CENTRAL PARK TRACK CLUB

THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS 1972

Dave Blackstone Lynn Blackstone Jack Brennan Fred Burke Cathy Burnam Arnold Fraiman Frank Handelman Marc Howard Andy Maslow Jerry Miller Richart Miller Robert Urie IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS DAVE… “In the early 1970s there were perhaps two dozen runners who trained regularly in , many of whom did not compete but had track or cross-country backgrounds and stayed in shape, for example, Frank Handelman, Bob Urie, Jack Brennan and myself. Through the late 1960s and early 70s the only team winning Met titles was Millrose, except in cross-country where the NYAC was dominant, fielding national-class runners. I thought it would be fun to organize these regulars into a team, so in September 1972, my wife, Lynn and I called a founding meeting in our apartment and Central Park Track Club was born.” — Dave Blackstone, founder and first president of CPTC That was the genesis of our club. During the The history of CPTC might be divided into two ensuing 30 years, that little band consisting of parts — BG and AG. Long before George Dave and Lynn, Ben Gershmann, Larry Wisniewski came on the scene, CPTC had a Langer, Judge Arnold Fraiman, Walter Nathan, definite presence in local competition. Shelly Bob Urie, Fred Lebow, Frank Handelman, Jack Karlin, Handelman, Brennan, and Blackstone Brennan and a few others, has grown into a were names that frequently showed up as top real presence in New York, with close to four finishers in races. In fact, Dave seems to have hundred members from a variety of ethnic raced so often that in an early Club News piece, backgrounds, of all ages, speeds and resting it was reported he was leaving his job and pulse rates. moving into an abandoned sewer pipe under the FDR drive, where he worked out 10 or 12 “The men had Thursday night group When we started it was illegal to jog on the times a day. runs in the mid-70s, which were great Bridle Path, and in those days there was no fun, where we’d meet at 90th and Fifth Club, just a Road Shelly, reminisces Blackstone, was a “skinny Avenue and do six miles. Every week Runners Club, NY Association, which put out kid with long hair,” who passed everyone. Bob it was a race; we didn’t want to, but an occasional type-written newsletter, charged Urie, called Old Coyote, used to pound on cars, that was when John Kenney was $4 dues and had 268 members, among whom and Jack Brennan was, well, Jack Brennan. coming along, and Jerry McCarthy were such subsequent notables such as Jim “I joined CPTC because Dave and Jack Brennan. Actually, Jack Fixx, Eddie Coyle, and George Blackstone begged me to. He would couldn’t run six miles so we lost him, Hirsch, Sheehan and Wisniewski. call me repeatedly at night, ply me but the rest of us would do those workouts in about 33 minutes.” The Winter Series that year had an outstanding with alcohol, send me flowers; I — Frank Handelman turnout — averaging 100 people a race. The finally couldn’t take it anymore and I following year’s , held gave in.” — Jack Brennan “The older he gets, the faster he used entirely in the park in those days, had 293 “It was in the late 1970’s and Len to be …” — Jack Brennan finishers, eight of whom were running for the Duey used to hang around the fledgling Central Park Track Club. Two of “My first memory of the team was Reservoir and look for women who these were women — Kathy Switzer and CPTC when I’d go do my little Reservoir looked like they could run fast, and founderess, Lynn Blackstone. loops at night, and there was this pack ask us if we wanted to come and be a of very skinny, very fast men, who part of the team.” — Robin Villa always ran together. We called them Without a coach, members decided among the Boy Dogs because they were such themselves when and what the workouts would a pack and so clearly above everyone be. The women had Len Duey’s coaching and else out there. When I joined the team the small but elite group, Isabel Carmichael, and went to a team party somewhere, Diane Magnani, Liz Levy and others, began I realized that the Boy Pack was to win national championships. The men were CPTC. After the fact I learned they more or less on their own. were Jack Brennan, Mike Koenig, Brian Jones, Roger Yergeau, Fritz “The big success story of the 70s was Mueller and some others. And I was Fritz Mueller. Here was a guy who on the same team as the Boy Dogs! came from God knows where — I What a thrill!” — Ellen Wallop think it was during the Depression — and started running. He had visions of glory, probably even fantasized that some day he’d learn to speak English. I mean he’s no different from anybody else on the club — we’ve all dreamt of glory and that some day Fritz might learn to speak English …” — Jack Brennan In 1976 Kevin McDonald was our first Olympic Marathon trials qualifier, running a 2:19 — a club record even now. In 1980, thanks, it is rumored to a felicitous tail wind, Jack Brennan was one of the three CPTC people who qualified for the Olympic Marathon trials, along with Shelly Karlin and Peter Squires. 