Run It Fast®

The Run It Fast Running Club

Run It Fast is a way of life for both beginning and veteran endurance athletes. RIF is open to everyone and is simply a motto for pushing past your own limits to go further, faster, and do more than you ever have before. Everyone’s ‘Fast’ is relative and 100% subjective.

As a part of the Run It Fast Running Club you will receive a Run It Fast tech shirt for joining. There is not a better way to receive encouragement at a race than to be sporting the RIF shirt. You will hear ‘Run It Fast’ at the exact moment your energy dips or you need that extra push to finish that race or set a new PR.

In addition, you will have access to Run It Fast coaches to discuss running your first 5K, half marathon, marathon, or ultra. You will also receive discounts on Run It Fast clothing/merchandise and to future RIF races, events, and non-RIF races where we can procure a group discount.

We are also working on creating a place on RunItFast.com for you to store your races and results in addition to a point system to rank runners to create end of the year awards based on total distance, speed, and other factors.

If you’ve wanted to be part of a national running community to encourage and be encouraged by others you will enjoy being a part of the Run It Fast Team.

Membership Pricing:
New Members: $35 (includes Run It Fast tech shirt & shipping)
Renewals $15 per year

First 150 to join will be entered into a drawing for a free Garmin 310XT GPS watch!

First member from each different state will be entered into a drawing for a Running Warehouse gift card!

Benefits: Run It Fast tech shirt, RIF membership card, becoming part of RIF community, discounts at various races/RIF events and running stores, access to RIF coaches, place to store and keep track of your races, discounts on RIF merchandise and gear, point scoring system for male and female runner of the year and other awards.

The sooner you join the lower your Run It Fast badge # will be.

*If you already have a Run It Fast shirt then please email RIF at RunItFast@gmail.com for a discount code to join (without shirt, unless you want another one).

Here is a sneak peak at the 2012 Little Rock Marathon medal. The race will be held on March 4, 2012.  This year is the 10th anniversary of the race.

The Little Rock Marathon is a very popular marathon in the South and has won several awards over the past few years.

However, this is by far the tackiest medal I’ve ever laid eyes on.  I know that is partly by design but this thing is Liberace gaudy.  The mirror ball within Thor’s shield is a spinner.

Last Year’s (2011) Little Rock Marathon Medal

Am I being too harsh on this piece of bling? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Little Rock Marathon Website

[medal photo courtesy of Little Rock Marathon FB page]

One of the most distinguishable marathon medals on the circuit. Here is the 2012 Mercedes Marathon medal that was given out on February 12, 2012 in Birmingham, Alabama.

This bling will remind you of your youth when your buddies were yanking Mercedes hood ornaments off of cars and wearing them around their necks to junior high study hall.  Unlike then, those that received this pretty piece on Sunday worked hard to earn it.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Alex Morrow. Follow him on Twitter @BhamAlex]

WOW! Talk about a beautiful finisher’s medal. Here is the bling from the this year’s 26.2 With Donna Marathon that took place in Jacksonville, Florida on February 12, 2012.

Medals don’t get much more beautiful than this one.  This marathon does a great job of raising awareness and money for breast cancer.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photos submitted by Jenny Rodriguez @JennyRN2009 and Brandon Duwe @brandonduwe]

Competitor, the for-profit group that owns and puts on the popular, yet controversial Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon and 1/2 marathon races is not making too many new friends with the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Pete 1/2 Marathon that takes place this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida (event website).

The biggest complaint this time is the unexpected costs and inconveniences that runners anticipate encountering on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Rock ‘n’ Roll events are pricey. For this 1/2 marathon it is costing runners north of $105.00 ($125.00 if you sign up at the Expo on Saturday).  That is a lot of money for a HALF MARATHON. Almost $10 bucks a mile! Ouch!!!

But no one is forcing runners to pay that much and Rock ‘n’ Roll/Competitor is having record turnouts across the country.  I have stopped running the more expensive races myself.  I did get into the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon with some heavy discounts for $40.

I run lots of marathons and ultras. I try to have a simple formula on what I’m willing to pay for a race. I usually try to not pay more than $3/mile.  So roughly my limit for a 26.2 mile marathon is $78.60.  For an ultra-marathon it’s more like $2/mile (50 miler @ $100/limit or 100 miler @ $200/limit).

But normally I tend to try to stay away from RNR events, especially after the disaster on the Las Vegas strip this past December during the 2011 Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon (and Half Marathon).

So why exactly are RNR St. Pete runners upset according to WTSP 10 in Tampa/St. Pete?

