 USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta. Photo: Kevin Morris Noah Fisher joined Greenville Track Club-ELITE in June of 2025 and has shown steady improvement since arriving. Recently he ran 1:03:41 to place 13th in the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, GA. Congratulations on your recent personal best and 13th place finish at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta. Was that what you were expecting? Noah: Thank you! I didn’t exactly know what to expect coming into the race. The half marathon is still a relatively new event for me, and I know I have a lot more experience to gain moving forward. Workouts had been going really well recently, so I was confident I could run a PR even on a course that was much more challenging than Hardeeville in November. At a U.S. Championship event, you never quite know how things will play out, but I felt confident I could finish in the top 20 and was aiming for the top 15. Ultimately, you can only control your own race, and I would have been happy walking away with a PR.  That was just your second half marathon. That seems like a big step after graduating from college where the 10,000 was probably the longest distance you raced. How do you feel about running over twice as far? Noah: I’ve always enjoyed running longer distances, so I looked forward to moving up in distance throughout college. I feel like it plays more to my strengths as a runner. I’m excited to make my marathon debut in a few months. Most memorable race in college? Noah: My most memorable race was probably the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in Joplin, Missouri. I finished 12th, and I believe it was the best race I put together during my college career. I also had several conference championship races where my teammate and I both finished on the podium, which was a lot of fun.  Jason Weitzel, Noah Fisher, Jack Mastandrea and Eduardo Garcia When did you decide to pursue post-collegiate running and also to join Greenville Track Club-ELITE? Noah: I’m very much a planner, so I reached out to Coach Mike heading into my final year of college to open the door to post-collegiate running even though I still had a full year of eligibility left. I took a visit in the fall of 2024 and knew that if I decided to pursue running after college, Greenville Track Club–ELITE was where I wanted to be. I didn’t have the best fall season during my grad year at Findlay and was still on the fence about whether I wanted to run professionally or start my teaching career. After going home for Christmas break, I realized this was an opportunity I would only have once. I knew I might regret it later if I didn’t give it a shot. I’m extremely thankful I made the decision to come down here and have enjoyed every second since. What has been your biggest learning since joining GTC-ELITE? Noah: One of the most common misconceptions in distance running is that you need to run more mileage. Mileage definitely helps, but it isn’t everything. Many professional and even college programs push 100+ miles per week, with some getting close to 120. Our group typically averages around 80 miles per week, with most of those miles coming from four days of the week. On the other days, we prioritize recovery, which allows us to stay more consistent (both mentally and physically) throughout long training blocks. Looking back, I think I sometimes forced extra miles in college just to hit a certain number. Not only did that fatigue me physically at times, but it also took a mental toll over the course of a training cycle. Coach Mike puts a big emphasis on getting on the timing of our HGH (Human Growth Hormone) spikes without doing more that does not get the same benefit. I've learned a great deal of the physiology that goes into the timing of runs, lifts, and workouts since getting down here, and how it all comes together with our lower-mileage, higher-intensity group I've learned how to balance all aspects of training and have taken a step forward in my maturity as an athlete since arriving to Greenville.  Eduardo Garcia, Ryan Drew, Jason Weitzel, Patrick Lyell, Noah Fisher and Jack Mastandrea Coming from Ohio, how are you liking Greenville? Noah: It’s been awesome. The weather is much better and more consistent throughout the year, minus the summer humidity. I really enjoy being close to the mountains and living in a town that always has something going on. Greenville has been easy to adjust to even though it’s a larger city, but not so big that it feels overwhelming. What is your favorite place to run in Greenville? Noah: I enjoy running on the backroads north of Greenville. They’re usually low traffic and very peaceful, with gentle rolling hills and winding roads that offer a different kind of challenge. GTC-ELITE’s athletes usually work part time to meet personal expenses. Where are you currently employed? Noah: I currently have two part-time jobs that combine for about 30 hours a week. I typically start my day with JOY Real Estate, working on their property management side of the company. I also work a few afternoons each week at Fleet Feet. Both jobs are very flexible and allow me to prioritize morning training and travel for races on weekends. You majored in math in college. What is that about? Noah: I dual-majored in mathematics and adolescent math education. After my post-collegiate running career, I plan to begin my career as a high school math teacher. Adding the mathematics degree only required one extra course, and it also gives me a backup option in case I ever get burned out from teaching.