1980 was also the year Dave Blackstone turned over the presidency to Norman Goluskin and the year the Executive Committee began to cast around for a coach. And the year George Wisniewski and Tomi And then there was Fritz. At an age when Gomory entered our lives. most of the world is over the hill, Fritz Mueller was peaking. “I joined the Club when they thought I was good enough. I ran a marathon in 2:50 in the early 70s, and passed Dave Blackstone at the end. I guess that’s what did it.” — Fritz Mueller At 42, in 1978, he ran a PR of 2:20 in Boston, a record he would hold for six years, won the Yonkers Marathon and earned the World Masters Marathon Championship in Berlin. Since 1973, he ran 249 races including 24 sub- 2:30 ; he broke 2:30 in the seven times in a row. “I heard about an out-of-shape middle-age blond guy that collapsed at four miles in a six-mile race and had to be hospitalized. I later learned that it was his first race and his name is Fritz. So what? I realize now, of course, he put us on the map.” — Dave Blackstone “I would see him go by in the park and would think, “Oh, there goes Fritz Mueller!” When it turned out I was running for the same team, it was like I was one of the chosen!” — Robin Villa “When word filtered back that Fritz had run a 2:30 marathon at age 50 … it sent a bit of a thrill through the entire team. — George Wisniewski THE COACHES “When I became president, I wanted Tomi and George brought a new dimension to to hire a coach. I felt we all ran too CPTCers’ running careers. They worked out hard, not knowing what the hell we regularly, improved race times and a lot of were doing. We were pretty close to people got serious about the sport for the first hiring someone, when Frank time, but there was nothing stodgy about them, Handelman said I should meet this and they also brought a new dimension in fun. guy Wisniewski … probably my And the social aspects were just as important. biggest contribution was being The club meant more to us than just timed instrumental in bringing George into quarters and sweat; we were a team off the road the club.” — Norman Goluskin and track too, as attested to by the predictable crowds at the West End Café, Dublin House and assorted restaurants and bars. Not to mention Harry Nasse’s biannual Sussex soirees and some eye-opening gatherings in New Paltz. George and Tomi may have brought structure THE GIRLS “CPTC was founded as a co-ed club, and it was the only co-ed club around.” — Lynn Blackstone “Shortly after moving to New York in the ‘70s, I would run after work — once around the Reservoir, as fast as I could. It’s hard to admit, even now, but kicking dust in some innocent runner’s face was the perfect antidote to office stress. I’d select a victim, pass him, then listen as he strained to catch up. It was mean, of course, and one evening it backfired: This guy — this old guy — just hung on. The faster I went, the faster he went, until after three loops I hit the wall. He stopped too and said, “I am Fritz. Vould you like to choin ze Central Park Track Club?” Leery of strange invitations from men, it wasn’t until I heard about the Club again from my neighbor Diane Magnani, who confirmed that there was such a thing, and, what’s more, a guy named Len Duey held workouts for women. She insisted I come, and I did. We were a small group: Jane Breene, Pat Ellis, Hermine Bartee, Gail Swain, Caryl Hudson, “He almost seems like a normal Kaarina Uutenin, Nora Cheng, Weezie Sams, Johanna Colette, Yvonne Rosen, Marie Wicks, Liz Levy and a few others. Mostly we did hill work at the end of the park, sometimes human being to me.” — Marty Smith intervals on the Delacorte Oval, and afterwards we’d congregate near 90th and Fifth for a “I really didn’t know what I was Duey pep-talk. We were generally segregated from the men’s team in those days, though getting into. I always knew CPTC as Jack Brennan used to hang around after our workouts offering stock tips, unsolicited training what we would call the Suit-and-Tie advice and general palaver, but were pretty much our own team, informally bonded by the running club of Central Park. Most rigors of the Harlem hills. members seemed to be upper-crusty I recall we ran our butts off in training (the goal of which was to prepare us to “eat nails with few minorities — not big on for breakfast,” according to Len). And we engaged in some world-class gossip. (There Affirmative Action. I think they had was some major stuff going on in those days!) But, of course, things changed. New faces one guy with a Hispanic last name, appeared. Sadly, some disappeared, too; they moved, got injured, had lives. but he lived near Central Park so it didn’t count.” — George Wisniewski “I haven’t been around for a while. There’s a box of trophies in my basements, and the dates are all more than twenty years old, but -— corny as this sounds — the memories are “It was a real transition for the club, vivid … and good. So Fritz, thanks for the tip.” — Mary Gibbons Feinstein, who got they were looking for some real injured, had a life and moved to Maryland. But is not forgotten. structured coaching and certainly George had the history, having coached in high school for several years, and I guess they knew his reputation as a runner, and I sort of came along as a by the way. I hope I contributed something, since we sort of offer a balanced perspective — I’m on one side of sanity, he is on the other, so together we were I think one whole, sane coach.” — Tomi Gomory and discipline into our running lives, but they “I think a lot of people have not only knowledge to others, which is what a could party with the best of them! Better even. improved their running from George’s good coach inspires. George has Or worse, depending on how you looked at it. workouts but I think a lot have made a lot of coaches in training. I learned and have passed on their know he did with me. — Ed Coplon “We go there and we just relax and do hikes in the woods and do some Workouts took place in Central Park until running and the parties are very Robin Villa obtained permission for us to use sedate; we just sit around and talk, the City College outdoor track. News of the we have a little tea, you know, one or quality of the workouts