What's Your Response

In this month\'s newsletter article \"Race Brooklyn 2008\" I expressed my personal views as to why I prefer to run in our home borough, and encouraged runners to support our local races. I also posted a list of races I would recommend. Not all races were meant to be included. The list is in the newsletter section of the website if you missed the hard copy. What do you think?

We invite your comments to this article. Those responding will be entered in our monthly giveaway, and winners will be posted on our website.

Click here to post your response.

05/14/2008
05/06/2008
Robin Mishik-Jett 05/04/2008
I\'ve been an athlete my whole life but didn\'t start running on a regular basis until 1998. I believe, right around the time that I joined PPTC. I live right by Prospect Park and I would see all of these races happening in the park and I thought that would be a fun thing to do. I really like the local races. It is more of a community feeling, especially when they also have Children\'s Races. These races are more low key and relaxing. The t-shirts are usually nicer, you do not need to worry about the race chip and the post race events are a lot of fun. Most of the local races raise money for a local charity and it\'s nice to see the money go back to the community. Also, I can just roll out of bed and be in the park in less than 5-minutes if it is a race in Prospect Park -- OR-- get on my bike and ride to the start of the race elsewhere in Brooklyn. The local races are FUN and not as crowded as the NYRR races. For folks who work hard all week, to be able to sleep in a bit on a weekend morning and get to a race without dealing with NYC transit in the wee hours, what more can one ask? Michael Rieman 04/30/2008
While I agree with your support for local races in general, I think there are factors which may limit the appeal of local races for our Club members. One incentive for some of our members is the possibility of placing in local event age groups. However, few local events offer the generous 5-year age groupings that PPTC has offered, so older members of these age groups may feel they have little chance (I know there are notable exceptions). By the way, older runners have the incentive of reduced fees in NYRRC events. This rarely happens in a local event which normally is a fund raiser for a local organization. While there may be less congestion at such events there may also be less \"spirit\" unless you are part of the community or group that has organized the event. Finally, local races may not even be local! Has anyone checked out the changes in the field for the Dolan race in the last few years? Or our own Cherry Tree Race for that matter? People come from all over to do these events. ( There is some guilt in my writing this. Years ago I dashed the hopes of a professor at the University of Mississippi who had been planning all year to win his age group on the Fourth of July. Instead, I did--a Yankee visitor!) Of course, I am not against local races. It\'s just that we have to consider them in perspective--and perhaps suggest ways that these races can reward not just the few excellent athletes at the front of the pack, and not just the \"casual runners\" who are waiting for the post-race party, but the solid competitors who don\'t usually win, but sure would like a chance at it. Sandra Ferrari 04/27/2008
I read your article and for once I am answering you. I support your ideas in bolstering races in Brooklyn. But you have left a couple races out as well. Since our mission is to promote races in Brooklyn, I believe other races that are fairly new but have proven to be successful should also be included. Once again thank you for pointing the obvious races. 04/20/2008

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