Sports, Ink

Run outside during the past few days?

I don't see many hands raised.

The racing year is about ready to start, and the two races this weekend are appropriately named at least. Here's the list, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Ice Man 2-Miler, Delaware Park in Buffalo, 10 a.m. Saturday. This is part of the Winter Festival, and the race picked up a new name and format from last year.

* Penguin Run, 5K, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Amherst, 11 a.m. Sunday, 549-6307 x201. It was interesting to me that this race's brochure said it was voted Western New York's best post-race party. Has anyone ever conducted such a vote? That said, this race put on a fine lunch at the Classic V Banquet Facility and would be a contender for that distinction.

By the way, I'm hoping to do a story in a week on the Lockport Y-10. If you have any stories about the race, send me a quick email at BBailey@buffnews.com, and we'll talk. Thanks.

-- Budd Bailey

The organizers of the Turkey Trot deserve a little postrace recognition. I can't say I heard any complaints, and I didn't see any problems. The runners seemed to enjoy the good weather, there was room to breathe in the Convention Center after the race, and buses came along in short order to transport some of the athletes back to North Buffalo.

When I checked out the list of finishers, I was happy to see the name of Jack Hesslink at the bottom of the list. Mr. Hesslink was one of my gym teachers while I was in high school back in Clarence in the Stone Age, and it's good to see him out for a walk while in his 80's for the Trot. He's still setting a good example for the rest of us.

The calendar is about to flip, but the race calendar still has some events. The list is from buffalorunners.com:

* Reindeer Run, Medaille College in Buffalo, 10 a.m. Saturday, 880-2130. We wondered what this race would do with Forest Lawn closing its facilities to races. Race officials took the logicial route - cross the street to Delaware Park. Just be careful, kids, when crossing the 198.

* Holly Jolly, 4190 N. Buffalo St. in Orchard Park, 12 noon on Saturday, 830-6713.

--- Budd Bailey

Did you ever think there would be a 5-kilometer race in which the field was so big that it had to go off in waves? Saturday's Lindsay's Legacy Run was that day.

About 2,000 runners registered for the race, a simply amazing total. Part of the success story there is the growth of "Girls on the Run," which has taken off in a relatively short time. That portion of the field again took over a Tonawanda street before and after the race. I wondered if the race had outgrown its postrace home of the American Legion Hall, but using the street helps thin out the inside gathering. Besides, at this rate organizers will need the First Niagara Center for its party in a year or two.

Elsewhere, just for fun I did a search to see if anything was up with Rapid Running, the group that cancelled the half-marathon in Orchard Park in June on short notice. I found a story that it was looking for an alternate location for its cancelled Sheboygan, Wisc., half-marathon in October. I also found a number of people posting complaints about a lack of refunds. Wisconsin government officials were investigating. All of this may, ahem, sound familiar.

The calendar is getting lighter, here's what Buffalorunners.com has coming up:

* Michelle's Memorial 5K, 28 Main St. in Middleport, 9 a.m. Saturday, 783-2432. Good to see the Mr. Ed's Race get some company on Middleport's race calendar.

* Maritime March 5K, 170 Ohio St. in Buffalo, 11 a.m. Saturday, 574-4101. This race has a new location, as organizers wisely figured that having the run in one spot (around LaSalle Park) and having part of the postrace festivities in another spot was not ideal. Running around the Waterfront should work better in that sense. Funny how many races are right by the water after Nov. 1.

--- Budd Bailey

Were you waiting to get an entry in to this year's YMCA Turkey Trott? It's now officially too late.

The YMCA announced Tuesday that all of the approximately 14,000 spaces for the race have been filled. That's very impressive, since the price of the race went up and the number of entries increased by 1,000 this year.

As usual, the Trot will be held at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, starting on Delaware Ave. in North Buffalo.

--- Budd Bailey

A reminder to those looking for something to do on Thanksgiving morning -- the Turkey Trot is filling up quickly. They were over 12,000 in registration numbers already the last time I checked, and the limit is 14,000 this year (up from 13,000). Therefore ... you might want to get that done in the very near future.

