“The Boilermaker”
Utica, New York
July 9
What
a fantastic event! Looking back, it was certainly the best non-marathon
I’ve been to yet. A week
after the race I received in the mail not only a certificate but also the
following day’s local newspaper with 18 pages of race coverage stories,
photos, and all of the results. This
town really knows how to put on a race!
The finisher’s chute funnels everyone to the loading yard of
the Adirondac Brewery. Here the nearly 10,000 racers enjoy endless
mugs of premium beer, turkey sandwiches, live music, and much more. The
award ceremony is preceded by a fly-by of National Guard jets and followed
with a daytime fireworks display. Some of the best runners in the world
receive top placing (Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter also ran).
The
race itself was a 15 km course through the city. Utica has only 60,000
residents and 5,000 of them were race volunteers – a good deal of the
rest were spectators. Even animals from the zoo came out to watch. It was
a perfect morning for running with cloudy and cool conditions during the
race but turning sunny and warm for the post-party.
Just imagine…… 5,000 running women on a hot summer day ……
with free beer! It just doesn’t get much better than that!
Instead
of the usual cattle-call pasta dinner, a variety of local restaurants
provided a pre-race meal -- just show the race number and choose from a
special free menu. It was just before dinner that probably the best event
of the weekend took place. The Induction Ceremony of the National Distance
Running Hall of Fame took place in an opulent antique theater. It was a
slick multi-media production which honored 4 famous and influential
runners. Grete Waitz was there to accept her award and Steve
Prefontaine’s sister had the crowd nearly in tears with her speech as
she received his. Everyone
attending was given a commemorative beer glass which complemented all the
give-aways from outdoor registration and expo the day before. All in all,
from end to beginning, a great time was had by all.
Cabot
Trail Relay,
Cape Breton May 28 and 29
With the unfortunate demise of Jasper-Banff, the Cabot Trail Relay is sure to become the premier Canadian event. The two races share much in common: the same spectacular scenic distance; the same number of legs; the same mix of competitive and fun teams; and the same amount of wackyness (actually I think CT has more of that). There are also a couple of major differences. First is that, as you can imagine, with CT running along the ocean, the elevation is much lower and there only half as many teams. Still, the legs are equally as challenging with long and steep climbs – as much as 400m. There is one segment that has both an ugly uphill and a dangerous descent. The second difference is what sets it apart from JB –every leg is run as an individual race. About half an hour after the leaders come in, the next leg begins.
Having
been accustomed to JB, I was initially unsure of this eastern way of doing
things. It was not long, however, before
I realized the benefits. No one was ever lonely on their leg and there was
plenty of opportunity to pass and be passed. Everyone would gather at the
transition spots making it very easy to meet other teams. The excitement
of the start and the finish was apparent every time – it was like going
to 17 races in one day. While supporting your runner, you were able to see
runners from all the teams. This really made the “theme teams” popular
(teams like the Penguins, the Orange Girls, and the Tye Dies). Very little
focus was given to overall time; 24 hours was not an issue. In fact the
only way to know who was “leading” was by checking the posted results
on the official motor home – something hardly anybody did. Instead, the
main concern was having fun.
It
was a tremendous amount of fun. At one of the transitions, a team had
sponsored coffee and chocolates for everyone. At another there was hot
soup, and it was much appreciated in the middle of the cold night. For
each leg, one of the local teams awarded a handcrafted walking stick to a
runner whom they considered “nice”.
There are communities and cottages along the route, so there are
some spectators. Some kids set up a kool-aid stand and a local piper stood
at the top of a hill playing ‘Chariots of Fire’ on the bagpipes as
runners came round the bend. One of the best things were the ‘rock
bands’ along the way – that’s where spectators would line up and
rhythmically bang the highway guard rails with rocks. Runners found it to
be an inspiring cacophony.
I
joined a team based out of Peterborough (the Rice Lake Zebra Muscles),
some of whom I had met on the New York trip. They were a great group;
three of the ‘nice’ sticks were won by our runners. There was a runner
from U of S on the team and he won one of the hardest legs (the uphill one
in the picture). I had the segment right after that and it was almost all
downhill. The other picture shows where my leg ended. It looks beautiful
but during the run I wasn’t even aware of the ocean beside me. It was
too dark and rainy to notice much. My legs noticed the run afterwards
however, they were more sore than after any marathon.
