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Running: Clarifying a few matters of odd running times
By Joe Shafran, For The Capital
"The Guinness Book of Records" people might be looking for two area people who ran the marathon in Baltimore earlier this past fall. They may want to determine if the two can qualify for the "Book".
The ages of Michael Breen and Judith Dixon were listed on the official marathon manifest as 99, and their finish times would defy reality. It would be interesting to see how Michael, who placed 327th out of the thousands of finishers in 3:38, and Judith, who placed 688th in 5:40, did it at that age.
In using those official timings in one of my column, it raised a few eyebrows as was the case when the results were put up after the race. Apparently, neither Michael nor Judith listed their ages in the registration process, so the software program used by Corrigan Sports the race directors automatically drops in the 99 digits.
So much for clarification. Now a retrospective look at this past year’s running.
Last Sunday’s snow reminded many of similar weather almost a year ago to the day when the Marley Station Jingle Bell 5K race had to be canceled. But rather than it be a total bust, race consultant Evan Thomas got a few fellows together and by ingeniously placing some orange safety cones around the perimeter of parking area, they did get in a 5K run.
Last week they ran a marathon in Afghanistan and for obvious reasons had to reconfigure the 26.2 miles, not around the parking lot at the air base at Tirin Kot, but in several turns around the perimeter of the base, at an altitude of 5,000 feet, and in 55 degree weather. The winner did it in 3:12. There were 184 soldiers and civilians in it, all running for the memory of four of their comrades who were killed in recent fighting.
Among the finishers in the 2004 Marine Marathon, there was a Sally Gannon, who came from California and who walked the 26.2 miles in a bit over 7 hours. It was to honor her late husband, Marine Capt. Rick Gannon, killed in Iraq in April. Capt. Gannon, father of four, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. A runner of note, he got world attention a few years ago, when he ran his first marathon at age 9 with his father. Rick Gannon also helped coach cross country teams at the academy.
In the listing also, was Andy Fox, who ran also in memory of the captain and finished in a little more than 3 hours.
There were some personal happenings that I consider memorable this past year. One was the talk I gave to the cross country team at St. Anne’s Day School in Annapolis a couple months ago. First, I must say the setting was the best one could ask for. I had exactly 9 minutes to speak. It was to be at 3:45, just after dismissal and 10 minutes before the team was to do a training run. I suspected that if I went over my time, they would just up and leave for the trail. But more impressive was the fact that the team is in existence. A little over three years ago coach Cindi Barney, a marathoner of note and a member of the school staff, had mentioned to me that she was going to try organizing a cross country team. And here it is, almost four years later, that I’m standing before about 42 kids, all suited up in their sweats just waiting for me to finish my 9 minutes so they could hit the trail with Coach Barney.
Figures show that the sport of running is continually growing, in great part due to females getting into the races. I thought it a valid suggestion from a reader a few months ago that not only should I list the first 10 finishers, usually men, but list the first 10 women, also.
I never cease to marvel at the various running groups that gather many mornings at various locations, including the 6:06 running club that meets at Church Circle in Annapolis and takes off at that time. One of the organizers of that group is Gill Cochran, the lawyer and former Annapolis Alderman.
He claims he’s run every day for the past 25 years. During the heavy snowfalls here, this man runs the decks of the usually empty local parking garages. All this attention has attracted the attention of city officials who have noted that his constant running has begun to wear down the historic Annapolis pavement and have made him take out a "license to sweat" which not only restricts his running hours to the two hours after 6 a.m but in an amendment, requires him to make sure he doesn’t drip sweat on the diners at sidewalk cafes
One of the things I’ve encountered in my never ending search for good running routes in and around Annapolis is mention of the fellow wearing a T-shirt, on the back of which was the inscription, "I am a bomb technician. If you see me running, try to keep up."
I’ve lately begun to read the obituaries in The Capital and over the past year have noted mentions that the deceased were runners. Two of them, among others, were for Buck Cadell, 70, of Annapolis and Ned Bienemann Jr., 63, of Pasadena.
And finally, something about the people who run this newspaper. It is one of the few daily papers in the United States that provides space for a running column and I think the paper should be commended. While it allows editorial license to a columnist, there is a modicum of scrutiny that goes with the license.
A happy holiday to all.
Calendar
Jan. 1: Annapolis, City Dock, 9 a.m., "a 10Kish" run according to race director Addie Welch, holding the fort until the race founder, Mike Smith, hopefully returns from Florida. There’s a post-race cash coffee bar at City Dock Cafe, with free T-shirts to the first 150 finishers. There is no entry fee. The highlight of the whole race is when the early finishers stand in mockery at the finish line, urging on the stragglers after a night out. Call Addie at 410-849-3167 or just show up before 9.
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