DTC's last update of 2008!

SLR on Saturday, December 20th was quiet as most DTC'ers were away for the holidays. Robin ran a 3-mile stealth run and met Dave at the ARA at 6:30AM. Together, they ran 17 miles. It was REAL slow and hence no real soreness, just extreme HUNGER (big surprise there)! Breakfast was taken at the ARA where Gilbert sandwiches were promptly ordered!

Bike ride on Friday, December 26th led by Ken with Robin, Dave and Lauren in hot pursuit. We had nice weather, although a bit foggy at the start. We explored some nice trails and were gone about 4 hours.

SLR on Saturday, December 27th was another quiet long run with Robin and Dave. Thankfully, it was a step back week and they only ran 12 miles.

Join us for a New Year's SLR on Saturday, January 3rd at 6:30AM in front of the ARA. Dave and Robin will go 20, but join for any distance you like!

Vicotry Day Fun Run

The Gulshan Youth Club is organizing a Victory Day Fun run on December 16th at 8AM. There will be an 8K run and 4K run/walk beginning at the Youth club playground located behind Wonderland on Road 109.

Entry fee is 200 Taka and 400 Taka the morning of the race. There will be 2 water stops during the race and refreshments afterwards.

The proceeds will benefit street kids.

PLEASE JOIN THE DHAKA TRIATHLON CLUB IN SUPPORTING THIS RUN/WALK ON VICTORY DAY!

DTC NEWS

SLR change in day and time-ONLY for this week-end!!!

Due to the upcoming Duathlon, SLR will be run this FRIDAY morning at 6AM. Note that is a change in day AND time! There will be a group going 14 miles and one running 20 miles. Please join us for either distance or something shorter if you like.

The duathlon is being hosted by the American International School of Dhaka (AIS/D) and will be a 400m pool swim and 4K run. YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER BYTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 11. Please see previous post for more details.

EID mountain bike ride
We had a great nearly 4 hour ride led by Ken yesterday afternoon. Not too much blood and guts in the villages. In fact, it was nice seeing the shamiana’s up and hearing the blaring upbeat music. It kept us riding hard. Ken really knows the trails and took us on some new ones even for him. Ken is a super strong rider and while you are huffing and puffing to keep up through the sand, along the brick paths and rice paddies, he is way out in front pedaling like he is on a beachcomber cruising along the beach boardwalk! Dave thinks his nickname should be “Gonzo” because no matter how hard the terrain is and how hard you are pedaling, Ken is just Gone!

DTC hopes to begin an official Friday morning ride that would begin around 7 or 7:30AM probably from the Aussie club (FYI: there is another group that leaves from there Saturday morning at 8AM). Stay tuned for details. A Friday morning ride and Saturday long run would be great additions to anyone’s training regime!

SLR reports: November 29 and December 6
11/29-The group headed to Basunsdhara and over the bamboo bridge for an out and back run of 12 miles. I think this group could find and run across the bamboo bridge BLIND FOLDED! Someone asked me the other day, “About how far is it to the Basundhara playground?” I replied “3 miles”. They said “oh, okay, about 3 miles?” and I said “no, it is exactly 3 miles!” we have covered the ground enough times to know! (for those who don’t know WHERE the famed bamboo bridge is…it is just over the hill from the large basundhara playground, which sits in the NE corner of Basundhara).

12/6-A contingent of 2 runners opted for the stealth run today of 3 miles and met the others at the ARA at 6:30AM sharp. We finally made it over the BIG bridge (7 miles out from ARA) and turned around at the 7.5 mile marker. So, two runners logged 15 miles, while the early birds logged 18! Dave and Robin could not keep the 18 miler folks in their sights as they dropped the hammer a mile or so BEFORE the bamboo bridge. Great job JR and Bob for getting in such a super long run. Maybe that should be the new name of SLR? Join us for a SUPER long run! (note to newbies: super fun, NOT super long!)

PHOTO: this is not OUR bamboo bridge but is very similiar. Our bamboo bridge is the 'bridge' that we run and bike over to get into 'the country' in Dhaka.

EID mountain bike ride

For those looking for a little relief from the 'slaughter' come and join us for an EID mountain bike ride.

