A little later than promised, but we now have a page on our website dedicated to the 605 Racing team.  We have a homepage, a list of steps that details How to Join, and then a roster of our current team.  This part of our web page will continue to develop and expand, possibly even to the point of hosting its own web site.

I have been involved with a similar start-up racing team in eastern Nebraska (LRC Racing), and I am looking forward to trying to have the success in South Dakota that I have had in Nebraska.  The most important thing is the people who make up the team.  They are the ones spending their time training and their money competing. Without athletes, the team doesn't mean anything, so I just hope that we can give our team the opportunities they are looking for, and an atmosphere to reach their goals, whatever those might be.

We are excited for multiple 605 Racers to be running the Hobo Day 5k in Brookings, for our lone woman to run the Twin Cities Marathon next weekend and for many other of our runners as they prepare for the upcoming track season.  As we are made aware of results, we will make sure to post them to the website.

Happy Running!

Logan Watley

We posted Kevin Helliker's article "Run a Mile instead of a Marathon" out of the Wall Street Journal a few weeks back, but I didn't have a chance to share my thoughts on it yet.  Obviously as a shorter-distance runner and college miler, I really enjoy that the mile distance is becoming more popular again, especially for road races.  It is extremely tough to find a race in the region that is "just a mile".  In the entire state of Nebraska, there are probably just two races where adults regularly run the distance, and numerous other ones where parents run with their kids.  In South Dakota, the only one I am familiar with is the St. Patty's Day Mile (although there could be others I don't know about).

As a fifteen year runner, the two questions I get the most often are:  1) Have you ran the Boston Marathon? and 2) What is your fastest mile?  It seems like it does not matter where the individual lives or what their background is, but they can relate to the answers of those two questions.  In the article I referenced above, I think the quote by Chris Pasko (3,000 meter runner in college) sums it up when he says "the only question people ask me is what my mile time was." 

I don't know if I agree with what Mr. Helliker insinuates about the longer distances, but I do appreciate what Bring Back the Mile is trying to do.  As a mile runner, I will take every opportunity to run the distance, even if I will be doing it slower than in my college days.

Logan Watley

This past Sunday morning was a great morning to run.  The Sioux Falls 5k/Half/Full Marathon took place, and with it,  a whole new set of jerseys across the landscape.  The 605 Racing team represented well in their competitive debut.  Kyle Schmidt was the very first team member to cross the start line as he debuted our white and orange singlets in the full marathon. Despite less than ideal training, Kyle was able to prepare his body for a 6:50 average over the 26.2 mile course.  In doing so, Kyle placed 14th overall in his very first marathon.

In the 5k, Alex Muntefering ran a strong race by finishing the course in a time of 16:15 (5:14 pace), 47 seconds ahead of 2nd place.

However, the bulk of the 605 Racers participated in the half marathon, where Leah Black ran away with the women's race by two and a half minutes to take the overall spot. In the men's race, 605 placed 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th, respectively.  Chris Gruenhagen led the way (1:13:41) and was closely followed by Nic Penning (1:14:02).  Tim Meyer (1:14:45) and Daniel Black (1:14:48) provided a solid finish for 605 Racing's first official competitive event.

Although an official racing schedule for 605 Racing has not been established yet, look for our singlets around the local race scene and for updates on the website.

We could not be more excited about the Sioux Falls 5k/Half/Full Marathon this Sunday, and all the relays that go along with it.  You will be seeing a lot of jerseys like the one pictured to the right on Sunday as the store officially starts a USATF-established, competitive racing team.  Of the twelve members on the team (eleven men and one woman for the time being), one is running the full, a handful are running the 5k, and all the others will be running the half. Needless to say, there will be lots of white and orange in the race.

605 Racing will have required time qualifications that must be met as part of membership.  There will be a less than rigorous application followed by an interview (it may be a joke to call it that; it will actually be a much less informal discussion).  A lot of the details on what the team's standards are, and the process for joining the team will be up on the website next week.

The goal of the 605 Running Company is to help promote/enhance the running community in Sioux Falls, and the mission of 605 Racing will be similar:  To promote running in South Dakota and the surrounding areas.  The individuals that make up the team will be representing the store, but more importantly, they will be representing their city, state and region.

As we go through the upcoming 6-8 months, look for 605 Racing jerseys at your local, regional and national races, and also look for the roster to grow to continue to grow.  We could not be more excited for the possibilities to come!

Happy Racing!

Logan Watley