The
day before the race there was a small pasta dinner and also a Celidh or a
fiddling dance party. Afterwards, the local arena was
converted into a banquet hall for the award ceremonies and a lobster
dinner! The awards reflected the spirit of the event with the last place
team receiving the first award. All in all it was a super event, great fun
and great runner’s camaraderie. It was certainly worth the 22 hour drive
from Kingston. And I would venture to say that it would be worth the trip
out from Regina! I certainly hope to do it again.
Facts:
Race Reports 2000
National
Capital Marathon,
Ottawa
May 13
Returning to the site of my first marathon in 19 years, the National Capital was my fifth marathon in a year. In celebration, myself and a small group of friends incorporated a formal party into the race and dressed for the occasion…… well, sort of. Actually, after seeing numerous costumes in larger American races, we thought it would be a great deal of fun to do so in a typically reserved Canadian event. And it was a riot! It may be hard to tell from the pictures but we chose a “Wedding Party” theme – a bride and grooms. The spectators had some difficulty with it as well; countless times we heard “Go Chippendales” or “Run Waiters”. Those that did pick up on the matrimonial mode would shout “who’s getting married?” to which we’d respond “first man across the finish”. There were seemingly endless jokes – needing a man with stamina, have you seen my runaway bride?, four funerals and a wedding, open bar – Gatorade for everyone, etc etc. And we hammed it up unashamedly the whole way. We danced where music was played, sang the wedding march, and jumped into tourist pictures at the tulip beds. Other runners got a big charge from us and we picked up the spirits of many in the later stages of the race. The best part however was seeing the smiling faces of the spectators as we ran by; they would point us out and cheer wildly. Obviously, time was no concern whatsoever. We finished in a little more than 4 hours and even that was too fast. It was certainly the most fun I had ever had in a marathon and we even rescued a seriously dehydrated and delirious runner along the way. At the finish we were interviewed by a local TV reporter and the clip aired that night. Although we were the subject of many photos, there were none published in the sponsoring paper – the Ottawa Citizen. I guess it was a little too risqué for stodgy old Ottawa.
Boston: The First Time is Always Special.
The
excitement begins on the highway as dream unwinds into reality. The I-90
passes exit signs to fabled lands …. Hopkinton, Framingham, Natick,
Wellesley, Newton, and finally enters Boston.
City billboards proclaim the coming event. Banners hang from street
lamps. The downtown is abuzz with activity – streets are closed off,
tents are going up, fences and bleachers are being erected, innumerable
trucks are unloading race supplies. Storefronts advertise “marathon
specials”. Restaurant hostesses give greetings: “Welcome to Bahston,
ya’ll here for the mayraython? How boot some clam chowdah or a lobstah
fresh from Bahston Hahbah?”
Such
is the atmosphere in Boston; a city that really knows how to put on a
marathon. New York was good, but the race was only one big event in a big
city full of big events. Here it is the big event of the year! And the city exudes a much warmer and welcoming feeling. But
be warned, it comes with a price – our ordinary hotel was over $300 CD;
parking can cost $8 US for the first hour (or $350 US per month). Still,
its a very charming city – easily walkable and resplendent in
full-blooming spring.
There is plenty to do for both runners and non-runners alike. The Runner’s Expo is, as Milos mentioned, celestial. Old as well as new stars shine brightly … Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Johnny Kelly, Jacqueline Gareau, Silvio Guerra, Libbie Hickman and others (of course Grete) are there to chat with running fans. There is much less waiting in line than there was at New York. Race package pickup goes smoothly and the pasta dinner is efficient and tasty. For non-runners, Boston is a great tourist town with a great deal of history and amazing architecture.
Physical
conditions on race day were cruel with cold and wind, but the atmosphere
was still charged with excitement. My plan was too run with my friends Rod
and Colleen at a pace that would bring us in at about 3:40. We agreed to
meet at the two mile mark, where I had to wait for six minutes for them to
come by. It was a very crowded course.
New York had twice as many runners, but the roads were wide urban
streets. The Boston route is
like having 16,000 people on the Regina to Lumsden run…. except with a
million spectators. Actually, the cold weather kept the crowds down from
the usual number, yet it is hard to imagine more vocal and supportive
spectators. I took pictures along the course but lost the camera somewhere
along the way. That was really unfortunate; there were some great shots --
the crowd, some attractive “views from the rear”, and me being swarmed
by a group of Wellesley girls. Once I realized that the camera had bounced
out, I made an attempt to find it. It
was impossible to go against the flow, however I crouched down and ran
under spectators outstretched arms along the fence. Very
shortly my legs became crampy and I realized the search was futile.