We will be leaving from Road 79, House 1/C (Eastern-Seventy-nine) at 1:30PM on Tuesday, December 9th.

We will be gone 3-3 1/2 hours, so please bring plenty of water. Not sure the condition of the backroads vis a vis the animal carcasses, etc. so wear some old clothes! See you then!

Splash and Dash December 13th

The American International School of Dhaka (AIS/D) is hosting a charity Swim/Run Duathlon!

The event will be on Saturday, December 13th at 9:00AM and includes a:

400 meter pool swim and a 4 km run

Pre-Registration is REQUIRED. No registration allowed on day of event. You must pre-register by noon on Thursday, December 11th.

ENTRY FEE is 500 taka per person.

Pick up a registration form at AIS/D in Baridhara and submit the form with money to the AIS/D Activities Office NO LATER than 12 noon on Thursday, Dec. 11th.

Meet in Gym C on Dec. 13th for pre-race organization 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Pre-race meeting at 8:40 a.m. Pre-registration REQUIRED.
Event begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.

Registration form includes the following:

Check One:
Individual________
Two-Person Team ________
Email: ______________________________ (to receive results)
Person #1: _____________________________Gender: ■ Male ■ Female Age: _______
Person #2: _____________________________Gender: ■ Male ■ Female Age: _______

Combinations of two-person teams are unlimited. Some examples are: boy/boy, girl/girl, girl/boy, man/man, woman/woman, man/woman, mother/daughter, father/son, etc.
Groups will be assigned according to the types of responses we get.

Must be at least 10 years old to compete in this competition.

Estimate your anticipated times (be as accurate as you can):
Person #1: 400-meter swim: __________4 km-run: ____________
Person #2: 400-meter swim: __________4 km-run: ____________

DTC 8K Turkey Trot race report

The Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted an 8K Turkey Trot on Friday, November 28 at 4PM. There were lots of new faces and these new faces turned out to be FAST! A total of 26 runners completed the 8K course that started and finished at the American Recreation Club on Road 69 in Gulshan. The runners ran around Gulshan park and then over the Rickshaw bridge for a quick tour through Baridhara before turning around near the Chinese Embassy and French school and heading back to the finish.

The top male finisher came in in 30 minutes and 33 seconds and his lovely wife was hot on his heels running a smoking fast time of 31 minutes and 12 seconds!

The top male and female finishers generously donated their prizes (a pumpkin pie each!) to the 2nd place male and female finishers. The pumpkin pies went to these equally deserving and super fast runners: Matthew Aris and Sabiena Feenstra.

Top age group runners received Power Bars for their top finishing times. A special thanks to Dave Martz for taking the lead runners out on his bike, JR Rinfret, a SUPER race volunteer and to Emily Gurley for assisting the race director in a HUGE way!

Thanks to all of the participants and family members that showed up. We aim to make our races family friendly! If you would like to raise some money for your favorite Dhaka charity and help host a race, know of a good running course for training or a race, or have any feedback for us on how to make your club better, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

Thanks and we’ll see you at the next race!

8K Turkey trot

The Dhaka Triathlon Club is hosting a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot!

8K Run Friday November 28th 4:00PM

Start is outside the American Club front gate, Road 69 in Gulshan-2

Fastest male and female finishers receive their own pumpkin pie!

Top age groupers also will take home prizes!

100 taka race fee due at sign in (3:30PM-3:50PM)

Please pre-register by emailing Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

SLR report: November 22

We headed into familiar territory by going over the bamboo bridge and out into the country for this week's SLR. 2 folks in high gear for marathon training did 14 and 16 miles respectively and 2 triathletes in training ran a mere 12 miles. A newcomer to SLR and to long distance running toughed out a 12 miler after having only completed 6 miles at any one time. Brava Irina!

NOTE: We do encourage all abilities to join us for SLR, but ask that you have run no less than 2 miles shy of the distance we are covering. (i.e. anyone attempting a 12 miler should be able to cover 10 miles comfortably). Of course, folks can join us and turn around at the playground in Basundhara (6 miles RT) or at any other point as we often run out and back routes.