What is your favorite running shoe to train in? Noah: My favorite shoe is the ASICS Novablast. I also train in the Gel-Nimbus for easy runs and the Metaspeed Sky for workouts. How about competition shoes? Noah: ASICS just released a new racing shoe last fall called the Metaspeed Ray that we broke out for the first time at the USATF Half Marathon Championships.
Favorite meal: breakfast or dinner? Noah: I have always been more of a dinner fan. Favorite place to eat in GVL on a limited budget? Noah: I really enjoy Stax's off of Poinsett. Running goals for 2026? Noah: Once I got down here, I set the goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon (sub 2:16:00), but I believe in adapting goals to the present situations. I believe I am fit enough to run well under 2:16. To run a faster full marathon, you have to be able to run a faster half. And in order to run a faster half, you have to be able to run a faster 10k. I want to keep developing my speed on top of my aerobic capacity and focus on being consistent day-to-day. Favorite GTC-ELITE workout? Noah: My favorite workout is 4 x 3miles @ marathon pace w/ 2min float. I've always enjoyed longer intervals at a controlled fast effort since high school. Another workout I really enjoy is the lactate shuttle workout (3k intervals alternating 300 on @ 5K/10K pace with 200 float between each 300). All of the guys work really well together, especially on the shuttles to hit the assigned paces.
Most recent book read?
Noah: The last book I finished was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I am currently reading Educated by Tara Westover. If you had to listen to a song consecutively for an entire hour, what would it be? Noah: 'Til You Can't by Cody Johnson. I love the lyrics of this song.  Did you know that by becoming a member you will receive a $10 discount on your entry for GTC events when registering after February 15, 2026. Those include the GTC Run Downtown 5K, The Green Valley Road Races (8K & 10-mile), the historic United Community Reedy River Run (10K & 5K), the Memorial Day Mile, the SunRise 8K, the Red, White & Blue Shoes 5K, the Spinx RunFest (Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Kid’s Run), the Paris Mountain Road Races (20K & 5K), the Santa Run, the Paris Mountain Trail Runs and the Summer All Comer's Track Meets. So your $25 annual individual membership could save you some mula. And Family memberships start at an annual rate of a mere $35 and provide free access to our GTC Rabbits youth running program. . You will join over 1,650 other members who are fitness enthusiasts like you. You will have the opportunity to meet other runners and learn more about one of our favorite activities—running. And you will be part of a 501 c 3 non-profit organization that annually donates funds to promote youth running (GTC Rabbits, Greenville Country Cross Country and Track/Field, etc.) and other charities. If you are volunteer-oriented, you can donate some of your time and efforts in helping the GTC produce some of their excellent running events. Those events don’t happen by accident and are successful mainly due to our volunteers. GTC members also receive a unique GTC singlet to wear at the races. Those bright orange singlets can be observed at events all over the globe and photos can be added to the GTC History FaceBook page for posterity. The Greenville Track Club was the brainchild of former Furman University coach Bill Keesling and was founded in 1972. It is the second oldest running club in South Carolina and celebrates its 53rd anniversary this year. It has grown from a handful of early adaptors, who loved the competitiveness of running, to an organization of road, track and trail runners, who run distances from 100 meters to 100 miles.  In 2012 the club’s elders agreed to add some focus to the club’s original intent and established the Greenville Track Club-ELITE program. It is a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program that provides opportunities for recent college graduates to continue to pursue their running dreams. There are qualifying standards and two levels of assistance for those attaining the standards. The program developed and produced one participant for the 2024 Olympic Games marathon in Paris, four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year.
Speaking of young athletes, the Greenville Track Club conducts a Youth Running Program, also known as the GTC Rabbits. Under the direction of Coach Ashley Lavelle the program usually has 50-75 young runners between the ages of 8 and 14. They meet two days per week for practice sessions which include a variety of activities. . The cost per participation in one of the Fall, Spring or Summer “seasons” is $50 per athlete, However, it is free for a GTC member. So a GTC member can participate in all three seasons (Spring, Summer and Fall) for just the cost of a GTC membership ($25/$35 versus $150). Each youth athlete not only receives personal coaching, but also a GTC Rabbits T-shirt and singlet. There are also the free Wednesday evening workout sessions at Greenville High School conducted by the GTC and the GTC All Comers Track meets in June and July at Eastside High School or Greenville High School.. The club also conducts an annual GTC Running Series with age-group awards for top placers. And not to be overlooked is the GTC’s oversight of the Corporate Shield running competition.
