In the wake of last year's events with the University of Richmond track team, Steve Taylor, men's cross country coach, and Jon Molz, assistant women's track and field coach, founded the Collegiate Running Association.
The Collegiate Running Association (CRA) gives students the opportunity to compete and earn prize money in national championships. "To create something that gives college students the ability to win prize money to help with their college educational costs is a huge bonus," Taylor said.
Taylor said the idea came to him about five years ago when he saw the need to create more social and competitive events for college students who enjoy running. "Given limitations placed on college coaches with roster limits and the elimination of track and field programs at the college level, there was a need for action to increase opportunity," he said.
"[The CRA] allows us to help introduce road racing, mountain running and trail running to a broad base of college runners," Taylor said, adding that the mountain and trail races have become more popular in recent years. "They are one of the fastest growing segments within running and yet there have been no championships specifically for college students."
Senior Patrick Love, a member of the track and field and cross country teams, said he hoped the CRA would attract additional talent to Richmond.
"It is a new and innovative type of running program, which will continuously keep us a competitive running program with all different types of events," Love said. "Steve Taylor is an absolute legend, so there is no doubt in my mind that this organization will become very successful."
Taylor said his hope was to see social and competitive runners from all colleges across the U.S. come together in one place and race for a national championship that has never before been offered.
March 29, 2014, the first ever CRA 10k Road Race National Championship will be held at the annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k. All college students who run are eligible for prize money based on their performance.
More information about the CRA can be found here: http://www.collegiaterunning.org/
Contact reporter Mary Rossiter at mary.rossiter@richmond.edu
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