As always, we will leave Saturday morning from the ARA at 6:30AM and becasue the triathlestes are tapering, we will only run between 8-10 miles.

DTC Member Spotlight-JEAN RENE (JR) RINFRET

The DTC Member spotlight will be posted every few months and our first spotlight is on one of DTC's first members and shining stars, JR Rinfret! Enjoy the interview with JR below and some photos showing his great finish at the recent Halloween 5K and his wonderful sense of humor! 1. What do you do for work in Dhaka?
I’m an engineer. I work at the Local Government Engineering Department in Dhaka, in the water resources development sector.

2. What do you do for fun in Dhaka?
Our family has been here 5 years now. During our first years, we explored Bangladesh quite a lot, but somehow we are now happy with our “regular life” in Dhaka, dinners with friends, events at school, etc, spiced up with short trips outside in the region. Our family also has this thing about inviting friends over for spaghetti…

3. How long have you been swimming or biking or running?
I ran a little all my life, but I only started running a bit more “seriously” in 2007. I started long bike rides in Dhaka in 2004, with my buddy Robert K. We must have done 100 rides between 2004 and 2008.

4. Why do you swim or bike or run?
I run because I thoroughly enjoy it and it’s good for my health. Improving my time on different distances also gives a great feeling of accomplishment. I also feel good after a run, when I return home, and get insulted by my two teenage kids. Ice hockey is still my favorite sport, though, but options are rather limited in Dhaka.

5. What is your strongest/weakest discipline?
Difficult question. I am equally weak in all disciplines.

6. What are you training for right now?
Khon Kaen marathon, Thailand, 25 January 2009.

7. What is your most memorable race experience (best or worst)?
My first (and only) marathon, at the age of 50, in Khon Kaen, last year. I had no idea that pounding your body for 4-5 hours could be so fun. I am now trying to convince friends to do the same stupid thing.

8. What are some of your PRs?
My PRs are so large that they won’t even fit on this page. I did 23’48” on the DTC Halloween 5K last week, and I am quite proud of that. My only marathon was 4:37:01. That’s what the certificate says, but it must have been a mistake as I am sure it was below 3 hours. I checked Boston, and I would qualify in the “75 years and over men” group. Feels great.

9. What are you goal PRs?
I would like to run a marathon below 4 hours. I think I can get there “shortly”.

10. What is your favorite running and/or biking route in Dhaka? Outside of Dhaka?
For both running and biking, crossing the “bamboo bridge” north of Bashundara leads to the Isapur road with tons of nice trails and villages. Yesterday on the long run, the newly marathon converted Jonathan and I had Expresso GU on the Isapur bridge at mile 7…. Italian bistros don’t serve better espresso….

11. What advice would you give to a newcomer to Dhaka that is interested in beginning or continuing to swim or bike or run here?
Joint DTC! Also learn to run in the mornings… cleaner air, no traffic; you get the whole town to yourself! Join one of the biking groups, it’s a great way to get out of town, meet people, and have fun. If you like tech stuff, get a GPS… with the new Google Earth high resolution images around Dhaka, you can see where you got lost. For swimming, don’t try the Gulsan lakes.

THANKS TO JR FOR INSPIRING OTHER MEMBERS (AND NON MEMBERS!) OF THE DTC AND FOR BEING A REGULAR FIXTURE AT DTC'S SATURDAY LONG RUN (SLR)!

GOOD LUCK IN KHON KAEN, JR!!!

DTC to host TURKEY TROT!

The DTC will host a Turkey Trot race on Friday, November 28th at 4PM. The race distance will likely be an 8K.

Please stay tuned to the website for more details and check the ex-pat clubs for a flyer to be posted next week.

SLR reports: November 1st and 8th

NOVEMBER 1 SLR
Trying to catch up on SLR reports! November 1st a small-ish size group headed to the "beach" for a 12 miler. The beach is located just past the playground in Basundhara. We planned to run to the playground (3 miles) then the beach (another 1/2 mile) along the sand and then around Basundhara for a few miles. Robin had some GI issues and had to cut it short (THANK YOU BOB for running with me!) The longest 9 miler I have EVER run. Running 6 miles with goose bumps dreaming of my bathroom at home is not a fun way to experience a long run! JR and Dave ran strong and JR was the only one that ran the 12 miles...great job!

