The photo below shows the runners all smiles for the start of the 4K.

What a glorious weekend! After promises of rain and ominous clouds to start the year, we dodged a bullet. Rain would have meant treacherous footing on this course, generously listed as "80% paved or gravel roads." Indeed, most of the gravel road is more dirt than gravel; on rainy days, known to runners as "mud." Thankfully, the warm fifty degree first day of January matched the New Year's Eve for unwinter-like appearances. Runners quickly shed warm-ups, gloves, and hats.

With the staging area inside, runners enjoyed plenty of space to warm-up, stretch, and imbibe last-minute water before stripping down to shorts and T-shirts. Everything looked good to go at 10:30 as runners lined up for the John R. Diedrich 4K Fun Run. Happy participants charged down the field, leaping over a few gullies but without having to deal with mud.

Fifteen minutes later the main event was about to start. As usual, nearly five hundred runners crowded behind the ChampionChip mats. Today's race would be different. The first half-mile found runners racing down the grassy hill to enter the rolling hills of Morven Park Estate. Racing through the gate, energetic music hurried the racers along as they loped up the first hill. Though there was some residual dampness, the course was remarkably easy to maneuver. This was very reassuring as the next two miles had runners staring skyward going up the hills and hovering near the brakes going back down the curvy hills of the park.

Mile three was on paved roads and still nothing out of the ordinary, as runners spread out like a huge serpent. Briefly leaving the paved area soon after, repeat runners were shaking their heads. That last course marshal had said, "Stay to the right," to avoid the returning leaders. That return should have been about 400 meters later. It was not to be.

Though many runners have run the race year after year, without a marshal at a critical turn, the lead runners continued on and on and on. Perhaps a dozen of the top runners continued on, turning up Locust Hill Road and going over the hill. Some of them may have gone on to make their race near 10 miles. The correct distance for the George C. Marshall race is, of course, 10K. Other runners turned back at the top of the hill near a road marker. Their distance was between 7.75 and 8.0 miles.

Most of the runners were savvy enough to know the race was long. This was confirmed when they reached the four mile marker with times of 20 to 30 minutes for the "fourth mile." Not to worry, this first run of the year was conducted in perfect weather with great scenery. It was great to start the year with such an invigorating run.

Back at the Recreation Center, runners quickly lined up for coffee, cocoa, and water to help them wash down bagels, cookies, and candies. Live music entertained the runners; while everybody tried to work out how many miles they may have run.

Sadly, it would be near impossible to fairly decide who won the race with so many runners going different distances. Happily, this meant all the prizes were handed out randomly. We were sorry for the disappointed elite athletes but slyly smiling that we now had a chance to go home with a prize.

Race Results
Photo Gallery 2006
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