BROOKINGS – Know someone who has shown outstanding support of running in the community?
Prairie Striders Running Club will be giving out its 14th annual Friend of Running Award at its April 5 Striders Spring Social.
Nomination are due March 8. Please include specific examples of the nominee’s contributions. The selection will be made by a committee of past recipients. The award recipient will be expected to attend the April 5 gathering and agree to have his/her honor publicized in local media.
Past winners:
• 2007 – Bob Bartling, president of the original board of Prairie Striders when it was formed by then SDSU cross-country coach Jay Dirksen on Sept. 12, 1969.
• 2008 – Dirksen, head cross country coach at the University of Nebraska from 1983 to 2011.
• 2009 – Scotty Roberts, director of the marathon in Brookings from 1981 to 2003.
• 2010 – Tom Bezdichek, president of the club from 1982 to 1990.
• 2011 – Matt Bien, president of the club from 2003 to 2009, Brookings Marathon race director 2007 to present.
• 2012 – Steve Britzman, director of the Hobo Day 5K since its founding in 1996 and the Arbor Day 5K since its founding in 1989.
• 2013 – Chuck Tiltrum, a Prairie Striders race director in the early 1990s and race course certification chairman for South Dakota during the 1990s through The Athletics Congress.
• 2014 – Reed Hart, an advocate of running and lifetime member who gifted the club with $20,000 from his estate.
• 2015 – Mary Bjerke, a vital part of the Brookings Marathon planning committee for more than a decade who also runs in or volunteers with other Prairie Striders races.
• 2016 – Shari Landmark, director of the “I’m Ready for Summer” Triathlon, long-time past director of the Jack 15 and president of Prairie Striders 2010-12.
• 2017 – Lorne Bartling, a charter member and club president in 1972-73 who was ranked first nationally for the 60-64 age group in the one-hour run in 1981.
• 2018 – Kevin Smith, used his interest in computers to create the Brookings Marathon website and revise the Prairie Striders website as well as maintain and update both sites for 11 years.
• 2019 and 2020 – Both to be awarded April 5.
