This week's lead sports item

Raisin River Foot Race will be special

By Sean Bray
News Sports editor

TThe 32nd running of the Great Raisin River Foot Race next month promises to be something special with a number of headline guests.
Among these will be Kathrine Switzer, the first woman with a bib number to run the Boston Marathon, a feat she accomplished in 1967.
As the story goes, she didn’t attempt to deceive race organizers then. She simply wanted to run, so she lined up.
However, when the race director of the day, Jock Semple, realized she was a woman, he attempted to physically remove her from the course, but Kathrine’s then-boyfriend intervened, freeing Switzer to sprint off.
Pictures of the incident quickly circulated around the world, but the ultimate result of the experience was that Switzer devoted herself from that point on to both her sport and the promotion of women’s running.
As she puts it, “Running is one of the most inspiring, life-giving, and empowering things you can do. It is also a lot of fun. It doesn’t matter if you are fast or slow, old or young, thin or plump.”
Over the past four decades since that Boston experience, Switzer has witnessed
(and been a part of) a tremendous surge in women’s
running to the point
where she says, “There are more women runners than men in the USA.”
She encourages women (and men), young and old alike, to set their sights on the Foot Race as a terrific challenge with deep historic roots.
In fact, organizers of this year’s race are hoping to have 261 female runners participating in honour of Kathrine’s bib number from the 1967 Boston race.
Further, to celebrate women’s running, there will be a chocolate station along the route, though a planned champagne station at the end had to be withdrawn, owing to LCBO regulations.
Saturday evening
It all will get underway Saturday, August 7 in Williamstown with a 3 km friendship run that will include Switzer and her husband, sports historian Roger Robinson.
Afterwards, in the hall at the Char-Lan Rec Centre, Switzer and Robinson will hold a talk where attendees can expect to “get their socks knocked off,” Kathrine suggests.
She says, the pair will aim to further inspire everyone in the sport “with the significance of what they are doing, with the potential of what they can do, and with some of the unique aspects of our history.”
Word has it there will be a surprise guest, “not including Oprah who will also be there” apparently.
Sheila Lafave, who invited Kathrine to come to Williamstown after meeting at a marathon in Maine two years ago, says everyone is in suspense as to the identity of the mystery guest.
The friendship run and clinic with Switzer are free of charge, though donations to the Julie MacLachlan Foundation are requested.
As well, Switzer’s book, Marathon Woman, will be available for purchase (Credit cards accepted). Kathrine will be signing copies and says the book contains stories “both women and men can relate to, be inspired by, and laugh and cry over” too.
Since Switzer is likely to get many questions from local runners in attendance, The News recently asked her what was the most interesting or
unusual question anyone had ever asked.
Kathrine replied, “Since I was so busy in my running career or training, organizing, and writing, how did I have time for sex?”
Of course, we couldn’t leave our readers hanging, so we went on to ask how she responded to this penetrating query.
“I told her that at the time I was with my first and now ex-husband whom I was not in love with, and so it was very easy to slip out of bed at 5 a.m. to go for a run. Although that sounds sad, it made me a very good runner.”
She further mused, “If I was married then to Roger Robinson, my present (and forever) husband, I would never have been a champion
runner.”
The foot race
The actual Raisin River Foot Race itself will take place Sunday, August 7, beginning at the fairgrounds in Williamstown.
Distances include 5 km and 11 km routes along the Raisin River west of the village.
Register by August 5
and save $5. Online
registration is available at
http://raisinriverramblers.tripod.com/
There is also a really cool map of the course on the
website that includes photos along the route.
Registration in the race includes entry to the Williamstown Fair, an $8 value.
There is also a family rate available.
•   •   •
Ed Whitlock, a previous special guest in Williamstown, is booked to return for the 2010 race and is planning to take to the 5 km course. Whitlock, now aged 79, holds the record for the oldest person to run a marathon in under three hours.
Just a few commemorative T-shirts remain available. The garments depict the Sir John Johnson Manor House. Call Sheila Lafave at 613-347-1928 for details.
Kathrine Switzer won the 1974 New York Marathon. She plans to run the 11 km route of the foot race.
Roger Robinson has enjoyed a 30-year career as a world-ranked distance runner.
Late registration and race kit pickup will begin at 7 a.m. on race day at Char-Lan District High School.
Races will begin and end adjacent to the Meeting Place on the fairgrounds.
A kids fun run is planned for 8:45 a.m. Participation is free. Donations will be accepted for the Free the Children Kids Make Change program.
Food and refreshments will be available after the race.
Awards and door prizes will be presented in the Meeting Place after all runners have completed the course, starting at approximately 10:15 a.m.
This year’s race director is Susan Kersley.
Any questions about the race can be sent to her at
susan.kersley@sympatico.ca or by phone at 613-930-6409.
Green Valley’s Jacob Cameron, now aged 17, is the defending 11 km champion.
Runners should retain their bibs following the race, as the bib also serves as entry to the fair.
For more on the Williamstown Fair, Canada’s oldest annual fair, visit www.williamstownfair.com