“Ah!” Herriott was smiling proudly. “Privileged information, Sergeant. A friend of mine happened to know that he wanted to test himself over six days but couldn’t face the prospect of mingling with a batch of peds. The separate tracks were my inspiration.”

“You didn’t know him before this, then?”

“No, Sergeant. Fellow’s not really my type.”

“Mine neither. As a matter of interest, sir, d’ you know anything about this man, Harvey?”

“Harvey? Oh, the trainer! He was his batman, wasn’t he? No, I know very little of him. He seems very capable.”

“Yes.” Cribb smiled at an undisclosed thought. “Well, sir. Thank you for your time. You’ve been helpful.”

“T like to be, if I can,” Herriott gushed.

“The race finishes at ten-thirty Saturday night, I believe.”

“You’ll make some kind of presentation to the winners?”

Herriott leaned back and tapped the safe.

“T’ve over a thousand pounds in here, Sergeant, and a magnificent belt. Oh yes, I’ll have a presentation ceremony on Saturday night—if the winner can walk up for his prize, of course!” He was convulsed with laughter at the prospect of a champion too exhausted to cover another step. “I hope you’ll be there to see it, Sergeant.”

“Looks as though I shall, sir,’ Cribb confirmed, without much enthusiasm.

Thackeray was waiting in some perturbation for Cribb to leave Herriott’s office.

“T’ve looked everywhere I know, Sarge. Harvey just ain’t to be found.”

“You’ve asked Chadwick?”

“He don’t seem interested.”

“Don’t suppose he will be before one o’clock. Harvey should be here by then. Strict on their duties, these military men. Now how about the strychnine hunt? Any reports come in?”

If they had, Thackeray had been too preoccupied to collect them from the police office. The two detectives walked in that direction, past the arena, which had filled almost to capacity. Mostyn-Smith, rather redder in the face now, was still a yard in front of Chadwick, with O’ Flaherty almost at his side. The strain was telling on all three. They clung to the pace more in desperation than determination. Whoever succumbed now would be mentally accepting defeat.

The constable on duty had a sheaf of papers ready for Cribb. He thumbed them through rapidly, rejecting many, and then examined the rest more carefully.

“No help here,” he finally told Thackeray. “We’Il get some more in tomorrow. I’m not too confident though. Seems another dead end.”

“Should we see Mrs. Darrell again, and face her with the false statement about where she was last Monday evening?”

“Not much point. I don’t think she’d tell us much that we don’t know. Now what’s this? Ah!”

He picked up a report that he had at first rejected.

“No. The report on Monk’s note. I wanted the handwriting analysed, compared with his signature in the poison-book.”

“What’s their view, then?” asked Thackeray.

“As I thought, unfortunately. Monk definitely wrote the letter. No shadow of a doubt.”

Thackeray was mystified.

“T don’t follow, Sarge. That was a suicide note—must have been cooked up by the killer.”

Cribb shook his head. His constable had disappointed him again.

“Not so, not so! Got a note of the wording of that note, have you?”

Thackeray embarrassedly delved for his notebook. He read out Monk’s message. “ ‘This is to show how sorry I am. I did not mean him to die. Samuel Monk.’—Was he forced to write it, do you think, Sarge?”

“Not very likely. Poor fellow was too drunk to write anything, by Jacobson’s account. No. What we’ ve got to work out is when he wrote it, Thackeray. That’s the key.”

Thackeray remained bewildered.

“Tt don’t make any sort of sense, to me, Sarge. If Monk didn’t kill Darrell— and we know that he couldn’t have—why should he take the blame on himself? He was so sure of himself that night when we saw him in the tent. He knew his bracer had been mixed right.”

“Of course he did!” said Cribb. “So he couldn’t have taken the blame. You’re right. But give a thought to the timing, man. There was a time when Monk would have had a guilty conscience.”

“T still don’t—”

“Before he knew it was strychnine that killed Darrell! What did they think it was at first?”

“Right. And how do you contract tetanus?”

“Through getting something into a wound—like the cowdung this place stinks of.”

“Exactly. Well, there’s the point. Darrell ran barefoot on his blistered feet that Monday night, and Monk didn’t stop him. Wouldn’ the feel responsible and write a note like this?”

“You mean he planned to kill himself then, Sarge?”

Peter Lovesey WOBBLE TO DEATH @® 133

“T didn’t say that. But that’s when he wrote it.”

“Ain’t that obvious?”

Thackeray was not sure that it was, but prudently nodded agreement.

Harvey re-entered the Hall carrying a paper parcel soon after eleven that evening. He was instantly recognized by the constable on duty at the Islington Green gate and hustled to the police office where Cribb and Thackeray were waiting.

“Thought you’d walked out on us, Mr. Harvey,” Cribb began. “Couldn’t find you anywhere. Not like you to leave Captain Chadwick to his own devices.”

“Thad good reason,” answered Harvey.

“No doubt of that, no doubt at all. You know why we want to talk with you?”

“Tl not wrap it in fancy words then. You were seen leaving O’Flaherty’s hut this morning. Later on he pulled out of the race with sore feet. Crushed nutshells. Do you admit putting them in his boots?”

Harvey was admirably calm.

“Ain’t you worked that out, Sergeant? I’m on Captain Chadwick’s side, in case you don’t remember.”

“Don’t you play smart with me,” warned Cribb. “You might be in a lot of trouble.”

“What’s the charge, then?” asked Harvey confidently. ““Trespassing—or assault?”

“Could be a double charge of murder,” Cribb answered, and Harvey’s manner changed at once.

“You think that I—because I got at O’Flaherty’s boots—oh no, Sergeant! That ain’t true!”

“You’ ve got a clearer motive for killing Darrell than anyone in this Hall,” said Cribb. “Your actions confirm you’ll take big chances to see Chadwick win. You care nothing for O’Flaherty. You’d cripple him for Chadwick’s sake. Why shouldn’t you have poisoned Darrell? Could have slipped in more strychnine than you meant, of course. Murder is deliberate, with malice aforethought. Might make it manslaughter on the first charge, if you’ll cough the full story—”

“Look, ? mno murderer!” protested Harvey. “I know nothing about Darrell’s death, or Monk’s. I’ ve admitted fixing the Irishman’s boots, but that don’t make me a killer.”

Cribb pressed his advantage.

“You’d better talk pretty quick, then, Mr. Harvey. I want to know all about you and your gaffer, and I want to know your movements last Monday night. You’d better remember it right too. ’ve been given several accounts of that night, and I know what happened most of the time.”

Harvey collected his thoughts. Last Monday seemed an age ago. Thackeray took out his notebook.

“Far as I can recall,” Harvey began, “I was by the track all evening, following the race. The Captain was behaving strange-like—he was running, you see. He has always walked in races, even when the articles allow mixing. But he fell badly behind Darrell that first day. Even some of the slow mob were head of him and by two in the afternoon he’d taken to running. Now I knew this running would give him no end of trouble—”

“Why didn’t you stop it, then?”

“Stop it? I can’t stop the Captain. He don’t take orders from me, or anyone, come to that. No, Ijust had to be around in case he went down with cramp. There was some bad collapses that first day. Once a man’s gone down it’s a sure bet that others will follow.”

“So you waited for the collapse.”

“Well, I kept near, in case. As it happened, he suffered a bit, but he didn’t go down. And he won back a lot of the ground. Darrell was in some kind of trouble with his feet, and that gave a fillip to the Captain. He kept going until Darrell came off at one, and then we both went into the tent.”

“What sort of mental state was he in?”

“His state of mind, man. Was he happy?”

“On no. Far from it. He was suffering. Very sore, he was, and right low in spirits. Not like the Captain at all. He’s always enjoyed his walking, you know. But this time he was talking of giving up. After one day!”

“Did he eat anything?” asked Cribb.

Harvey tried to remember.

“TJ don’t think so. He took his usual glass of claret, though, and then I left him.”

“To the restaurant. I needed a drink, and there’s benches in there where a man can stretch out for a couple of hours.”

“And that’s what you did?”

