I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all those Ann Arbor Track Club members who volunteered for this year’s Dexter-Ann Arbor Run. Although the weather this year was hotter and more humid than the runners would have liked, all four races (5K, 10K, half-marathon, and United States Track and Field Association masters national championship 10K) went forward. Thankfully, our aid stations were serving water and Gatorade to runners along the course, and our volunteer medical team was able to deal with runners who were affected by the heat and needed assistance. No serious injuries were reported.

Based on preliminary figures, it appears that we broke the all-time record for race registrations this year. This result is a testament to the leadership of our Race Director, Andrea Highfield, and her team at Champions for Charity, to the hard work of everyone on the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run Committee, several of whom also serve on the Ann Arbor Track Club Board, and finally to the effort of all the volunteers from the Ann Arbor Track Club who unselfishly gave of their time and their talent to make this year’s race the best ever. For those of you who were not able to volunteer this year, I urge you to consider volunteering for one of our remaining Ann Arbor Track Club races in 2011 (listed on the Ann Arbor Track Club website) or for next year’s Dexter-Ann Arbor Run.

Again, thanks to everyone who volunteered. It was wonderful to see so many of you volunteering and serving as mini-ambassadors of the Ann Arbor Track Club. It was also gratifying to know that during these bleak economic times in Southeast Michigan, our race is a glimmer of sunshine and hope for the people in our community, and you deserve credit for your willingness to give back to our community as volunteers.