Runners to Pound the Pavement Saturday for Hustle in the Harbor

As you probably know, the 2nd Annual Hustle in the Harbor is Saturday. But what you may not know if the race was created and organized by a 26 year-old Palm Harbor woman who is passionate about running.

In addition to being the driving force behind Hustle in the Harbor, Desiree Dorrie is also a Reserve Deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and she works full time for AdeQ Firearms Company in Tampa.

She credits her mother for being her "saving grace" in last year's race, Dorrie says she would have quit without her! They stayed up until 3 or 4 a.m. on many nights stuffing race bags, working out course details, and typing up emails together. Dorrie says her mother is her heart and soul and without a doubt the most amazing woman she'll ever know. 

So what kind of person do you have to be to put on a race like this? Dorrie explains below in her own words.

Palm Harbor Patch: How old were you when you first started running and what got you interested in it?

Desiree Dorrie: My dad was always a runner for as long as I can remember. He would run in 5k’s or 10k’s every weekend when I was really little and when I was about 9 or 10 he started working the timing and finish lines for a lot of local races. That’s when I started running- I’d go with my dad early in the morning to the race that he was working and hang out with him while he set up, then come race time I would go and run! I’m not a competitive runner and I’ve never ventured past the 5k. I do it more for the camaraderie and the exciting atmosphere of race-day.

Palm Harbor Patch: It sounds like you must be a true lover of running, if you're organizing a race like this! What made you think of putting on Hustle in the Harbor?

Desiree Dorrie: I fully believe in the power of a positive attitude and making the best of any given situation. I found myself in a situation where I had a lot of free time but not a lot of money. I wanted to do something to help out my community, but I wasn’t able to contribute financially so I started thinking- what can I do? If I can’t give money, what can I give?

So I decided to turn a negative into a positive and dive into uncharted territory (or at least uncharted for me). I had been around 5k races my whole life so I figured I could put one together. I didn’t know how to go about putting on a 5k race as an individual, so I approached my church and they allowed me to organize a 5k on their behalf. So I decided to pour my heart and soul into this little idea that I had, and the Hustle in the Harbor was born. October 23, 2010 was the first race.

Palm Harbor Patch: What are your goals for the race this year?

Desiree Dorrie: I have a few goals for this year’s race:

• Raise at least $1000 for each of the five organizations
• 500 registered participants between the 1 mile and 5k race
• I’d really like for the Hustle to be a fun, unique 5k that’s different from the rest of them. I try to think outside of the box and consider things I’ve learned, liked, and disliked from the races I’ve been to. 
• The utmost important thing is to create some pretty awesome memories for the people that come out. 

Palm Harbor Patch: What is your long term goal for the race?

Desiree Dorrie: I would LOVE for this to become one of the notable events in Palm Harbor, that people know by name and look forward to annually. Maybe one day the Hustle will be up there with the Gasparilla and the Turkey Trot.

Eventually I’d love to take the race course to the streets of Palm Harbor and travel through the downtown area so that residents can sit in their driveways and cheer on the runners!! Unfortunately, the cost to close down the streets prevents me from doing that for now.

Palm Harbor Patch: How has the race grown?

Desiree Dorrie: I can tell you one way the race has grown- last year I was doing a majority of the work by myself. This year, my boyfriend Caleb Naumann (unknowingly to him when he started dating me) pretty much adopted the race. He’s been an amazing blessing and has helped me out in so many ways. With his help, we’ve been able to reach a much wider audience and get a lot more raffle prizes!

The race is going to be ten times better this year and he deserves a lot of credit for that. Two people can cover a lot more ground than one. In addition to his help, Sgt. Steven Sears from the Clearwater Police Department has also helped out with recruiting a lot of amazing community supporters. He deserves credit as well!

As far as numbers go, being that this is only the second year, it’s hard to say. I’ve noticed a definite increase in the registrations before race day! Our Facebook page has gained around 100 more followers over the past six months. I think that race-day will be a better determinate of how the race has grown.

Palm Harbor Patch: What is the thing that surprised you most when you decided to put on this race?

Desiree Dorrie: Without a doubt, the amount of work that this process entails! I mean, I knew that putting on an event like this would require a lot of work and I thought that I was prepared. I WAS WRONG, haha. I handcrafted everything about this race from start to finish (literally and figuratively)- from the advertising, the logo, the t-shirts, the course, the venue, recruiting sponsors, recruiting volunteers, and the list goes on and on and on! It takes a lot of work, a lot of hours, a lot of sleepless nights and stressful days… but the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment when it’s all said and done is absolutely priceless.

Palm Harbor Patch: How does it make you feel to have created and put on a race like this?

Desiree Dorrie: Grateful. Absolutely, humbled and grateful. I’m extremely blessed and I recognize that every day of my life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring people together and basically throw a big party! I’m grateful for the life I’ve been given and I do my best to bring happiness into other people’s lives.

I chose a quote for the back of this year’s t-shirts:

“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine” – Anthony J. D’Angelo. 

Palm Harbor Patch: How many participants did you have last year?

Desiree Dorrie: Just under 300 registered participants

Palm Harbor Patch: How many participants do you hope to have this year?

Desiree Dorrie: 500!! We can do this, come on out people!!

Palm Harbor Patch: Are you a Palm Harbor resident?

Desiree Dorrie: Yep, graduate of Tarpon High class of 2003 and my co-director a.k.a. boyfriend, Caleb is a graduate of PHUHS class of 2002.

Palm Harbor Patch: Over the past year, how many hours a week have you been working to put on this event?

Desiree Dorrie: Well, the hours grow as we get closer to race day! I get started with the planning in February with about 5-7 hours per week. In April-May it picks up to 10 hours per week. Come summertime, it’s game on! I start putting in about 20 hours per week. September through October I put in 30-40 hours per week (on top of my full time job!!)

What you need to know, if you are participating in Hustle in the Harbor

• Parking will be at the YMCA- gates open at 6:45 am
• Registration is at the Community Activity Center
• There will be cornhole, life size jenga from Palm Harbor House of Beer, and other games to entertain the runners after the 5k Awards ceremony and raffle.
• Raffle prizes include: autographed photo of Ronde Barber, TB Bucs; David Price, TB Rays autographed baseball; Jose Bautista, Toronto Bluejays autographed baseball, AJ Burnett, NY Yankees autographed baseball; Victor Hedman autographed Lightning Jersey; LeeRoy Selmon’s gift card; Palm Harbor House of Beer gift card; Surf and Turf gift card; MANY MORE (they are all on our Facebook page)