“Well,” answered Harvey. “I didn’t get the drink. They’d had some kind of trouble in the kitchen—a fire, I think—and nobody was around to serve. So I found myself acorner and kipped for a bit. I finally got some coffee about threethirty. Oh yes, and Monk came in.”

“Monk? You’re sure of the time?”

“Yes, about three-thirty. He sat with me. He must have just come in from outside because he was darned cold. Funny thing, he wanted to fix something up with me. He thought the pace was too warm. If I would hold the Captain back, he’d tell Darrell to take things easy. I wouldn’t have it though. I can’t give orders to the Captain like some of them trainers do with their guv’nors. So it was no deal. And blow me, when they got back on track bloody Darrell set off like a hare before hounds.”

“Full of strychnine,” commented Cribb. “Did Monk say anything else?”

“No. That was the lot,” answered Harvey.

“Right. Tell us about the Captain now. How long have you been with him?”

“Must be ten years, at least. I served in India with him, you know. He wasn’t walking professional then, of course. Only started that when we got back home, about five years back. Then it was strictly private matches, on the road. Pretty soon he was taking on the best in England and showing them clean heels. He wanted to meet Darrell, of course, and that’s how he came to enlist in this tailchasing squad. Darrell wouldn’t face him on the open road. Said he was prepared to take him on at Islington though. Then it was up to Herriott to arrange the twin tracks. My guv’nor wouldn’t risk his feet among that hob-nailed mob—not until he was forced to join ’em of course. He had no choice after Darrell was out.”

“So [ heard. But he’ll net a tidy sum in bets for his troubles.”

“T wouldn’t know about that. He puts on his own money. He never discusses it with me.”

“You’ ve put something on the Captain yourself, expect?” suggested Cribb.

“Yes, I got pretty fair odds on Monday from one of the bookies here.”

“Wise man,” Cribb said. “Wish I’d had the foresight to do the same. Now tell me about Wednesday night, will you?”

“Wednesday?” Harvey looked vacant.

“The night Monk died. We’ re interested in your movements. Remember?”

“Oh. Wednesday. That was a grim enough evening, I can tell you. The Captain was as low in spirits as I’ve seen him. They’d given him a terrible buffeting on the outside track—he’ d been forced to take his chances with them or retire from the race—and he was very short with me. But you’ ve got to hand it to him. Come the time to get back on track there he was, ready to get among them again.”

“He was well ahead at that stage,” Cribb said in justification.

“Ah, yes. But I doubted whether he’d keep on his feet till Saturday. And he couldn’t have thought so, either.”

“So you were out there watching him every step of the way?”

“T was, until one o’clock, when he came off.”

“Did you see anything of Sam Monk that night?” asked Cribb.

“JT don’t think I did.”

“And when Captain Chadwick came into the tent at one what shape was he in?”

Harvey shook his head sadly at the recollection.

“The poorest I’ve seen him. He could hardly move a muscle. He fell asleep while I was massaging him. I left him.”

“Where did you sleep? In the restaurant?”

“Yes. They haven’t provided much for us attendants. I’ve spent every night in there so far.”

“See anyone else sleeping there?”

“T was generally too dead beat to notice.”

“Allright,” said Cribb. “Now Mr. Harvey. One thing you haven’t explained. You spend all the week in constant attendance on your Captain. Then off you go today for a good four hours. What were you doing—trying to dodge me and my constables?”

Harvey smiled feebly.

“Not really. I was collecting this. I wouldn’t stand a chance of getting one tomorrow. It was hard enough today.”

He was indicating the parcel he held in his lap.

“Let’s have a look at it, then,” suggested Cribb.

Slowly and carefully the contents were revealed.

“What the devil!” exclaimed Thackeray.

“What is it then?” asked Cribb.

“Game pie,” answered Harvey. “There’s only one establishment in London that makes them like this, and the Captain will have no other. It’s for his victory feast tomorrow night.”

“Hope it won’t be wasted then,” commented Cribb. “All right, Mr. Harvey. We’ll keep you no longer. That’s not to say I won’t be seeing you again.”

When Harvey had left, Cribb added, “Wouldn’t count on him being in very good shape when I do, though.”

THE PEDESTRIAN CONTEST AT ISLINGTON Positions at the end of the Fifth Day

Name Miles Laps Capt. Erskine Chadwick 457 3 Feargus O’Flaherty 451 5 Peter Chalk 421 1 George Williams 420 4 Francis Mostyn-Smith 419 3

James Gaffney 408 0

David Stevens 405 1

Montague Lawson 397 0

William Reid 363 4 CHAPTER 16

Thackeray could not be certain that the night was the coldest that week, but he knew positively that he had not passed such an uncomfortable four hours since he gave up beat-pounding. There was a paraffin stove in the police office. His boot-welts were so near the flame that smoke rose from them. But his toes stayed bloodless all night. He had borrowed a spare great-coat and tried to insulate his already heavily clad body by tucking it around him as he settled in the one available armchair. It was no substitute for a heavy quilt over a decent horse-hair mattress. So he shivered and grumbled and shifted his bulky form about the creaking framework until five in the morning, when the duty constable put a mug of coffee in his hands. He sipped it dolefully.

Sergeant Cribb had left him in charge of the case.

“Things to check,” he said cryptically. “People to see. I may be out all of Saturday morning. You must be here through the night. Watch for anything irregular. Now’s the time people start getting jumpy. Be on the alert, Thackeray.”

Like the experienced constable he was, Thackeray interpreted this order to mean that he should be available and prepared to be roused from his sleep if anything happened. There was a duty constable in the Hall, and Thackeray ordered him in blunt terms to be faultlessly vigilant, and to wake him only for an extreme emergency or Sergeant Cribb’s return. Cynically he suspected that Cribb’s Saturday morning would be spent mainly in his own bed. Perhaps the Sergeant was justified in keeping his “movements” to himself; he would need to be at his sharpest to trap the killer in the remaining time.

Thackeray finished his drink, and gripped the empty mug in his hands until he was sure it retained no more warmth. Then he stretched his limbs painfully, unwrapped the coat from around him, yawned and stood upright. A glance in a small mirror confirmed that his beard needed no trimming. He tightened his necktie and bent to lace his boots. Then he took up the dozen or so reports delivered to the office since Cribb’s departure.

They were uniformly helpful. Where strychnine had been supplied the recipients were doctors whose names and addresses were provided and could be checked. The amounts were small, anyway. This line of inquiry had been totally without success. There were only hours remaining before the whole community that had pitched camp in the Hall broke up and scattered over the

MARATHON & Devon

NeW trom the Gear Store

dri-release™ M&B tank top—$18 (includes S&H) dri-release™ is a microblend performance fabric that is super soft to the touch and offers the wicking and drying action of coolmax. Odorfree, comfortable, and breathable, your dri-release™ M&B tank is machine washable and dryable. One-color logo on front, two-color logo on back.

Circle size S M L XL XXL($1 extra) Tank total: US $__._

microfiber M&B vest—$38 (includes S&H)

Your zippered microfiber vest will feel like velvet but perform like supplex. Featuring a reflective M&B logo on the front and reflective piping on the back, the M&B vest has pockets on both sides, and the bottom half of the back is mesh. Cold water wash, hang dry.

Circle size S M L XL Vest total: US$.

Canadians add 7% GST Overseas add $4 US extra shipping Grand total: US $__.__

Where should we send the gear? Name Address City/State/ZIP Country Daytime phone

How will you pay?

©) check enclosed (payable to Marathon & Beyond) Mastercard © Visa

Card number: Expiration date: Signature:

Metropolis. Nothing tangible had been found. They were still grappling with suspicions. And Cribb was at home sleeping.

Thackeray left the office and walked over to the track. There was plenty of activity there already. Herriott stood among his officials holding forth about the arrangements for this final day. A few reporters had arrived earlier than usual and were badgering the competitors, walking alongside them, demanding statements. There were even some genuine paying spectators, insomniacs probably, who stood or sat apart from each other, studiously isolated.

O’Flaherty was shuffling round at an impressive rate, untroubled now by sore feet. He was swinging his arms with apparent zest, and steadily overtaking rivals, still, it seemed, believing he could cut back Chadwick’s lead.

