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Runners keep trucking for just about any cause
By JOE SHAFRAN
A while back I told the story of two Annapolis Striders, Peter Salmon-Cox and Susan Zevin, who ran a marathon aboard a cruise ship anchored off Antartica unable to dock because of weather. The pair was headed to do another in their plan to run a marathon on each of the world’s continents. While out running last Saturday afternoon, I was told a story that might just top the cruise ship run. When I slowed down to jog -in-place, waiting to cross the street near the Anne Arundel Medical Center, this man, a walker, also waiting to cross, sort of holds my jersey and says he can tell me a thing or two about running. He introduced himself as Jim George, of Annapolis , who was proud to say that his daughter-in-law, for many years, when she was with the State’s Attorney’s office put on the Victims Fund Run each fall at Severna Park. This was Shelly George. Then he proceeds to tell me about a run that he had either known about but I suspect had something to do with, about 30 years ago when he was in the Army. It was the U. S. Army around-the-world continuous day and night relay run that was on terra firma except for the plane rides across the oceans. The run went without a hitch until they were headed across the U.S. and were about to cross Arizona where in that state they seemed to have a law that prohibited running at night. Remember, George explains, still holding my shirt, this is the continuous non-stop day and night Army relay which meant that certain legs of the run would have the participants running at night and one of those legs turns out to be in Arizona. What race director could micro-manage down to uncover an archaic Arizona law? So what does the Army do on short notice? They get hold of the Teamsters local in that section of the country and had them round up a bunch of flat-bed tractor-trailers and had them park them at the Arizona state line. On the flatbeds, they mounted treadmills and generators and long story short, with the runners beating the treadmills to death, got them across the state and around the world... But back to the local Victims Fund Run, Judy Felt of the States Attorney’s office assured me she is now in charge and the run will go on. Sergeant George tells me he was in the Army for nearly 40 years and continues to this day to have an interest in Special Olympics, which sort of tied in with my morning activity Saturday at the Joe Canon 5K run at Harmans Park, where the proceeds go to the Scholarship and General Fund for Recreation Deeds for Special Needs and Friends of Joe Cannon. . It was at that run that three Anne Arundel County departments, Health, Recreation and Parks, and Fire helped kick off the I.D. project, trying to encourage runners and others to wear a visible I.D. in case of trouble when medical help is needed. I conducted one of my informal polls at the Joe Cannon and as usual, my sampling found very few runners who had any I.D. on them at all. One person said he is contemplating getting an I.D. implant such as those now used for pets, but was told by the medics around here that this is not yet a viable alternative. Scott Koehler won the 5K in his predicted time of 16 minutes and 24 seconds. Sheryl Kline of Arnold was the first female at 19:47. Close to 200 were registered.
As for runner or runners of the week rather than singling out one person as is usual in this column, let me commend all the special needs people who were at the Joe Cannon on Saturday... This was the annual event put on by the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, with the race and walk headed up by Wendy Scarborough and many volunteers and presided over by newly appointed head of Recreation and Parks, Frank Marzucco and the number two man, Franklin Chaney.
The hint of the week might well come from the Joe Cannon 5K where it was cloudy, damp and chilly in the forties. Joe Hatcher, long in area law enforcement, did it right. He was at the start line in just a tank top, shorts and shoes, but most of the other 199 runners had on their winter gear. At the finish line, Hatcher came in, sweated up, but with his original outfit Many of the others had shed their garments along the way as they built up a sweat. In a race this time of year when temperatures are likely to be heading for the sixties, dress accordingly. Shiver a bit at the start line, but save going back to pick up the garments let alone remember where you tossed them.
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The Wirefly National Marathon was held last Saturday in Washington D.C. and I don’t know if numbers mean anything to you, but the results show the growing number of women in running. Women out numbered the men as finishers in the half marathon (1203/1103). This race, with twists and turns, was all contained in the District and if marshals were at each twist and turn, there would have been about 60. Michael Wardian 32, of Arlington Virginia was first in the marathon at 2:26 and the first female was Katie Blackett, 29, of Boulder Colorado, in 2:44 And I figure the Annapolis names in the list of marathon finishers were Midshipmen from the Naval Academy Marathon Team. All in either in their late teens or early twenties, they were pacers and finished in about 3 hours.
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On some of the running websites, and other places, you might see or hear mention of the new weekly live radio talk show on running that debuts from Baltimore this Saturday morning at 11. There is mention that the host is your faithful columnist. While it requires much time, I’m pleased to tell you that it will not detract from my writing this column. In fact, it might enhance its scope. I encourage you to listen and comment and also to call in about your running exploits. It’s on WVIE, at 1370 on the A.M dial and the number is 410.481.1370. The sponsors are the Falls Road Running Stores at Mount Washington and at Fells Point in Baltimore. The operators of those shops, Jim Adams and Deneen Habarta, both avid runners, will co-host.
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We don’t yet have a restaurant-type Zagat or Mobil rating system for ten mile runs. We depend on publications like Runners World magazine to rate the races and on their current website, they list the Annapolis Ten Mile Run on Sunday, August 26 as one of the six Big 10 milers in the nation. Craig Harrison and Lisa Fontaine continue this year as directors. Harrison is president-elect of the Annapolis Striders. The Credit Union Cherry Blossom run this weekend in Washington, D.C. and the Army Ten Miler, also in Washington, in October are two of the others in the Runners World best list.
Running Calendar:
Sun. April 1, 8 A.M South River School Complex, Edgewater, Cherry Pit 10 Miler. Striders, 410.268.1165
Sun. April 1, 8 A.M... Main St. Annapolis. Moms In Motion. 10K’s. Teams meeting fitness goals. Contact Melanie Tucker. runwalk2finish@yahoo.com
Sat. April 7, 7 A.M. Ocean City, Maryland, Factory Outlets Half and Full Marathons and 5 K Website: www.extremedreamevents.com
Sat. April 14, 8:30 A.M. Tiger Trot, Central Elementary School , 5K Run/Walk . Contact president@mvcentralpta.org
Sat. April 28, 8AM ... Bates Jr High track, Annapolis. Striders 2007 Beginning Running Program .Saturday mornings, but also Tues. and Thurs. at 6 P.M. Call Evan or Penny 410.721.6614. Must be able do a brisk 20 minute walk. Alumni invited to make a personal appearance. Ten fast-paced weeks.
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If you have a suggestion for the runner of the week,
please e-mail me with a contact number.
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