Upcoming RRR Events:
RRR January Monthly Meeting - Jan. 9 - Prairie Street Brewhouse - 6-7 Social 7-8 Meeting
If you have pictures from either of these races and would like to add them to our photo gallery please email us at admin@rockfordroadrunners.org and we will send you a link where you can share with all!
Hobo Races Sept. 7, 8 & 9, 2018 |
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RRR 5.0 Anniversary Run Sept. 15 |
Rockford Wildcats 2018
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Excerpt from RRR January newsletter
Celebration New Year! 2018 is a mile marker for Rockford Road Runners, it is our clubs 50th year. We expect it to be filled with many RRR races, and events. with some special celebration and recognition of those who took the steps to start RRR, as well as those who have contributed along the way over these 50 years. We will be sharing some of the early stories, pictures, documents, results, newspaper articles and anything else that we can find to share. We will be tracking down some of the early members, with the hope that they will share recollections of what running was like before the digital watch, GPS, smart phones, running tights, hi-tech clothing, shoes and other gadgets that have only arrived in recent decades. It was 1968, there were only smoky bars, not yet to the moon, Nike was still two years away as being know as such, RRR was an men’s only club (high school X-C for girls in Rockford was still a decade away), Most of our current RRR membership were not yet born or under the age of 10. Cheap Trick was six years away although Rick Nielsen was an RRR member for a few years along the way. The Plymouth Road Runner car debuted in 1968 and the old Strandquist Motor dealership sponsored a number of “Plymouth Road Runner cross-country races in RRR's early years. . The phone was still attached to the wall in the kitchen and would remain there for many years to come. Running with music would have likely involved a transistor radio or a very fast marching band even the Sony walkman was more than a decade away. Club dues were just $5 which makes today’s dues when adjusted for inflation a real bargain, race entry fees were often just $1 and the races were few and far between. Aerobics by Dr. Kenneth Cooper is published in 1968, Dr. Harry Darland and the RRR would host him as a guest speaker in 1969. Connecting this to today…easy, the 10,000 steps per day method of maintain fitness comes out of Dr. Coopers work. The running boom would only begin some four years later, launched by Frank Shorter as he won the 1972 Olympic marathon, Frank would later run the Gold Medal Run here in Rockford. While it might seem like it to some…it was not all taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far far away…All of this and more was set in motion no doubt during runs sometime in late winter or early spring of 1968 by early July letters from founding members were being sent to the ten year old Road Runner Club of America inquiring as to how to they could be become a club. With guidance from RRCA, which we are still a member organization, Rockford Road Runners was off and running. Here we are 50 years later having staged hundreds of races, assisted hundreds more with equipment volunteers, raised for charities either directly or indirectly a number that we are sure is many 100,000’s of thousands of dollars and can safely guess that it exceeds a million. Yet that is not why or what the club was about it is about promoting the sport of running and the fitness benefits that come from running. The miles run by club members over the 50 years by any metric exceeds many millions. Dr. Darland set out to share and encourage, with his unbridled passion and enthusiasm, for all to have healthy lifestyles. We like to think that we continue to serve as role models both as an organization and as individuals to that end. Support Your Local Running Club! Join RRR today >>> RRR Membership |
Heritage race photos circa 1985
RRR was given a handful of photos from what we believe to be the 1985 Heritage run. Some of the youngsters would now likely be nearing their masters age groups are you one of them?
SwedishAmerican State Street Mile - 2018 Photos by Leah Crull
Here is direct link to the entire online State Street Mile 2018 Photos
Here is direct link to the entire online State Street Mile 2018 Photos
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Thank you to RRR member Gonzalo Gomez for not only taking and sharing.
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History of State Street Mile by Bob Sharp
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Area Group Run Calendar
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RRR appreciates and recognizes businesses supporting the sport of running and walking, helping to give our community healthy and fun events.. We welcome and encourage Runner Friendly Businesses to make themselves known contact us for information. Support through sponsorship's are also welcome for Annie's Locker, Rockford Wildcats, and Rockford Road Runner events contact us for more information admin@rockfordroadrunners.org
On behalf .of the running community the Rockford Road Runners Thank! Rock Valley Culligan for all of their support at area events |
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