You had to admire the Irishman’s gameness, thought Thackeray. He was striving until the very finish. That bloated money-grabber, Herriott, was the only one who would benefit by O’ Flaherty making a race of it. A close contest was a crowd-puller, all right. There would be a capacity crowd in by early evening, hoping for a superhuman exhibition from O’Flaherty. Yet anyone who had followed the race day by day knew well enough that there could be only one result. Even if the Irishman drew level with Chadwick, the Champion would step up his pace and win. It was evident to any discriminating spectator that he was holding something in reserve. He had not needed Harvey’s devious assistance.

Thackeray looked from man to man on the track, seeking out the stately gait of Erskine Chadwick. There was Reid, painfully limping, and Williams and Chalk, in conversation as usual; the two northerners were there, and the veteran who had shared Reid’s hut; and Mostyn-Smith was just coming off for one of his rest-periods. But Chadwick was not among them. No wonder O’Flaherty was going hell for leather!

It was even more worrying for Thackeray that no light was showing in Chadwick’s tent. He hurried across to it and pulled back the flap, uncertain what to expect.

The tent was empty. The bed had been cleared and the blankets folded in military style. The air inside was cold. There was no sign that anyone had been in there for hours.

Thackeray hurried over to Herriott, who now stood alone.

“Have you seen Captain Chadwick, sir?”

“Chadwick? Yes, I saw him late last night, before he went out.”

“Out?” repeated Thackeray. “Where to?”

“Didn’t you hear? I thought you detectives knew everything that goes on here. He went off in a huff after Harvey failed to turn up to give him his massage last night.”

“After one o’clock, when they all came off the track. There was no sign of Harvey, you see.”

“But he was here!” protested Thackeray. “We interviewed him not two hours before.”

“T don’t know anything about that,” said Herriott. “All I know is that he wasn’t about when Chadwick wanted him. The fellow came asking me if I’d seen Harvey. I told him I hadn’t. I could see he was needed all right. Long time since I heard such words from one of the gentry.”

“Did he say where he was going?” asked Thackeray, already dreading the prospect of explaining all this to his sergeant.

“Yes. He was planning to spend the night in the Turkish bath at Islington Green—only ten minutes away. They say it’s a prime livener of the muscles.”

“And he hasn’t been seen since?” said Thackeray, more to himself than Herriott. “The race has been on an hour, and he hasn’t shown up!”

“Tshouldn’t concern yourself,” Herriott advised. “He’Il be here any minute. He had a few miles in hand and he’s in far better shape than O’ Flaherty. I shouldn’t wonder—why, there he is.”

There Chadwick unmistakably was, marching to his tent at the head of a gaggle of reporters. He wore an overcoat and muffler which he was removing even before he reached the tent. There was no sign of Harvey.

“Where’s the trainer?” Thackeray asked Herriott.

The promoter shrugged his shoulders.

“No one’s seen him since last night. Hooked it, I should think, after you grilled him. Your sergeant has a way of putting the fear of Old Nick into a man.” ANDY VELENAK

Thackeray needed no reminding of this. His own palms were sweating at the thought of Cribb’s return. Something had to be done. Harvey must be found.

He left Herriott and bore down rapidly on the police office, venting his fury on the duty constable.

“You let Chadwick leave the Hall last night, and failed to report it to me! He’s been out all night, and only just got back. And Harvey, his trainer, has gone missing. I want him found, at once! Alert every bloody constable in the building. Get everywhere searched. I’m going to question Chadwick.”

He confronted the Captain as he was making his way to the starting line. The exchange was necessarily short.

“T’ve got to find Mr. Harvey, sir. Do you know his whereabouts?”

“You haven’t seen him since last night?”

“No. Out of my way, please.”

It was another hour before Harvey was found. The duty constable who brought the news to Thackeray was white-faced.

“He’s in bad shape. They took him into a store-room by the main entrance and beat him about the head in there. When he fell they must have kicked his ribs for minutes on end.”

“He’s too weak to talk, I suppose?” Thackeray asked without much sympathy in his tone.

“Hardly conscious at all. We’re moving him to the infirmary as a matter of urgency. What bastards would have done this, do you think?”

“That’s for you to find out,” Thackeray told him. “My sergeant won’ t investigate, I can tell you. We’ve got our hands full enough. Harvey got what he asked for, anyway. You can’t go round nobbling the opposition and expect to get away with it.”

“You think O’Flaherty’s cronies did him over?”

“Td start with them if there’s no other clues,” suggested Thackeray. “But there’s other interests about—punters, bookies and their mob. I’d try to get Harvey to talk if I was you. If he coughs anything useful to our inquiry you’ll let me know at once, or I’ll get you dismissed for incompetence.”

The news of the attack upon Harvey circulated quickly enough, but nobody except Chadwick seemed at all surprised or disturbed by the information. Rough tactics—boring and baulking, elbow-work and ankle-tapping—were accepted among these professionals, but Harvey’s trick offended their code. It was furtive and cowardly. He was a snake in the grass, and when you catch a snake you don’t toy with it.

Chadwick, deprived of his menial, had to adjust to new conditions—not easy in the final stages of a test of endurance. For the first time he appeared on

the track unshaven. If he wanted water he would have to get it himself from the communal tap by the huts. At dawn he had coped without using any, but at midday, when he usually stopped for lunch, he would face the fifty yard walk if he wanted refreshment. The position of his tent, for so long an advantage, had become a handicap.

But Chadwick’s visit to the Turkish bath had liberated his muscle-bound legs, and throughout the first two hours he was alternately running and walking, making up valuable yards on O’Flaherty, now reduced to a robot-like march. Although the Dublin Stag had won back nearly six miles during that first hour, and a close finish seemed in prospect, he looked a beaten man now.

The other sprightly performance on the track was Mostyn-Smith’s. He had taken on a positively aggressive gait, with a pronounced forward tilt from the hips, and arms working like piston-rods. His stride gained in speed rather than length, and he was still light of step. As he turned each time into the straight his spectacles flashed ina patch of light, demanding attention to his efforts. Behind them, no doubt, he was not seeing the amused spectators, but a newspaper advertisement for Dr. Mostyn-Smith’s Remedy for all Disorders, tested in the Six-Day Endurance Contest at the Agricultural Hall by its Maker.

Billy Reid was ambling towards the end of his stint with the caustic old ped who had shared his hut. The veteran had modified his approach.

“Take it nice and easy, young’ un. No point in pushing it now. Save it up for the last hour or two. If you show you’ re nippy on your pins tonight you’ ll earn a shower of browns. They like a game fighter.”

Billy’s lacerated feet were dictating his pace. To ease up would be as painful as to accelerate. He smiled in vague appreciation of the advice.

“There was a time—in the palmy days—when they’d have thrown sovereigns,” the old man reminisced. “No chance of that tonight. They treat you according to pocket possibilities these days, and this ain’t the well-greased contingent. Now at Bromptom, fifteen years back, they lined up their carriages and pairs along the trackside. They was the gentry then, that watched us— princes and peers. Old Deerfoot got himself invited to the University to dine with the Prince of Wales, did you know that? A bloody Red Indian sitting down with royalty.”

“Don’t bother me who watches,” said Reid, “long as they let me finish in me own way.”

“They’ll do that, lad. No one’s going to stop a game boy—”

“They tried to stop the Irishman,” said Reid.

“Q’ Flaherty? Yes. The one that did that was paid out, though. Mind you play dumb when the bobbies come round. They’ll find there’s a lot of queersightedness among foot-racers. Nobody saw a bloody thing last night.”

It was a harassing morning for Thackeray. Rarely had he felt so ineffectual. Cribb shows confidence in him, gives hima responsible job, and what happens? Chadwick, a prime suspect, walks out of the Hall, out of police surveillance, for four hours, and nobody stops him. Harvey, another key man in the case, is savagely attacked in the building, and nobody knows who is responsible.

It might have helped if one of the many reports that arrived during the morning at the police office had brought news of the source of strychnine. That might have curbed Cribb’s wrath. Thackeray hopefully examined every one; there was nothing of the least significance in any of them.

And there was another, worse setback to follow. Shortly after mid-day a constable arrived at the office with Sol Herriott in tow. The promoter was in a state of great agitation.

