From print March/April 2008 issue
This issue marks the 20th anniversary of RUNOHIO serving Ohio and neighboring States with our coverage of local and National running. A few articles from the first issue are reprinted in this issue, including the article explaining how RUNOHIO started. I hope you enjoy looking back at our beginning.

Over the years RUNOHIO has tried to do our best in covering local running. In every issue we provide race results of local races and we have one of the most comprehensive regional race calendars. We have also tried to provide various articles of interest and spotlight Ohio's top runners. Hopefully, with your help, RUNOHIO will be able to continue and expand our coverage of running.

During the 20 years I have gone through two cameras in taking many of the pictures in RUNOHIO and I plan to get a new one later this summer. We have also used pictures sent to us as well as many provided by Victor Sailor, which you see in both the print and web RUNOHIO. During the twenty years I have had two cars, a Honda Accord for ten years, which I drove over 260,000 miles and I am on my tenth year with my Honda Civic which just recorded 240,000 miles. It will be time to get a new car this summer as I continue to travel the State to cover various running events.

I have been able to attend four of the past five U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials and I hope to go to Eugene later this summer for the 2008 Trials. Perhaps, one of the best Olympic Track and Field Trials I covered with my brother, Jeff, was the 1996 Atlanta Trials. I was in the infield when Bob Kennedy qualified for the Olympic Games in the 5,000 meters and an hour later Mark Crogan and Robert Gary made the Olympic team in the 3,000 meters Steeple chase. Also, I was taking pictures at the end of the track in lane five when Michael Johnson set the World Record in the 200 meters. RUNOHIO has been able to attend five US Olympic Marathon Team Trials including the 1992 Men's Marathon Trials in Columbus, Ohio.

Over the years we have been at almost every OHSAA Cross Country and Track and Field State Championships. We have covered the All Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships, Jesse Owens Track and Field Classic, and a number of NCAA Regional and National Cross Country Championships.

However, our main coverage over the past twenty years has been the races in and around Ohio. It is our goal to continue to cover and spotlight local events as well as Regional and Nationals Championships, especially the ones in our backyard. One such event will be the June 20-22 USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at The Ohio State University. I hope you mark your calendar for this Championship. Two other events this spring of note will be the April 5th - Dual Meet Series of Ohio State vs. Michigan in Men's Track and Field at the OSU Jesse Owens Memorial Track and the May 2nd-3rd Jesse Owens Track Classic. Both events should have some great competition.

In January, I was able to attend the Walt Disney World Marathon again. During the weekend The Running Network, (of which RUNOHIO is a member) a group of 33 regional running publications, had our annual meeting where we discussed running related issues and ways to better serve the running community.

Congratulations to the RUNOHIO 2007 Runners of the Year: Top Male-Josh Ordway, Co-Top Females-Ann Alyanak and Tara Storage, Top Male Master-T.J. Lentz, Top Female Master Debbi Kilpatrick- Morris, Top Male Grand Master-Rick Ventura and the Top Female Grand Master-Terry Mahr. Interviews with the winners are included in this issue.

Good luck to Ann Alyanak, Rachel Kinsman, Becki Michael and Melissa Rittenhouse who will be participating US Olympic Women Marathon Team Trials on April 20th. Their interviews are also in this issue.

I am still trying to keep the Columbus 10K going. This year will mark the 31st anniversary of the "Oldest Road Race in Columbus". The race started as the Citizen Journal 10K. The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has helped with the event every year, but with budget cuts the financial support has been coming from RUNOHIO and a few others in recent years. If you or your company can help with this downtown event either financially or with product sponsorship, please contact me at runohio@ee.net or call me in the early evening at (740) 587- 0376. I teach and help coach high school track so the best way to reach me might be by email. An entry form for the Columbus 10K is in this issue or you may register online at - http://www.signmeup.com/59627

This issue is coming out a week later as I wanted to include the results from the Arnold 5K Pump and Run.

The deadline for the May/June issue is April 12th.

Hopefully you will take a few minutes to renew your subscription, subscribe for the first time or get a subscription for a friend or family member that runs. The price for a one-year (seven issues) subscription is the same as it was in 1988, only $10. There is a subscription form in this issue or you can subscribe online at - https://www.signmeup.com/4B2VNK7

Good luck with your training and racing and I hope to see you at a road race or track meet this spring.

Matt McGowan