NOVEMBER 8 SLR
We had a great size group today! We welcomed Becky and Stefan to SLR! Both excellent runners that ran 6 and 7 miles with us respectively! Bob, Dave and Robin headed across the bamboo bridge and out to the 6.5 mile marker. With Robin and Dave running the 6.5 back to the ARA and the .1 home, they logged a half marathon today! GREAT to be done and set a new record at the ARA ordering FOUR (yes, four!) Gilbert breakfast sandwiches post run to eat between the two of them!

Please join us this Saturday, November 15th at 6:30AM in front of the ARA for our next long run!

DTC Halloween 5k results and top finishers!

Here are the final results from DTC's Halloween 5K held on October 31, 2008. Thanks to all of the runners for coming and supporting the club and a HUGE special thanks to Gary from Re-Fit for hosting the race and providing gift certificates for massages for the male and female winners.

Halloween 5K runners finish strong!

Here are some of the runners from this week-ends Halloween 5K. All runners finished strong. As Robin stood at the finish line calling out the official time, more than one runner picked up the pace down the home stretch for a great time! Runners picked up the pace enough to be able to break 20 minutes, 22 and 25 minutes! We even had a canine/human team sprinting across the finish line!

Congratulations to all of the runners!

The 5K racers are off and running!

The runners take off and Dave leads the way on his mountain bike! Everyone keeps an eye on his yellow jersey.

There is a reason Amy was our first female finisher and second finisher OVERALL...she can fly! Look...her feet are not even on the ground! Amy crossed the finish line less than one minute behind her betrothed and beautiful babes.

Greg was our first finisher overall, although technically Zoellie and Bela crossed the finish line first, Greg accepted the 1st place prize on their behalf.

Thanks to re-Fit for sponsoring the prizes---a free one hour sports body massage to both Amy and Greg! What a GREAT gift!

DTC Halloween 5K pre-race activities

The Dhaka Triathlon Club hosted a first annual Halloween 5K. Dhaka runners were encouraged to come and run 3.1 on the 31st! We had a nice size group of runners and even a few walkers (canine and human!). The race was hosted by Re-Fit gym and owner Gary located in Gulshan-2. Pre-registration was done via email and race registration was done beginnning at 4PM. Not too many cars at this race, so it was evident the race location was a convienent one as many participants decided to either run or walk to the start from home.

Because this was a Halloween race, runners were encouraged to wear costumes and a prize was awarded to the best costume! DTC founders and race organizers, Robin and Dave dressed up as King Tut and Cleopatra for the festivities. Dave made a quick wardrobe change as he was also the course marshal and led the lead pack out on his bike. Dave explained the 3.1 mile loop course contained entirely in Gulshan-2. His bright yellow Tour jersey was a welcome sight for runners as they wound their way through the streets of Dhaka.

Cleopatra (aka Robin) was the official timer and started the runners with a 3-2-1-GO!

Halloween 5K THIS Friday!

The Dhaka Triathlon Club invites you to run 3.1 miles on the 31st!

5K road race Friday, October 31st at 4:30PM

Start and finish are at Re-Fit Gym, Road 63, House 34, Gulshan-2

100 taka entry, prizes for first male and female finishers and best costume!

Kindly email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu to secure your spot and pre-register for this race.

SLR October 25

A small crowd, but a great run. The rain held off and the morning was nice and cool. Robin and JR ran past the mosque and out of town for a total of 10 miles. They picked up the pace past the US Embassy (the last 1.5 miles) and then really kicked it into high gear the last half mile. As always the runners felt fabulous, especially when they were done!

SLR report Oct. 18

The group ran to the airport and back for a scheduled 9 miler. This was a new road as the group could not locate the one that we ran on last Spring. The 'new' airport road was long and shady and quiet and a wonderful find! We will definitely return.

As usual, discussion focused on upcoming races, training schedules, nutrition and other running/triathlon related topics.