“You must do something,” he yelled at Thackeray. “All the prize money— he’s taken it all. Everything! A thousand pounds, near enough. My race is in ruins—hopeless. They’ve been running for six days and I can’t pay them a penny. They’1l kill me when they find out.”

“Somebody’s robbed you, you mean?” Thackeray struggled to assimilate this new information, scarcely believing his ill-luck.

“Jacobson—my friend for years! Opened the safe and took out all the prize money—bank-notes. He must have left the Hall this half-hour. I was talking to him—”

The voice was angry. It was Cribb’s. He was standing at the door. He addressed the young duty constable.

“You’ re in charge, then. See that nobody connected with the race leaves this Hall for any reason. Understand?”

Cribb turned to Thackeray.

“Jacobson’s the man we want. Mr. Herriott, where’s his lodgings?”

“Old Street. Over the ‘Three Ships’,” answered the promoter, in a dazed voice.

“Come on,” said Cribb urgently. “If he’s only got half an hour on us we’ Il catch up with him there.”

Andy Yelenak’s drawings on page 127 and 141 were created for this reprinting. The conclusion of Wobble to Death will appear in the May/June 2001 issue.

© 1970 by Peter Lovesey. Reprinted with permission of the author and Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, Inc.

CALL NOW! 1-888-382-4200 or visit www.runforyourlife.com

“We can practically guarantee GOING THE DISTANCE” —Runner’s World

FRANK ALBERTO SHORTER SAMUELSON SALAZAR RODGERS

… and many many more

“MARATHON: Going the Distance” celebrates the triumphs and the tragedies of running’s most mythic distance. It’s 90 minutes of pure adrenaline—the sounds and the stories of the marathon, told by the greatest stars of our sport… – @ a 90-minute cassette package that helps you _ run a marathon in your head – @ featuring many of the most amazing distance runners of our time ® get the sense of running major races, like Boston, London, or New York

Probably the most beautiful 26 miles, 385 yards

you’ll ever run. e Full Marathon & a * For Information Half Marathon Sa Registration

Form Call

Schroon ie New York £ 5 (518) 532-7675

September 23,2001 4

5K & 10K Races * 7)» ay dach 9:30am Chesteroun, Nev ork § WJ arathon

Train and race the best of Chicago

Discover the most inspiring, challenging, and scenic running routes in the Chicagoland area. In Chicago Running Guide, local running experts have shared their insights and favorite trails to give you the 31 best training routes and 9 most popular race courses in and around the city. You’ll find detailed descriptions and maps, tips on how to best enjoy each run, places to eat, and historical snippets.

160 pages * ISBN 0-7360-0132-8 $16.95 ($24.95 Canadian)

Adirondack Marathon

The Beauty of the Course Demands Payment: It Comes By Way of Hills.

T HE UPPER right-hand corner of New York State bordering Vermont to the east and Canada to the north, known as the Adirondack region, is fast becoming synonymous with world-class sporting events.

One of the more famous locales in the region is Lake Placid, which holds the distinction of being one of only two sites in the world to host two winter Olympics: in 1932 and 1980. Anyone remember Sonja Henie? Her skates are on display at the Olympic museum. Lake Placid was also chosen as the site for

If you enjoy water sports, there are nearly 2,500 lakes and ponds and more than 30,000 miles of rivers and streams to swim in, fish in, and toot around in on vintage wooden lake cruisers.

PHONE: —888/SCHROON FAX: 518/532-7675 E-MAIL: info@adirondackmarathon.org WEB SITE: www.adirondackmarathon.org The Web site gives a virtual tour of the course as well as a course description, lodging information, entry form, andrunners’ survey results. Current race results are also posted. RACE DIRECTOR: Mark Elmore YEAR RACE ESTABLISHED: 1997 SANCTION: USATF START TIME: 9:00 a.m. COURSE RECORD HOLDERS

Open men: James Garrett (4997) 2:37:21

Open women: Simone Stoeppler (1997) 3:04:22

Masters men: Guy Gordon (2000) 2:43:38

Masters women: Karen Provencher (1999) 3:18:27 _ PRIZE MONEY: For the overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd men and women, original handcrafted Adirondack crafts and cash are awarded. Medal awards for the Ist, 2nd, and 3rd place men and women age categories. (Age categories are in 10-year spreads. If a category has more than 100 runners, itwill be subdivided.) A $250 cash prize is awarded for anew course record, as well as $500. for first man under 2: 30 and woman under 3:00.

TIE-IN EVENTS: 5K and 10K races on Saturday i in nearby Chestertown:

half-marathon starting an hour after the marathon NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS: 300 : MARATHON FINISHERS IN 2000; 385 finished out of 420 starters MALE/FEMALE FINISHERS: 70 percent male; 30 percent female COURSE MARKINGS: Miles marked on the side of the road; there are also kilometer markings. NUMBER OF AID STATIONS: 15, placed at every even-mile marker until mile marker 20, then every mile until finish FUTURE RACE DATES: 23SEP01 (traditionally held on the last Sunday in September)

ENTRY COST FOR 2001: $30 before August 24, $40 to September 12, $50 the week leading to the marathon

AREA HOTELS: The Website offers a list of lodging sites in and around Schroon Lake. The registration form, which is like a newspaper, also has a listing of area hotels. They book fast and in most cases have a two-night minimum. The average rate for one night is $80. Most hotels are within walking distance of the start line. This is important to know, as Route 9, the main artery into and out of town and on which many of the lodging sites are located, has partial closings between 8:45 and 2:30 on race day.

GETTING THERE: Schroon Lake is off the New York State Northway (I87), exits 25, 26, 27, and 28. The areais served by the Albany International Airport, Albany, NY, and is a 1.5-hour drive north of the airport. It is also accessed by Burlington, Vermont, International Airport and is a 1.5-hour drive southwest of Burlington. Driving from Boston, take the Massachusetts Turnpike to Albany, NY, and then follow I-87 north to exits 25-28.

If it’s history that gets your juices flowing, trek up to Fort Ticonderoga, which is 20 miles north of Schroon Lake, steeped in importance to the outcomes of both the Revolutionary and French-American wars.

Antiques buff? The area holds much of interest for you, too, including plenty of rustic bric-a-brac and pine or white birch furniture with which to furnish the biggest, cutest cabin on Lake George.

But if running marathons is your thing, sign up for the Adirondack Marathon and get ready for a tough but rewarding 26.2-mile run around Schroon Lake during the fall foliage when the scenery is at its peak and the

cool weather is ideal for long-distance runs.

Held the last Sunday in September, this promising marathon draws runners from 30 US states and Canada. Runners are lured by the rustic, woodsy setting. In fact, each year the race draws amore diverse geographic crowd as its reputation as a tough course combined with natural beauty and abundant hospitality spreads throughout the running world. The field holds relatively steady at 400 runners.

The Adirondack Marathon was one of three finalists for the US Men’s and Women’s 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials.

ADIRONDACK MARATHON 149

OV Taao une ot

OST OF the activities that bring people to the Schroon Lake region are

outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, hiking, and other sportsoriented events, but there are still a few things to do and see, especially if you don’t mind driving about 60 miles north to Lake Placid or 30 miles south to Lake George. And the fall foliage is just about peak, so the drive on the New York State Northway is very scenic.

Lake Placid Olympic Village & Museum. Lake Placid was home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The museum includes video highlights of the Olympic Games plus sports memorabilia and equipment. It is also the site of three ongoing Olympic Training Centers, so you might catch the athletes at practice. There is a self-guided tour, and the chairlift offers incredible vistas of the surrounding mountains and foliage.

Lake George Boat Cruises. A boat cruise on Lake George may sound hokey, but it is a great way to see the lake, especially in September when most of the summer boaters have left the lake and the waves to the locals. It’s a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, or you can opt for the dinner cruise.

Strand Movie Theater, Schroon Lake. A classic/vintage movie house, The Strand Theater, built in 1937, has been restored by the current owners to painstaking detail and shouldn’t be missed. They plan to feature a showing of Marjorie Morningstar, which was filmed in Schroon Lake.