By the way, Sunday's running column is on the Trot ... of course. I'm not sure anyone else would have come up with this particular angle about the annual race.

Now for the weekend schedule, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Vikings for Vets 5K, 1717 Bedell Road, Grand Island, 9 a.m. Saturday, 308-5775.

* Lindsay's Legacy Run, 5K, Clinton Park in Tonawanda, 11 a.m. Saturday, 695-7406. This was the biggest 5K in Western New York last year, thanks in part to the participation of Girls on the Run. Nice course, great postrace spread and party, wonderful premiums ... what's not to like? I've never missed one.

* Veterans Day 5K, One Naval Park Cove in Buffalo, 11 a.m. Sunday, 868-1055. It's interesting that as the weather turns bad, more and more races seem to pop up along the waterfront. We have one next week as well as the Freezer 5K before Christmas.

-- Budd Bailey

A couple of weeks ago, we were a little low on running news. Now we've got plenty of news and notes.

First off, the toughest job in running right now might belong to Western New York native Mary Wittenberg, the head of New York Road Runners. Wittenberg has a marathon to run in New York City on Sunday (it will be shown on ESPN2). It's a tough balancing act to put on an event in New York only a few days after the damage from Sandy the superstorm. The marathon is obviously a huge event in New York, but she obviously doesn't want to divert any of the authorities from their important recovery efforts. Best of luck to everyone involved there.

Speaking of the marathon, Gene McDonough plans to take part. The area runner has gone through a lot to get there, including cancer treatments and a recent stress fracture in his back. He'll join several other area runners who often take part in the annual event.

Elsewhere, I exchanged emails with Christian Hesch, who was the runner who recently turned himself in for EPO use over the last two years. He made a couple of points of clarification worth passing along.

Hesch says his last injections of EPO in 2011 and 2012 came in March, so it's at least arguable how much of a difference that would have made in the Subaru races in Buffalo in July of each year.

He also points out doping issues probably are more common that we think at races such as Subaru. Hesch notes that some competitors at that level have been known to run two or three races per weekend, which can take a physical toll. Meanwhile, runners - some of whom have faced bans for doping in the past - have been known to change their names slightly in order to avoid detection by race officials. It's a difficult area because few races at this level have the budget and capabilities to guarantee a "clean" race.

Hesch seems genuinely disappointed in what happened to him with EPO use, and hopes to return to the ethtical person he says he used to be. I wish him luck in that quest.

Last week in this space, I wondered why the Bob Ivory Run was held a week earlier than normal. It turns out St. Joe's is hosting a soccer tournament this weekend, so the race was bumped out of its usual slot. The field was happy that the rain held off during the actual race.

And now, finally, the weekend schedule from Buffalorunners.com:

* Buffalorunners 10K, Chestnut Ridge Park casino in Orchard Park, 9 a.m. Saturday, 649-1530. It's a nice no-frill race designed to show support for the area's best running website.

* Joe's 5K, 2909 Transit Road in Newfane, 10 a.m. Saturday, 778-4603.

* UAW Veterans Appreciation 5K Run, 524 Walnut St. in Lockport, 12 noon Saturday, 632-1540. I've run this race once before. It's a part of the world I don't see often, and I didn't go away hungry.

* Making Tracks for Families 5K, 2909 south Park Ave. in Lackawanna, 10 a.m. Sunday, 634-1058. The race is held at the Holy Cross Cemetery, so you'd better be good on turns. Plenty of food there, too, for those interested in such subjects.

--- Budd Bailey

One of the winners at a cash prize at a recent Western New York race has confessed that he had been taking illegal substances for two years. That's going to have some ripple effects down the road. Details are in Sunday's column.

Elsewhere, I've gotten review copies of a few books lately. The first one I've read is "The Longest Race." It's a rather thoughtful account of an 11-year-old ultramarathon, but my guess is that it will have trouble finding an audience. Find my full review here.