 The 49th edition of the historic Green Valley Road Race was conducted on Saturday, February 7 over the rolling hills in North Greenville County. The signature 10-Mile had 142 finishers completing the distance, while the accompanying 5K had 40 finishers. Camden Pendleton of Piedmont, SC was the overall 10-Mile winner with a time of 58:24 and Daya Ross of Easley, SC was the first female finisher with a time of 1:01:16. Results are here. Congratulations to all of the finishers and great volunteers. See more photos @ https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/SC/TravelersRest/GreenValleyRoadRace
 Ed Boemke GTC: You just conducted the USATF Southeast Region Masters Indoor Championships last weekend. Was this a one-time event or will it return in the future? Ken: We are hoping that the indoor meet at Tryon will be an annual event, most likely in January. We want to provide opportunities for folks to compete during the winter months, and to try out indoor track and see how much fun it is. Ed: I certainly hope there are many more in the future! Our committee was fully committed to making this event the very best we possibly could so that the facility and the USATF would not be hesitant for us to use the facility and host the Southeast Region again next year. GTC: What are your expectations for the near future? Ken: Some of the athletes will use a meet like ours as a stepping stone to the USATF Indoor National Championships in late February. Ed: I would personally like to see this meet double or even triple in size. We had 215 athletes entered which was way more than we expected. I would also like for the GTC to somehow be involved with the USATF and Tryon International in hosting the USATF National Indoor Meet and the World Championships. GTC: Putting on a meet of those proportions looks like a lot of work. What was the most difficult to get accomplished? Ken: Ed did most of the work! It was a unique event because it was being held inside a new venue, outside of Greenville, and because we were coordinating with not only Tryon International but also the sponsoring bodies, USATF and USATF-SC, as well as the small colleges that planned to compete. So a lot of coordination with good folks who love running and athletics. Ed: I have been the meet director for hundreds of track and cross countrymeets for high school athletes as well as the race co-director for the GTC Run Downtown and the GTC Greer Earth Day Run. However this was my very first indoor meet. The main challenge was the frustration of not being in control of all parts that make a meet successful. We were initially scheduled to share the arena with some college teams and we could never get anything definite about the number of teams orathletes so that made making a working schedule of events very hard. We were also told we could have the arena on Saturday night to do a few events and that was taken away. With the facility being new, they still don't have all of the necessary equipment to hold a Master's Meet like 27" hurdles and pole vault extenders that we were lucky to have from the GTC Outdoor Masters Meet. GTC: The facility looked awesome. How does it compare to others in the Southeast? Ken: It's extraordinary. It's a competition equestrian arena that has been turned into an indoor track! It has more space for athletes, coaches, spectators, and vendors than I've ever seen. With its Mondo track surfaces, dual high jump/pole vault/long jump/triple jump/shot put, and seating for 3,500, it has capacity for very large meets. Lodging and dining are within walking distance of the track, making race logistics easy. Ed: I have only been to a couple of indoor track facilities lately. The Tryon facility by far is the best one. Clemson and University of South Carolina have a track, but they are very congested with very fewspectators seats. At Clemson, the teams have to set up outside! Tryon has ample room for the athletes and 3500 seats for spectators. It also has two areas for every field event which will help a meet go faster and smoother. This venue should be ranked as one of the best in the country! GTC: Ed has been a meet organizer for many years. How did this experience compare? Ed: Every meet has its challenges. This meet was no exception as I said above and those were just a few examples. WIth every meet I try to be as organized as possible and think through every possible thing that could go wrong and then prepare for it. In that way, this meet was like all of the others. But the challenge of not using my facility, with my coaches, and my reliable officials that I have become accustomed to, made this meet one of the most challenging I have ever done. Luckily I had Bill Keesling, Ken Wempe, Bob Burch, Jim Roberts, Mike Caldwell, Ian Whatlye and Susan Heiser-Whatley to bounce ideas and problems off of and host a meet that we should all be proud of. Ken Wempe