Pharaoh Mountain Wilderness Trails. Great hiking trails and vistas are close to town. Some of the trails are near the marathon course. You can’t go to the Adirondacks and not hike, and these trails are accessible for every level of hiker.

Natural Stone Bridge and Cave. This has been a favorite destination for over 200 years. The self-guided tour of the cave and stone bridge features unusual rock formations, waterfalls, and The Cave of the Lost Pool. It is located 10 minutes from Schroon Lake on Stone Bridge Road, and marathoners pass the entrance at mile marker 18.

AVOID IT

Route 9. Avoid driving anywhere on the morning of the marathon, as the primary thoroughfare, Route 9, the only road into and out of town, is closed at different times to traffic from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

IF BOSTON CAN DO IT, SO CAN WE

Dan Perry came up with the idea for the town’s marathon. As the legend goes, Dan went to Boston to watch his son-in-law in the 100th running of Boston in 1996 and wanted to capture the thrill of the event and bring it back home to Schroon Lake. Providentially, one loop around Schroon Lake measured 26 miles; add a quick jog around the school building, and he had his 26.2. With marathon plan in hand, Dan gathered a small committee and pitched his idea. After initial comments—“What’s a marathon?” “How many miles is that, you say?” — things began to fall into place quickly.

Raising the money to put on a marathon is always a concern, especially for a small town. Jen Parker, the local physical education teacher and head of the sponsorship committee, came up with the idea to auction each mile for $1,000 and soon reached the goal of $20,000. Parker, a nonrunner at the time, was so taken with the idea of the marathon that she trained for and ran the marathon the following year and has done so every year since, going so far as to drag her husband into the act. The beauty of a small-town marathon is the attention to detail: the committee gave Parker #150 inrecognition of running her first marathon at age 50.

Parker has become the town crier for the marathon, using the lessons she learned in training to teach her kids about the importance of exercise.

She challenged her students to run 25 miles in 25 days, with a mile race tagged on to the end to make it an official marathon for them. The kids were so inspired by her courage and seemingly impossible goal that at her first marathon in 1998 they formed a gauntlet with arms raised high for her to run through at the start line.

Dr. Sheridan Albert, adentist from Schroon Lake, has been part of the organization committee since its inception and has the rewarding job of announcing the race. “The marathon committee is like one big family,” he says. ““We all know each other, work well together, and respect one another. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Approximately one year and five months after the formation of his dream, Dan and his committee members held the inaugural race in September 1997. The committee set their goal for an initial field of 500, which they achieved with a little help from their Canadian neighbors—the Montreal Marathon was cancelled that year, sending disappointed runners across the border to run Schroon Lake instead. Dan likes to tell the story of the couple from Belgium on their way to the Montreal Marathon who pulled off the thruway for lunch in Schroon Lake and decided to run the Adirondack Marathon instead. The open women’s winner that first year came from Germany.

SMALL-TOWN CHARM

Schroon Lake, settled in 1804, has a year-round population of 1,800,

which swells to 5,000 during the summer months. The town is a throwback toaquieter, gentler kind of living. You almost expect Sheriff Andy Taylor and Opie to come whistling down the street with their fishing poles over their shoulders.

The town has one main street, locally referred to as Main Street, but technically known as Route 9. The Sugar Bow] Restaurantis the place to grab acarbo-breakfast the day before the marathon, where the fashion code is marathon T-shirts from all over the world. The friendly waitresses offer a 10 percent discount if you’re running their marathon.

French-Canadian blends with English, and everyone has a grand time. It’s homey. Almost every store has a crayoned “Welcome Runners” sign in the window, a refreshing reminder of a simpler time before commercialism and merchandising took precedence over the actual lore of the marathon.

Next door to the Sugar Bowlis the Marathon Hospitality center, where Lil Richardson greets the runners and their families, offering a place to sit for a spell and study the marathon course, ask questions, or spend a few minutes’ work on the 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle under way in the corner near the complimentary coffee and donuts. Lil knows everything about the marathon and Schroon Lake and is glad to explain how Schroon Lake got its name. It’s a very romantic story about an Indian princess and her lover. Unfortunately, the story has a sad ending, as the lovers ended up drowning in the lake. Lil might also inform you that houses in Schroon Lake had no street numbers until this past spring when the emergency phone number 911 was introduced, which brought along a requirement to affix numbers to houses.

TLC REGISTRATION

Pete Johnson handles registration at the Schroon Lake Central School, conveniently located a few steps across the street from the Sugar Bowl. This year, the complimentary race shirts were nylon water-repellant pullovers—very practical, although some runners were disappointed they didn’t get the second year’s popular longsleeved “Adirondack Green” shirt.

The race registration is a bargain $30 in advance of the deadline; the $7 pasta dinner the night before the race is held at a campsite, making for lots of family fun. Other than that, dinner choices are rather slim, as the town is small and you probably don’t want to get back on Northway and drive 20 miles to the next town.

However, Terrio’s on Route 9 (at the 23-mile marker on the course) offers a full menu and a bar upstairs and is the location of the postrace party. DeCesare’s Pizzeria, south of Schroon Lake and also along the marathon course, offers pizza and pasta. Another place for pasta is Drake’s Restaurant on Route 9, where Chef Tony will be happy to serve you a great Italian meal.

With the marathon’s boost in popularity, a new feature was added to this year’s registration: a Circle of Champions’ press conference, where everyone has an opportunity to meet and talk with the elite and special entrants. This year, Japanese runner Hajime Nishi, whose goal is to run in 250 countries, ran the Adirondack Marathon. Hajime is running with the mission of bringing awareness of environmental issues to all the countries he visits. He believes we are all connected beyond our borders through the environment and we need a better awareness of how to solve problems causing environment degradation. Hajime also insists on being the last finisher at each marathon he runs, so if you’re fearful of finishing last, run with Hajime. His Web site is www.ecomarathon.org.

Another participant in the Circle was Moroccan runner Youssef Ennaciri, who has a PR of 2:11:50; his presence added speculation of a new course record.

ESTABLISHING AN ATTAINABLE GOAL

Race director Mark Elmore has set a goal for the marathon that doesn’t involve making money or setting PRs, although these could occur as byproducts. He wants the runners to have a great weekend and enjoy the hospitality of Schroon Lake. Elmore puts on a world-class event with a downhome feel. Runners feel good about the time they spend in the village.

When asked about the use of ChampionChips to curtail cheating, Mark laughs and says they aren’t needed here. “There’s no place to go or hide for cheats,” he said. “It’s one long road for 26 miles surrounded on one side by woods, so a potential cheater would have to weigh the possibility of running into wildlife, and on the other side by water, which would require the cheater to be a darn good swimmer to get away with it.”

RUNNING THE COURSE

Called “probably the most beautiful 26 miles, 385 yards you’ll ever run,” the Adirondack Marathon lives up to its billing. The course showcases the best of the picturesque lake and foothills ablaze with a full fall spectrum of colors. The start line is smack in the middle of Main Street. Runners mill about with their family and friends right up to the last minute, shedding warm-up clothes, taking photos, and getting well wishes, hugs, and kisses.

When the gun goes off, the runners race up Main Street, taking a quick left turn into the school parking lot to circle the small red brick school building in order to cover the extra 385 yards needed before heading off to circle the 26-mile lake.

At mile two, runners turn right onto Alder Meadow Road. Those new to the course may wonder what all the hill-hype is about since the going has been nice and easy so far. But the Adirondacks never do anything nice

ADIRONDACK MARATHON = 153

and easy. They do hills. Big ones. Steep ones.

Passing Andrew Wyeth—looking barns, pretty little streams, ancient cemeteries, and apple orchards ripe with fruit falling off the laden branches, it’s easy to get tricked into thinking you’re strolling a country lane. But your balloon bursts about mile four, when the incline starts and just keeps going and going, getting longer and steeper all the time. You start thinking you’ve found a stairway to heaven, but you’re actually being lured into hell. Around mile seven, a handmade sign greets you: “Welcome to the jungle. Beware of the bears.” Aman sits beneath the sign ominously beating a drum.

Butsoon the lake comes into view, with lovely, serene vistas among the white pine branches. Lake cottages are nearly hidden in the distance, with mile-high stacks of neatly chopped wood ready for the first frost—expected any day now.

