River to Sea Relay

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The results from the River to Sea Relay were not a pretty sight for the Wissahickon Wanderers. 48th out of 50 teams competing. But these statistics did not tell the whole story. They did not tell of the courage displayed by an undermanned Wanderers team in brutal weather conditions.

Running the 92-mile route across New Jersey from Milford to Manasquan is tough enough in the mid-summer heat with a seven-member team. However, the task got even tougher for the Wandereres when they lost one member to a job commitment the day before the race and had to compete with six runners.

The Wanderers simply lifted the extra burden onto their backs and quietly carried the load across the entire state of New Jersey.

Competing for the Wanderers were veterans Scott Quitel and Dan Gordon and newcomers Beth Johnston, Jan Deruiter, Rick Etheredge and Phil Hagerty. Beth was simply stunning in her two long legs providing the Wanderers with those rare moments of elation when competitors were actually passed. Rick looked like he might have lost a step or two from his days on the U. of Pennsylvania track team, but not much more than that. Scott was simply…Scott, running the longest legs in the hottest part of the day, without complaint or the slightest hitch in his stride. Phil Hagerty seemed to be all over the course during his frequent runs while Jan Deruiter, foregoing training in order to stay fresh for the race, still ran some strong legs for the Wanderers. Jan became the enforcer for the team only conceding grudgingly to speedier competitors.

The Wanderers had to contend with searing heat during the middle of the race, and the runners were then lashed with rain during a late afternoon thunderstorm. As if that was not enough, the Wanderers had to navigate through growing darkness at the end of the race to reach the ocean at Manasquan a little after 8 pm. The team's time was 13 and one-half hours to complete the course.