PEOPLE MAKE THE RACE
People make the Ten Mile Road Race the event that it is.
We'd like to profile just a few of the many people who make up the special fabric of the Ten Mile Road Race, whether they be elite competitors, first time runners, dedicated fitness buffs, volunteers, sponsors, spectators or organizers.
Here, the focus is on volunteers:
Fresh Air Experience Pace Bunnies For The Ten Mile Road Race 2009. Marilee Chase is wearing bib #351 [and has the best ears].
PEOPLE MAKE THE RACE
Pace Bunny Profile: Marilee Chase
Marilee Chase has been a Ten Mile Road Race pace bunny for the past four years, and she'll be pacing her group at 9:30 miles. That's not far off the 90 minutes she recorded when she last ran the race for her own time. So she's left herself a bit of a cushion for a bad running day, but the pace remains a challenge. As Marilee says, 'It's pretty scary knowing that people are depending on you to keep them on pace and finish on a certain time...... no matter how much training you do, anything can happen on race day. You don't want to let anyone down," and that's a great motivator to keep you going.
When a novice ten miler hits the wall, it's wonderful to be there for them with the experience and the talk that will get them through to their goal. Marilee enjoys being a part of their success, and, in a sense, it's a wonderful opportunity to relive the elation of her first race. "Last year, most of my group, having picked up the pace, were finishing ahead of schedule. I had only one person left in my pace group as we arrived at the 9-mile mark, and she stopped dead saying that she couldn't do it. With less than ten minutes to the finish line [and no apparent injuries] quitting was not an option. We picked a landmark to run to, then another to walk to, and we kept going till we got to the end. I didn't find out until after the race just how much she appreciated having me there with that extra push to finish."
Some of the other pacers who will be joining Marilee this year include Mike OConnor at 7 minute miles, Gary Tabor at 8:30 miles, Donna Ostrom and Louis Bortolon at 9 minute miles, Lisa Tabor at 9:30 miles, and Rose Bortolon at 10 minute miles. Pacers using a 10-and-1 cycle [10 minutes running followed by 1 minute walking] will include Sandie Guthrie at 10 minute miles, Karen Dahl and Colleen Snelgrove at 10:30 miles, and Cheryl Ready with 11 minute miles.
What distinguishes all the pacers is that they have suspended their personal race aspirations to help others achieve theirs.