Catching up with my friends took some time and it included a sprint up
Heartbreak Hill. That was probably the most exhilarating part of the run!
After passing the boozing Boston College students, we entered the city,
passed the Citgo sign and crossed the finish line at a chip time of 3:42.
It had been a tough though fantastic run and it was good to finally get
warm.
All
in all, the race itself is only a small part of the entire weekend. It’s
the nostalgia, the prestige, and the awe of being at a world famous event
that has seen so much drama and gained so much importance in the culture
of our sport. Feeling the glory of distance running is what makes it
special. And then of course after the race there is going to Cheeahs for a
few beeahs.
Around-the-Bay 30K, Hamilton March 26
Having been first run in 1894, this is the oldest race in North America and the first in the world to be run in three centuries. It too is a good marathon tune-up. Considering it’s history, there is not much spectacular about the course – straight down unaesthetic Main Street Hamilton, hold your breath for 8 km while passing the steel plants, across the bridge, and back along the other side of the harbour. The best part was the race headquarters. It was held at the Convention Center and Copps Coliseum. Compared to the usual, this place was really classy. Glass, hardwood, carpeting, and running water bathrooms on three floors. It was quite a sight after the race – runners sprawled out everywhere in various positions and states of consciousness. Stretching, bagel munching, and just plain moaning; it looked like a battle rehab. I think it was a bit unnerving to the clients of concurrent functions who had to gingerly step through the writhing masses and who found naked people showering in the washroom sinks. A Kenyan won the race by two minutes.
Race Objective: take it easy until 20k, then pick it up for the challenging (hills) last 10k
Time: first half 1:16, second half 1:09
Gatorade
Half-Marathon,
Peterborough
February 27
Mid-winter
is a great time to race this distance – especially if you are preparing
for a spring marathon. Peterborough
and Gatorade do a great job of hosting this event – lots of support,
many cups of sticky fluids, and interesting weather. Last year it was 2
degrees and raining until the starting gun. The sky then cleared and it
became warm – everybody was overdressed. This year the start was sunny
and mild, but when the gun went off it began to pour and get cold – we
all froze. The course is a double loop with 2 hills the first circuit and
I’m sure there are 3 hills the next time around. There were nearly 1000
runners with the first three finishing in 1:07.
It was so wet that I had to keep opening the wrist cuff of my shirt
and let out the water that had accumulated in the sleeve. Yet, it was
still great fun!
Race
Objective: finish between last year’s best and worst half-marathon time
Kingston Twosome (5 K) February 13
This
race is held annually on the Sunday nearest Valentine’s Day and it takes
two good runs to win. Entrants
are male/female teams; the categories and results are the couple’s
combined age and combined time. This
leads for some interesting combinations where not only is it important to
run fast, but age categories
can be strategically manipulated. To
be successful, it is important to know who else is paired up when
selecting partners. It is probably the one time in the year where it is
acceptable to run around with someone else’s spouse.
My pairing didn’t turn out to well (so what else is new?).
We were aiming for the prize for the time in the exact middle, but
fell far below. Next time
maybe I’ll join the group of swingers who pick their partner’s car
keys out of a bowl.
Race
Objective: start at the back, don’t wear a watch, run under 22:00
Actual Time: 21:50
Spencerville Winter Festival
January 16
Spencerville
is a small rural town a little more than an hour from Kingston. Along with
the snowmobile and truck derby events of the annual Winter Festival, there
is a short road race. It was my first race since the NYC Marathon and
interestingly there were some notable similarities and differences between
the two events.
At
New York there were 32,000 runners. This race had 32. The marathon course
was an accurately measured 42.195 km through the 5 boroughs of the city.
At Spencerville, the course made a 4-sided rectangle around the town’s
perimeter and was somewhere between 5 and 5.5 km (nobody knew for sure).
In Central Park a computer instantly recorded the finishing “chip”
time. In this local race, you got your “stick” time. That’s when at
the finish line you get handed a Popsicle stick marked with your overall
finishing rank. After the pancake breakfast you go to the timekeeper’s
table and see if he has the times, rankings, and finishers all figured
out. In NYC, I finished 5998th
overall and didn’t place in my age category. At Spencerville, I finished
7th overall and still didn’t place in my age group.
Race
Objective: participate and have fun
Actual Time:
about 24:30