Good day, runners! We hope you’ve benefited from and enjoyed the community, camaraderie, and competition of FLRC’s races, teams, group runs, workouts, and events in 2024. Now we need your help to make 2025 even better.
Our bylaws require us to hold an election late in the year for next year’s board of directors. We make the election part of a survey to learn more about what you think about FLRC and how we can improve.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey by the end of the day on December 15. To encourage you to complete it, we’ll select three respondents at random to receive free entry to all FLRC races in 2025 (except Finger Lakes 50s), a $250 value. (Drawing rules here.)
The proposed slate of new and second-term directors to serve a 3-year term is:
- Rebecca Lambert: The current head of FLRC’s Communication Team, Rebecca is also known for her speed and expertise with bib handout at track meets and large races like Skunk. She was twice the first finisher in the FLRC Challenge.
- Jon Lewis: Our second expat Brit on the board (with Diana Hackett), Jon has volunteered on the Communication Team and Finance Committee, has organized a number of club-wide gatherings to watch major running events like the Olympic Trials, and is a regular at the Tuesday night workouts.
- Heather Cobb (Executive Vice President): Ultramarathoner Heather Cobb coordinates FLRC’s regular group runs, is a stalwart on the Communication Team, and tirelessly advocates for runners of all paces on various other board committees.
- Ian Golden: One of the best-known figures in the local running scene, Ian is the owner of the Finger Lakes Running Company and director of races for Red Newt Racing. He also coaches FLRC’s Monday/Wednesday track workouts.
If elected, they will join these returning board members:
- Adam Engst (President): Adam times races, coaches FLRC’s Tuesday night workouts, captains the High Noon cross-country team, wrangles FLRC’s tech, coordinates the FLRC Challenge, and directs the club’s track meets, the Hartshorne Masters Mile, and the Skunk Cabbage Classic.
- Charlie Fay (Treasurer): Along with the essential job of managing FLRC’s finances, Charlie is assistant director for the Hartshorne Masters Mile.
- Diana Hackett (Secretary): Diana is a librarian at Cornell, helps out on the Communication Team with PR for the FLRC Challenge, takes care of the Trail Circuit, and is very happy about completing her first ultras this past summer.
- Amy Dawson: An educator in Trumansburg, Amy was one of the top runners in the 2022 FLRC Challenge and co-manages PR for the Turkey Trot and the Winter Chill 5K Series.
- Scott Dawson: Scott works remotely as a user experience designer; he was third in the 2022 FLRC Challenge Most Miles competition and co-manages PR for the Turkey Trot and the Winter Chill 5K Series.
- Jesse Koennecke: Jesse works in acquisitions and licensing at Cornell University Library, is one of the core members of FLRC’s Timing Team, captains the High Noon men’s Vets team in the PGXC series, and designs and coordinates FLRC’s local PGXC race each season.
- Rebecca Lovenheim: Long a member of the scholastic coaching community, even after her own racing career came to an end, Becca served for eight years as the head cross-country and outdoor track coach at Lansing High School and is now the head cross-country and outdoor track coach at Ithaca High School. She is a NYSPHSAA cross-country coordinator for Section IV.
- Kate McCormick: A graduate student at Cornell in Human Development, Kate also ran cross-country and track while an undergraduate at Cornell. She coaches the young kids during FLRC’s indoor MITHACAL MILERS workouts at Barton Hall.
- Bethany Schiller: Beloved by local kid runners, Bethany coaches the Ithaca Youth Bureau’s track and cross-country programs while working at Cornell and the Hangar Theatre, and training for her own races.
- Jeney Wierman: Along with helping out on the Communication Team, Jeney is the race director (with her husband, Adam Moody) for Finger Lakes 50s.
Thanks to all of them for volunteering their time and expertise, and thanks to you for being a part of our running community and filling out the survey! And a special thank you to Tonya Engst, who is stepping down from the board after the completion of her three-year term to focus on other club activities.