Do you think some race directors looked outside Thursday and Friday and asked why the weather couldn't be like that over the weekend. We return to fall soon. Here's the calendar from buffalorunners.com:

* Strider Glider Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles), Westwood Park in Lancaster, 9 a.m. Saturday, 713-6102. It sounds like the Lancaster Striders have something of a unique course and event, which is always welcome. We'll see how Year One goes.

* Jack O'Lantern Fall Classic, 5K, Goat Island in Niagara Falls, 10 a.m. Saturday, 282-1228. There's prize money to be won  here, so usually some good runners show up. The race also puts the names of last year's competitors on the back of its shirt, which is good for bragging to non-running friends.

* Bob Ivory Run, 5K, 845 Kenmmore Ave. in Tonawanda, 9 a.m. Sunday, 270-4113. I'll have to ask why this race was moved from the first Sunday in November. I can use that hour of sleep. It's a Buffalo News Runner of the Year race, and thus the next-to-last chance to move up in the standings. It's also a chance to get some more items with Bob Ivory's name on them. I always kid Bob that he's rivaling Tommy Hilfiger for branded merchandise.

* Paint the Village Pink 5K, 4925 Main St. in Williamsville, 1 p.m. Sunday, 516-641-3587. This is an interesting idea - a Sunday afternoon race. What's more, it's the Bills' bye week, so you won't miss any football.

--- Budd Bailey

I've run a few hundred races over the past decade, but I've never had the sinking feeling I had while running in the Pumpkin Run last week.

I was a mile into the race on Youngs Road, when the thought went through my mind, "Is this a chip race?" I started looking at runners around me, and -- sure enough -- I saw a timing chip on a women's shoe. I had forgotten all about it. Sigh.

I finished the race, went straight to the scorer's truck and reported my time. Since I wasn't exactly close to an age-group medal, they just added me to the list with no controversy. Still, I felt rather stupid.

So kids, make sure you look around for chips well before you reach the starting line. And registration volunteers, it's always a good idea to remind people to grab chips at check-in. I'm probably not the first, or last, to do this.

I'll try to do better this weekend.

Here's the weekend race calendar, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Race to Cure Childhood Cancer 5K, 2402 N. Forest Rd. in Getzville, 8:30 a.m. Saturday, 681-4433. There's no quit in the organizers of this race, which has come and gone and changed locations over the years. Nice to have it back on the schedule.

* Tim Hortons 5K Coffee Run, 8289 Main St. in Eden, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, 445-0047.

* Dr. Richard Sarkin Memorial 5K, Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, 713-0769. You might remember this race as one that came just after the "October Surprise" snowstorm a few years ago. Let's hope for better weather this time.

* Niagara Falls International Marathon, Buffalo (Art Gallery) to Niagara Falls, Ont., 10 a.m. Sunday, 905-356-9460. I wonder if this is still one of the only two-country marathons in the world.

* Niagara County Deputy Sheriffs' PBA 5K Run, Market St. in Lockport, 10:30 a.m. Sunday, 622-6416.

It's been said that real runners never go on vacation without packing running shoes and a change of clothes. Those items were packed for a quick trip to Florida last week when I was on vacation. It sure doesn't take long to remember the hot, dry summer we had around here, which was much better for running than it was in my lawn. But those days are over here for a while - I wore gloves this morning for the first time of the season. The Freezer Run will be here before we know it.

One other slightly leftover note that's worth a mention. You might remember Jason McElwain of Rochester, who achieved some national attention when he scored 20 points in six minutes in a high school basketball game about six years ago. McElwain finished the Rochester marathon in 3 hours, 1 minute and 41 seconds. He thus qualified for the Boston Marathon. McElwain was diagnosed with autism at a young age.

Coming up on Sunday, I take a look at a "fish out of water" story -- runners trying to put on a race.

