Bobby Bell 5 Mile Road Race, Haverhll, Ma

Greg Billington 1956 - 2006

This is Race #7 installment in the twenty one race series. Most running mags who report on these races center around who won and quick times. This blog revolves around the seamy underbelly in each race; the also-rans: the has-beens: the crippled: the infirm: the insane.

Now I can enjoy the rest of the series...really. There were three bonus races: the killer 11.6 miler in New London that even Amby Burfoot shows up for, a textile free race, a marathon and six "regular" races. Having to run two marathons six days apart and the preparation for them was brutal. The fastest of the runners can skip the bonus stuff. Not for folks like me, the velocity challenged (we have to do all the races to stay in contention just for a honorable mention butt patch for cripes sakes).

I ran this race the previous series with the intention of coming back the next year, and every year for that matter. This race has it all. But my life is so...busy (I'm being purposefully vague here, see the race one recap).

I get there at 9:25am to find the place empty 'cept with the organizers just setting up. I post register and find out the walkers are going off at 10:30 and the "run" is at eleven.

With plenty of time to kill, I hang out and soak up the atmosphere that is downtown Haverhill. I'm an urban guy having grown up in Detroit in the sixties.

I enjoy the architecture, the gritty industrial urban feel, the breakfast places, the used car lots, the train tracks, my kinda place.

Slowly folks start arriving and the vibe gets kicked up a notch. A lot of runners are committed to the series and the "war" stories pour forth.

The Rats circle in and I spy Tresa Casaletto, Say Hi and inquire the where abouts of our friend Sarah Winkley.

She tells me that Sarah's other half Greg Billington died of Cancer on Thursday.

I looked at her and she at me and she understood the emotion I was feeling while not saying a word.

I'm dazed, It takes me more than a moment to collect myself. Seconds before I was rather full of myself for getting to this part of the series and I hear Greg died.

Nothing takes the wind out of your sails faster than hearing the loss of a friend.

Tresa pulled me back to reality: "Greg wanted nothing more than to run in this series, we're gonna run it for him".

We queue up at the start. I pick out J.G, Gail, Dave, and Ted as the folks to pace and if there's anything left, pass a few. The first mile is a slow riser pulling away from the river. As usual Dave sets the pace, Gail, J.G, then Ted. I'm in there, 7:19.

Mile two is a slow rise, and as usual they pull away and I'm left to plod on. 8:02 for 15:22.

Mile four I find a struggling Tommy StraQ and put my foot in his ass: 8:08 for 31:30.

I cross the finish and Mary Ellen Sawyer is right behind me. We talk about our wonderful kids and cheer on the folks still coming in. Not wanting to miss the show I change quickly and wade into the full tilt party of 250 going on inside the Lasting Room Pub. The place is packed, the faster people have eaten all the chow and deservingly left nothing for the slower folk. I meet Chris Stocker who's a serious RAT contender and promise to include him further RAT write-ups. I'm swapping splits with Rick Bayko, the series namesake. How cool is that! Somehow I've acquired six tickets for beer and quickly cash in. The awards are handed out and the raffle prizes are spectacular. If ever there was a better post race party, I haven't seen it.

Greg ranked 68th overall in the "Toughest Runner in New England" - Grand Pricks Series 1 through 5 scoring totals.