USA Track & Field Team Circuit!

Some of you are very interested in the Team Circuit and others not so much.  This entire post is dedicated to that... so if you are simply not interested, you may want to scroll to the previous post to see what's coming up this week!

If you're interested, or wonder what I'm talking about.. read on!

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With a lot of recent discussion regarding the USA Track & Field Team Circuit I thought I’d provide answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions

• Why would I do this? – Some of the key items include, but not limited to
• Guaranteed entry to some hard to get into events such as the Twin Cities 10 Mile and the TC 1 Mile.
• Discounts at many of the USATF races, including a $20 discount at the Torchlight 5K – this is one of Team R.E.D.s  favorite annual road trips! 
• Preferred start at many races. 
•  You get to compete not only as an individual, but also compete as part of a team and that’s fun!
• USATF has other perks you can find on their website at http://www.usatf.org/Products---Services/Individual-Memberships/Membership-Benefits.aspx
• As a member of Team R.E.D. am I automatically included on the race team during the USATF races? – No.  Team R.E.D. pays annually to maintain status as an official USATF Club. Any member who wishes to compete for Team R.E.D. in the Team Circuit would need to register as an individual and associate themselves with Team R.E.D.
• What does it cost to join USATF?  - An individual membership is $30 for one year - with discounts if your register for multiple years.  
• Are you telling me I need to join USATF to be a member of Team R.E.D.? – No – you can be a Team R.E.D. member and choose not to compete in the Team Circuit. In fact, all the team circuit races are open to the public.
• Do I have to be a member of Team R.E.D. to be associated with Team R.E.D. USATF?  - Yes, the Team R.E.D. USATF is comprised of Team R.E.D. Members Only.  
• Which races make up the Team Circuit? 
• Sunday March 22nd Irish Run St. Paul 8k – St. Paul
• USATF Minnesota 8km Championship
• Saturday April 25th Get in Gear 10k - Minneapolis
• USATF Minnesota 10km Championship
• Thursday May 14th Medtronic TC 1 Mile - Minneapolis
• USATF Minnesota 1 Mile Championship (Spring)
• Monday May 25th Brian Kraft Memorial 5k - Minneapolis
• Saturday June 20th Grandma’s Marathon - Duluth
• USATF Minnesota Marathon Championship
• Wednesday July 8th Richard A Hoska Midsummer Mile – St. Paul
• USATF Minnesota 1 Mile Championship (Summer)
• Wednesday July 22rd Life Time Torchlight 5k - Minneapolis
• USATF Minnesota 5km Championship
• Sunday August 16th MDRA 15k – St. Paul
• USATF Minnesota 15km Championship
• Sunday September 13th Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half-Marathon – Minneapolis
• USATF Minnesota Half-Marathon Championship
• Sunday October 4th Medtronic TC 10 Mile – Minneapolis
• USATF Minnesota 10 Mile Championship
• What if I already registered for one of the races? Will I still be able to compete as Team R.E.D.?  - Yes, just email me your name and USATF membership number, and I will follow-up to make sure you are officially racing for Team R.E.D. 
• Do I have to be at all the Team Circuit races?  - No, come to as many as you can.  Yet we’d love to field a complete team at as many races as possible.  Dan Mesenburg will be helping to keep us aware of when the races are approaching.  
• If I want to compete for Team R.E.D. do I just register for each of the races on my own, and someone will know I’m a member of Team R.E.D.?  - No.  Each race has special registration instructions (and they all vary).  The instructions are sometimes not available until the race is nearing. The instructions will be shared on this blog and via our Facebook page.
• What does it take to have a complete team?   Team R.E.D. has two teams... The bullets below are applicable for both our Male team & Female team.  
• The Open Division is scored using the times of the top five finishers from our team (regardless of age).  We can race unlimited numbers, but our top five score.  - If we have less than five, we are incomplete and will not be factored in the scoring. 
• Over 40 years old - Top three score (less than three - incomplete)
• Over 50 years old - Top three score (less than three - incomplete)
• Over 60 years old - Top three score (less than three - incomplete)
• How do I register for USATF and associate with Team R.E.D.?  Visit  http://usatfmn.org/membership and during the process select club #0435 Team R.E.D.  Note: There is also a Minnesota RED and that is a different club.

Any other questions can be emailed to Tom O'Leary at byron.teamred@gmail.com