Sir Roland: Your contribution to our club spirit is incalculable, just as you have proven unfathomable. As our qualified modern Renaissance Man, your website legacy continues, ensuring you will never be forgotten in our hearts and minds, though you dwell for the most part in a land far, far away. With Great Gratitude,
Noah Perlis
It saddens me that you will be leaving us Roland. You are the glue that keeps us together. Who will I turn to to find out news when I need it most? Best of luck and God Bless and do not forget about us. It will not be the same without you!!!!!!!!!
Kim Mannen
To Roland thank you for making it possible for me to say thank you for putting me on the www. I'll never forget the look on my grandkids face when I was in Bermuda I told them to look up cptc on the computer, they could not believe I was on their computer. Without you that would not have been possible. Stay safe where ever you go and what ever you do.
Much love
Sid
The site grabbed me from London, with its vibrant colours and colourful content and after meeting you Roland I was very glad to meet the extremely colourful character behind it. Your efforts made my stay in NY the best time of my life and I'll thank you for that forever. Good Luck.
Steve Paddock
We met as runners, but the website made us a team. And how else could I send bad pictures of myself across the world. To the creator of legends and friendships, thank you.
Shula Sarner
Dear Roland,
I truly can not imagine a CPTC without "Sir Roland" at the mast. When I recall any thoughts of CPTC you will always pop to the fore. Not only are we losing the 'Keith Richards' of the club, I am losing one of my best friends in the city. A man who has always been the first to help others, always offered to help, you WILL be missed!
Toby T.
Roland your witty, relentless, stories of the life of CPTC really made it possible for members all over the world feel like they were home and made other clubs orange with envy. You will be miss and never replaced. My years with CPTC are part of that history due to you
Sincerely,
Margaret Nolan
Dear Roland,
Speaking as a non-American your departure from these shores has a much broader impact than you might think. How will my family and friends from Australia to Ireland keep track of CPTC, and by default myself, if we do not have the worlds greatest web master maintaining our site? You will, of course, be sorely missed. You are quite literally a priceless asset to the club driving external promotion and internal morale and pride. Thank you for everything, for all the time, all the incredible detail the site reflects and the obvious love and passion for what you do.
Take Care
Jerome
Roland,
It was a pleasure meeting and getting to know you. You will be missed by all. Good luck and keep your jog alive.
Sean Fitzpatrick
Roland - I was very sorry to hear you were leaving but hope that exciting adventures lie ahead for you where you are going. Your work on the website and your information gathering skills at the meets has been nothing short of
incredible. You are an on-the scene, behind-the-scene phenomenon!!
Chris Potter
The eyes, the ears, the collective memory of the club. You will be missed.
Jay Borok
Without Roland, my experiences with CPTC would have been limited to a few training runs and some memorable races. But through his web site (we can call it his can't we?) and his perseverance I remain a proud, committed, dues paying, involved member of the club despite being located about as far away from Central Park as you can get.
Charles Allard Jr.
To the man with the 'orange power', the one that makes us run to our PCs faster than our moms to the TV to watch soap operas, the brain behind the scenes, the 'orange bible', the best at making us look bad, and the worst at making us look good. Just simply: the best guy in orange !!! For that, and for a lot more, you will be missed !!!
Raqui
Wishing you all the best,
Norm Goluskin
I guess come May 2003, I'll find out what recovering addict goes through. As one of your loyal fan, its has been quite a knowledge to have met you. Thanks a lot. Hope to see or hear from you soon.
Bola
To Roland – the master of the dynamic and always-inspiring CPTC virtual community.
Tom Phillips
Roland - we exepct a report from the Far East on a regular basis. Our team won't be the same without you! Thanks for the great reading and your humor.
Kellie Q.
Roland: we love you and your spirit will be here with us, and we'll be with you always. You will do great wherever you go you survived: The CIA, CPTC and The Pullman Group. Can't say enough on how much I and we appreciate you. We/I wish you much much life, liberty, health and success.
Your friend,
David Pullman
Roland, we have all been spoilt rotten by having such an amazing website detailing so much about our club - the races, the workouts, the people, the trivia. More than this it has been an amazing communication network, keeping our members fully up to date about all the activities and happenings of CPTC. It has also been a terrific recruiting tool - being the first point of call for those internet-savvy runners moving to New York City. More importantly, though is how your integrity, humor, intelligence and being such a wonderful human-being has shone through. We will miss you even more than we can know.