By mile 8 the climb is beginning to wear down the runners as they pass a cottage address that proclaims simply, “The Loony Bin.” Hardly inspirational at this point in the climb. The hill begins to take its toll, and some runners become walkers. At mile 10, another cottage reads “Shangri-La,” which is either a bad joke for the marathoners or an inviting mirage. A stretch during miles 11 and 12 is the worst. Just when you think you can’t take it anymore, the hill gets steeper. Runners are heard muttering between gasps for breath. “This is insane. Are you kidding? What was I thinking?”

RUNNERS KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE

Dan Dominie has placed second every year since the marathon’s inception. “I keep coming back because it’s a great race and they take good care of the runners,” he says, “but the course is difficult. Besides the steep and numerous inclines in the first 12 miles, the race offers little incentive except to finish. It’s a very lonely race. There are long sections with no spectators at all, no crowds to cheer you on. It’s just me and the squirrels out there. But that works to my advantage because I train alone and am used to it.”

Another reason Dan keeps running is to add to his collection of Adirondack woodcarvings. The first year he won a bear, which he prominently displayed in his yard until it was stolen. Dominie, a sheriff’s deputy, didn’t take that theft too well, as it meant he had to run again to replace the stolen award.

Back on the course, the runners, totally exhausted from the grueling hillwork, are finally rewarded at the crest of the halfway point by a man standing in the back of his pickup truck playing his banjo and singing “You Are My Sunshine.”

Entering the town of Adirondack at mile 13, the runners are greeted by cheering spectators who have been bused to the halfway point by a courtesy shuttle from the village. The noisy crowd is a refreshing and well-deserved respite from the loneliness of the woods. Edgar Wiggins, a veteran

of 25 marathons, ran the course last year and knew what he was getting into. He uses the town of Adirondack for his visualization technique. “Turning the corner and coming face-toface with this magnificent wide-open view of the lake and the fishing boats and hearing the cheers of the people

make it all worthwhile. It gives me a rush, and I know I can make the next 13 miles. I’ ve run the big ones such as Marine Corps and New York City, but this marathon is special to me. Iknow they care about me personally. The volunteers at the water stations remembered me from last year and

Course Map

: Achalencina course _aretired offlatand fast (and bland) courses and want to test their

ettle on ay hills and we

called out my name. And they are interested in my feedback, although I distinctly remember last year asking them to level some of the hills.”

The next three miles take runners along the east shore of the lake, with the crystal clear water on the right and cozy cottages on the left. Turning the final corner of the lake at mile 17, runners start the last stretch of the lake from mile 18 to the finish line at Schroon Lake town beach. This is perhaps the least favorite section of the course, and not just because body parts are wearing down. The concrete feels extra hard on the already sore feet, and although Route 9 is closed to traffic, one lane remains open for police and ambulances and is sectioned off by traffic cones.

ners who

The Adirondack weather can be

port is nil after mile two. It gets lonely in the woods.

The last six miles are on Route 9. Although the road is closed to traffic, the concrete surface is hard on oH already th obbing teat.

THE FINAL MILES

By now, some runners are swerving between the cones. And the nasty little secret is that the last six miles are an incline. No rest for the weary at this marathon. Mile-marker 20 is at the top of a hill, also marking the spot where Ennaciri, the Moroccan who was trying to break the course record, collapsed on the course from dehydration and had to be taken to the hospital. Mile 23 is also where Terrio’s Restaurant is located. Later that day, with the postrace party in full swing, Father John Malecki, at age 79 the oldest runner in the race and still on the course, got a little help from his friends. Father John took up running at the age of 64 when his physician

told him to take up some sort of exercise for his severe arthritis. The Adirondack Marathon was his 19th marathon, and he was not about to quit. With Route 9 reopened to traffic, Father John plodded on at his walk/ run pace. When the crowd at Terrio’s saw him, they poured out of the restaurant to cheer him on. Along with a state police escort the final two miles, two young women stayed with him to the finish, where a large crowd of race volunteers waited for him to cross the finish line and receive his medal. His time was 9:53:12. Wherever Father John runs, he inspires the crowds— and perhaps gets a few sedentary types to change their lifestyles.

The incline that began at mile 20 continues to climb. Runners are few and far between, which gives the volunteers at the water station a chance to check out bib numbers through binoculars so they can match up the runners’ names and give them a muchappreciated personal greeting.

Lori Crowingshield of nearby Keene wasrunning her first marathon. A biker and rock climber, she thought she was in good shape and didn’tbother training, but veterans know better than to underestimate a marathon. “The last three miles were awful,” Lori says. “And to make matters worse, the concrete was unbearable. I didn’t train properly and did everything wrong my first time, but this race has become special to me. It was a lot of fun because of the interesting characters I met and the support from the locals. I ran behind Edgar Wiggins for the first half, and everybody called out his name. I was so jealous. Maybe next year they’ ll cheer for me. I was afraid of this race because of the hills and its reputation, but now I know Ican do it. That’s a great feeling that I’ll carry with me all year until next September.”

Entering Schroon Lake Village at mile 24, runners are met by applauding crowds. A quick right turn at mile 26 from Main Street brings them within sight of the finish line at the entrance to Town Beach. The crowds are three-deep by now and screaming for the tired runners. Almost every finisher has a smile as they are greeted by volunteers, wrapped in Mylar blankets, and handed a finisher’s medal before being led to the beautiful beach at the foot of Schroon Lake.

THE 2000 RUNNING POSTRACE BEACH PARTY

Not many marathons can boast of a beach party atmosphere after the race. Tents are set up at the foot of the beach, and volunteers hand out all sorts of energizing food, as well as homemade brownies, cookies, and other local treats. Massage and medical tents stand by for the needy, and nice hot showers are available right down the street at Central School.

The awards ceremony begins at 2:30, and this. year a four-foot-high carved wooden eagle was the grand prize. Dan Dominie, who placed second again, received yet another bear for his collection. “I think Icould have run a faster race, but I won the 5K the day before and lost a little bit of my edge,” he said. “But somehow I don’t mind being second to champion Peter Heimgartner for the third yearin arow, as he’s a heck of a gentleman and a pleasure to run with—I mean behind.”

Even though they rana small-town marathon, all the finishers came away feeling like big-time heroes. The good news for the first-timers who braved the course is that every other marathon will be a piece of cake. Veteran runners who have done Boston proclaim the Adirondack course much tougher: more hills and more unforgiving—just the way they like it. Those who use the course as a trainer for New York, Marine Corps, Hartford, or other fall marathons will surely miss the small-town charm of Schroon Lake, as they get swallowed up by thousands of other runners jostling for position.

The Adirondack Marathon is a great civic lesson in communities coming together to share a common goal: the safety of the runners and the assurance of a good time in their Adirondack region. Local and state police do an incredible job of protecting the runners and the roads, and ambulance corps from several communities are poised to save a runner from dehydration or exhaustion or to administer a quick high-five when needed.

So when you’re planning your fall marathon schedule, don’t think twice; it’s all right to think small. Be different. Be tough. The Adirondack Marathon is looking for the few, the bold, and the brave. And rumor has it that the 2001 field may be officially limited to 500 runners, so check out the Web site before it’s too es late. ‘

The Bottom Line

We have weighed various aspects of a marathon within a 1,000-point scoring grid. Besides the author of the article, two dozen runners at the race were randomly chosen to score the race for us (AM = Adirondack Marathon). The results follow:

1, HISTORY/TRADITION Evaluate the race’s sense of history and tradition. [Possible points: 30 AM score: 20]

2. ENTRY FORM Is the race entry form clear, concise, attractive, complete, and easy to fill out? [Possible points: 20 AM score: 20]

3. ENTRY COST

For most races, the entry fee covers between 30 and 50 percent of the cost of putting on the event. Rate the value of your dollar relative to this race. [Possible points: 30 AM score: 30]

Is the race held in an area that is easy to get to and scenic and offers adequate food and housing services and nonrace activities for family and friends? [Possible points: 50 AM score: 45]

5. REGISTRATION Is registration well organized and efficient? Does it bog down unnecessarily? Possible points: 20 AM score: 20]

6. PRERACE ACTIVITIES

Evaluate activities such as pasta feeds, parties, and so on, during the days before the race.

