It'll be a hot time at this half

Lewis George might be crazy for scheduling a half marathon in August in Texas. The temperature easily could be in the 100s and the humidity might be as high. But Lewis is hoping to be crazy like a fox, as the old saying goes.

``My first reason (for scheduling The Hottest Half & 10K on Aug. 24 at White Rock Lake) is that summer is the one time there is a shortage of running events as the charities don't want to go there,'' he said. ``I have always felt that Texas runners are used to running/walking no matter how hot it is. In fact, I think more will run in the heat rather than the cold, particularly women.''

He said he also has talked to groups in the area that train for fall and winter marathons and half marathons. ``Interestingly....most in the training programs are well past the point to test their training with a 10K or half marathon,'' he said. `` My date fits exactly into the training agenda. I chose to run it on Saturday so it would not conflict with training schedules from the programs.''

Lewis also points out that because he's the only one affected if the event fails, he can take chances with new ideas. He has had successes with several runs, including the Big D Marathon and Half Marathon in April. So, if this new event fits into your training schedule, get ready to sweat...and maybe work on your tan at the same time. See details on the Calendar page or visiit www.mellew.com.

Cowtown registration opens;
new finisher medals to be awarded

Online registration has opened for The Cowtown, and executive director said entries already have been received for the 2009 event. Also, she said a series of finisher's medals will be awarded for the Ultra, Marathon and Half Marathon. The series will go from 2009 to 2013. If a runner finishes any of the three events for the entire five years, their five finisher medals will be able to form a star. A picture of the medals will be forthcoming, so check back.

George Lutkenhaus, above, won his third consecutive men's title at the Fort Worth Runners Club's Three Amigos 4-mile run on Sunday (June 29). The Sanger track and cross country coach ran a 22:14, beating his previous time by six seconds. Robert Rose was the masters winner in 24:23.

Colleen Adams, 15-year-old from Wall, Tx., won the women's race. She was among several runners from out of the area who competed in the 4-mile run. She ran a 26:13 to beat former champ Fiona Green by 28 seconds. Fiona won the women's masters title. See pictures of award winners, and see the results.

Donate your used shoes

The Dallas Runners Club is accepting used shoes to donate to the Shoe Bank. Most runners have some decent shoes laying around with too many miles on them. So, gather them up and take them to the DRC clubhouse. Read about the details.

Run For Dad special for some runners

Ken Hall's wife Kristine (shown above) made sure his Father's Day was going to be special, and he made it even better by winning the Run For Dad 5K on Saturday morning (June 14) in Fort Worth. Women's winner Yolanda Hopping also is looking forward to a special day when she travels to Venezuela on June 20 to see her father for the first time in two years. See story, pictures and results.

Summer time fun

A blustery wind greeted runners for the first Trinity 5000 on Thursday evening (June 5) at the Trinity Trails. The weekly summer series features a free kids 1K before the 5K. The Jogger Summer Series in Dallas completed its fourth event on Wednesday night at Bachman Lake and participants there also faced high winds. After the Trinity 5000, awards were presented at the dedication ceremony for a memorial bench for John Bratten, who died last year while walking the event. Some runners said the wind, with gusts up to 30-40 mph, was worse in Dallas because there was no protection. In Fort Worth, runners got a break from the wind at the turnaround and had it mostly to their back on the way back. See slideshows of the Fort Worth run and visit later for results.

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Jeff Arnier Jr. continues to be among the fastest runners in the D-FW area as evidenced by recording the sixth fastest time with a 33:07.3 PR in the Mayfest 10K on Saturday (May 3). Speed must run (pun intended) in the family because he and his dad are listed in the top 15 in their respective age divisions in this website's Fastest At Metroplex Road Races. Read more about Jeff in an article submitted by Fiona Green, who also has some speed. She was third among the women's masters at Mayfest, which also doubled for the $5,000 Mizuno Challenge.

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Registration has opened for the DRC Half Marathon, scheduled Nov. 2. Register early and gain a price break. For more details and/or to register, visit www.drchalf.com.

Sell your stuff here

New addition: A Classified page has been added to this website. Items to be sold don't have to be run-related (there's even a Dale Earnhardt signature Camaro listed), but can be anything. The fee is only $2 and the ad will stay posted until it sells. Got something to sell, post it on this site that's visited by hundreds each day. See the Classified Ad page to see what's for sale. Remember, too, to visit the Amazon Store if you like shopping online.

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Please take time to visit and support the advertisers who help make this web site possible at the Links Ad page. The newest Links Ad advertiser is Spring Valley Chiropractic in Dallas. One of its focuses is sports-related injuries. Besides businesses, personal ads also can be placed. The fee is $24, and the link will run as long as the person, business or service wants for that price. Race directors and businesses also can place ads with their logos on the Home and/or Calendar pages. See how here.

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