About Carolyn Thornton

Hello Carolyn. The Chariho Community Education Project is having a 5K walk (Browning Pond – Arcadia State Park Exeter, RI) and a 10K run (Midway, Austin Farm Road, and Brook Trail – Arcadia State Park Exeter, RI on September 30th 2006 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM to benefit graduating Chariho seniors who will be going on to college or technical schools. Please consider posting this annoucement. The official brochure can be found on the home page of the Chariho Regional School District web-site. Hope to see walkers and runners at this year’s event. Linda Perra (coordinator – Perrazone@cox.net)

Hello Carolyn. The Chariho Community Education Project is having a 5K walk (Browning Pond – Arcadia State Park Exeter, RI) and a 10K run (Midway, Austin Farm Road, and Brook Trail – Arcadia State Park Exeter, RI on September 30th 2006 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM to benefit graduating Chariho seniors who will be going on to college or technical schools. Please consider posting this annoucement. The official brochure can be found on the home page of the Chariho Regional School District web-site. Hope to see walkers and runners at this year’s event. Linda Perra (coordinator – Perrazone@cox.net)

This fall will mark my 12th consecutive year of competing in marathons. When I started doing these grueling endurance 26.2-mile-races my sole goal was to finish, but as I became a more experienced marathoner I began to train harder and set higher goals than just finishing. Over the past 12 years, I have raced in and under almost all conditions, but this October I will be faced with my largest challenge to date. I will be attempting two marathons in a span of just two days, the Breakers Marathon in Middletown, RI on October 21st and the Mystic Marathon in East Lyme Conn. On October 22nd
In the past I have raced with a wide variety of obstacles, but none have stood in the way of the finish line and me. My first marathon was the1994 Ocean State Marathon. That day I dealt with unseasonably warm temperatures for 12 hours to cross the finish line in total darkness. In 1996, I braved 28-degree weather to complete the New York City Marathon. In Boston in 1997, I raced with third degree burns on my foot from an accident at college. I could go on and on but I think I’ve made my point. I never back down from any challenge.
Because of my disability I rely on guides to steer and brake my racing chair on the downhill portions of the courses. Throughout my entire marathon career I’ve only done five marathons without the guidance of my best friend from college Randy Spellman. Not only is Randy my best friend, he is also one of, if not my fastest guide runners that I race with. Usually each October we choose one local marathon to do and then a couple of weeks later we head off to participate in the New York Marathon. Earlier this spring I learned that this year would not be the usual yearly routine. Randy came over and gave me the good news that he and his wife Jenny would be expecting their first child some time in October. I was very happy for them, but I knew, without Randy, New York would be out of the question for this year. This forced me to go on a hunt for another local marathon this fall.
After weeks of searching and asking around I found a marathon where I could have one of my other college friends accompany me. It was the Mystic Places Marathon. This marathon is a great race but the only drawback about this year’s race is that it’s going to be held the day after the Breakers Marathon This means I have to run 52.4-miles in less than a 36 hour span.
I have run two marathons in a week, but I’ve never attempted a task so ambitious as this. Climbing Mount Washington, qualifying for two International track meets, and completing 35 marathons are all accomplishments that I’m very proud of but this will show everyone the type of training I put myself through for each of these races. Not many able-bodied athletes would attempt back-to-back marathons, so I feel when I complete this it truly will be something special.
Everyone is always asking me, “When are you going to do the Iron Man?” Well I can’t swim, so I guess in a sense this will be my personal Iron Man!

I am from Sacramento CA and am going to be visiting relatives in Swansea in September from the 5th until the 15th. I would like to run while I'm there. Is there a local group I can meet to run with maybe a couple of times.

Thanks,

Cynthia Hayes

Carolyn - please help us disseminate the following information:
The NEARI Childrens Fund is sponsoring its 1st Annual 5K Run/Walk on September 16, 10 AM, at Goddard Memorial Park beach in Warwick. The course is certified and the race will be professionally timed & scored. There will be prizes, t-shirts, food, & music.
Contact: Karen C. Jenkins (National Education Association Rhode Island), 99 Bald Hill Road, Cranston, RI, USA, 02920. Call 1-401-463-9630, or download the information and registration form from www.neari.org.

Thank you!

Hi Carolyn-

I have a question for you. I ran the CVS 5K this past Sunday and have been involved with this race for the past 8 years as well as many other races throughout the state. I was wondering who I could e-mail or write a letter to concerning last Sundays race? Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

A concerned jogger(I'm to slow to be a runner, but love it anyway)

Hi Carolyn,
I can't seem to find an article that you wrote this past weekend about coaching. I would like to post it on a web site I design for Swansea Girls Softball League. I just can't seem to find the link any where. Is it possible to email me that link??