Alan Ruben
What would we ever do without Dr. Soong ... due to Roland, I have developed a passing interest in nonparametric multivariate statistics, I have a photo of the McDonald’s in Buenos Aires, and I know to avoid the goat masala at Jewel of India. Thank you for everything.
Joseph and Laura Lee Kozusko
"Great ambition, without contribution, is without significance." Your ambition
has been altruistic. Your contribution has been stellar. Your significance will always be remembered.
Mindy
Dear Roland, I'm sad to see you go, especially given the circumstances under which you have to go. However, from now on, I will look forward to my business trips to HK & hopefully have the good fortune of your companionship for dinner and when i go hiking on these magnificent trails around HK, Lantau Island & the New Territories. And i also look forward to the day we will both come back for good to NYC where we both belong. Au revoir & a bientot!
Sylvie
I don't really believe in the concept of selflessness, but what you've done for the club comes pretty darn close. Your devotion to representing us, in our glory and disappointment, as individuals and a collective, is how real communities are built. Thanks, Roland. We'll miss you much.
Kevin Arlyck
Runners tend to be successful people, good at what they do, using their running as a fulcrum against which to pursue their interests, and to channel their energies. So to produce the website for a team exemplifying the diversity of it's hometown – NYC – is no mean task. But to do as does Roland, to stay that one or two steps ahead, in whatever country, whatever language, whatever topic, beggars the concept of 'polymath.' He has raised the editorial 'we' to a new standard. Thank you, and thanks again,
Jeff Wilson
Web Master Roland Soong you have created what has become a world famous site for the Central Park Track Club, beaming our modest accomplishments throughout the globe and setting a standard for athletic associations everywhere in dissiminating news, human interest and data for athletic performances. We hail your achievements.
Dave and Lynn Blackstone
Roland, Thanks for making the CPTC website an essential bookmark: it is the glue that binds our local community and is a magnet for the diaspora of CPTC members who now roam the globe wearing orange. (And thanks for improving my Google rating.)
Craig Chilton
Dear Roland:
You are like my mother in both the best and worst ways -- you don't let me get
away with anything! You have caught my PRs as well as my indecencies. You are
such an important member of this club. I can hardly imagine it without you.
I wish you the best and I hope you come back to visit very very very often.
Sniff sniff,
Margaret Angell
At my first CPTC workout, Roland was introduced to me as the most important person on the team, the one responsible for the website. No question, the website is amazing. Personally, though I'll miss him as the self-appointed
shepherd of stragglers. Many Thursday night workouts he has patiently waited in the cold for me to come through the Harlem Hills. And for that I'll always be thankful. I'll miss him dearly.
Andrea Ostrowski
He will definitely be an enormous loss to the running community. He IS the webmaster. CPTC's site is so informative, better than NYRRC or any other running club for that matter.
Mary Spera
Roland's achievement goes way beyond the beautiful website. Through his efforts, he has brought an enormous range and breadth of people together - I have new, close friends I wouldn't have had in my life if not for the CPTC site bringing them to us. Roland, you are a chronicler of our times and a builder of bridges. Just make sure you keep sending those political and social commentaries and cricket (what the hell are they doing out there, playing baseball without running the bases?) updates!
Much love,
Frank Handelman
Thank you, Roland, for all your hard work as ardent documentarian of CPTC, and even more so, for your genuine friendliness and support of the team. We'll miss you! Thank you!
Andrea Costella
Master Roland,
I may not have discovered this wonderful team if it wasn't your fabulous website. It was definitely a number one reason to join the club: ("wow, these people are so organized!") aside from Toby's Halloween costume run ("man, these people are crazy!"). Thank you so much for your devotion and I'm sure we'll keep haunting your life across the globe.
Etsuko Kizawa
Roland,
Thank you so much for all you have done for the team. Your commentary and ability to capture the funny things we do and say have kept me entertained for my three years on the team. I wish you the best as you return to Hong Kong.
Sandra S.
Roland will be missed dearly, not only for omniscient camera but his wit, kindness and huge heart. Mr. Song has an original and elegant perspective on the world and whatever running community is lucky enough to receive him in Hong Kong is in for a treat. Roland, we expect continued, if less frequent, commentary from the other side of the world and wish you all the best.
