Eat a hearty breakfast (later)
By Gary Droze
Some terms are naturally paired: death and taxes, mom and apple pie, running and throwing up. Gulf Winds Track Club race director Felton Wright must have had that last pair in mind when he decided to call this Saturday’s Grand Prix event the “Breakfast on the Track.” While Wright concedes that the true mark of a runner is not necessarily the stain left by wayward stomach contents, he explained to me that “bereaving through heaving” is a popular way for runners to express their sense of loss. Whether it’s loss of the race, loss of composure, or loss of a perfectly good bowl of corn flakes depends, of course, upon each individual.
Wright had many different individuals in mind when he set up the numerous categories for this year’s meet. Area runners of every stripe are invited to show up at the Maclay School track this Saturday morning. A $13 entry fee gives attendees a crack at four laps around the Maclay track, followed by a tasty pancake breakfast, served on the premises. There’s no reason to be bashful about entering, as Wright will set up multiple heats of the mile race, so that folks will be able to race, run, or jog with their fitness peers. The races begin at 7:45am, with the fastest runners seeded in the earliest heats.
Awards for the mile will be plentiful and varied. In addition to coveted Grand Prix points for GWTC members, awards will go to the top male and female individuals, the fastest espoused team, top mother-child and father-child pairs, and the speediest grandparent-grandchild team. No age discrimination at this event!
No discrimination against sprinters, either. Following the mile races, and before breakfast is served, open team mile relay races will be held. For one dollar per team member, area sprinters are welcome to put together their best 4×400 squads, to show us long distance sloggers what real running looks like. Top finishers in these races will also earn awards. And for those who consider one fall lap something of a distance run, a 100 meter race will go off at 9:15am. Race director Wright cautions that older club members who enter this last contest will be charged fall in-season rates for the rental crutches that will be stacked at the 50 meter mark. Finally, Wright offers one crucial morsel of advice to all: “RUN first, THEN eat breakfast!”