When is next year's race?
Race directors should start posting next year's date now, even if the event is held late in the year. Running Times magazine and the Michigan Running Foundation display a 2007 race calendar and the Toledo Roadrunners is one of the clubs already featuring next year's races.
Large events like the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon typically advertise future race dates well in advance, but many small events and running clubs wait until much closer to the event date to post their information.
Don't wait. Get your information on web and print calendars as soon as possible. Many annual calendars are prepared in November and December and print versions have longer turnaround times. Unfortunately, some running clubs link their calendars to their database, so changing the event date from 2006 to 2007 removes it from the previous year's calendar. Because of that, they wait until late December or early January and flip the whole calendar to the new year, losing the ability to archive old dates.
Still, send your listing to clubs, magazines, media, and calendars as soon as your date is selected so your event isn't left out of any important calendars.