| Running USA Wire 108, December 14, 2003 |
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to main page When the 25th USATF Annual Meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina was gaveled to a close on December 7, Jim Estes, a Louisville, Kentucky running specialty store owner (Fleet Feet) and race director of the Papa John's 10 Miler (USA Championship), assumed the Chairmanship of the Men's Long Distance Running Committee. Estes, 37, replaced Dan Grimes who served as Men's LDR Chair since 1998. Estes takes responsibility for men's distance running in the country on the eve of the Olympic year, and at time when real progress by U.S. distance runners is tempered with concerns about financial foundations of LDR programs and future projects. After the convention, Running USA's Charlie Mahler talked with Estes about his new responsibilities. Charlie Mahler, Running USA wire: You're just back home after attending your first USATF Annual Meeting, are you still glad you agreed to be the new men's LDR Chair? JIM ESTES: Yes I am. I look forward to the challenge. JIM ESTES: I did do a lot of listening. Whenever possible, I like to sit back and take as much in as possible, you can learn more by listening than by talking. I learned a lot, so it is hard to single out just one thing. One would be that even though it seems to many the leadership of USATF has forgotten about LDR, it is not true. I was able to spend some time with Craig Masback and was excited to learn that he has several ideas that will benefit LDR. There are those inside and outside of the LDR division that see the need to redevelop the division, as well as the plans that will be instrumental in that development. LDR is considered to be an area that has potential for growth and ultimately a great deal of developmental potential due to that growth. They see the widespread interest in redeveloping our LDR talent to the point where we are a significant force in LDR events. They realize there is no quick fix for the problem, that we need time to turn it around. I was impressed with the shear volume of work that goes into the organization. Be it staff from the national office handling the day-to-day operations or the incredible number of volunteers helping to coordinate competition opportunities, etc. There are a lot of people spending a great deal of time and effort to keep USATF going throughout the year. Running USA: What do you think the biggest challenge of the position will be? JIM ESTES: No doubt, there will be several big challenges. Dealing with the fact that no matter what I do, how hard I try to do what I feel is right for the sport and athletes, while being fair and objective, I will have to deal with some harsh criticism. As a businessman and event director, I have made some decisions that weren't necessarily popular in the beginning, but they have usually become well-received and accepted after a short time. It is sometimes a challenge to get people to see the big picture or that in many instances, change is good. Also, I think there could be challenges when it comes to revamping
the LDR/association relationship. I understand that each association
is a little different when it comes to their focus. Whether they focus
their time and energy on youth programs or clubs, I want them to understand
the value that I place on them because of their impact on our future
LDR athletes. I'd want to create a system within each association that
will provide support to an emerging star, while using that athlete's
position within the association to create a connection with the younger
athletes. JIM ESTES: I am most excited about giving back to a sport that has given so much to me. While I've never been an Olympian or even been competitive on a national level, the sport has provided for me very well. It helped pay for college, it is how I met my wife and most of my friends and it is the basis of my business. I feel that I owe a lot to the sport and I'm excited about the prospect of helping develop the future of our sport. Running USA: You're a successful businessman, a successful event director and you certainly had success as a runner (sub-30 minute 10K). What have you learned from those experiences that you think will help you in this position? JIM ESTES: I've learned the same thing from all three, persistence and patience are very important. In all three of those aspects (business, events and running) there is a long-term approach that must be taken with no immediate pay-off. There is a lot of hard work without seeing the benefits in the short-term. Many times you have to do things that you don't necessarily enjoy or want to do and there are times you make mistakes. You do your best to learn from them and make the appropriate changes. You often experience set-backs before experiencing even a moderate amount of success, but at the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself and what you are doing and just be patient. I plan to approach the LDR position in much the same way. Running USA: A lot of people might be surprised to learn that the USATF Men's LDR Chair is a completely volunteer position. Where are you going to find the time for all the work it involves? JIM ESTES: A lot of people have asked this. It's pretty easy for me really, since running is my life and my business, it all fits quite nicely. This is what I do everyday. Yes, there will be more work now, but I figure I'll just sleep less! Running USA: You haven't been a "regular" at USATF conventions, do you think that will hinder you at in the job? JIM ESTES: I don't think so. While I haven't been directly involved, I have kept up with what is going on at USATF. I believe my limited involvement to this point will allow me to approach the position with a fresh outlook. I'm not the kind