Thank you,
Tina Bell

Hi Carolyn
There will be a run(not a race) on Thanksgiving morning at 6:45 Am called the "Panther Run".The run starts at Plainfiel High School,Rt.12 Central Village, Ct. and finishes at their annual "Panther Plunge" location, Moosup Pond.- A 3.8 mile run.
A pledge of $20.oo or more gets you into the run.Medals are given to the top 20 finishers.The proceeds for this event go to the Plainfield High School Athletic Booster Club. For more information - call Sandy Collins- 860-774-8613- Your support is appreciated!

Do you know of any running clubs I could join in tiverton or portsmouth rhode island.
thankyou

I am writing to let you and your readers know about this event related to running:

Michael Ward, author of the 2006 book Ellison *Tarzan* Brown: The Narragansett Indian Who Twice Won the Boston Marathon, will speak at the South Kingstown Public Library/Peace Dale, 1057 Kingstown Rd., Peace Dale, RI 02879 on Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM.

The book's publisher (McFarland and Co.) states: "Ellison 'Tarzan' Brown was one of America's premier marathon runners during the 1930's and 1940's. This volume tells the story of his life from the beginning of his career in the early 1930's through his untimely death in 1975. The reminiscences of his friends, family, and his rivals paint a picture of the man and his career."

Click here to see a review of the book published in the Providence Sunday Journal of December 17, 2006.

The event is free of charge and open to the public. Support provided by Friends of the Peace Dale Library.

FMI contact Jessica Wilson, (401) 789-1555 xt 112

Time to start more even reporting of High School Swimming. PROJO missed the fact that SK won the 200 free relay at the Read Watmough meet, and was reported to have broken the meet record. They were the ONLY RI RELAY team to win an event.
Also SK posted more top five individual finishes than any other school, and was only 2 points behind Hendricken in the standings. Hendricken had NO finishes in the top five of any kind.
Somehow none of this warranted reporting, and SK was not even mentioned. We might even expect Hendricken to finish 3rd at States....

Pay attention, PROJO, look at all the results...

The Ronald McDonald House of Providence is delighted to be associated with the 2007 Amica Breakers Marathon to be staged in Newport and Middletown, RI.
Our staff, board of directors and our team of House volunteers look forward to working with the race organizer, Danny Gough. Together with Amica we will celebrate both the Ronald McDonald House mission in RI and this world class running event in Newport.

Hi...are there any running groups in Providence, specifically on the East Side?

I just wanted to let those of you like myself who are fans of the Providence Journal and Carolyn Thornton know how thoughtful she is. I am a talkshow host on Sportsradio The Score here in Providence. We are doing our annual "Cure Kids Cancer" Radiothon to benefit Hasboro Children's Hospital and Carolyn was listening to the station and made a donation to the hospital. It simply confirms the type of person that we all feel she is. Thank you Carolyn!

Scott Cordischi

Hi Carolyn and everybody,
We are getting ready to move to Rhode Island from Australia. I am looking for schools to put two kids: boy of 16 who is a starting-5 senior varsity basketball player (point and/or shooting guard)and trained level-1 coach, who is also hard-working academic and longtime rugby player (American football?). Girl is 13, field hockey, tennis, basketall player and especially a competitive dancer. Any advice on schools? Probably private. Very hard to look from halfway around the world. Would appreciate comments about the private schools over there. Carolyn, where would you look if you were me?? Everybody's comments would be valued. Thanks.

Where does one find stats and info on High School girls outdoor track?

Thanks, Ken

Hi Ken,
The R.I. Track and Field Coaches Association has a site:
http://www.ritca.com where you can find all kinds of results and information on both boys and girls track and cross country.
- Carolyn Thornton

Carolyn,
I wanted to let you and the community know that Warwick Veterans Memorial High School will SOON have its new 18' Football Scoreboard. All thanks to the support of area budinesses.
The scoreboard will be delivered to the school sometime in August!
The businesses that have made this all possible, will have advertising panels on the scoreboard for the next 5 years ( at least!).
Although one panel is still available,it is expected to be sponsored within the next week.
Thank you to all the sponsors that made this possible!
Ken Petersen

World Run Day an international event for runners happens wherever you run on that day. The registration report on runday.com shows that there are no runners registered from RI as of 8/01/07. There are runners from 46 other states registered at active.com

Hope to get some people from Rhode Island!

Bill McDermott
Event Director
www.runday.com