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Welcome to the Tornados
Running Club Website We're FAST and We Bring
Home the Hardware. We always welcome new
members to our club. We are based
in the Houston area and are members of the Houston Area Road Runners
Association. Our members are a very diverse group - with various cultural and
social backgrounds. Our members vary in running abilities We have world class
runners and weekend running warriors who compete in local runs.
Tornados know how to party too. We often get together at our normal
picnic area in Memorial Park for meetings and special occasions. Yeah, we drink
our fair share of cold brew too - we like to call it carbo-loading. If you
don't know how to speak Spanish yet, then this is the perfect club for you. We can have you conversing in Spanish like a pro after a 20 mile long run.
Take a few minutes to browse through our website and visit as often as you
like for news, race results and information about our club and members.
History of the Tornados Running Club
As in most human endeavors, it is excellent leadership that
propels a good running club forwards. Miguel Lopez has provided that leadership
for the Tornados Running Club for 16 years. Miguel is the kind of leader that
motivates by example. Year after year he is always one of the top finishers, if
not the top, in his age group. We have always known him to talk with his legs
and when the race is over to give a firm handshake that communicates respect.
Miguel started running in 1985 at the age of 35, after years of cycling.
That
same year he ran the Woodlands Marathon in 3:15, eventually cutting his time
down to 2:40. He soon got his brothers involved in the sport. The next year his
younger brother, Gerardo, beat him in the Galveston Marathon, finishing second
overall. Miguel and his brothers loved to compete against each other. Miguel
said of these competitions, there is nothing better than competing and winning.
A few friends joined the Lopez brothers over the next couple of years in their
training and competitions. And it was from the Lopez family and their friends
that "the running family" - the Tornados Running Club was born.
They officially founded the Tornados in 1988. Miguel chose the name Tornados
because it symbolized speed and also carried a connotation of destruction! Some
early members were Jose Torres, Isreal Arroyo, Victor Tinajera and Jaime
Rodriguez. They lived up to their name by defeating the Harriers the second
year of the HARRA competitions. Miguel's tradition of hard work combined with
respect is being carried forward today by his son Miguel Lopez, Jr. and by his
nephew's Gerardo and Pete Lopez. They are quickly gaining on one of Houston's
fastest masters and will certainly carry the Tornado tradition of running
excellence into the future.
Our Club Philosophy

To enjoy running for its fitness and social opportunities.
| Contact
Information |
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| If you would like to join the Tornados Running Club, please contact Ramona Zamudio
or any of the following email addresses. |
| Electronic mail
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General Information: Ramona Zamudio |
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Club President: Victor Aguirre |
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Webmaster:
agapitog@earthlink.net |
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