MARCH 19, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

SPORTS

Cleveland Frontrunners sprint into spring

by Bill Podojil

The Cleveland Frontrunners Club was founded last spring as a social club for lesbians and gay men who are interested in running and walking, for pleasure or competition. There are currently between 15 and 20 active members who attend one, two or all of the three weekly "fun runs.'

As Tom Connors, one of the group's founding members, emphasizes, "This club attracts runners from all different skill levels

from marathoners to walkers. The main purpose of Frontrunners is more social than competitive." The group meets Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings all year, rain, snow or shine. After each running session, the group heads out to a local restaurant for a relaxing meal. Many of the members enter local road races, sporting the eye-catching white and pink Frontrunner T-shirts. "Last year we coordinated a fun run in conjunction with the Step in the Right Direction AIDS benefit walk. This year we are planning a Pride Run to be held during Pride '93," Connors adds.

Calling all athletic and recreational groups

Because of the large number of lesbians and gay men interested in recreation groups, a new Sports column has been created to keep everyone up to date on what is going on in the gay sports world. Each month, one of the gay athleticrecreational clubs in the North Coast

The origin of the Cleveland Frontrunners is, in itself, an interesting story. The three founding members, Tom, Dave and Brian, are originally from Boston and were all avid members of the Boston Frontrunners Club. Through a series of events, the three found themselves transplanted in Cleveland with no organized social outlet for their running. Hence, Cleveland

New bicycling club forms

by Bill Podojil

The first meeting of the Cyclones of Cleveland, a new gay bicycling club, is scheduled for Monday, March 29 at 7:30 pm. Topics on the table for discussion include the spring riding schedule, the Boston to Provincetown Race, cycle tours being offered this year and the possibility

of organizing a philanthropic benefit race sometime during 1993. Most importantly, the group has to choose its team colors and logo. Don't miss being part of this historical event! Over 20 interested cyclists from all skill levels have already signed up. For information about the meeting and directions on how to get there, call Bill at 6511621.

area will be spotlighted. In addition, personal interest stories, team scores, inspirational stories and other recreational information will be highlighted. To submit information for the next issue, please contact Bill Podojil at the Chronicle.

Frontrunners was born, and has enjoyed a growing and loyal following.

According to Connors, "Some of the runners are real die-hards . . . running throughout the winter in some pretty nasty weather. The social contact between the runners is what keeps them going; some very close friendships have been formed." The group tries to hold a special social event every month, from trips to Cedar Point, parties, to movie nights and bowling. During the holidays, à special party and awards ceremony was held at Tom and Dave's house to recognize runners who were "Most Improved" and "Best Overall Runner" to more tongue-in-cheek awards such as "Best Running Ensemble" and "Most Boyfriends During the Year." Additionally, members of the group have traveled to Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago to participate in Frontrunner events in those cities.

The first Frontrunners club started in San Francisco during the early 1970s as a way to promote running and fitness walk-

ing within the lesbian and gay community. The group was named after Patricia Nell Warren's novel about a gay Olympic runner. There are over 60 clubs throughout the world, from Tel Aviv to Buffalo, each connected in name, purpose and spirit. Some of these cities, most notably New York, Boston, Chicago and Minneapolis, host large Frontrunner events that attract thousands of runners from around the country. These occasions center around scheduled races, social events and a lot of good food. There appears to be a lot of camaraderie among the running set. As Tom also pointed out, "Frontrunners gives people in the gay community an opportunity to meet each other in a fun, healthy, smoke-free way."

The Cleveland Frontrunners meets three times a week. On Tuesday nights, they meet in the parking lot behind the Cleveland Heights Recreation Center at 6:30 pm. Thursday nights, the group meets at the Wagner statue at the west end of Edgewater Park at 7:00 pm, and on Saturday mornings, Edgewater Park at 9:30 am. All levels of runners and walkers are welcome and encouraged to join. Some people like to walk at a leisurely pace, while some members like to race competitively with each other. Besides the Pride Run, other races Frontrunner members plan on entering include the Revco Marathon and 10K. "We are expecting quite a few out-of-town Frontrunners to enter the Revco in May, added Connors. "We are currently planning to hold special long-distance runs for people interested in doing the Marathon." The club is actively seeking both women and men to join its roster.

For more information call Tom or Dave at 397-9346, or Brian at 721-6419.

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