About Us.html

About the Guam Running Club...

This page is currently under construction. Pictures and more information will be available someday!

We Began...

The Guam Running Club (GRC) has been in existence for almost 30 years. Among
the charter members, most of whom are still living, are Marvin Villines, Bob Wade,
Mick Flynn, etc.

Mick Flynn at the Mudders Day 5K

Our Club Philosophy...

The GRC is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle through the sport of running. Given
the small size of our island and the fact that you don't have to travel very far to any of our races, Guam is a very hospitable running mecca. The GRC is a friendly club and hosts more races annually than most any other places in the world. And our races without doubt cost less than anywhere else. (See "How Do I Join" in the main menu on our Home Page.)

Runners of all ages and abilities meet in friendly competition with themselves or others. We
have fast and slow runners, heavy and thin runners. Everyone encourages each other at
whatever their level of ability.

A lot has changed over the years. More roads on Guam have made a variety of races possible.
Increased traffic in recent years has made caution and safety a greater concern. (This, in part,
explains why we do not allow walkmans to be used on the course).

Our Officers...

Our Board consists of a President, Vice-President,
Secretary, Treasurer and a Board Member-at-large.

Neil Culbertson is our current GRC President. Neil has resided on Guam with his family for the past 17 years and run with the GRC for approximately 15 of those. Neil is a fading mid-pack runner, who could be almost good if he trained more consistently. He was first introduced to the GRC and road racing by an Assemblies of God Pastor in Agat who trained him for the Cross-Island 10-mile run. The addiction began there and the Cross-Island has been Neil's favorite race ever since. Culbertson tends to be rather humourless and pretty black-and-white in his outlook. "Why have fun when you can be about your business?"

Joanne Bonine is our current GRC Vice President. Joanne, with her husband (Richard), are long-time residents of Guam. Joanne is a retired school teacher, an iron woman and ultra-distance runner and a tireless activist involved in the causes of littered highways, graffittied bus stops, injured or neglected dogs and cats, and many other worthy critters and causes.
Joanne has also proven to be a very effective solicitor for special sponsorships, goodies and grab-bags from the island business sector.

Josephine Pinto is our current GRC Secretary-for-life. Josephine is also our quality control manager and one of our hardest workers. Josephine labors by Gaynell's side, often helped by Gaynel's brother Norvel. Together they do the hard work of maintaining records of races dating back to Guam's pre-contact history (sometime prior to Magellan's landing!). They load & haul the GRC trailer and cones and paraphenalia to all the races in the wee hours of the morning, usually having been up to just before midnight getting ready. Sleep? who needs it!

Richard Taitague is our current GRC Treasurer. Richard is a very gentle and humble friend and servant of the running community. Along with Marsh, Josephine, Joanne, Norvel and others, Richard is up at the crack of dawn marking the course with cones, picking them up later and doing a host of necessary tasks in between. Sometimes he even gets to run...and he's pretty darn fast!
Truth be told, during his days in the military Richard held the European Cup in track two years in a row. He was among some of the fastest in his class. Though he almost never says anything about his accomplishments, I (the webmaster) will. Richard coaches and does much to help our youth in the sport.

Gaynell Marsh is our Sine qua Non, i.e., "that without which" there would be no running club. Gaynell, known affectionately or otherwise as "Marsh", is a veritable geyzer (geezer?) of ideas. Marsh is the driving force behind getting the GRC trailer set up; arranging for T-shirts, corralling volunteers, and all the many other things that it takes to keep up the busy race schedule of the GRC.
His duties require great dedication and intelligence to match, which (for humilities' sake) he masks very well. (Note the practiced look of low-key normality that he displays in this typical photo. Marsh achieves "the look" most effectively on three or less hours of sleep.)