Possible points: 50 AM score: 40]

7. EXPO

Does the expo offer a fair number and variety of booths relative to the race’s size? Are there quality exhibitors and good guest speakers?

[Possible points: 50 AM score: 30]

8. COURSE

Take into consideration the following: degree of difficulty, certified, sanctioned, quality of road or trail surface, adequate mileage and directional markers, aid stations, medical coverage, race communications, accessibility ‘0 course for friends and family, typical weather, and so on.

[Possible points: 400 AM score: 300]

March/April 2001 ADIRONDACK MARATHON = 159

The Rest of the Pack

Below, listed alphabetically, are other marathons profiled in Marathon & Beyond, the volume and issue number in which each race’s profile appeared, and the overall score each race received.

Aspen Fila Skymarathon (vol. 4, issue 1) 863 points Atlanta Marathon (vol. 4, issue 5) 840 points Calgary Marathon (vol. 3, issue 2) 876 points Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (vol. 3, issue 6) 901 points Dallas White Rock Marathon (vol. 4, issue 6) 856 points Edmonton Marathon (vol. 2, issue 2) 814 points Fox Cities Marathon (vol. 3, issue 4) 865 points Governor’s Cup Ghost Town Marathon (vol. 2, issue 1) 795 points Grandma’s Marathon (vol. 3, issue 1) 968 points Honolulu Marathon (vol. 2, issue 4) 906 points Humboldt Redwoods Marathon (vol. 2, issue 3) 809 points Key Bank Vermont City Marathon (vol. 4, issue 2) 888 points Las Vegas International Marathon (vol. 1, issue 5) 789 points Philadelphia Marathon (vol. 1, issue 4) 838 points Pittsburgh Marathon (vol. 1, issue 6) 904 points Portland Marathon (vol. 3, issue 3) 943 points Quad Cities Marathon (vol. 4, issue 3) 885 points San Francisco Marathon (vol. 1, issue 2) 804 points Santa Clarita Marathon (vol. 4, issue 4) 866 points Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon (vol. 2, issue 6) 866 points Steamtown Marathon (vol. 3, issue 5) 892 points Sutter Home Napa Valley Marathon (vol. 2, issue 5) 913 points Vancouver International Marathon (vol. 1, issue 1) 823 points Wineglass Marathon (vol. 1, issue 3) 839 points Yukon River Trail Marathon (vol. 5, issue 1) 870 points

Letters

25 TOUGHEST MARATHONS

Having run many, many marathons, I read your “25 Toughest Marathons” article with much interest. Everyone seems to have missed one: the Equinox Marathon, run in Fairbanks, Alaska, in September. Equinox is an extremely hilly run mostly on a crosscountry course that is sometimes still covered with snow. It is also one of the oldest marathons in North America. It sure is tougher than Hogeye.

By the way, Gloria West’s article, “Up & Running,” in your November/ December issue is must-reading on the work involved in putting together a first-class marathon. Keep up the good work.

Mark Ornstein Astoria, N.Y.

As the race director of the NipMuck Trail Marathon, I really did appreciate NipMuck being #4 on your top 25 toughest marathons list, but I have to disagree. Itain’t that bad. In the Northeast Trailrunners Circuit, this race was rated as one of the easier races because of a lack of elevation. There’s plenty of other shorter races in the circuit with more elevation.

Also, Iremoved the barbs from the barbed wire, and it is particularly easy to outrun the mosquitoes now. But, if

you ever do an article about the top 25 prettiest marathons, this one should be included. The vegetation is lush and hasn’t been eaten by insects. It doesn’t happen very often, but if the mountain laurel is in bloom, it’s as motivating as bagpipes at mile 24 of a road marathon. David Raczkowski Chaplin, Conn.

I was pleased to note that one of our jewels here in California was not included in your list of tough marathons. We would not want every untrained person coming out and then finding out about it. It is the Mountain Marathon directed by Baz Hawley. Baz starts runners out from Blue Jay Campground in the Cleveland National Forest in Southern California. He sends them on the first of only two really good climbs, which takes the runners up to the junction of the Trabuco Trail. This is the start of one of two downhill sections. The race goes up Holy Jim Trail. This whole portion is run on single track trail with great views and memorable climbs and descents.

The race continues on a dirt (and rock) road. The race finishes at Blue Jay Campground where it started. The total climb could be greater than 4,000 feet. Baz runs a great race and, seriously, it should be included as one of the gem marathons around, both

because of the course and the race director.

John Davis

I have just finished devouring the January-February issue. Another great issue, as usual.

I would like to submit the nowdefunct Finger Lakes Marathon, which ran from Cornell University to Marathon, New York, as one of the “Toughest Marathons in North America.” I remember several hills longer than one or two miles. The last two miles were downhill, but after 24 miles of climbing, the extreme downhill only added to your pain. Like a couple of the marathons mentioned in your article, this was a very small race in avery rural area. I would have dropped out, but the cow I asked wouldn’t give me a lift back to the start. There was a lot of time alone on the course. However, I’m sorry Inever got to do it again.

It’s time to lace up, layer up, and hit the road. Keep up the great work. I’m already looking forward to the next issue.

George Huffman Shelton, Conn.

THE WOBBLE DEBATE CONTINUES

When I saw the first installment of Wobble to Death in your magazine, I was surprised. No, shocked. A fictional story was the last thing I expected in a magazine like M&B. [had

enjoyed the nonfiction series on the “pedestrians” but could not bring myself to read a novel in your magazine. This was a shame, as I treasure reading M&B cover to cover. It was painful to ignore such a significant amount of the issue, but I saw no point in reading it at all. I strongly believe that fiction has no place in a specialty magazine like yours. I would rather read a minute-by-minute account of some world-class runner’s ordinary training day. It might be boring, but at least it would be factual. [haven’tread any installment of Wobble and don’t plan to. Please do not waste the valuable space in your excellent magazine in this manner in the future. Takashi Yagisawa Los Angeles, Calif.

M&B editor Rich Benyo replies:

The goal of Marathon & Beyond is to reflect and present all aspects of marathon and ultra running, and fiction is obviously one of those aspects. The story of Pheidippides croaking out “Rejoice! We conquer!” as he died at the gates of Athens is very much a fiction. As is the story of Rosie Ruiz’s win at Boston in 1980. The sport of running has a fair number of excellent novels (see 25 books feature in the last issue) gracing its tradition, including The Olympian, Once A Runner, Flanangan’s Run, The Frontrunner, and so on. We would not be creating our own fiction in stating that many runners have learned as much about training and running from some of the running novels as they have from some of the nuts and bolts, how-to books written about the sport. M&B will continue to examine and present all aspects of this many-faceted sport.

ANOTHER VOTE FOR YIANNIS

From ultras-crazy South Africa, I would like to endorse Dave Cavall’s suggestion in your Sept/Oct 2000 issue that you publish a feature about Yiannis Kouros. Only after finishing my fourth consecutive Comrades in °99, while I was looking through the results, did I discover that Kouros had been in our country and participated

in Comrades. The media in our country did not even mention this legendary name in ultrarunning in the buildup to the event. I felt cheated out of an opportunity to meet a living legend, who had unassumingly slipped in and out of our country because the media knew no better. I certainly hope your excellent publication will soon correct my bitter disappointment. Kanu Sukha Cape Town, South Africa

On THE Mark

IAM A novice runner who wants to run the Marine Corps Marathon next year. How much should I be running now, and when and how much should I increase to be ready? Right now I run once a week for 3 to 4 miles. I am 27 and in fairly good shape. Andrew Carbaugh via e-mail

YOUR GRACIOUS request that I pitch in my two cents’ worth toward your hoped-for Marine Corps Marathon run next year is hauling these ol’ bones back to a training era when the ability to outsprint a dinosaur could have made the difference! Here, for whatit may be worth, are my thoughts for you.

