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Near -perfect conditions greeted thirty-two starters and finishers of the inaugural "Autumnal Equinox Classic Four Mile Road Race at Oak Park" in Greenfield. By
the time the runners responded to the starter's pistol at 1800 hours EDT on Wednesday eve of 21 September, they were already in a slap-happy mood. They had good reason to
be. For the 35.00 entry fee ($40.00 post), each participant received a newborn pair of LOCO racing or training shoes. This footwear retails normally for $59.00 to $84.00.
If they simply signed up, paid the fee, collected the shoes, and drove home in time to catch the Sox game , all the fleet of feet would still be ahead of the game by far. Oh, but there was so much more. Of course you had to sit around, vegetate, stare at the TV set, grow wider and be brainwashed again by the mainstream media. You all know the American media is joined at the hip with The US Gov't, yet you continue to be a deer-in-the-headlights for them. You're the prey, they are the predators who don't play by the rules.. They both do what comes naturally: LIE! And you believe them. TV is passive. KILL YOUR TELEVISION! Tsk. Tsk. So you get all worked up over Iraq , ooohh and ahhh over brain-dead celebrities (who are so transparently fraudulent), and Hurricane Whatever, and let them spoon feed you more manure. You deserve it. Invest in a shortwave. There thou shalt find the TRUTH. It's all about control. That is what they are after. Stand up. You'll pay a price for veracity, though. Go along to get along and it will cost a man or woman his/her life and soul. Anyway, the scholarly and athletic kindred spirits of those who made a wiser choice and gathered at Oak Park know better and decided to exercise both mind and body. They aren't couch potato material and that is why they were here. So off they went-- giddy as all get-go--galloping down Peterboro Road, to Swamp Rd, then Old Bennington Rd (right by Dan Walsh's homestead, which is or may one day be registered with the National Historic Deeds), and alas the long, grinding stretch up Forest (Gump) Road and back to the finish at "The Park," as we all call it. First harrier across the line by a long shot was one Davey "The Animal" Audet of Concord, who turned in a spiffy-looking 23:07 on the fearsome foursome route. His margin of victory was a lopsided one, besting the second place finisher by nearly 4 minutes. My Goodness! Davey has a ton of credentials. He's run at least one marathon in each state, has about 15 victories at that very distance, and this year has competed in roughly 125 races. Yup. He may hit 170. Who knows? And he does them all at a real good clip. He has my vote for New England "Runner of the Year." He does it all. Ask him about the Green Mountain Marathon of 1991 though. Naaaaahhhh. Maybe you shouldn't. HisPR is 2:27 and change. No steroids either. It just so happens that the runner-up was also the Number One Lady to finish as well as first Greenfield resident. Aye! Twas the local legend Marissa (Evonne Goolagong) Cawley, a former all star for Middlebury College. Marissa stopped the tape in 26:54 over a mighty challenging route. Kudos to her. You won't get that pun if you are under 25 years. Maybe a trivia question at the Sizzlers next year. She performed marvelously. Not to be outdone, fifty -eight year-old ageless uberlaufer (Always- In -The-) Hunt Dowse snagged the bronze medal with a 27:01, and was first Veteran. How about them apples!? Oh! That reminds me. I meant to make one final stop at MacLeod's to pick up several bags of that precious Autumnal fruit prior to setting up shop for the race. Aggh! The memory is really slipping. I bet Hunt Dowse don't got no stinking memory problems. Next year, I guess. What will it be...1965? Anyway, it wasn't an issue, as there were still plenty of goodies to go around. A cornucopia of stuff from basketballs (Davey A. grabbed it) to brake fluid to bread to candy to cat food. We had it all. And more. What did you expect? It's Harvest Time. Back to the race. Fourth place went to hometown boy (Thunder) Dan Walsh, who could have stopped (and maybe he did) at his abode on Old Bennington to check how the beans were coming along in the crock pot, and maybe feed the goldfish, too. I think he overfeeds the poor things. They always go belly up cuz he gives 'em way too much food. Only two little grains. This isn't your Newfoundland you're feeding, Dan. So he got his head and body back in the game and did a 28:12. Rounding out the Top Five was resident fireman Dave "Monty" Hall (Of Fame) just getting back into the sport once again. His time: 29:25. How about