|
The Carl Touchstone Mississippi 50 Trail Run was a success again this year. Each year the race has grown, and it did so again this year, with the most applicants, starters, and finishers ever. This year we had 150 runners from 18 states, including CA, CT, FL, MO, NV, NM, PA, and WI. This will be my last year as Race Director, and
there are many people I'd like to thank. First we thank all of the
runners who came for their support and kind words about the race. You
are the ones that make the hard work worthwhile. We try to put on a run
that you can enjoy and that makes you want to come back next year. Thanks to my sponsors for supporting us this year, some of whom have been supporting the race all 9 years. Without them the race would be impossible. South Central Regional Medical Center; Horne CPA Group; Touchstone Dental Care, Hattiesburg; Brooke Touchstone; Wanda and Justin Touchstone; Scott Martin, DMD; Family Dental Care of Laurel; LeBlanc Orthodontics; LaDonna Stroud Walters, Artist and Designer; Ramada Inn of Laurel; Susan and Bill McMullan; T & T Welding, Ellisville; Buffalo Peak Outfitters, Jackson; Fleet Feet Sports, Jackson; and Dodd's Family Grocery. We appreciate our major sponsor South Central
Regional Medical Center for providing an ambulance that stayed
during the entire run. Linda Gavin, Lesha Lilly and Robert Smith
coordinated this. We thank Doug Higginbotham for the hospital's support
for all 9 years. William F. Horne and Johanna Newcombe with Horne
CPA Group do a wonderful service for the race by providing race
accounting and advice. Thank you. Brooke Touchstone, Alex Touchstone at Touchstone
Dental Care, Dr. Jeffery LeBlanc, Scott Martin DDS, Buffalo Peak
Outfitters, Fleet Feet Sports, Dodd's Family Grocery helped with our
funding and supplies. Thank you all for your support of the race. Gifts for the race packets and pre race drawings
were donated by; Trail Runner Magazine, LaDonna Stroud Walters,
Conquest, Buffalo Peak Outfitters, and Fleet Feet Sports. Thank you all
for the great gifts. Now to thank the rest of the backbone of the race, the volunteer workers. I'd like you to know a little about the work these people do, and I'd hate to estimate the hours, some in excess of 150 hours, these folks have put into the race. I'd like to thank Ann and Elmer Beardshall of Hattiesburg. They had a hand in: Keeping their thumb on our web master for www.ms50.com, Running Bear; worked as Start/Finish recorders, did early runner registration, trail cleanup, race publicity, and results. Marvin Overstreet helped with trail preparation (including design, cleanup, and marking of the primitive loop), race day set-up, made and put up all the road signs, and post race cleanup. Shannon Holder - trail preparation, set-up, and post race cleanup. Howard Thompson - trail preparation and race day set-up. Jeff Troyka - trail preparation, post race cleanup, post race trail cleanup, and worked Aid Station 201C. Bill Mc Mullan - Start/Finish facilities, and pre and post race aid station set-up. Susan Brosette worked Friday night registration, time keeping preparation, and worked Aid Station Forest Road 201. An aid station here is open about 13 hours. Renea and Katie Bisnette handled aid station Start/Finish. Steve Burgess of Brandon designed the t-shirt, and worked at Aid Station 201C. Wanda Touchstone of Hattiesburg and Justin Touchstone of New Orleans ran Aid Station FR234. Terri Hayes helped with trail preparation, and post race trail cleanup. Bennis and Bryce Berry of Brandon, and Kathy Dill of Laurel were at Aid Station 201C. Knotty Bond manned Aid Station FR218. Wesley Beech and Jeff Werts did all the cooking for the post race meal and helped with cleanup. And to my understanding wife Marsha DeReamer who did Friday night registration, time keeping preparation, aid station preparation and set-up, worked Aid Station 201C, post race cleanup, and many other details of race preparation and post race clean-up. We thank our scorekeepers: Wyck Neeley and Brenda Wade. Three simultaneous races and 150 runners, and they were keeping splits, a huge job. I've enjoyed nine years of co-race directing (with Carl) and race directing, and I now thank Dennis Bisnette of Laurel for serving as Friday night's Master of Ceremonies, and for volunteering to be Race Director for the March 2005 race. Thanks again to all the runners, sponsors, and
volunteers who made up the race we know as the 2004 Carl Touchstone
Mississippi Trail 50. Carl, it was another great race! Sincerest Thanks, Steve DeReamer |
