Cape Breton Transformed into Wanderers Wonderland

What’s 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.

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 But by the finish of his leg, Wayne had been replaced by a new persona…Crusher, the conqueror of Mt.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. Crusher’s performance was amazing. He ran the brutal 20-k leg up Mt. Smokey at a 7:44 minute a mile pace.

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.

Michele was simply spectacular on her two legs on the Cabot Trail.

The Wanderers continued their long day’s 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.

“It’s 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.

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.