that (Auntie) Libby Twitchell of Peterborough? She is movin' on up-- just like The Jeffersons. Don't know if the "Queen Of The Canned Veggies" has her deluxe apartment in the skyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy yet. Ask her. She's approachable. Libster put the hammer down in 30:26, and that made her not only grin like a Cheshire but also garnered second among the lassies. Imagine how she'd have fared without lugging the hammer along for 4 miles? Better than the 30:26 which she did. It marked her first Top Ten Overall finish ever in a race. Way to Go! Lib Lady wants to keep the ticket she received when she crossed the line. Ok, Lib, but there's a ten dollar deposit on it. After the contest concluded, combatants enjoyed refreshments, cookies (sorry, no milk), oranges. fresh lobster, oysters, caviar, shrimp, filet mignon, fine wine and aged cheese. Well, maybe some runners had all those things at some other race. Prizes were varied and ample. Twelve trivia questions were posted along the race course on poster board and tacked up hither and yonder. Those who were alert enough to read 'em, savvy enough to recall 'em and sharp enough to bellow out the answer at the ceremony won a prize of his or her choosing from the Table Of Plenty. Then we had raffles, which are kind of left over prizes, but still pretty darned good. Merit Awards ( no badges) were not given according to how you finished, but rather in what month were you birthed! May picked first and September last of all. So folks were called up in twelve different waves. It goes quicker that way. Ah yes! Then there was the special cat food raffle, an exclusive drawing available expressly to those who are stewards of felines. I picked a number from one to twenty (18) in what qualifies as a brain in mein kopf, I guess, and the one who was closest won the vittles. This kitty dinner was to die for, I tell ya! Why? Cuz it had the special "Hairball Formula" in it. No kidding. Said so right on the box. I remember the winner's face but can't give you his name offhand. But at least he can enter into morning meetings now at work without the added concern of coughing up hairballs out of nowhere. He will be more confident, no doubt, because of this. Trust me. We beat darkness, but not by much (or maybe IT actually won out over us), bid adieu to the friendly climes of summer and all that it represents, then granted the right hand of fellowship to the cooler, crisper days of Autumn, daring not to ponder much beyond that (of the harsher days and harsher nights which shall surely come to pass). Special thanks to Molly( Yard/Stark/Hatchett) Anfuso of the Greenfield Rec. Dept, who was a HUGE help during the entire proceedings. She makes nice maps, readable ones. Also to her kids, Amelia (Bedelia) And Michael (Row Your Boat Ashore). They were there at 3:15 pm. Thanks, guys. Additionally, a tip of the hat to Jane "Iron Babe" Papageorge, Our Little Margie Dineen, and "Million Dollar" Bill Mitchell for assisting me at the finish line. And to Shaun (Penn) McMahon for lending the stanchions, cones and chute. He is always there giving. It was good to see him participate in a race and enjoy himself. And last but by no means least, Mr. Mike St. Laurent , Co-founder and CEO of LOCO shoes, who set up a cool tent and then -proceeded to outfit all 33 runners for the LOCO model of their choice. He came all the way from Newmarket. He is a good businessman and truly superb in his people skills. Mr. Mike is right on and a real asset to the running community. Mike is friendly, positive , knowledgeable and tops it off with a fine sense of humor. He would be my choice for MVP of this race. Let's call him Saint Michael Laurent instead. Many new faces. New to me. Others were Sizzler Alums. Let's see. Let me take a peek at the results. Ready? Here goes...... Bill Peters(-ham, Mass.),
We will do it again next year, advertise more expansively and for a greater duration. My bet is we hit a hundred or more. Our athletes were pleased. They got their moneys worth , whistled as they waltzed to their vehicles with new sneeks all pristine and purty-lookin'. and gazed westward while soaking in summer's final rays of sunshine. I can be reached for quality Event Management at 525-9357.Anything from parades to inaugurations to political campaigns to foot races. Done well so that you say, "Well Done!" See you around, and let me know if you'd like to order a copy of the book receiving rave reviews: "From Fairbanks To Boston....Fifty Great US Marathons" by Rain Maker Publishing. Dave Birse, Autumnal Equinox Race Director |
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 04:31 PM