Tom's Run 2008

A 200-mile team building fitness event in memory of CWO4 Tom Brooks, U.S. Coast Guard June 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2008

Welcome to the Tom’s Run 2008 Web Site.  This is the only place to find the official Tom’s Run 2008
TEAM APPLICATION and COURSE DESCRIPTON.

Tom's Run Slide Show

The Island of Lost Runners

Tom's Run 2008 Toolbox

Event News Check here for event news and  announcements admin@tomsrun2008.com

February 6th:  Web site active! April 2nd: Check the tool box for leg planner, equipment list and others. All team members must sign a Disclaimer. The Island of Lost Runners is a list of runners looking for a team to join. If you want to be on it, write me an e-mail with name, location, and means of contact. See address below. April 3rd:  BIG NEWS - A local businessman, who will be participating in Tom's Run for the first time, running alongside his father, has offered to donate half the profit from any orders for his nutrition products to the ALS Organization and raffle door prizes at the post race ceremony.  Please visit HERE for more information about this offer.  MORE BIG NEWS - The cut-off date for team applications and entry fees is May 1st.  Team Leaders please meet this date so we have response time for unforeseen events. May 3rd:  Team Leaders - please send Admin@tomsrun2008.com your team applications and checks.  The application should be sent via e-mail.   The fees and disclaimer form should be sent by mail and checks should be made to CGHQMWR. Next year, we'll use PayPal or some other, paperless, mail-less method.  I intend to start ordering T-shirts the week of 5 May. May 29th:  22 teams!!!  I'll be sending an e-mail to all the team leaders in the next few days with words of wisdom.  Note!!  The very generous folks at the White's Ferry concession agreed to keep their toilets open all night for us.  The parking lot is a big gathering place. Having toilets should help make life easier on early Saturday morning.  Rochelle, our solo runner, plans to start at 8PM on Wed.  I'll be there and I urge anyone who can spare the time to join us and help send her off.  I'll buy a beer for anyone who shows up.  I pick up T-shirts on May 30th and will start handing them out at the Holiday Inn on Thursday.

Event History	Tom’s Run is held annually to promote fitness and raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and is named in honor of CWO4 Tom Brooks, USCG(Ret.), who contracted ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig‘s disease) in early 1999.   Tom was an avid fitness promoter.  He had a reputation for persuading couch potatoes to get up and get moving.  When Tom was diagnosed with ALS, his friends decided to show their appreciation for the inspiration Tom had given them by having a run in his honor.
The Course	The race starts in Cumberland, Maryland sometime after midnight on the first day.  Runners, accompanied at all times by a bike escort, take turns in a relay run entirely along the historic C&O Canal towpath to Georgetown in Washington, DC. From there, it curves back to Bethesda, Maryland to finish at the Uniformed Services University inside the U.S. Navy Medical Center grounds. The run proceeds through the first day, through the second day, and ends when the teams cross the finish line together as close to 11:00 AM on the third day as possible.   Finishing at 11:00 AM presents the logistical challenge of determining the most advantageous time to start after midnight on the first day and getting all the team members together for the finish.  Runners are on the course during the entire run, including at night.  Other logistical challenges are keeping everyone fed and rested, determining the best places along the course to exchange runners and bikers, and finding those places along the many difficult rural roads accessing the canal.  For a copy of the course description with directions to the exchange points, click HERE.
The Point	Tom's Run is NOT a race!!!  It is a team-building, memorial fitness event.  The POINT is not to reach the finish line first, but to reach it together.   Oh! .... and to have a lot of fun along the way.
Events	The run kicks off with a group dinner at the Holiday Inn, Cumberland, MD.  T-shirts will be presented to the participants at the dinner.  A luncheon and post race ceremony are held at the finish line inside the cafeteria of the Uniformed Services University, at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
Accommodations	One room per team has been set aside at the Holiday Inn, Cumberland, MD at a discounted rate.  To make a reservation for this room, or to make a reservation for other rooms at the regular rate, please contact the hotel.

 If you need other information e-mail - admin@tomsrun2008.com