This past Sunday morning, 120 fellow Bark-eaters and Stone-heads gathered once again at the Hammond Hill-ton to celebrate the return of spring, in the name of Thom “Bugs” Bugliosi, by running this legendary course for the 30th time.
The cool morning was perfect for a quiet marathon start, with 16 runners testing their mettle. The warmth of the past week had baked the trails into hardpack, with a high of 75 degrees on the radar. By the 8 AM start for the 8.5-mile and 17-mile races, long sleeves were coming off. The day continued to warm, with no thunderstorms in sight, and plenty of blackflies to keep the runners well-fed on trail. With complaints of Missed Directions from the runners to a happy minimum, the overall mood was positive, excited, and gracious.
As the barred owls, warblers, vireos, and ravens sang above, each of the 120 souls committed the following feats of the forest, all dedicated to everyone who enjoyed this unforgettable experience:
RESULTS - OVERALL
Check out the full details on the FLRC website, plus the snazzy new Trail Circuit leaderboard, now featuring two races for the year.
“Warmup One-Loop”
-Helen Wang narrowly outpaced Liz Hartman, both of Ithaca, for a blistering 1:08 finish; Lansing’s Kris Norberg came in 63 minutes after the starting bell, eluding Alex Ciccone of Ivoryton, CT, and Hayden Stebbins of Brooktondale. Both earned a “Least Slow” pie for their efforts.
“Two-Loop Fun Run”
-The women’s finish line was exciting this year, with a narrow gap between winner Tara Travis of Clifton Park and Molly McGuckin of Portland, OR, arriving in 2:46. Ithaca’s James King went 2:21 for the Funnest Runner, dusting the pack by a fair margin. Each earned a “Caesar’s Pi” so that they can give the rest of us a chance to catch up.
“Bugs’ Jaunt” Trail Marathon
Mr. Hector and Mr. Eckshonn wish to congratulate each of the survivors - victims? - champions in this year’s “Sweaty Sixteen” alumni class! Each one earned a customary finishers “mettle,” in the form of a one-of-a-kind necklace. The hot conditions ensured that Bugs’ course records remain safe for another year, unfortunately, keeping the pack fairly spread out as they silently suffered the twists of trail and fate - and demonstrating the kind of quality that the Finger Lakes sends to the world’s championships. (Really!)
This year’s “Fabled Five,” all local to our neighborhood and well-known troublemakers on the trails, endured many flies in the eyes, several gallons of “Bugs’ Juice,” and incurred at least one fairly impressive “Elbow Jam” scar to memorialize the occasion in the flesh. Cheers to our own Amelia Kaufmann for dialing in an impressive victory in 4:11! Next time you see 'em out on the town, buy 'em a round!
Amelia Kaufmann, Erica Secor, Bridget Berkley, Lori Johnson, and Jami Landry - Alumnae 2022
This year’s “O-S***'s Eleven” contained a mix of local Boulderheads and travelers alike, several taking a shot at their first marathon event, despite all warning and disclaimers of liability and danger to life and property. Locals continue to retain bragging rights, thanks to a last-minute entry by Ithaca’s Carson Albanese, cruising in at 3:47. Special recognition goes to Hadi Alzayer, whose two friends cheered him on through much tribulation to his first marathon finish, and stayed to help clean up afterwards!
Carson Albanese - Aaron King - Benjamin Grodner - Joshua Buczek - Gerrit Van Loon - Dan Scales - Andrew Hollenbeck - Paul Maza - Evan Levy - Brian McDowell - Hadi Alzayer - Alumni 2022
Bugs’ Highlights
In the “Age before Beauty” category of the “Warmup 1-Loop,” special cheers go out to Mckenzie Leonard, the ten-year-old scion of our neighbors & Friends of Hammond Hill, Ann, Charlie, and Ben Leonard – who narrowly out-ran local pavement-pounding Stonehead Amy Dawson for an amazing 1:39 finish in the 10K. Featuring the bookending entry, honors go to Tom Joyce, longtime FLRC friend & RD of the Peace Trot, who celebrated another loop around the trails for the first time as an Ultra-Vet this year.
The Fun Run had a lot going for it on Sunday, but the award for “Most Fun for the Race Buck” goes to this year’s “Three Stoogey Stoneheads” - retired club race directors Karen Ingall & Lorrie Tily, who think it’s a good idea to follow Hammond Hill-ton’s GM, Charlie Leonard, around for a morning in the woods.
The “Bugs In Your Teeth Speed” award goes to Gabrielle Woo, who finished her jaunt and impressed the assembly by the truly staggering quantity of blackfly carcasses splattered across her person.
Mr. Hector & Mr. Eckshonn would also like to give some very special thanks to several people, without whom this event may well have been …hilarious, impossible, or simply ill-advised:
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Dave Kania, for donating transport & logistics on short notice
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Nancy Kleinrock, for providing essential course marshaling & bug-attracting services by the “Teevee Loop”
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Dean Johnson, for securing critically-needed “post-race recovery drink” and parking services
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Jessica Kerns & Eric Sambolec, for course-setup / breakdown + bug-netting services
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Benedetta Carnaghi, Heather Cobb, & Adam Engst, without whose rego / start / finish services critical responsibilities would have been Mr. Hector’d.
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Bob Talda, for finish line assistance & always being able to help, even if for just a bit!
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Steve Gallow, for recording for posterity the pre-race smiles, downhill grins, and post-race cheer. Damning photographic evidence coming soon!
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Friends of Hammond Hill – whose enduring efforts to maintain the trails ensure a positive experience for all – please consider supporting a section of the trail:
Friends of Hammond Hill: How To Create A Great First Impression |
…Is that all…?
With the trash taken out and the Oat Sodas stored safely in a cool, dry place - we plan to continue in much the same vein, course, and time. The “Baby Loop” section will be re-evaluated for distance considerations - as long as the minimum criteria can be met - and the start times for each event will be spaced an hour apart, to ensure a nominal “Field of Groans” at the Hammond Hill-ton.
Until next year - wishing you happy trails,
~Mr. Hector and Mr. Eckshonn