was just fantastic working with the USATF and getting clarification on things like the awards that they give out, with the online entry service that worked very well, and trying to answer email questions from many of the athletes (both before and after) in a very diplomatic way (which I think I couldn't have done after reading some of the emails!). Ken offered a very calming effect to me as I tend to get very anxious before a meet. He was extremely knowledgeable of every aspect of the meet, from the initial organization to the exact details on how things should be occur. His help with this should earn him another Gold Medal. Bob Burch worked with the management of the facility to get "swag" for the athletes and along with things we found in the GTC office from other events, we had a very nice bag to give the athletes (something I don't have to worry about with my other meets). Jim Roberts took care of the tedious application and follow up with the USATF sanctioning process. Mike Caldwell was instrumental in working with the college team trying to join us and getting clarification for me on many aspects of what they wanted for their part of the meet. And of course Bill Keesling! His guidance and leadership was such a tremendous guiding force for all of us. So, luckily for me I had some outstanding help and, if they are all willing, I am ready to do this again!!!  Ken Wempe (221) in action GTC: Ken not only organized the meet with USATF, but also competed. Tell us how that played out.
Ken: I'm grateful because directing the meet gave me a terrific excuse if I happened to not compete well. I didn't have time to get pre-race nervous, so I did just fine. It was a lot of fun. I want to do it again!  Greenville Track Club-ELITE athletes were ranked second through fifth in the Final 2025 South Carolina Road Race Rankings Open Division published by SC USATF Record Keeper Bill Marable. Jason Weitzel was ranked second, behind Greenville's James Quattlebaum. He was followed by teammates Ryan Drew (3rd), Noah Fisher (4th) and Jack Mastandrea (5th). The final rankings are determined by the top three road race performances within the state of South Carolina and do not include races outside of the Palmetto State. The top ten, which also include two GTC-ELITE alumni, are listed below. The top six ranked male athletes are all from the Greenville, SC area. FINAL 2025 SOUTH CAROLINA ROAD RACE OPEN RANKINGS Red = GTC-ELITE athlete
Blue = former GTC-ELITE athlete GTC's Lee Cook Selected USATF South Carolina Men's Masters Long Distance Runner of the Year2/6/2026  The following is provided by USATF South Carolina Record Keeper Bill Marable.
At age 80, Lee Cook, had the best year of his running career. The Greer resident began the year in a new age group and went on to set four new 80-84 state records. He stated the year by coming off a bout of plantar fasciitis to what he considers his best race running the Myrtle Beach Marathon in a record time of 4:10:08. He set an 8K record of 38:51 at the Sunrise Run and added the 5K record of 23:33 at Red White & Blues. His final record was at the Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon in 1:47:09. This came 13 days after he won his age group at the Chicago Marathon in 4:12:49. At the USATF National Masters Track Meet in Huntsville he won the 5K in 24:27 and the 10K in 50:23. Born in rural central Missouri in 1944 Cook grew up in the small town of Montrose. His sports through high school were baseball and basketball with no other sports available. Then at age 20 he was drafted into the Army and what began as a two year obligation turned into 24 years in the military that included two tours in Vietnam. His running career started with his first race in 1983. He ran many local races while living in Huntsville until he retired from the Army in 1989. Due to long hours and travel on his new civilian engineering job he stopped running at age 44. At the time he was running 10K in 40 minutes. In 1994 this same job brought him to Greenville. After retiring for good in 2007 he joined a gym and began running again and found a previous knee injury had healed. He joined the Greenville Track Club and has been running consistently since and has been a top age group performer holding nine state records. Although he does not have a coach he follows the guidelines in the book “Run Less, Run Faster” by Furman professors Bill Pierce and Scott Murr. He gets support from his friends in the GTC and his two daughters. His biggest cheerleader was his wife who passed away in 2016. In winning this award for a first time Cook beat out Gary Bolduc, George Luke, Blake Pratt and Gerry Schauer. USATF Southeast Region Masters Indoor ChampionshipsThe 53-year-old Greenville Track Club hosted its first indoor track meet at the Tryon Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Strong performances came from Alyssa Noguez (1st places in Shot Put, Weight Throw, & Superweight Throw), Dan Stoner (1st places in the 3,000 meters and Mile), Bob Rockwell (1st places in the Long Jump and Triple Jump), Ken Wempe (1st places in the 3,000 meters and Mile), and Bill Keesling (1st places in the Shot Put, 60 meters, and 200 meters). Results available at mitchelltiming.com More information here: nc.milesplit.com/meets/722205-usatf-masters-track-and-field-se-region-indoor-2026