Here's this weekend's schedule, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Breaking the Sound Barrier 5K, 2253 Main St. in Buffalo, 9 a.m. Saturday, 834-7200. This is always a nice little event, and the kids there are always happy to see the runners on the side during the short post-race parace.

* Lou Reuter Scholarship Run, 5K 350 Fries Road in Tonawanda, 9 a.m. Saturday, 874-8402. This is part of a big day at Kenmore East High School, including the East/West football game.

* Ryan Purcell Memorial, 4 miles, Botanical Gardens at 2655 S. Park Ave. in Buffalo,  9:30 a.m. Saturday, 713-5654.

* Muddy Viking Trail Run, 4 Miles 5013 Rt. 430 in Bemus Point, 10 a.m. Saturday, 830-6703.

* Pumpkin Run, 5K, 6350 Main St. in Williamsville, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, 783-3219. Gateway-Longview is making this a good-sized party, especially for the kids who are there to celebrate the coming Halloween festivities.

* Chowder Challenge 5K, Pine Woods Park in North Tonawanda, 11 a.m. Saturday, 523-3958. I did this race last year, and it was an interesting course to run for the first time. The chowder got good reviews from friends as well.

If you are counting, that's six Saturday races and none on Sunday. Hmmmm.

--- Budd Bailey

I was a little cramped for room when it came to the awards and honors from the Niagara Track and Field Hall of Fame, which covers the western half of the state.It deserves a mention.

The new Hall of Famers are: Mark J. Finucane, St. Francis High School; contributor Dr. Alan L. Jones, Binghamton, NY; Stephen M. Machooka, Cornell '64; and Susan L. Schaefer Morgan, Clarence High School. In addition, Stephanie Izard of Sweet Home won the Cynthia J. Wyatt Award. Congratulations to all.

Elsewhere, the area schools that helped out on the Fleet Feet 15K on Labor Day received a nice reward recently. About 175 Brooks shoes have been donated to the schools. That brings the total of the program over the years to 1,300. Fleet Feet even received direct donations to the program, and sales reps have been donated test shoes to the schools as well. It's a nice gesture by the company and appreciated by all.

Not every organization picked this weekend for a race, but it seemed like it. We'll have to see how it affects attendance. On Sunday, I'll be writing about a race in Syracuse, which will honor a great Western New York Runner.

Here's the weekly schedule, courtesy of buffalorunners.com:

* Cummins Run for Literacy 5K, 509 Cherry St. in Jamestown, 9 a.m. Saturday, 484-7135 x236.

* Fred Ruterbusch Memorial 5K Run, Steele Hall at SUNY Fredonia, 10 a.m. Saturday, 480-1557.

* Run in the Country 5K, 3755 Tonawanda Creek Road in Amherst, 10 a.m. Saturday, 860-0524.

* Autumn Challenge 5K (trail run), Sprague Brook Park in Glenwood, 10 a.m. Saturday.

* ECMC Lifeline Foundation WNY Runs for Heroes 5K, Delaware Park in Buffalo, 10 a.m. Saturday, 898-5800. Finally, here's a race I've actually run. They hope cash prizes will help turnout, and they might be right.

* Okay 5K Fun Run, Ellicott Creek Park in Tonawanda, 10 a.m. Saturday, 884-3256. I think a pattern has emerged for starting times for Saturday.

* Jill Mattice Memorial 5K Run, Cleveland Hill High School in Cheektowaga, 11 a.m. Saturday, 435-9023.

* Bemus Point 15K, Long Point State Park in Bemus Point, 9 a.m. Sunday, 488-0788.

* Linda Yalem Safety Run, Alumni Arena at UB in Amherst, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, 645-2731. It's another News Runner of the Year race.
 
* Olivia's 5K Wish Run, Evangola State Park in Irving, 11 a.m. Sunday, 934-7499.

* Tanya's Trot for Epilepsy 5K, Cummings Lodge on Skyline Drive in Akron, 2 p.m. Sunday, 541-2315.

--- Budd Bailey