Runners' high: Since being plucked from irrelevancy, Woodstock holding tight as premier event
by Christa Turner, Anniston Star
June 27, 2010
Brooke Nelson has no trouble recalling the laughter and disbelief she and John Moore had when they started to build up the Woodstock 5K, as well as the Anniston Runners Club, just half a decade ago.
Just a year after the annual race featured less than 100 runners, Moore started the paperwork to apply to have the race designated as the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Alabama state 5K championship.
“People thought we were crazy, that a race that had 79 runners the year before would apply for a championship,” Nelson said. “He and I had a vision of what we wanted to do. It was awesome to see what, with our energy, our club could do.”
Yet the 2006 race improved to more than 200 participants and the Woodstock also snagged the Alabama championship designation. By 2009 the ARC landed a prestigious national championship designation. After a year hiatus — the RRCA typically wants a championship race run in conjunction with the its annual convention, which was in Lakeland, Fla., this past May — Woodstock will once again have that designation in 2011. This year, the Aug. 7 event will be the Southern Region 5K championship.
Ron Macksoud, the RRCA’s Alabama representative, called the ARC and the Woodstock 5K as a poster child for any organization looking to grow via hosting championships.
“I try to promote the advantages (of the designation), to give your race some luster,” Macksoud said. “Hopefully, a championship designation will bring in more sponsors, more runners, more elite runners. I always thought the championship designation was something special even before I was a state representative.
“Woodstock is the poster child for taking a Road Runners of America championship and running with it. It’s the difference between night and day. It’s amazing what they’ve done with championship designations.”
In just five years, the race has grown more than tenfold. The race has blossomed from that 2005 race, which had 79 runners, and it expects around 1,200 participants this year, including the 5K and the Kidstock 1 mile run. That’s not counting the 2,000 people expected to show up to support and watch the race.
Although the ARC wasn’t happy to see the national championship designation go away for a year — it usually stays for at least two — Nelson and company were happy to have it again for 2011.
“It wasn’t hard to get it back because I don’t look at it as we lost the national championship,” Nelson said. “We just were deferred for a year. That’s basically how it was explained to me.”
Still, there was legwork to do, as things had to be done officially.
Nelson recalled the first couple of years the ARC applied for various designations — the Woodstock 5K has enjoyed state, region and national designations.
“Now, it’s all done online,” Nelson said. “Before, we sent almost a booklet of information. There was a disc, a video, pictures — almost like a portfolio.”
Nelson said the biggest factor, in her opinion, as to what has helped the Woodstock 5K earn these designations has been the support of the community.
“I always believe it’s the deciding factor,” she said. “Our community is so supportive and has embraced the race. I’ve always believe it was the community’s race, and therefore, the community won the bid.”
The RRCA awards championships to races of various lengths. Others around the state that have had that designation are the Vulcan 10K, as well as the Rocket City marathon.
“It can be an effort,” said Macksoud, who said he always tries to put out the word within the state and encourage the races to make bids on the championships.
“People in the community have gotten behind it,” Macksound said. “It takes go-getters like Brooke and others in her club to get the ball running. I’m always proud of what they have done and are continuing to do.”
Christa Turner is The Star’s assistant sports editor.
