The New Year offers runners, volunteers, race directors and sponsors an opportunity to reflect and improve on past accomplishments. In 2004, I would like to send out my wish list to everyone with an interest in running and its events.

With our status as the fattest city in America, Detroit needs to challenge itself to get in shape this year. Running is one of the easiest exercises to take off the pounds.  I wish to see record numbers joining the running clubs, fitness centers and race events..

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has put himself on the hook to run the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon this year.  I wish to see a few more celebrity runners set lofty goals.  MSU's Tom Izzo has run a marathon. How about doing it in Detroit too.

Runmichign.com, Michigan Runner and Michigan Sport and Fitness magazines all support the running community and also publish listings of races every month.  Michigan is blessed with so many places to get information including the Detroit Free Press. I wish for all of them to have many interesting stories to publish and great events to cover.

I have been blessed to coach Marathon Olympic Trial qualifiers and lesser-known dedicated runners.  As a requirement of my services I asked that they pick several races to work as a volunteer.  It gave them an entirely different perspective on the sport.  It 's a humbling yet satisfying experience. It's my wish the every runner take the time to volunteer at a race.

Running specialty shops cater to runners needs and support events as well. They are the grass roots of running. Wishes are that runners spend their running dollars at these stores as a small return for the often time unrecognized dedication of store managers.

There are many wonderful races in the Detroit and Windsor area that deserve the support of the running community. I have directed races in Michigan since 1983. It's often described as organized chaos. Few understand the enormity of detail that is required to put on an event. Most directors love what they do and enjoy the satisfaction of making so many people happy. Blessed with good city support and thoughtful sponsors, the overwhelming moments become a blur and thoughts of next year take root again. I wish for runners to show appreciation for the opportunity directors give us to enjoy our racing.

A well planned race with solid participation can have a big economic impact on small as well as large cities. Many runners still believe that entry fees pay for the cost of putting on a race. Usually this figure is fifty percent or less. I wish for runners to patronize sponsors of races. Send them emails if you appreciate their product or service and how running has brought you to their company.

If writer George Sheehan were still alive, he would wish runners the best of times as well as the best that you can get out of your body, "To be a good animal".  Wishes from me are that running in 2004 will bring interesting experiences as well as new insights into your physical being and mental tenacity for running.