The 15 Mile "Shirt Run"

(notice I'm not in the photo at the start because I'm just arriving...)

The 15 Mile "Shirt Run"
By Tim Long

The Mangum Track Club is one of the running clubs I've always had high regards for in the way they stay active, have a deep membership base of great people who are willing to pitch in and help keep their club fun, inviting, and special. I've been meaning to join the MTC for a couple years. You can't just send in $20 for membership or tell them you want to be a member. No, no. That would be the traditional and easy way. With MTC you prove yourself by completing the Shirt Run.

The Shirt Run is a 15 mile point to point run in Ellerbe, NC. They hold it maybe twice per year. Once you complete the run there is a Mangum Track Club shirt, pizza, drinks, and a lifetime membership waiting for you. I was finally able to attend the most recent one this last Saturday. After driving two hours to get there, I barely, I mean barely, made the start. They were starting (all 70 of them) while I was tying my shoes and grabbing the gloves and water bottle out of the car.

I scampered through the jogging and chatting crowd and found Alan Thompson and settled into his pace trying to loosen up after the drive. It was a chilly start but perfect day for running. After three miles I felt good enough to push the pace. Even though it's not a race, for some reason I wanted to be the first to finish. I mostly just wanted to get some speed and turnover in my legs in preparation for my first big race of the season next week.

Between miles 4 and 10 I held a 6:30 pace, then slowed to around 6:50, which I averaged for the rest of the run. With the very slow first three miles and the slow going on the l-o-n-g hill at mile 11, I ended up with an average pace of 6:56, and completed the run in just under 1:44:00.

(Shirt Run finished and the newest members. I made it for this photo, along with my dog, Pippit in the red sweater - yes, he is a chick magnet...as well as a biter.)

The Mangum Track Club has over 300 members (after the last Shirt Run). The abilities range from very slow to very fast runners and endurance runners who can and have run well over 100 miles at one time.

More information about the club may be found at their website www.mangumtc.org