In addition to the $100+ entry to run, runners are being charged:

• $15 to park at the Expo on Friday or Saturday to pick up their race bib
• $15 to park near the start of the RNR St. Pete 1/2 on Sunday
• $10 to get a shuttle ride from the finish line of the race back to their car or walking 45 minutes back (the race finishes 2.3 miles from the start).

To quote an agree Facebook poster, “That’s absurd!  Pay to run, pay to park, pay to get to start/finish.  Just raise the entry fee and quit nickel and diming everyone!”

And that pretty much sums it up! However, if you are going to run a RNR event or a race in a large city then you should be prepared for additional costs and inconveniences.

Rock ‘n’ Roll isn’t without its flaws though as was mentioned repeatedly here after the trainwreck that was Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas (see HERE).

Big events can be fun but the true beauty of running is often found at smaller races where you can actually run without obstruction and without stress.

Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Pete is expecting over 8,000 runners for the inaugural event.

Related: The Nightmare on the Strip: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon Full of Sin

[RNR marathons run: RNR Las Vegas (2x), RNR Country Music (2x), RNR San Diego (very first marathon), RNR New Orleans]

[source: WTSP Tampa]

Here is the beautiful surf board bling from the 2012 Surf City Marathon that was held over the weekend on February 5, 2012 in Huntington Beach, California.

One of the best marathon medals that we see from year to year.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Jason Howard. Follow her on Twitter @JasonRunsUtah]

The 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on October 7, 2012 in the Windy City.

Registration for the marathon starts tomorrow (Feb 1, 2012) at noon.

The first 45,000 to register for the race will get in. Unlike Boston, Chicago is a first come-first serve for registration.  It took less than 3-weeks last year for the race to sell out.

The price will be $150 for U.S. Citizens and $175 for non-U.S. Citizens.

Chicago is known for being one of the fastest marathon courses in the United States.

LINK TO REGISTER – 2012 CHICAGO MARATHON

The 2012 Montreal Indoor Marathon took place on January 28-29, 2012 in Montreal, Canada.

To complete the 26.2 mile course one had to run 274 laps on the indoor track within the 6-hour time limit. That’s a small track!!

The race was limited to 30 runners per day.

Congrats to all of those who finished without falling over dizzy!

Sweet medal!!!

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Running Montreal. Follow RM on Twitter @RunningMTL]

Famed marathoner Chuck ‘Marathonjunkie’ Engle won the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon on Sunday in Maui with a winning time of 2:50:02.

Chuck ran slower than he expected to and said the heat played a factor during the last 10 miles of the race. However, his performance was still golden enough to hold off Hawaiian native Jon McGonangle who finished four minutes back in 2:54:27.

Top 10 Males at the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon

1. Chuck Engle – 2:50:02
2. Jon McGonangle – 2:54:27
3. Shaun Marshall-Pryde – 3:00:06
4. Wesley Moseman – 3:05:35
5. Robert Onders – 3:07:07
6. Dylah Rist – 3:07:28
7. Matthieu Marescaux – 3:10:03
8. Shane MacDonell – 3:13:20
9. Lavergne Masur – 3:15:01
10. Alex Ramsey – 3:16:18

VIEW Complete 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon and Half Marathon Results

The female race was a good bit closer as Mari Kauri held off Vera Monsao with a time of 3:19:00 to win by a gap of 93 seconds.

Top 10 Females at the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon

1. Mari Kauri – 3:19:00
2. Vera Monsao – 3:20:33
3. Marie Benito – 3:26:32
4. Bonnie Rouse – 3:39:26
5. Jonna Brandt – 3:40:08
6. Ashley Degen – 3:40:54
7. Diane Sacksteder – 3:47:06
8. Diana Jones – 3:47:56
9. Desarae Barrera – 3:48:17
10. Kimberly Ruple – 3:49:49

Also See: 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon Medal

Congrats to all who ran and completed the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10K and 5K over the weekend!

More Photos from the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon

[photos by Joshua Holmes. Follow him on Twitter @bayou]

Here is the colorful and beautiful finisher’s medal from the 2012 Maui Oceanfront Marathon held in Maui, Hawai’i every January.

The medal is gold with a pink and light blue Uhu – Parrot fish on it.  Simple, yet nice, and related to Hawaii’s rich underwater culture.

It’s a wonderful marathon held on a beautiful road course that runs right alongside the beach for almost all of the race. Temperatures can get high during the second half of the race as the sun comes up.

RELATED: 2011 Maui Oceanfront Marathon Medal

Chuck Engle won the MOM this past Sunday with a winning time of 2:50:02.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Joshua Holmes. Follow him on Twitter @bayou]