Tell me about your favorite running spot
(contains info on Front Line Racing Team)
Excerpted from a column by Ron Marinucci
The Oakland Press
January 28, 2001

Fred Vanhala has a better idea. He has put together a unique running group, one that includes several Oakland runners. "The Front Line Racing Team is unlike other running organizations," he explained. "We exist strictly to compete and primarily to compete in team-type competitions.
That’s why we use "Racing Team" in our name instead of ‘running club.’"

Vanhala figured "about sixty runners" belong to the team, "50 men and 10 women." They come mostly from the Detroit Metro area, with a few from northern Ohio, and even Mount Pleasant and Traverse City. Runners’ abilities range from "college All-Americans" to "very casual summertime runners. At least a fourth of the runners on the team have competed at the collegiate level."
   Currently, Front Line includes Oakland runners, Eric Green (Auburn Hills), Jeff McNeil (assistant cross country coach at Oakland Community College), Mark Kwiatkowski (cross country and track coach at Walled Lake Central High School), Ron Buchanan (Royal Oak), Steve Shablin (Bloomfield Hills), Todd Kelly (Troy), Matthew Yacoub (Farmington Hills), Kevin Kroll (Waterford), and Jason Aspinall (Wixom).

   Vanhala said, "I work sort of like a broker-putting runners together for competitions. I’m trying to build a stable of runners so I can always put together the team to beat in team competitions. So far, it seems to be working well."
"Primarily we exist to compete in marathon relays. We will be competing in at least four marathon relays in 2001 and one ultramarathon relay," he explained. "However, we will be entering other team competitions as well."

   At the end of December, Front Line sent a three-man team down to the Huntington (Indiana) Ultra Frigid 50K.
"The temperature at race time was 10 degrees. The trail was covered by six to 18 inches of snow." The Front Line team (Aspinall, Ken Cook-formerly of Milford, and John Dorsch) finished third overall and second in its division. Vanhala noted that "several teams did not finish." And the winning time this year was about "three minutes per mile slower than in 1999."
   Vanhala wanted people to know that "I’m always looking for new runners!"

"I’m especially interested in developing a strong cross country team in 2001."
"This is a sport that most guys drop out of after high school or college because the team aspect is part of what makes it interesting and there just aren’t many ‘open’ teams out there."
   He said that the Front Line is planning to send teams to spring races in Ann Arbor, Toledo, and either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. Summer and fall relays in the works include the Crim and the Free Press Marathon, where Front Line took the runner-up spot last fall.
   If you are interested in the Front Line Racing Team-and remember, "we also have a group of very casual runners, just running and competing for fun and enjoying the team concept" – send an e-mail to relayfred@aol.com.