Since your present running consists of a single weekly session of 3 to 4 miles, I infer that a substantial starting platform here is your enthusiasm (to do the marathon) and basic good health—and youth. No small advantages. So, my idea for your advance toward reasonable 26-mile competence would be for you to visualize the process as alongish flight of stairs, to be ascended as methodically as possible.

The most important thing is to avoid injury as you go, especially since a year is a critically short period

in which to build from next to nothing to topping this personal mountain of yours. Try not to skip single steps in your ascent. There are, as you must know, many excellent programs for runners in your position. I would recommend anything by Jeff Galloway, Bill Rodgers, or Hal Higdon that spells out the building process.

For my part, I would suggest that you move soon from your present single weekly workout to a 3- to 4day program, at nontaxing speeds, totaling 12 to 20 miles. Stay with that for no more than 3 weeks before adding a fifth day, still keeping your running free and easy. One month into your training, you should get into a 5to 6-day per week routine, keeping good notes on your responses to the increasing mileage. At the slightest sign of impending injury, back off, get whatever good advice/treatment you can, and substitute walking for running during your return to full running health. Remember the old adage “an ounce of prevention . . .”

During your second month of ascent, you can start holding your mileage to 25 to 35 miles per week, and at this point institute the one-long-runper-week that will point up your program from here. You may require company to sustain you as your commitment increases, but I think your choice (or rejection) of training partners is entirely a subjective matter.

After four months, you will have learned how to incorporate speed intervals into your long runs. Whether you prefer to use a watch or a more loosely defined (“Pick it up to the second boulder’) speed play is, too, a subjective matter. I used to try for at least two days of incorporated speed per week.

The first months behind you, you can begin to reach for true marathoning training distances, with an occasional 2- to 3-hour run (I prefer time to distance, at first, mainly because projected distance can impose too great a burden).

Approaching race day (say, during your final 6 weeks), you should be feeling strong and nervously confident. Mileage at this stage may range between 55 and 80 miles per week. Be sure to monitor your body’s signals continuously. Add awareness of dietary and sleep requirements, and adjust your running output to the demands of your job and social life.

I hope this long-winded answer didn’t put you to early training sleep, but that’s what happens when you ask a fugitive school teacher/ancient marathoner to make a brief reply!

John J. Kelley

won the 1957 Boston Marathon and the Yonkers Marathon eight times in a row.

IF YOU are 27 and in fairly good shape with running only once a week, you are probably doing some crosstraining to stay fit. Ifthe Marine Corps Marathon is your goal, you have lots

of time to build up properly to enjoy your first marathon. The key to successful running is consistency and a gradual approach. recommend building your mileage up between now and the end of April and then as of May 1 following a5-month training program (approximately 26 weeks).

Ifyou are running 3 to4 miles once aweek, Irecommend gradually building your mileage so that by May 1 you are comfortably running six times a week. That’s a good point from which to begin your marathon-specific training program. To increase your mileage from one run a week to six runs a week, gradually increase your mileage by no more than 10 percent per week. Make sure to plateau your weekly mileage for a couple of weeks to allow your body achance to adjust to the workload before increasing your mileage.

I suggest using the first-time marathoner schedule from The New Competitive Runner’s Handbook by Bob Glover and Pete Schuder. It provides a visual for maintaining and increasing your mileage as you train for the marathon.

Here are some points to remember:

If you feel the onset of an injury, back off a bit with your training. If your personal or professional life demands extra time, make the best of the situation and do what you can with the time you have left.

Don’t skip your long runs. They are the most important workouts in your program.

¢ Allow a 2- to 3-week taper before the marathon to recharge your body for your big day. ¢ Have fun. Sandy Jacobson has several times won the Edmonton Festival Marathon in Alberta, Canada,

and won the 2000 Mercury Interactive Silicon Valley Marathon.

GREAT CHOICE on selecting the Marine Corps Marathon for your first experience of running a marathon. The marathon is affectionately called “The Peoples’ Marathon” and for good reason. This is the marathon Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore selected as their first marathons. The support is terrific, and you get a great tour of Washington. Better than your last election, you’ll finish the same day.

Here is what I suggest as you prepare for your marathon. Start by adding two additional days to your 3- to 4-mile run. These should be very gentle running days, or preferably combinations of running and walking. I highly recommend that all of your running be 10 minutes of running with one minute of brisk walking. These combinations allow you to increase your distance while minimizing any injury risk.

Learn to hold yourself back in both intensity and mileage for the first couple of months. Think of this stage as a preconditioning phase to your marathon build up. Run your 4-mile runas along run with walking breaks. Run twice more during the week, doing twosets of 10-and-1s. Once you are comfortable running 3 days per

week, start adding one mile per long run day until you are at 6 miles. Then hold this as your long run day for 3 weeks. During this time, add one more day of running during the week.

Once you can comfortably run 5 days per week with one longer day of 6 miles, you’re ready to start your marathon build up safely and injuryfree. You can run your shorter runs continuously (with no walking) if you’re feeling strong, but your long run should be a combination of running and walking.

Eighteen weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon, switch to the following program:

Week Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat.

1 6 Off 4 6 4 Off 4 2 6 Off 4 6 4 Off 4 3 8 Off 4 6 5 Off 4 4 8 Off 4 6 5 Off 4 5 10 Off 4 6 5 Off 4 6 10 Off 4 6 5 Off 4 7 #12 «Off 4 4 5 Off 4 8 14 Off 4 5 6 Off 4 9 16 Off 4 6 6 Off 4 10 12 Off 4 7 6 Off 4 11 18 Off 4 8 6 Off 4 12 18 Off 4 9 6 Off 4 13 20 Off 4 10 6 Off 4 14 14 Off 4 6 6 Off 4 15 18 Off 4 6 6 Off 4 16 20 Off 4 6 6 Off 4 17 14 Off 4 6 6 Off 10 18 4 Off 4 6 Off Off 2

Your long runs should be at an easy, conversational pace. Run for 10 minutes, then walk for 1 minute. Have fun with your training, and enjoy yourself. Remind yourself constantly of your ultimate goal: to finish smiling!

John Stanton

is founder of The Running Room and author of Running: Start to Finish.

MY FIRST response is to urge you to give yourself an extra year of easing intorunning before taking on the challenge of a marathon. Although it’s possible to get your lungs and heart into condition to run long on 50 to 60 days’ of training, the biomechanic structures (ligaments, joints, etc.) usually take a lot longer.

Too many people get into running and immediately want to do a marathon. It is safer and easier to ease into the sport. Gradually increase your running until you’re doing it 5 days a week, and then gradually begin to enter 5K and 10K races, which will serve as your speed workouts. Once you’re comfortable racing SK and 10K, look for longer races (20K, halfmarathon, etc.) to gradually become comfortable with longer distances.

Then turn your sights to the Marine Corps Marathon and adopt one of the long-term progressive training programs Sandy Jacobson and John Stanton suggest. Considering how

quickly the Marine Corps Marathon fills up, your first challenge will be getting your entry in fast enough to be accepted into the field. Also, don’t overlook the possibilities of running a smaller marathon as your first, although many prefer to run megamarathon races as it helps them feel they are being pulled along by the excitement. When you line up at the starting line, remember to “seed” yourself in the field based on your projected speed so you don’t impede faster runners.

Good luck with your marathon goals.

Rich Benyo is the editor of M&B and author of Making the Marathon Your Event.

AFTER THE GRANDMA’S MARATHON

When: Saturday, June 16, 2001, in conjunction with the 25″ annual Grandma’s

Where: To be announced in the May/June 2001 issue

Join Marathon & Beyond editor Rich Benyo and publisher Jan Colarusso Seeley and other M&B staff and friends for a fun and informal gathering after Grandma’s. We’ lI serve great refreshments, soda, juice. Cash bar. There will be raffle prizes, plus great deals on M&B stuff. Bone up on M&B facts and win the M&B trivia contest. Special guest: Dick Beardsley

About THE Authors

PETER F. GREGORY has an MS in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Peter began running in 1973; to date, he has run 24 marathons, 8 of them at Boston. His PB is 2:24:10. He currently coaches at Cuyamaca College in San Diego. He has been a practicing respiratory therapist for 20 years. As a hobby, Peter enjoys playing the drums.