Memorable moments include: Robin (and Will!) nearly tripping over tied up goats in the road and a retired Army fellow runner that joined us for a short bit and was curious enough about us to strike up a conversation with Robin as she squatted in the bushes for a bathroom pit stop. Ah, the Bangladeshis are friendly, aren't they?!?!?!?

Join us at 6:30AM next Saturday in front of the ARA for a 10 miler!

WE ARE BACK!

After a long hiatus away from Dhaka, the Martz family has returned and is ready to train!!!

But first, let us introduce baby Caroline born September 1st and pictured here.

Dave and Robin are gearing up for the Phuket Triathlon on December 7th and welcome anyone to join them in their training!

Thanks to some die hard runners (JR, Bob, Will and Irina!) SLR has continued through the summer and still is running strong (no pun intented!) This past Saturday the largest group ever showed up and ran a respectable 8 miles. Most were pleased to complete the run with a strong surge at the end.

Upcoming events of the DTC include:

*HALLOWEEN 5K (more details coming SOON)

*Fall mini training triathlon

*Turkey Trot race (distance TBD)

Please join us soon for Saturday Long Run (SLR), morning swims at the American School, evening spin classes at Re-fit and DTC hosted races!

We are currently looking for some assistance in getting access to the Army track and pool on Airport Road. If you know of anyone that could help the DTC get access to these great, local resources, please email Robin at rmartz@umich.edu

Thanks and happy training!

SLR report: June 28

It was a small group heading out from the ARA, but that was okay for a short post-race run. The group ran to the airport and back and logged 5 miles. One of our runners is playing/practicing with the Bangladesh national baseball team! Way to go athletes!

Join us this Saturday, comme toujours, for another short-ish long run (6-8 miles) depending on how far the group would like to go. 6:30AM in front of the ARA.

SEE YOU THERE!

The DTC is in Asia Runner magazine!

In the current issue of Asia Runner magazine is this article! (You can click on it to read it) Check out their website and get your subscription today!

www.asiarunner.com

Phuket Half marathon race report June 15, 2008

The half marathon started at the reasonable hour of 6:00AM. Dave and I had planned to walk the half mile or so to the start but as soon as we exited our hotel there was a hotel shuttle ready to take us to the staging area. We were the only ones on the shuttle bus and traffic was light on the darkened streets of the Laguna Phuket resort complex. We arrived to a buzzing but not over crowded start area. There were a few hundred runners milling about the various stalls which included a massage tent, gear check area, coffee and croissants stand and more than a dozen port-o-potties. The finish chute was carpeted and marked off with banners of sponsors lining both sides. English, Thai and Japanese could be heard alternating over the microphone and the announcer clearly had had his cup of coffee, because the guy was energized! For the lack of anything better to do in the 10 minutes until the race began, we opted to stand in line for the port-a-potties.

We decided to use our Kuala Lumpur (KL) race strategy and start LAST. This race was also using chip timing and so we would be able to see how many people we could pass during the race. Irina was up ahead as we started at the back of the pack.

When the gun went off and we hung back and although Dave has Yankztees shoelaces (they never need to be tied) he leaned over like he was tying his shoes, so we could use up a little more time before crossing the starting mats. At 28 weeks pregnant, I was unable to bend over to do this as I had done in KL! We started a mere 55 seconds behind the gun!

We began the race running in a fairly large crowd. We traveled the flat road out of the Laguna Phuket resort area and into the surrounding village. Dawn was breaking and allowing us to see easier as we both wore sunglasses even in the dark, as they are prescription.

Water and Gatorade started showing up on the course a few km into the race. I had not had one SIP of anything to drink since last night at dinner in efforts to curb the frequent pit stops required by the pregnancy. I opted to take some Gatorade at that first water station and poured water onto my head. No sooner had I swallowed the last drops of Gatorade did I feel an overwhelming urge to pee! Rats! Luckily (for everyone but me) there were frequent water and Gatorade stops on the course. My first bathroom break was at about the 5km mark and the second at about 10km. Though I had to go later in the race, I opted to just get to the finish line!

