Monday, August 11, 2003

By Virginia Linn, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Neither rain, nor business trip nor illness has prevented 28 runners from participating in every City of Pittsburgh Great Race since the 10K tradition was started by then-Mayor Richard Caliguiri in 1977.

	Tom Abbott, who has run in every Great Race, says the event's cancellation isn't as important as city employees losing their jobs. Abbott, of Natrona Heights, was warming up for a race Saturday in Frick Park along with Natalie Magoc, left, Kacey Abbott, center and Elissa Jankowski, all students at Highlands Middle School. (Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette)

So last week's cancellation of the Sept. 28 event because of a city budget crisis was a particular blow to the men -- including Mayor Tom Murphy -- who have traveled near and far to be among 10,000 folks drawn to the race each year.

"I live 300 miles from the finish line," said Richard Baldock, 57, a computer programmer for a company in Allentown, Lehigh County, who moved from Pittsburgh in 1996 but continued his annual running streak. "I was somewhat stunned."

But Francis Walsh, 73, of Brookline, the oldest of those with perfect attendance, vows to show up at the course anyway on the last Sunday in September, and he suspects scores if not hundreds of others will be there, too.

"I think there will be a bunch of us," he said. "Rain or snow, I know we'll be there."

Citiparks and recreation officials, shell-shocked by last week's announcement of 731 layoffs of city employees that hit that department hard, have been scrambling to sort through the fallout.

Mike Radley, director of the Great Race, said he didn't have the figures on how many folks had already registered, but said that all would get refunds over the next few weeks.

And although the race is partly supported by outside sponsors, a big donor stepping up at this time to cover the costs won't put the race back on track for this year.

"It's not that easy, given the limited resources," Radley said. "There are manpower issues."

The layoffs included police offices and emergency rescue workers, which assist in big events like the Great Race.

A total of 9,742 participants registered for last year's race, with 6,887 registered for the 10K and 2,855 for the 5K.

Begun by Caliguiri as a way to bring the city together and build tradition, the race has grown from 1,100 participants that first year.

Workers at the finish line of that first race handed out popsicle sticks with hand-written numbers on them to the runners to rank their order, said Baldock, who still has his stick.

Participation peaked in 1987 with 12,807 entrants, and for years it was the biggest running event in Pennsylvania. It has since been eclipsed by the Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure, which draws about 38,000 on Mother's Day.

In addition to being a fun community event, the Great Race drew elite runners from Africa and other countries for prize money.

People run the race with families and friends; they've run it in costume; and last year, Pittsburgh newcomer Michele Savoie got a job after wearing a homemade T-shirt that read: "I'm for hire. Dynamic engineer wants job in Pittsburgh."

"I thought this was a good way to try to reach 10,000 people," she joked after completing the 10K in one hour and 50 seconds.

The cancellation is "devastating to the running community," said Kevin Smith, owner of Elite Runners & Walkers, a specialty shoe store in Robinson.

"This is the biggest running event in the area. It's another black mark on Pittsburgh's reputation as being an old city, not looking for youth."

Smith, who organizes several races in the region, said since last week's announcement he's been working out details to create a "replacement" race at another location on Sept. 28 to fill the void.

"There are a lot of people who train all year long for this race," he said.

And Janet Hignett, owner of Fleet Feet Sports shop in Upper St. Clair, is holding a meeting at her store at 8 p.m. tomorrow to address the outcry among her patrons over the race's cancellation. Several running groups organized by the store had been getting ready for the race.

"This is not a venting session," Hignett emphasized.

"It's not about why it's been canceled or whether it was right or wrong. We want to explore if there is something else we can do. All of us just want to run."

In 1993, the city renamed the race in memory of Caliguiri, who died in 1988 of amyloidosis, a rare condition in which abnormal deposits of protein invade vital organs.

A portion of race proceeds each year go to support a fund created in his name to finance local research on the disease.

This year's event also was tied to two new initiatives created to expand participation:

The Power Three 10K series. The city teamed with 10K footraces in Cleveland and Clarksburg, W.Va., to urge folks in the tri-state region to run at least two out of the three races to qualify for 40 prizes valued at more than $10,000. The Cleveland and Clarksburg events already have been held. The series was organized as one way to bring added excitement to the Great Race and draw regional tourists to the city, Radley said.

The On Your Mark With Highmark youth challenge. This program encouraged children 16 or younger to participate in two or more of the four Citiparks summer 5Ks (Greenfield Glide, Brookline Breeze, Riverview and Run Around the Square) to encourage fitness. Those who ran in at least two would get free entrance into the Great Race, receive a certificate and chance to win prizes. Highmark said it will still reward children who participate in the neighborhood races.

Tom Abbott, 48, of Natrona Heights, another Great Racer with perfect attendance, has been so committed that he ran the race in 1998 with a 102-degree temperature, collapsing at the finish line and requiring treatment at Allegheny General Hospital.

He said that while the race is important to him, he recognizes that city employees are facing bigger challenges than the loss of a recreational outing.

"These people lost their jobs," he said. "Think of the poor policemen, married with kids. I can't take [the race] too seriously."

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