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The New Governor’s Cup – Pursuing a Vision

As was announced in June, some big changes are being planned for the Governor’s Cup Road Race.  Beginning in 2016 the venerable event, held annually since 1973, will have a new date and a new look.  Major innovations that are planned include:

  • The event will be held in Mid-May on the Saturday following Mother’s Day.  In 2016 that date will be May 14. 
  • The traditional half-marathon distance will be retained, but the race course is being completely redesigned to highlight major attractions in Columbia and to include some miles in Cayce and West Columbia.
  • The companion run, previously 8K, will be 5K
  • A racing team competition will be incorporated into the 5K run
  • A full weekend of activities, intended to draw visitors to the Greater Columbia Area, will include a “Friday Night Mile” on Main Street.
  • A 5K walk will be included and linked to a novel philanthropic effort.
  • An expanded Kid’s Gov Cup will be conducted in collaborations with the area’s school districts.
Why make all these changes?  The answer is:  to pursue a vision that has been adopted by the Gov Cup Event Committee.  That vision is that the Governor’s Cup, building on its proud 43 year history, will give Columbia and its running community what it does not now have – a running event that attracts many thousands of participants, brings visitors to Columbia from across the Southeast, and contributes importantly to the rapidly rising national profile of the Greater Columbia area.  To achieve our goals and realize this vision, we will need help from many quarters, and one of the most critical is the running community itself.  We hope that you will help, and in future newsletter we will present some thoughts on how you could do so.

5-Mile Commemorative Governor’s Cup Road Race Needs to be On Your Running Calendar

Add the 5-Mile commemorative Governor’s Cup Road Race to your fall running calendar and reserve Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 9:00 am. Where we will commemorate our 5-mile course from the 1970s.   Early bird pricing is $30.  Please visit our web site, www.governorscupsc.org, to get additional detail and sign up to run this event.

Keep Your Cool!

Deb Iovoli, MS,RD,CSSD,LD

Summer is here!  This time of year brings heat and humidity and the need to consume more fluids on a daily basis, especially when running or exercising.  Dehydration certainly affects our training and racing performance!  What you may not know is that as little as 2% of body weight lost in fluids can impair performance. Fluid balance is vital to normal cardiovascular and thermoregulatory functions (body temperature).  Dehydration increases the risk of other heat illnesses such as; heat exhaustion and life-threatening heatstroke, especially in hot, humid weather or higher altitudes.  Mild dehydration over time has been linked with increased cancer risk, reduced salivary gland function, kidney stones, and even fatal heart attacks.  The major cause of dehydration in athletes is sweat losses that are not compensated for through proper fluid intake.  Each athlete has different rates of sweat loss based on environmental conditions, clothing type, equipment worn, metabolic rate, and body’s surface area.  The onset of sweating occurs depending on an athlete’s metabolic rate and core temperature, which largely depends on exercise intensity and body mass.  Higher body mass will put an athlete at greater risk for dehydration.

Governor’s Cup Road Race Trivia

Welcome to our first issue trivia question.  The first person who gets this correct will win a $25 Gift Card to Fleet Feet. In order to win, you must post on our FB page the correct answer.  Here is your first question:

In the first Governor’s Cup Road Race, 1973, who were the first overall male and female finishers and what were their times?