At about the 9km mark we crossed the mats to turn around and head back. Right before the turn around, we ran down a hill (the hill went completely unnoticed until we had to run UP the hill!). We wound through some country roads with next to no traffic and/or people. It was quiet and the views of the mountains and rising sun were peaceful and serene. All we could hear was our breath and the sloshing of our running shoes, which at this point were completely water logged from all of the water poured over our heads.

There were bananas and watermelon on the course but best of all, was the ice-water logged sponges that were handed out. Boy, did those feel good!

We had a few runners that seem to be leap frogging us (they would pass us and then either slow down or stop and walk and then we would pass them, only to have them pass us again soon after that). We *enjoyed* some rolling hills around km 12-16. Dave surged ahead and I wondered if I would have to wait and see him at the finish.

At the 16km mark or so (yes only a little more than 3 miles to go!) we started into the Laguna resort from the opposite end where we had begun nearly two hours ago. Looking off to the right side of the road, we could see woods, the beach and then the Andaman Sea. I kept spotting Tsunami warning/evacuation signs and kept thinking about the Tsunami that hit here on December 26, 2004 killing thousands. The resorts and town have done an amazing job as you would never believe that a tsunami ever hit the place, as it couldn’t be more gorgeous.

We ran right past our hotel and wondered if Catherine was awake and hoped she was still asleep, given that we told the babysitter she might sleep until nearly 8AM. We knew we were close, but the race course veered off the road and onto a path through the woods. We ran past the wedding chapel that sits on the lagoon, through the woods past where you catch elephant rides and along a dirt/sand path towards the finish. A marathoner passed us at this point moving a good pace and I decided to try and stick with him so I could get to the finish line even quicker! Our goal of 10 minute miles (or a 2:10 finish) was a success as Dave and I finished in just over 2:09!

RACE RESULTS:
Irina 1:53
Robin & Dave 2:09

Irina’s 1:53 was good for 2nd place in her age group out of 17 ladies! She was honored up on stage after the race and presented with a trophy! Way to go Irina! Out of 430 half marathon runners, Irina was 107th…what a great job!

Dave and Robin were 200th and 201st out of the 430 competitors, and because they started last means they passed over half of the runners during the race!

There were 36 Americans that ran the Phuket half marathon. Irina was 8th American, Robin and Dave 15th and 16th respectively!

Here are some photos from the post race party. It was held in a huge air conditioned tent right on the beach! The photo on the left is one that was taken of me (Robin) right after the race. It was submitted to the marathon photo contest and won 3rd place! The race director presented the photographer with an award on stage and explained the photo like this: Here is a photo taken of one of the runners this morning who ran the half marathon 28 weeks pregnant! She ended up finishing the race and not with a bad time either! This is not her first half marathon pregnant, but this was her fastest. Congratulations!

This photo is of Catherine and I with the Editor of Asia Runner magazine, a great new running and multi-sport magazine for the region. She is doing great things promoting running and triathlon all over Asia. Check out their website and get a subscription...even if you don't live in Asia, its a great magazine!

www.asiarunner.com

SLR report: June 14

Last week's Saturday long run or SLR was led by local running favorite, Syed LBH. He enjoyed a VERY quiet 5-mile run...must be that everyone has gone on holiday! Thanks SO much Syed for hosting SLR while Robin and Dave were in Phuket running the half marathon. (race report to be posted SOON).

Please join us this Saturday June 21st at 6:30AM for a slow and easy 6-8 miler. For those having trouble getting motivated to get out of bed that early on a Saturday morning....remember that if the pregnant lady (28+ weeks and counting) is getting up to run, then LET'S GO! :)

MINI-TRIATHLON POSTPONED

The mini-triathlon scheduled for Friday, June 20th at the International School has been postponed due to low registration. For those that did register, thanks and keep training as the DTC will very likely host a triathlon in the early fall when a better turnout is expected.

The DTC still hosts its weekly saturday long run (SLR) starting from the American Club at 6:30AM. Please join us!

Mini-Triathlon coming up on June 20th!

SPOTS ARE LIMITED, SO SIGN UP NOW!!! DETAILS ON SIGNING UP ARE BELOW.

