Nice account of the 2011 “Dirty Half”
“Trailblazin’ at the 2011 Dirty Half USATF Trail 1/2 Marathon Championships” – A Trail Runner’s Blog
Footzone hiring
“FootZone is hiring. We’re in search of that perfect fit for our stellar crew. Part-time – weekends, and great energy are a must. If you or someone you know are interested, send a resume to teague@footzonebend.com this week!”
“Super Dave” Thomason
If you’ve lived in Bend for anytime at all, the odds are you’ve seen “Super Dave” running. The 6-foot-2 race director guesses that he’s logged over 15,000 miles running around Central Oregon since moving to Bend in 1992. COA asked a few questions of the founder of the very successful Dirty Half Marathon in Bend:
Central Oregon Athlete – How long have you worked @ Footzone?
Super Dave Thomason – Since 1996.
COA – When did you start directing/putting on races?
SDT – Spring of 1999 with the one and done Superdave’s Horse Ridge 10.5 miler. Cows outnumbered runners 3-1. Epic!
COA - What does it take to put on a successful race like the “Dirty Half”?
SDT - I think the Dirty Half has been successful for a few reasons. I focus on treating the athlete really well wether they are fast, slow, or otherwise. By treating them well I mean that everyone comes away with some kind of prize, I feed them really well, I design courses that are interesting and unique, and finally I give away good beer.
COA – What is your running back ground?
SDT – My running background peaked in 7th grade on a small middle school track team in Eugene. Since then it has been mediocre at best. But i really enjoy participating in events and trying not to slow down too much.
COA – I see you running around Bend all the time, what kind of miles do you log in Central Oregon?
STD – I usually get distracted by bikes and things in the summer so my mileage in the summer I would say is 15-20/wk. In the cooler months I tend to ramp up the running since it is easier to stay warm so I would say average 25-35. As I am getting more mature I would say that cross training is playing a much bigger roll so mileage isn’t what it used to be.
COA – Do you have a favorite workout in C.O.?
SDT – I really like workouts on Pilot Butte when I’m “fit”. Also recently the Tuesday workouts with Max King have been fun since there is a good crowd that shows up.