RUNOHIO was introduced at the 1988 Columbus Marathon Expo and was first printed March 1989. My brother, Jeff and my mom, Jean, assisted with the start of the publication. RUNOHIO’s goal when we started was to provide timely running information with the most compete race calendar, results and running news around the state of Ohio. We cover races in and around Ohio, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Cross Country & Track State Championships. Plus, we cover the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and the Track & Field U.S. Olympic Trials and National Championships. A number of ups and downs have occurred since we started RUNOHIO, but this issue starts our 33rd year serving the running community. Sunrise Type has provided much of the typesetting and layout for the past thirty years and Chuck Barlett has helped with my web site – www.runohio.com for the past sixteen years.
A lot have happened in the past thirty-three years; including my father, Jim, passed away while I was at the Columbus Marathon Expo in 1988, my younger brother, Jeff passing away in 2012 and my mom passed in 2018. In 2008 I had 95% blockage in my right coronary artery and had three stents inserted and in 2014 I had 100% blockage in my circumflex and had another stent inserted. I think anyone who has faced death whether with a family member or their own life, you become a different person. In 2008 when I was recovering at the Ohio State Ross Heart Hospital it seemed like I had ever doctor and nurse come by to see me as my marathon time was faster than their half marathon time. Even though at the time I was younger, weighed less than today and was still running a little, I guess I showed them that heredity plays a big part in many heart issues.
Hopefully, you have been able to get in some training this year and ready for the spring racing season.
After a year of COVID 19 some in person racing is starting and with more races probably being added this summer. The race calendar in this issue is the best I can create for in person races as of the middle of May. There is again no RUNOHIO Grand Prix this year. If you are sponsoring or directing an in person race please forward the information to RUNOHIO. Also, don’t forget to forward race results to RUNOHIO and if you like to share a race photo I will try to include it in the print RUNOHIO.
Good luck to all of the athletes preparing for the track and field season. Hopefully, the weather will be nice. I hope to see you at the OHSAA State Track and Field State Championships in June or another race this year. This year’s OHSAA Track & Field Championships will be a lot different, as the meet will not be held at the OSU Jesse Owens Stadium. Instead, it will be at the following three locations: Division I at Hilliard Darby High School; Division II at Pickerington North High School; Division III at Westerville North High School. I probably will go to the Division II Championships as the Watterson boy’s cross-country team ran the State Championships this year and my brothers and I ran at Division II Circleville H.S. If there is anyone who will be taking pictures at the other locations I would welcome photos from the 800, 1600 and 3200 meter races. I will be try to get press passes for you at the other locations.
RUNOHIO is again helping to sponsor the "Oldest Road Race in Columbus" the 44th annual Columbus 10K on September 12th. My younger brother, Jeff, and I ran the race in the inaugural year, which I won on a hot day when the race started at 6pm and finished on the old Central High School track. I served as the race director for fourteen years. Since 2009 Columbus Running Company’s Andy Harris and Jim Jurcevich have directed the event.
The Columbus Running Company’s Andy Harris will again direct the Jeff McGowan Memorial 5K August 1 in memory of Jeff McGowan and Mark Dempsey - We plan to have an in person race and hope you can run or participate in the virtual 5km run/walk or virtual 1 mile run/walk. http://runohio.com/index.php/news-features/news/144-jeff-mcgowan-memorial-5k-in-memory-of-jeff-mcgowan-and-mark-dempsey
Tom Wagonseller and I on Thursday July 15th and 29th will be hosting the 17thannual Bryn Du Summer Cross Country 3K races starting at 7 p.m.
Looking for two other unique races to run on July 17th - check out the John Glenn Centennial 7 Miler in New Concord - https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Cambridge/JohnGlennCentennial7Miler and the USATF Women’s 6K Championship presented by Toyota and Women's 6K Festival Run/Walk in Canton https://www.womens6k.com
RUNOHIO would like to spotlight your running club. Please share this information during an upcoming club meeting and have someone write up a 3-5 paragraph article about your running club and we will print it in an upcoming issue. http://runohio.com/index.php/run-clubs
Don't forget to renew your subscription to the print version of RUNOHIO in 2021. If you are not a subscriber, I hope you will become one this year. https://runsignup.com/runohio
Since there is not a lot of racing occurring we probably will not have another issue until the mid July – mid October issue.
Stay healthy and good luck with everything!
Matt McGowan