The Dhaka Triathlon Club (DTC) is hosting a mini-triathlon Friday June 20th 10:00AM at the International School of Dhaka (ISD)

Distances (in swim/bike/run order) are:
SWIM: 300m
BIKE: 15K
RUN: 5K

A little about the race:
The race will begin with a pool swim in the ISD 25m pool. The transition area will be directly outside of the pool and near the back gate to the ISD. Athletes will exit the ISD grounds for the 15K bike around Basundhara, return to the ISD, rack their bike and leave through the same gate for the 5k run. Water and snacks will be provided as well as prizes for top finishers. Athletes should bring their own electrolyte drink and necessary items for each event.

Pre-registration is required! NO EXCEPTIONS!!! The field is limited to the 1st TWELVE slots (a slot can be one person or a 3-person relay team). DTC members including anyone that has participated in a DTC training event or race will be given priority.

To pre-register email Robin Martz at rmartz@umich.edu with the following information:
Full name and mobile phone #
Individual or relay team entry?
*If relay: names of all relay team members with leg they are completing and team name.

Sign-in, payment, body marking, bike and helmet check begin at 9AM. Race begins at 10AM sharp! Race fees are 200 Taka per person.

Sorry, but due to safety concerns, NO headphones will be allowed on the bike or run.

SLR reports for May 24th and May 31st

May 24- A small group of runners left the ARA at 6:30AM sharp to run an 8-miler out and back course. This was a step back week for the folks training for the upcoming Phuket International marathon and half marathon on June 15th. Check out the details at: http://www.phuketmarathon.com

The bamboo bridge is still not under water, so the group decided to head out of town via Basundhara. Bob, an avid distance runner and a recent welcome addition to the DTC, brought along his camera so we could capture the famous “Bamboo Bridge” that we are constantly using to get to quieter, less traveled roads outside of Dhaka! Thanks Bob for thinking to bring your camera and taking these candid shots of the runners!
May 31- It was time to step the mileage back up this week and though the turnaround was at the 5 mile mark. Half the runners opted for an ‘add-on’ around United Hospital, along the lake on the brick path, through the ladies park, past the Australian Club and back to the ARA. The other half opted for 10 miles only, but with a couple of wrong turns, Melinda ended up running nearly 11 miles as well! With a 4-mile Hash run later that evening, Melinda and her nearly 15 miles of running in one day in Dhaka wins her the RUNNER OF THE WEEK AWARD! Great job, Melinda! We will miss you when you leave, but way to leave Dhaka in style…running!


Join us on this Saturday, June 7th at 6:30AM for a nice slow run!

Distance will be between 8-10 miles and even those going shorter distances are encouraged to come and run a few miles with the group!

Top men at DTC's first duathlon

Peter accepts the award for fastest men's relay-he had the fastest bike split on the day and his partner, Ken, had the fastest run split of the day! They were unbeatable with that combination!














Here are Ken and Peter enoying some down time after they completed the DTC's first annual duathlon. Ken was the top runner and Peter was the top biker. Great job guys! They MUST have been kidding with that relay name- "the out of shapers"!!!


Dave (not pictured here) was the overall men's winner. As co-founder of the DTC, friendly hecklers could be overheard yelling "fixed!" when he accepted his award! Dave had the 2nd fastest bike split of the day and ran a solid 3rd place in the 5K run to come out as top individual competitor. With bib # 1, how could he NOT win?!

Strong Women show up for the DTC Du!

Shown in the pink shirt and black pants turning to complete her second lap of her 10K bike course is Adriana, our fastest female bike split of the day and 3rd fastest bike time overall! Great job, Adriana!





Here is Lori completing in her first multi-sport event! Despite the high temperature and humidity, she finished a 5K run followed by a 10K run with a smile on her face! Great job, Lori!


Zandra, another first time multi-sport athlete, enjoys a strong finish to cheering fans! Great job, Zandra!










Annette, a local biker and marathon runner, accepts her award for the overall femal winner for the duathlon. Annette displayed her quick thinking skills (no wonder she's a teacher!) by managing to borrow a bike from a local Bangladeshi and still complete the race, despite getting a flat tire during the run to bike transition. Her photo finish was accentuated by her screeching brake pads, to the delight of many spectators! Annette also had the fastest run split of any of the women. Great job, Annette!