S.W.F.T.R.,
a.k.a. South West Fun Time Runners, is
an area-wide running club encompassing (at
least) Southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle,
and southeast Colorado. The club known
as SWFTR (pronounced "swifter") was
chartered in 1990. SWFTR also has
a sister club based in Derby, KS,
and known as T.R.R.A.C.Ks
, a.k.a. The Road Racing
Association of Central Kansas.
SWFTR
members are eligible for discounted entry
fees at area running events, and SWFTR
leadership aids race directors
with publicizing their races and lends
assistance in other ways as well. Among
SWFTR's goals are to promote the physical,
mental, spiritual, and social aspects of
running, and also to assist in the
overall improvement in the quality and
quantity of area races. Several area races
have been certified since SWFTR's involvement,
with the aim of providing accurate courses,
recognition for quality performances, and to
draw more runners to events.
SWFTR
has also begun an annual
Grand Prix series to recognize those
dedicated runners who faithfully support area
races and encourage their training for
improvement. A big thanks goes to
Walter Birney for compiling the Grand
Prix results and to those race directors
and volunteers who steadfastly work behind
the scenes to hold the running events
that bring us all together.