Start Your 2012 Running with a Dash in Shelby Forest | Events

The day of reckoning comes sooner or later. It's the day you take action on all those resolutions and good intentions about getting into running shape in the New Year. The day is drawing near. It's Saturday, January 7, 2012.

It's almost time for the 33rd annual Hill and Dale 8 Miler in Meemen Shelby Forest State Park! Oh sure, the elite runners will be there with their flat bellies, sharing tales of how they nearly added a few ounces of body fat during the holiday season. But never fear, fellow couch potatoes! You will find others in attendance at the Hill and Dale who have gorged themselves on turkey and all the trimmings, feasted on countless deserts and now find themselves in tighter fitting clothing. In other words, the more well rounded runners who will give new meaning to slowness will be there, too!

Not for the faint of heart, the eight (8) mile trek through the paved roads and forest trails do traverse both hill and dale. It's demanding. There's a famous set of switchbacks that'll get your attention on the speedy descent and seemingly endless ascent. There's a close brush with nature as you find yourself in the midst of the 13,000 acre forest, Mother Nature's showplace in north Shelby County.

If you find you've lost too much weight on the eight mile whirl through the woods, you can enjoy free jambalaya by the fireplace inside the lodge at the post race party! In fact, you're invited to bring a dish to share.  

The awards program will be presented inside the lodge where the three swiftest in each age group will be honored along with those super-quick elites.

The event benefits the Friends of the Forest, a group that does all kinds of volunteer work and improvements in the natural gem near Millington, TN. The organizers go easy on your wallet here in the aftermath of the often expensive holiday season. They figure if you already have enough shirts, you can pre-register for the Hill and Dale 8 Miler for only $6 bucks! If you want the 2012 shirt, the pre-registration tab is $19. If you're a procrastinator and wait to register on race day, it'll cost you $13 to run (no shirt) and $30 if you want the shirt! You can learn more by calling (901) 842-5555 or by e-mailing the race director, Andrew Forsdick at andrew@addisoncapitoladvisors.com.

The Hill and Dale 8 Miler website is: http://www.racesonline.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.race_detail&race_id=6093 or you can go www.memphisrunners.com to learn more.

The event starts at 11 o'clock Saturday morning. Give yourself plenty of time to find your way to the starting line, park and prepare for the challenging course.

Don't get there late like a local news anchor did a few years ago. The park rangers made the local news guy park about a half mile from the starting line so he had to run like the dickens to get to the starting line only to find that the race had already started. In the quiet of that January morning, the lonely newsman did get to see a fox emerge from the woods and cross a road.  All those fast, punctual people missed that splendid moment!

So come on out no matter your size or speed and get moving in one of the most beautiful settings the Mid-South offers!