Ed Parker
Ekiden XC Relay
Saturday, October 21, 2006

Ed Parker
Ekiden XC Relay
Saturday, October 21, 2006

“ED PARKER” EKIDEN XC RELAY
(5-Person Cross Country Teams)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2006
WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY
New WJU XC Athletic Facility, Rocklin, CA
Co-directed by WJU & Whitney High School

Coaches,
Please accept our invitation to the “Ed Parker” Ekiden Relay scheduled for Saturday, October 21 at William Jessup University’s new Cross Country Athletic Facility, located in Rocklin, CA. Please also pass the word and notify your fellow coaches from the community college, University, and High School programs about this unique event to give teams a break from the same old weekly pounding out of 5k, 4-mile, and 8K races.

"EKIDEN RELAY" FORMAT (5-person teams):
Each relay person runs a different distance in the following order: (1) 2000m, (2) 1500m, (3) 1500m, (4) 2000m, and (5) 3000m.
Each school may enter as many teams as desired, plus we will host one 2-mile open race at the conclusion of the relays for any runner not competing on a relay team. Here is the time schedule:
9:00 am - High School Girls’ Relay & Co-ed Relay (scored separately)
9:50 am - High School Boys’ Relay
10:40 am - College/Open Women’s Relay& Co-ed Relay (scored separately)
11:30 am - College/Open Men’s Relay
12:20 pm - Open 2-mile Fun-Run for Non-relay runners, Coaches, and general public.
12:45 –2:00 pm – Surprise Recognition & Lunch for Coach Ed Parker (See next page).

LUNCH COST: $6 / Person – Please RSVP your team’s number count for our advance preparation.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 16:
E-Mail Entries to [email protected]
… And Use this Format for EACH Athlete in the body of your message:
First Name, Last Name, School, M/F, Graduation Year, and Team Designation (i.e. A, B, or C, etc..)
Race tags will be made up for all entered athletes.

ENTRY FEE:
$6.00 / Runner (or $75.00 Maximum / School) Send Checks (payable to William Jessup University) to:
Nick Vogt. Cross Country Coach
William Jessup University
333 Sunset Boulevard
Rocklin, CA 95765

HISTORICAL INFORMATION – EKIDEN RELAY:
An Ekiden is a long-distance relay race, where a single runner from each team wears a cloth sash (tasuki) suspended from the shoulder across the chest. The sash is passed from one teammate to the next, like the baton in a regular relay. Eki means "station," while den means "transmit." The Ekiden relay, and the name itself, has spread from Japan to different parts of the world, including China, Kenya and Tanzania.
The first Ekiden relay was run in 1917, the 50th anniversary of the transfer of Japan's capital from the ancient city of Kyoto to Tokyo. This new type of relay race was named Ekiden by the poet Toki Zemmaro (1885-1980), who was head of the city's newspaper Social Affairs Department at the time.

DIRECTIONS TO WILLIAM JESSUP UNIVERSITY:
From Sacramento, go 11 miles on East I-80 (toward Reno); Take Ramp (RIGHT) onto SR-65 (towards Lincoln / Marysville), and go 5 miles; Turn RIGHT (East) onto Sunset Blvd; Travel 0.4 mile and Turn LEFT (North) onto Atherton Rd; Arrive at William Jessup University, 333 Sunset Blvd, Rocklin, CA.
We look forward to seeing you and your runners at the Ekiden Relay on Saturday, October 21.
Mark Snow, Cross Country Coach And…Nick Vogt, Cross Country Coach
Whitney High SchoolWilliam Jessup University
Questions: Phone (530) 878-0697 (day or night) Or… (916) 577-2368 Or… E-mail: [email protected]
(Leave Voice Message if we are not in)

“SURPRISE” APPRECIATION LUNCH FOR COACH ED PARKER
12:45 p.m.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
William Jessup University Dining Hall

This year we would like to acknowledge the contribution that Coach Ed Parker has invested in our nation's youth, college, and Olympic running and track programs for over 45 continuous years. (NOTE: If you see Ed, please don’t mention the dinner, because we are attempting to surprise him with this special time to recognize him for his contribution to our great sport).

Coach Ed Parker is an international figure in the world of track and field. An alumnus of San Mateo High School and the College of San Mateo, he coached at Mills High School in Millbrae for 30 seasons, winning 59 league titles in all grade-level categories, for both boys and girls. With the Millbrae Lions Track Club, he helped to develop six Olympians. He coached in two Olympic Games. He also coached in a number of Goodwill Games, Pan Am Games and U.S. Soviet Union track and field meets. Coach Parker trained an Olympian on every team from 1960 to 1988. He is currently coaching youth and high school pole vaulters in the Sacramento area.

Coach Parker has always been more concerned with athlete’s performance as a person of excellent character vs. how he/she performs on the track. He once said to Olympic athlete Leslie Maxie (currently news anchor of ESPN), "Excellence is not an accident. It didn't just happen. It's not going to fall out of a tree and hit you in the head.” He also told her, “I would rather coach those who work hard, because you can measure their greatness personally.” These statements permeate everything he does. Thank you Coach Parker.

“He's a man of tremendous integrity.” - Leslie Maxie (News Anchor of ESPN & former Olympic athlete)

“As an athlete, I should have stayed with my coach, Ed Parker.” –Pat Connolly (Former UCLA Coach / Former Olympic athlete)

LUNCH COST:
$6 / Person – Includes All-you-can-eat buffet, salad bar, and beverages. If you plan on joining in on the lunch, please RSVP your Team’s approximate number count for our advance preparation. Others in the community who are not taking part in the Ekiden Relay may also join in on the lunch.
NOTE: If your team chooses not to purchase lunches, please join in for the first 10 - 15 minutes to recognize Coach Parker’s contributions to our great sport.