Today was pretty chilly at the start so our pre-race announcements were shortened considerably. As promised, here are the prepared remarks in full:
“Thank you for coming to the 3rd annual Raven Rocks Run! Before we get going onto the course, I have a few items to cover briefly. [race results here]
Happy Birthday to 3 runners: Kevin Lewis, Timothy Dixon, and Christine Ippolito!
40 of you joined Friends of Trailside Museum as members for calendar year 2018 – over $2,600.00 raised for the Museum.
You can sign up as Friends of Trailside members through Dec 31st at the race website’s Trailside Museum membership link.
I wanted to mention a new trail race – Next Saturday Nov 18, Conquer the Forest 5 miler at Clearpool in Carmel, NY. Clearpool is part of Green Chimneys. Green Chimneys is recognized as a worldwide leader in animal-assisted therapy and educational activities for children with special needs. The course is hilly and challenging – a true trail run. I am registered and will be there next week. Hope to see some of you there!
If you have layers on now and you get to the campground (about 1 mile in) and you want to leave your outer layer, we will have volunteers collecting them and returning them to the finish area for you to pick up at the end of your race.
The course carries hazards. The leaves can be slick in spots. We did some course “grooming” over the past few weeks, but leaves and hazards are a natural part of the trail. Take care and take those rocky downhills slowly. The uphills you can go fast on.
Course markings are pink flags, pink ribbon, and yellow caution tape to keep you going on the right trail. The course was pre-run by Joe, Lee, Peeter, and Jeff. I am quite sure they scared the bear away that was seen checking the course yesterday near the fire tower.
Sweeps will be following along behind the runners. If you can’t continue, stay on the course and the sweeps will catch up to you and send for help if you need it. They have cell phones, sweep maps, and LVAC contact info.
After runners finish we will have awards near the tent. Please stick around – you may go home with a prize!
Thank yous at start:
- Ciorsdan — thank you for helping with the whole event. She had BIB #1 last year and is always #1 in my heart. I love you!
- Shout out to Tony and Judy Godino – I feel like I have attended graduate school at the Godino Institute for Trail Race Studies. Still working on my thesis topic. Possibly a comparison of high and low course markings and runner attention.
- Lee Willett – Leads the Sunday Run group of Leatherman Harriers on weekly runs, night runs, snow runs, make your own course runs, all over westchester, and occasionally farther afield. If you have a trail running group, get in touch — we could be convinced to make a field trip to your favorite spot or race! Sundayruns.org
- Trail Mix race directors: Tony, Lee, Barry, Mark, David, Brant, Geoff. (Almost all races in series represented here?) Fourth year of the Series. Each year it keeps getting better. After today over 100 Runners are in line for the well deserved automatic selection in the Loop Lottery 2018! if you don’t know what the Trail Mix Series is, check out trailmixseries.org and take a trail mix card from the registration table. If you don’t know what the Leatherman’s Loop is, ask the person next to you!
- Shout out to Charlie Vaccaro who is the only runner to finish all Trail Mix races to date (19! over 4 years – this will be #20). Eric Foxhall and Jerre Skeats have done 17 & 16 each!
- Sunday Runners, many are volunteers here. Thanks for keeping the trails well traveled!
- Parks department – Jeff, Chase, Mike, and the rest of the crew who are so supportive of what we do.
- Tom Cohn – past president of the Friends of Trailside and THE driving force behind the newly energized “bring back the fire tower” effort. Big supporter of this race and runners.
- Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – Thanks for your support of the Museum and Park!
- Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps (LVAC) – Volunteers all of them. What a great group of community members. They will take care of you if you should need it. Hopefully you meet them after you have crossed the finish line and are having a bagel & coffee.
- Race volunteers – BLACK t-shirts – thanks to them we get to have a race!
Introduce My parents: John and Pat Cummings, our official starters for today’s race:
-Bib #1 for each!
-They came to my little league games and come to my kids games. They still love coming to see all of their 7 kids and 14 grandkids compete & perform. Don’t forget your thank you pie!
OK, now for the start!” (hand mic to Dad).