Cape Breton Transformed into
Wanderers Wonderland
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Whats it like to run with a
gorilla trailing you? Just ask Ann Kerr of the Cape
Breton Road Runners with Pieman Tom Humphrey right
behind. |
The Wissahickon Wanderers turned the rugged 187-mile
Cabot Trail relay in late May into a showcase of their
wide range of running talents.
The Wanderers admittedly got off to a rocky start in
the race. Tad Space Ghost Sperry running
the opening leg looked like he was starring in a remake
of the movie Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.
He received absolutely no assistance from the Wanderers
support staff which was enjoying a light continental
breakfast of coffee and Danish inside the warm Wanderers
recreational vehicle. Going it alone, Space Ghost still
finished his 17-k leg in a respectable one hour and
26 minutes.
Then Michele Tulino put in the first of her two dazzling
performances finishing 23rd over the almost 19-k second
leg traveling at 7:26-minute miles. Now the Wanderers
were really rolling. Pieman pushed the Wanderers up
into 24th place place running the 12.5-k 3rd leg in
one hour and 12 minutes.
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The Wanderers are rarin to go prior
to the start of the Cabot Trail Relay. |
The challenging course on the Cabot Trail and the often
adverse weather conditions have a way of bringing out
the true but hidden identity of Wanderer runners. For
instance, two years ago the Wanderers runner Sally Gordon
started Leg 12. But after being lashed by rain and chilled
by the nighttime cold for 16 kilometers, she emerged
at the finish a totally different person, Wet Hen!
Likewise this year, Wayne Hamilton started the fourth
leg as a mild-mannered accountant from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
But by the finish of his leg, Wayne had been replaced
by a new persona
Crusher, the conqueror of Mt.
Smokey. Crushers performance was amazing. He ran
the brutal 20-k leg up Mt. Smokey at a 7:44 minute a
mile pace.
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The Purple Piper, Jim Bousquet, of
the Georgetown Runners piped in the runners on the
last leg. |
In the afternoon, Renee Lutwick, Tony Armson, Sam Campbell
and Duncan MacGuigan fought through cruel winds which
had picked up off the ocean to keep the Wanderers in
contention. It was great to see Campy back in action
with that majestic stride of his. His form indicated
that with just a modicum of training, a return to three-hour
marathon pace would not be unrealistic.
Campy had been issued a specific set of instructions
from coach Albert Gordon prior to traveling to Cape
Breton. Sam, I want you to come back either carrying
your shield, or being carried on your shield,
Coach Gordon advised. Videotapes of the Leg 7 finish
are being reviewed to see exactly what position Campy
was in as it relates to his shield.
On Leg Nine, Wet Hen became the first Wanderer to experience
multiple personality transformations on the Cabot Trail
course. With no advance warning of the mountainous nature
of her 17k-leg nor having been given any say in the
assignment of the leg, Wet Hen stored up more venom
with each stride up North Mountain. Shedding her skin,
she arrived at the finish in her new identity
Snakebite.
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Michele was simply spectacular on
her two legs on the Cabot Trail. |
The Wanderers continued their long days journey
into night through the hard work of Brian Maurer, Patti
McKinnon, Phil Roach and David Moltke Hansen. With a
beautiful moon to guide them, the Wanderers kept up
a steady eight-minute mile pace through the evening.
Beset by two asthma attacks, David bravely completed
his leg but lost his battle to Ultra-Woman, Cyn Vavasour,
of the Georgetown Runners.
Its tough going up against these super
heroines when you are under the weather, David
said afterwards.
Then it was time for Tony, Michelle and Space Ghost
to work their overtime shifts on the final three legs
to bring the Wanderers to the finish line. Michele produced
a gem on 15.5-k Leg 15, finishing 13th and in the process
collecting the scalp of Irish Joe, the Georgetown Runners
doyen, by 14 minutes.
Tony set a Wanderers speed record at the Cabot Trail
relay on the 16th leg, running the 16.4 kilometers at
a pace of 7:13 a mile.
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Tony Armson gets ready for action
on leg 5. (All photos by Renee of the Cape) |
Unfortunately, the sum was not greater than these impressive
individual parts. In fact, the Wanderers came in 49th
out of 65 team more than seven hours adrift of the winning
Ottawa Nice Guys.
The Wanderers also absorbed another beating at the
hands of the bitter rivals, the Georgetown Runners of
Ontario. But their margin of defeat was down to just
33 minutes from the two- and one-hour losses administered
by the two Georgetown Runner teams at the Reach the
Beach Relay last fall.
The Wanderers drew some measure of satisfaction by
obliterating their nemesis, the Purple Piper of the
Georgetown Runners. First, Rock Steady dropped the Piper
on the ascent up Mt. McKenzie on Leg 10. Then Phil Roach
finished off what was left of the Piper on leg 14 dusting
him by 15 minutes.
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