of guy that comes into a new situation and does things a particular way just because "That's the way we've always done it". I like to try new approaches. Running USA: Who do you plan to turn to for advice, if and when you need it? JIM ESTES: That is one area I am not at all concerned about. There are plenty of great people, with a lot of experience in all aspects of the sport that I can call on. First, Dan Grimes will be staying as my vice-chair. This way, I can transition into the position a little easier. I'll also turn to Creigh Kelley. He has been around the administrative side of the sport for a long time and brings a great deal of experience with the willingness to try new approaches to old problems. I've already gotten some great advice from a few guys that I'm sure I'll turn to more than once including; Fred Finke, Charlie Mahler and some of the coaches. I'm sure others, including some of the association LDR reps. I'll be sure to get as much input as possible from the athletes, especially when it directly affects them. Running USA: What are your top priorities? JIM ESTES: I guess my biggest priority is to continue to identify sources for funding and development of LDR programs. Ranging from the Team USA Distance Running training centers like Mammoth Lakes/Chula Vista and Hansons-Brooks to youth and "grassroots" programs. These are all long-term approaches for the development of our sport and they need support now in order to establish their base for the future. I'm not the only guy who has looked at these programs and thought "If I'd only had that kind of opportunity...", so I feel it necessary to do my part to make sure we provide that opportunity to our future stars. Running USA: Is there anything else you'd like the U.S. running community to know about you and what you hope to do? JIM ESTES: I guess there are a couple of things that I'd like people to know. First, in case it hasn't been obvious to this point. I am very passionate about the sport, especially the development and support of our emerging athletes. Finally, I've never been one to think that I have all the answers. I'm always open to suggestions and ideas. Return to top / Return to main page FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oliveira, Amundson Win Sunmart Texas Trail 50 Mile HUNTSVILLE, Texas - (December 13, 2003) - Five years after giving up soccer to fully concentrate on ultra marathon running, Marcio Oliveira of Santos, Brazil, capitalized upon ideal weather conditions - a temperature in the 40s and 50s - to post his first overall victory at the 14th Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Run in Huntsville State Park on Saturday. Oliveira, 35, of Santos, Brazil, covered the 50 mile multi-loop course through the park's trail system in 5 hours, 33 minutes, 42 seconds. Dave Mackey, 34, of Boulder, Colo., who won the Sunmart 50K race in 2002, finished second in 5:58:54. Bob Sweeney, 36, of Rye Brook, N.Y., was third at 6:16:16. Traci Amundson, 29, of Fort Worth, won the women's 50 mile race in 7:16:40 to defeat last year's champion, Connie Gardner, 40, of Medina, Ohio, who finished second at 7:37:10. Kim Martin, 38, who is Gardner's Medina, Ohio, teammate, finished third in 7:44:25. Oliveira set a swift pace from the start, despite losing his watch during the first few meters of the race's pre-dawn start. Oliveira's Brazilian countryman, Valmir Nunes, who won the 50 mile race in 1998 and 1999, set the early pace with Oliveira for three miles, but couldn't match the former soccer player's effort during the latter stages of the race and was forced to drop out with a torn hamstring. "I'm very happy, because this is the first time I've ever won an individual race, and it's very special to me," said Oliveira, who is a professional runner. "I was concentrating on running a fast pace (today) so I could get out of the cold air. I liked this course, because I'm a strength runner and the soft footing was good for my type of running." The 50K race was clearly dominated by two San Antonio athletes, Liza Hunter-Galvan, 34, who the women's winner in 3:35:48, and by Dave Terris, 40, who won the men's title at 3:24:37. Hunter-Galvan, who is an eight-grade science teacher at Connell Middle School in San Antonio, also won the women's title at the San Antonio Marathon on Nov. 7 in 2:42. Kathryn Scarborough, 24, of Martinsville, was second at 3:55:09. Chris Purslow, 36, of Waco, finished third in 4:03:25. Hunter-Galvan, who is also the mother of four children, jumped to a fast start with a small group of men's runners. But by the end of the second 12.5-mile loop, Hunter-Galvan, a New Zealand native, was in third place with only two men ahead of her. "I ran really fast the first lap, but I decided to run slower and take it easier the last lap," said Hunter-Galvan, whose time broke Russian runner Albina Gallyamova's 2001 course record by nearly six minutes, was a distance standout at the University of Texas, San Antonio. "I really didn't want to break the record by too much, so I'd have a chance to come back and break it again." Jim Harrington, 38, of Marquette, Mich., finished second behind Terris in the men's 50K at 3:30:44. Joshua Urban, 33, of The Woodlands, was third in 3:39:54. The largest ultra marathon event in the United States, the Sunmart races attracted over 1,000 competitors from 38 states and six countries. 14th Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs - 50K/50 Mile 50K (31 miles) WOMEN 50 Mile WOMEN For more race information, visit its website at: http://www.sunmart.net Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services USATF Road Running Information Center 365 Oak View Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 http://www.runningusa.org
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