as she continued running down the course. This appeared to be a clear violation of the rule that prohibits receiving aid outside of the immediate vicinity of an aid station. It is important to emphasize that it is not a violation of the rules to take water from a child or citizen aid station so long as that aid is available to any runner who might run by. In this case the aid was for a specific competitor and by any definition outside of the vicinity of an aid station.

Ms.Peller was informed of the investigation of the potential rule violation and did not dispute it. She was then disqualified by the USATF Official and informed of the decision. As Ms. Peller indicated at that time that she would not appeal the decision, Jennifer Goebel was declared the Female Open winner at that time. Ms. Peller, however, subsequently appealed the decision; and the issue was considered by the Jury of Appeals - who sustained the official’s decision.

The case of Ms. Goebel involved the use of an iPod (portable listening device). Many of you will recall all of the discussion concerning this issue in 2008. At that time their use was prohibited for ALL competitors in USATF sanctioned races. This was a rule that I personally opposed and wrote to USATF to support a change that would allow the race to make the decision. In December, 2008 USATF modified the rule - the race now has the authority to allow runners who are not competing for Open/prize money awards or for USATF championship awards to use them. For 2009, the race committee changed the rules to allow them for “citizen” runners (long before Grandmas and Twin Cities made similar changes). This rule, however, still applies to the elite runners competing in the Open/prize money or Championship race and is well-understood by the people to whom it applies.

Some members of the running community identified a photo of Ms. Goebel at approximately the 24 mile mark showing her to be wearing a “portable listening device”. This photo was reported to me, I was compelled to refer the matter to the USATF Official, and informed her of that referral. Again, the official considered the matter and decided that she should be disqualified. I communicated the decision to her and she appealed it. The Jury of Appeals then considered her appeal and sustained the decision of the Official.

Corina Canitz has been named the female open winner and the results declared official.

As we move forward from the 2009 race, it IS important to emphasize that I have the upmost respect for the talent of both of these young women and respect their decisions to move on. I have told them both that they will always be welcome at our race, should they decide to compete here again. As we move on with our planning for 2010 we understand that every experience in life is a learning experience and will learn from this.

Speaking of 2010, we hope that you will all join us in celebrating our 30th anniversary on Sunday October 3, 2010. We will welcome our 35,000th marathoner to the finish at Veteran’s Park – and it might just be you! We will open registration early next year – and let you know via this e-mail newsletter.

As always, we thank you all for your support of our race.

Kri s & the Race Committee

Get Your Seat to Enjoy 26.2

That is - someone else's 26.2 miles - yep a whole marathon! We're inviting neighbors and friends to walk on down to the course - just head to the lake - to cheer the runners on. Some good spots include:

Lake Drive through Whitefish Bay, Shorewood and Milwaukee (to Kenwood) - be sure to watch for traffic and stay on the east side of the street.

The BEST spots are along Lincoln Memorial Drive south to Lagoon Drive - the runners REALLY need your help here.

Stop by the Bradford Beach House and be part of our "24 Mile Club" or grab a cup of coffee at Alterra on the Lake and cross the street.

June LFM News

It is hard to believe that it is June already! WOW - you amazed all of us by your support for our 2009 race - we filled on May 19 - three weeks ahead of last year - amazing!!!

I'd like to announce an exciting program put together by our sponsor, In-Step Running and Walking Center. They have put a seminar series together at their Third Ward store to help you prepare to run the best LFM ever and do it without injury or problems. The first session is on June 25th and is free of charge to LFM registrants - $5 for everyone else. Take a look at this flyer for more information on the series as a whole and the first session- http://tinyurl.com/luotfb

Also - don't forget the Pasta Dinner sponsored by the American Cancer Society - http://tinyurl.com/l7zsvp

I'd also like to clue you in to a GREAT improvement to the last mile or so of our course. Even though we know that many of you really have enjoyed all of the zig zagging along the marina and running over the grass and down the curb, we will be making a change in that part of the course. Although all of the details have not been finialized, you can be sure that the course will cross Lagoon Drive at Lincoln Memorial Drive - Yippie!!

The course change is possible because we have made an IMPORTANT CHANGE IN THE LOCATION OF THE RUNNER PARKING. There will be NO parking off of Lagoon Drive. Instead, we will provide free runner parking in the O'Donnell Park parking structure on the corner of Lincoln Memorial Drive and Michigan Street - this is south of the finish area. This free parking is available for runners taking the bus to the start ONLY. The buses will load from this area as well.

As the summer goes on, some of you will (alas) get injured or have things come up that will prevent your participation. If that happens, you are welcome to come to the expo to get your shirt or authorize a friend to get it. However, please don't ask to transfer your entry to another runner or another year - we don't allow that. Also - and this is really important - do not give your number to someone else to wear. First - it is unsafe - how would you like us to call YOUR family if that runner went to the hospital? Second, that runner will be DQ'd and you will BOTH be barred from participation in future LFM's. As much as we hate to do that, we had to DQ and bar several people in 2008 and will do so again in 2009, if we need to.

Finally, we are working on the bringing you another great health and fitness expo - same great site, MSOE's Kern Center. If you do business with someone who you think would benefit by exposure to all of our great runners, let us know and we will contact them. Also - let them know that YOU think that it would be a good idea for them to participate. We are also trying to increase the number of goodies provided to our runners - maybe you know of a business that has a nice product that they could provide as a sample or an advertising specialty. In either case, have them contact me in the usual way - lakefrontmarathon@sbcglobal.net

Entries for 2009 Race

We know that there are many people who were disappointed when they did not register for the 2009 before we filled. There is ONE last chance for two lucky and generous runners. Every year we provide two entries to the Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail (FOHAST) for use in raising funds for their kids programs. For those not familiar with the trail, it runs from the Milwaukee lakefront west through the Valley. Many of the kids in the adjacent neighborhoods have no concept of the world beyond their block or immediate neighborhood - they have never been fishing, never seen Lake Michigan just a few miles away, and have never enjoyed nature like most of us can. This is a good organization with good programs that need our support. FOHAST is a bonafide charitable organization.

This year the two entries will be made available for a donation of $250 each according to the following protocol:

Interested runners are to send an e-mail to FOHAST - fohast@gmail.com - indicating their interest and that they are prepared to make the $250 donation.

E-mails will be accepted until noon CDT on Monday June 15.

Each e-mail will be assigned a number that will be used for a random selection.

The first two people selected will be contacted via e-mail and directed to send their $250 check to FOHAST. As soon as the checks have cleared, the entry form will be mailed to the runner. The runner then submits the entry to LFM.

If either of the selected runners fails to follow-through, FOHAST will go down the list in the order randomly designated until both entries have been distributed.

PLEASE do not contact LFM directly about the status of your e-mail.

It is also important to note that these are the ONLY legal entries avialable. We do not allow the transfer of entries from one runner to another, do not set them aside for other charities, and can not increase our field. If you hear of a runner trying to "sell" their number, please report this - we are serious enough about this issue that several people were DQ'd for this offense in 2008 and both the registering runner and participating runner were barred from participation in LFM this year.