March 2 – GTC Running Series & Corporate Shield Awards/GTC Meeting
Originally scheduled for February 2, but postponed to March 2 due to winter weather conditions Hampton Park Baptist Church, State Park Road Register for meeting and BBQ Dinner here: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Greenville/GTCAwardsMeeting  1. How are plans for next week’s Green Valley Road Races coming along? MC: Plans for the 49th Green Valley Road Race are complete and we’re looking forward to race day! Weather looks good and our hoodie giveaway turned out great. I’m excited to see everyone Saturday, February 7th. 2. How many years have you been the race director for this event? This is my fourth year as race director. It’s a privilege to be allowed to direct the race and to have the support of a professional organization in the Greenville Track Club. I’ve learned a ton, made lots of friends, and it’s been so gratifying to help enable runners to have a great and memorable race experience. 3. What makes the GVRR unique? GVRR is not your every day flat race. Along with the Paris Mountain Road Race, it’s one of our two most challenging races. There’s a place on all of our running calendars for flat, fast, PR courses. There’s also a place for more scenic and challenging courses. One thing about GVRR is that whenever you’re struggling you can look up, left, right and see beautiful landscape all around you. GVRR also has a tradition of the best giveaways. In my 4 years, we’ve given out Columbia vests, adidas pullovers and this year we have an awesome Next Level branded hoodie. While many races cheap out on the giveaways, we push back against the disposable society by providing durable garments that will last and look good for years. GVRR also has developed a strong donor culture. Last year between the runners’ donations and my woodworking studio’s match we donated $1,732 fro the Arthritis Foundation. This year we’re raising funds for Upstate Forever.  4. You are also a craftsman and have produced some unique and interesting awards for GTC races. How did that come about? I am a woodworker as well as an engineering consultant when I’m not volunteering with GTC. Several years ago we started making some of the race awards from wood. As a runner I really appreciate a good quality finishers medal. And on the rare occasions when I placed, I really appreciated a handmade unique item. It’s kind of a woodworker/race director beatitude: treat runners how I want to be treated.
5. What are some of your most memorable award creations? My awards, like my medal hangers, have evolved a lot over the years. I keep working to level up. I still have one of my first medal hangers. Yikes. They’ve come a long way. I recently invested in a much better, pro level laser and am excited to see where that can take my creations. I’m already very impressed with what it can do with photos. In addition to the engraving quality, we’ve evolved shapes over the years. From squares, to singlets, to shoe shaped - this years’s GVRR will feature hexagons matching our hexagonal logo. Here attached are some of my favorites along this road.
February 1 – 2026 USATF Masters Track & Field SE Region Indoor Championships
at Tryon NC International Venue Register: https://usatfmasters.org/upcoming-masters-track-and-field-events/2026-usatf-southeast-region-masters-indoor-championships/ February 7 – 49th GTC Green Valley 10-Mile & 5K Road Races Trailblazer Park, Travelers Rest Race Director: Michael Caputo [email protected] Register or Volunteer: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/TravelersRest/GreenValleyRoadRace
March 2 – GTC Running Series & Corporate Shield Awards/GTC Meeting Originally scheduled for February 2, but postponed to March 2 due to winter weather conditions Hampton Park Baptist Church, State Park Road Register for meeting and BBQ Dinner here: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Greenville/GTCAwardsMeeting March 21 – Milliken Earth Run 5K (Cross Country) Roger Milliken Center – Spartanburg Race Director: Beth Trenor Register or Volunteer: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Spartanburg/EarthRun
April 18th – United Community 48th Reedy River Run 10K (premier race) and 5K Downtown Greenville Race Director: Mike Caldwell [email protected] Register or Volunteer: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Greenville/ReedyRiverRun
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