James Alger is our Board Member-at-Large. James is not pictured here because I haven't been in the Mangilao Shirley's (Shirleys as in coffee shop for you non-locals) in ages, and besides he got married a while back and his wife resides in Hawaii...consequently, so does he!
James has been a great advocate of the sport, has served as the Guam Running Club President, with distinction. James can be counted on to do whatever he commits to do...his word is his bond. We wish he and his family were back here on island. But somebody has to live in Hawaii and that's why he's called a Board member-at-large.

Our Annual Members Meeting...

Is held following the last official GRC race of each calendar year--The Alley Oop 6.7 Mile run.
At this meeting we elect new officers. (Our officers are unpaid volunteers. If you want to send them money, you may!!!).
Our elections are based on a simple majority of the members present at this meeting.

At the annual Turkey Trot 3.5 Mile Run on Thanksgiving Day, we encourage members and new
comers to renew or sign up for membership for the next year. Membership dues are applied
toward the actual costs of running races.

	Neil Culbertson is our current GRC President. Neil has resided on Guam with his family for the past 17 years and run with the GRC for approximately 15 of those. Neil is a fading mid-pack runner, who could be almost good if he trained more consistently. He was first introduced to the GRC and road racing by an Assemblies of God Pastor in Agat who trained him for the Cross-Island 10-mile run. The addiction began there and the Cross-Island has been Neil's favorite race ever since. Culbertson tends to be rather humourless and pretty black-and-white in his outlook. "Why have fun when you can be about your business?"
	Joanne Bonine is our current GRC Vice President. Joanne, with her husband (Richard), are long-time residents of Guam. Joanne is a retired school teacher, an iron woman and ultra-distance runner and a tireless activist involved in the causes of littered highways, graffittied bus stops, injured or neglected dogs and cats, and many other worthy critters and causes. Joanne has also proven to be a very effective solicitor for special sponsorships, goodies and grab-bags from the island business sector.
	Josephine Pinto is our current GRC Secretary-for-life. Josephine is also our quality control manager and one of our hardest workers. Josephine labors by Gaynell's side, often helped by Gaynel's brother Norvel. Together they do the hard work of maintaining records of races dating back to Guam's pre-contact history (sometime prior to Magellan's landing!). They load & haul the GRC trailer and cones and paraphenalia to all the races in the wee hours of the morning, usually having been up to just before midnight getting ready. Sleep? who needs it!
	Richard Taitague is our current GRC Treasurer. Richard is a very gentle and humble friend and servant of the running community. Along with Marsh, Josephine, Joanne, Norvel and others, Richard is up at the crack of dawn marking the course with cones, picking them up later and doing a host of necessary tasks in between. Sometimes he even gets to run...and he's pretty darn fast! Truth be told, during his days in the military Richard held the European Cup in track two years in a row. He was among some of the fastest in his class. Though he almost never says anything about his accomplishments, I (the webmaster) will. Richard coaches and does much to help our youth in the sport.

	Gaynell Marsh is our Sine qua Non, i.e., "that without which" there would be no running club. Gaynell, known affectionately or otherwise as "Marsh", is a veritable geyzer (geezer?) of ideas. Marsh is the driving force behind getting the GRC trailer set up; arranging for T-shirts, corralling volunteers, and all the many other things that it takes to keep up the busy race schedule of the GRC. His duties require great dedication and intelligence to match, which (for humilities' sake) he masks very well. (Note the practiced look of low-key normality that he displays in this typical photo. Marsh achieves "the look" most effectively on three or less hours of sleep.)
	James Alger is our Board Member-at-Large. James is not pictured here because I haven't been in the Mangilao Shirley's (Shirleys as in coffee shop for you non-locals) in ages, and besides he got married a while back and his wife resides in Hawaii...consequently, so does he! James has been a great advocate of the sport, has served as the Guam Running Club President, with distinction. James can be counted on to do whatever he commits to do...his word is his bond. We wish he and his family were back here on island. But somebody has to live in Hawaii and that's why he's called a Board member-at-large.