Scheckel natural fit for Fifth Season post

CEDAR RAPIDS - The role seemed natural to Ryan Scheckel.

The Mount Mercy University cross country and track coach identified the likeness of attracting top runners to an annual race to his personal career.

"To me it's real similar," Scheckel said. "It's been a little more work than I thought in the fact that there's a lot of emails and phone calls, but for me it's just like recruiting I do for my everyday job."

Scheckel took over as Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Fifth Season 8K Race that is set for Monday near Czech Village in SE Cedar Rapids. According to race officials, the 26th annual Fourth of July road race is the longest running 8k event in the country, paying more prize money that any other contest of its kind in the nation.

The 32-year-old native of DeWitt has been an at-large board member for the Cedar Valley Running Association, which puts on the Fifth Season races. A year ago, Scheckel's coaching responsibilities changed from being the head coach for men's and women's cross country and track to being an assistant for track along with leading the cross country program's. It freed some time and he agreed when asked to take over for Bill Bails, who resigned from the position after the 2010 race.

"I told them I would be able to take a little more active role, and help out where needed," said Scheckel, who has coached the Mustangs for more than 10 years, winning regional and Midwest Classic Conference awards after a cross country and track career at Mount Mercy, where he set six school records and was Most Valuable Performer of the 2001 MCC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

He had the benefit of contacting runners after a major change in payouts. Organizers decided to return to the policy of offering payouts for international runners after a year of restricting it to U.S. runners, following a national trend for road races. It has helped attract strong runners, including 46 elite female and male runners according to Scheckel. He also said the field will include runners from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.

"I think the reputation of the race, this is the 26th year doing it, also helps," Scheckel said. "It at least opened the eyes to a couple others that maybe didn't come in the past. it kind of re-establishes ot as an international event.

"We have quite a few different nationalities that will be represented."

He was challenged to reassemble a solid field of elite runners. Race organizers determine an A and B standard for elite athletes. The A level were for males with verified 8K times quicker than 23 minutes and females with times better than 26:30. B level is slightly behind those times. Equivalent times for runners in 10K, half-marathons and marathons.

First-year race director Collin Flynn, who took over for Mike Regan who also resigned last year, provided him with some guidelines.

"He gave me some time goals, labelling the runners," said Scheckel. "We had it at three of three of the A standards and four B's and I think we have five A standards and several B's."

Scheckel said he has had assistance in his first year. He credited Flynn, CVRA President Candy Mullen, Regan and Bails for help. Last summer, Bails did say he was happy to turn it over to someone else, but would help in the transition to a new coordinator.

Scheckel said some runners have opted to compete at the AJC Peachtree Road Race hosted by the Atlanta Track Club on the same day. The event serves as the 10th race in the USA Track and Field 10K national championships, but it hasn't made a large impact on entrants.

"With the course layout being flat, it's going to be fast," Scheckel said. "I'm very confident we'll have some real fast times."

It has been a learning experience, but Scheckel said he is interested in this being more than a one-and-done job. If he received the call to resume his role he would.

"I definitely want to do it again," Scheckel said. "With the contacts and the databases I have to start with, it will be that much easier."