Longleaf Trace Birthday Challenge

Pictures from the Birthday Challenge November 17th, 2001

See the announcement 

November 3, 2001
Thanks to Bill Barnett and Ray Gildea, we are able to furnish finishing Medallions for the first 300 to register and complete their Challenge.  If you are one of the first 300 to register, we will hold a medallion until you complete your challenge in which case you will get it or until you withdraw and the next person registered will have an opportunity to get it.  Make sure you get your registration in.

October 12, 2001
Due to the event of 9/11 the committee has decided that we wanted to revise the format somewhat. We wanted to take the opportunity to have a patriotic event and to show the local communities support for the victims, the United States and all others affected by the terrorists actions and our war effort. We moved the birthday party for everyone up to 4 pm with the choirs from the local churches and a candle lit singing of national songs and prayers to follow. We wanted to end it on a serous note instead of with the Birthday Party.  We will try to have enough candles but please bring your own if you can.  The sunset will be 4:59 on 11/17 in Prentiss, Miss and it should be dark by about 5:30. We hope that this will be a very stirring ending for a complete day in keeping with our slogan of a "Celebration of Life and Fitness".

Looking forward to seeing everyone and their friends at the event, please talk it up and encourage everyone to come and participate, listen to the music or volunteer to work.  Everyone has a place and everyone is welcome and wanted.

Harry J. Strohm, II
Event Director

LONG LEAF TRACE BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE

November 17, 2001

By

Harry J. Strohm, II, CPA, GCR, DPJ, BSS, LLD

Like most things in life, the reality sometimes falls short of the dream. The dream was a 26-hour, 80-mile event. The reality will be a 12-hour, 80K Long Leaf Trace Birthday Challenge, from Prentiss to Sumrall and back, November 17. You will still be able to run your age in miles-if you are under 50! By the time of this event, the Long Leaf Trace will be a year old; Mr. Jimmy Moore, 80 years old; and Miss Taylor Stone, 8 years old. On their behalf, we challenge everyone to run, walk, bike, skate or wheelchair their age in kilometers!

Our goal is to hold a safe event that will become an annual one and improve each year. We have hopes of expanding this event in future years to cover the entire Long Leaf Trace, but we had to set a "drop dead" date to obtain commitments. During our July meeting, we had to face the fact that we only had commitments to cover the Long Leaf Trace from Prentiss to Sumrall. That will still make this the longest out and back course in the State at this time. Sumrall is 25.1 miles from Prentiss, so the total available miles will be 50.2.

For those who are metrically challenged, 5 kilometers equals 3.1 miles. To compute your "birthday" distance in miles, divide your age by 5 and multiply the results by 3.1. A 30-year-old would do 30K or 18.6 miles.

We are committing to a reasonable level of aid and support for this event. We plan to have two types of aid stations: Fluid only (at least every 3 miles) and Water Plus Food (about every 6 miles). The Jefferson Davis Chamber of Commerce will be making meals available in Prentiss as part of a fund raising effort on their part starting with lunch around 11:00 a.m. and ending with a supper late that afternoon.

The course will officially open at 6:00 a.m. and officially close at 6:00 p.m. on November 17, 2001. You are free to start at any time after the opening. Since we have a large number of age and distance goals, we encourage everyone to time their start for a finish between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. We are planning entertainment and activities starting about 11:00 a.m. with a 6:00 p.m. climax of a birthday party for the Long Leaf Trace, Mr. Jimmy, Miss Taylor, and all other participants.

In a departure from the norm, this event will not have a fee per se. We will gladly accept any and all contributions, though, to defray expenses and insure that it can be held again next year. Checks should be made payable to the "Long Leaf Trace Birthday Challenge" and mailed to the address on the application. We encourage everyone to pre-register so that we will know how many to plan for, but registration will also be available the day of the event. The extent of aid and support we can provide will depend on the contributions we receive and the number and support of any sponsors that we have.

For now, we do not promise awards or mementos, although, Long Leaf Trace T-shirts and caps will be available for purchase at the event. We have one supporter willing to contribute toward finishers’ awards. We need one other person or group to commit to furnishing finishers’ awards before we can say they will be available. If you or someone you know would like to help with this or any other aspect of this event, please contact me. My e-mail is hstrohm@ucmail.com, and my telephone number is 601-939-3498.

Hope to see you there! If not, you will have just been bested by an 80 year old, senior citizen and an 8 year old little child, because they will be toeing the line to do their best.