From the Desk of the President

Last year I mentioned change was in the air and soon it will happen. Beginning Saturday, March 30, the Lincoln Track Club will kick off the running season with the Tabitha Miles for Meals 10-Mile Run, accompanied by a 5K and the first Kids’ Grand Prix run. The start and finish are at 28th and A Streets at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo—an all new venue and route. Come and check it out—better yet, register (at packet pickup at Tabitha, 4720 Randolph Street, east entrance, Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and run!Registration for the 42nd Annual Lincoln Marathon began at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 5 (and continues). Sign-Up Saturday was hosted by the Lincoln Running Company, complete with a brisk fun run on a segment of the course staffed by some recognizable volunteers and an encouraging send-off from Lincoln city councilman Bennie Shobe. Words of encouragement also were delivered by longtime race directors Nancy Sutton-Moss and Gary Bredehoft, and of course, by our own Ann Ringlein. Planning for this year’s race has kept the marathon committee busy throughout the winter; however, there are still many volunteer opportunities for runners or anyone interested in helping out: https://www.lincolnmarathon.org/volunteer/. To volunteer, contact Lu Wetzler at (402) 440-6918, lujeep@windstream.net or email Dave Hattan at dhattan@neb.rr.com.Do not forget about LTC’s other spring races that will roll around quickly, including the hugely popular Mayor’s Run on May 4 and the 41st Annual Havelock Charity Run 10K and 2-Mile on June 1. Hopefully, Mother Nature will be kind to runners on these dates.And now, a human interest feel-good story that exemplifies what the mission of the LTC was founded upon and what we continue to promote—giving back. This past weekend a fun run was organized very quickly to raise flood relief funds in response to the recent devastation that has impacted almost every county across Nebraska. More than 1,100 people donated at least $30, which was matched by the LTC, which was matched by First National Bank of Omaha and helped accumulate an amazing contribution of $163,864 for the Rebuild the Heartland Fund. Hundreds of people gathered at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center ran or walked 2.5 to 6+ miles along Antelope Creek. [Click here to see the run take shape in a video by Jonah Hamilton.] Many others—from 26 states—joined the run virtually and posted to the LTC's facebook page. This could not have happened without the leadership of Ann Ringlein, Jen Snyder, and Steve Loftis and a whole host of LTC members, supporters, and volunteers too numerous to name.Also, a couple of accolades need to be mentioned that are reflective of the club’s good deeds over the course of its history. First, Nancy Sutton-Moss, co-director of the Lincoln Marathon for the past 35 years, was inducted into the Omaha Running Club’s Hall of Fame for her contributions to organizing and promoting long-distance running. Congratulations, Nancy, and to all the volunteers that made these events happen.At the last board meeting, the LTC received a surprise award—the prestigious 2019 Trail Boss Award—from the Great Plains Trails Network in recognition of many years of promoting and financially supporting the construction and growth of Lincoln’s trails network. It is ironic that at this same board meeting a new LTC logo was adopted to further portray the mission of the Lincoln Track Club by displaying its longtime mission: Run • Connect • Give Back. We hope you like and can identify with this new logo as we evolve and grow.As always, thanks for being a member of the LTC and thanks for your ongoing commitment to the Lincoln running community. Your involvement enables the LTC to give back to the community in many ways. If you are not running an LTC event, please show your support by volunteering.

Glen Moss, President, Lincoln Track Club