Ali Rosenthal
Roland—
You’re the heart and soul of Central Park Track Club, so of course you can never really leave us. That said, we feel bereft now that your corporeal presence is required elsewhere. Good luck in Hong Kong! I hope that fate and
opportunity reunite us before too long. Yours, always, in Global Surveillance™ and with much love,
Stacy Creamer (& the best from Stuart and Kieran)
Dear Roland,
I ran into Audrey today who told me the sad news; just as I was finding the right pace to run with you, you leave! Thanks to you I still have something to show, quite literally. And thanks to you all the CPTC runners can relive and share their feats and defeats. You made an immense contribution to CPTC fun, fame and community. I wish you all the best; please take care, and come back some day,
Fritz
Roland-
Truly the WebMASTER, you've captured the images and, more importantly, the spirit of CPTC. You've provided an incridible outlet for those of us who sit in offices all day, dreaming of the trials of miles. And most of all, you've kept us laughing at ourselves in times when we all need it. Thanks for adding so much to the Club -- you'll be dearly missed.
Take care,
Paul Sinclair
You take pictures, track down race times, attend practices, cheer at races, provide news updates and maintain a great web-site. Thanks for all that you do. Your efforts will be missed but not forgotten.
Glen C.
Thanks Roland: You've been as important as Tony or Alan in leading the club into a successful post George era.
Richard K.
Roland I am going to miss your dependability to the Central Track Club members. Every race rain or shine, Snow or Heatwave, chronicling and photographing every event like an investigative reporter(or a gossip Columnist). Come back soon. Don't ever change buddy!!!!!
Dion (P.T) Mulvihill
Hi Roland,
We wish you all the best, for a successful future in Hong Kong.
Kim Mannen & Frank McC.
Dear Website Guy-
It was a long time ago that it was just you, me and you know who competing for those milestone hit numbers (I still have a few secrets up my sleeve). Since then the club and the website has gone through many changes. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. You are irreplaceable in our club and in my heart and will be missed for both your friendship and dedication. Sincerely, one of your most reliable targets.
Audrey K.
Bon Voyage Roland!
Shelley F.
Safe travels,
Terri S.
Dear Roland, all the best!!
Lauren Eckhart & David Smith
All the best,
Devon Martin
Best Wishes,
Jon Cane
Roland, You will certainly be missed by all of us. Thank you for all your hard work. Your contribution to the club has been immense. Good luck and hope to see you soon.
Neeraj Engineer
Roland, When I came to New York, I joined Central Park Track Club for two reasons: the name is better than Warren Street (where the heck's that?) and the COOL Web site. These people must have their act together, I thought. Now I know that, well, at least one of us does. Good luck, Roland, and thanks. You'll be missed.
John Affleck
A CPTC singlet: $30.
Club membership: $75.
A pair of running shoes: $100.
Knowing that your PWs will be published near real time on the website along with an equally upsetting picture: PRICELESS...
Be well Roland. We'll miss you.
Stephanie Gould
Roland may be in "X Men 3." The guy certainly has special powers ... either that or a vast global network of spies. He's been able to keep tabs on every move we make, even those of us who haven't gotten to the starting line of a race in six years. I don't think being in Hong Kong is going to diminish his omniscient observing one bit, so remain on your best behavior unless your reputation is already hopelessly tarnished. Which is just fine. This is a tolerant crowd.
You're a wizard, Roland, and those for whom the major means of staying touch with the CPTC is this very website cannot thank you enough for your superlative efforts.
Peter Gambaccini
Roland
In Ireland, quite a few knowledgeable people believe that there were not one, but two, St. Patricks, because his achievements were so immense that one individual alone could not possibly have accomplished them. Many times
while perusing the CPTC Website I have scratched my head wondering how one Webmaster could be so prompt, comprehensive, (over)hear and record every conversation, and be seemingly omnipresent and omniscient. I concluded there must be two Rolands: I'm very grateful to both, and I wish both well in all future endeavors.
Gordon Holmes
My first exposure to the club came through the website. I used to search the photos after every race, looking for my friends on the club, and hoping I might have sneaked in to the corner of some picture. Once I joined the team, I it became the first site I looked at every day. Even so, it wasn't until I saw the website behind the scenes that I truly realized how much work Roland puts into it. I'm starting to think that he hasn't actually slept since 1997. I only hope I can be half as proficient as he's been.
Jesse Lansner
Hi Roland,
You have the rare ability to make people look good and feel good. the
running community will miss you. On the personal side, thank you for
being one of the few New Yorkers (with only my wife and my mother-in-law) to
correctly write my first name. I will miss you.
Stéphane Bois (The french runner who wears the wrong colors because he doesn't like orange)
We wish you all the best for the future. I'm sure you will miss
the website as much as we will miss you. :-)
Tyronne, Bernadette & Amalia
- To you who will remain timelessly in our hearts -