and the resultant two of us have a beer and so on, but success of CPTC in races spread, and the Club that’s about it and, you know, we go began to attract many new runners. We were to bed early cause we gotta get up really becoming a major threat on the New and we do long runs and so we just York scene, and were setting an example for a discuss politics and very quiet time, number of other area teams. very nice time, we play maybe tiddlywinks or some other innocent “I know for a fact that CTPC was a games or charades once in a while, forerunner of any number of other and, but George likes to give the teams, like Flushing Meadow TC, impression at the workout, he gives it Prospect Park TC, Van Cortlandt TC, a good build-up but, you know, he the Heights-Inwood team, Plainview- exaggerates what goes on out there. Old Bethpage team, teams from all Just basically good clean fun, that’s over the area. Warren Street was all. — Harry Naase three people who left CPTC because they wanted to do their own thing. “And we got some real bossy When we started off, the only topnotch people…” — Betty Marolla functioning teams in New York City were Millrose and NYAC, which When George and Tomi came on the scene in basically brought guys in from around 1980, workouts became more regular and the country. So we were a local team systematic. that sprung up and led to many “We started going to the West Side others, and now I think there’s 60 or park along the river, and we did all 70 competitive racing clubs of status kinds of crazy workouts, various in the NYRRC, in large part because lengths, and late at night we used to of the example we set.” — Frank have some runs the length of the West Handelman Side all the way up to Vanny. We went though a whole series of different experimentations at different times. — Tomi Gomory COACH GEORGE WISNIEWSKI

“I came around the corner and saw George, standing there at the corner, like a vulture, and he said to me words of great encouragement: Find your form. I didn’t know where I left it, but there was no chance I was going to find it again. But I love him dearly and respect him probably more than anyone I’ve ever met. So he may be certifiable, but he’s probably gonna be the person in the nuthouse with the most integrity. I wouldn’t trust my kids to just anyone.” — Betty Marolla “I think that the most important person in the club is George. Without a doubt, he has been the glue in a way, he’s the guy who has made our club special, who has just been there almost every Tuesday and Thursday, and has been there when any individual athlete has needed him and has asked for his help. You know, some people take him for granted, and you can’t … he’s been in a sense the heart of the club.” — Ed Coplon “When he came for the interview, he said, ‘You don’t want me because I’ll be too crazy and too involved. You’ll be sick of me soon because I’ll make everybody nuts. And besides, I don’t know if I can handle a group as large as you’re talking about.’ And at that point, Norman Goluskin said, ‘Well it’s probably not a problem because at the track workouts we’ll probably have 6 or 7 people, and at the road workouts we’ll probably have 10 or 15.’ … He told me he wants to retire to Woodstock and just work as a check-out person at Grand Union and hang out in the woods. Yeah — he’d be good at that too.” — Frank Handelman “At some time in our lifetime, American’s gonna have to come to grips with the lifestyles of those people who were about George’s age in the late 60’s and early 70’s. When they do, I predict George will achieve a Supreme Court justiceship or other lofty position to which he is well-groomed and entitled.” — Peter Gambaccini “You can be anything and anybody you want to be, and if you want to come and improve and work in a group that’s going to accept you, CPTC is the place to do it. That’s a rule of life George lives by and I think people have learned a lot from him.” — Wendy Wisniewski “Thanks to the enthusiasm and vision of a handful of people with a love of running, our club was formed. But we surely owe special thanks for our continued growth in membership and success to George Wisniewski, who seems to have engendered deep feelings in all of us.” — Robin Villa “… they proceeded to ask me questions for about 10 minutes, and then I proceeded to ask them questions for about an hour and a half, and realized that, yeah, this was a team that I’d be interested in coaching.” — George Wisniewski “They certainly needed a lot of development.” — George Wisniewski “I truly think the only reason it was called the Central Park Track Club was because everyone voted it down when Frank suggested it be called the Central Park Handelman club…” — George Wisniewski “Many times the real good performances have come sort of matter-of-factly. Fritz — -who is certainly not matter of fact — when he turned 50 he went out to Grandma’s Marathon, and when the word comes back that Fritz at age 50 had run a 2:30:20 marathon, the full impact just slowly rippled across the team. This awareness that things can happen on this team matter-of-factly sort of then takes hold and runs through and sends a little bit of chill through the entire body of this team. Yeah, me included.” — George Wisniewski “It’s such a tremendous output that this club has produced that it’s difficult to pinpoint a lot of specifics. I would have to say I have a lot of memories about a lot of things.” — George Wisniewski “For five years now, I have coached CPTC. It has been the most rewarding experience of my running career. Individual triumphs and fast times are what many people in the sport remember me by. But when I bump into an ‘old timer,’ they like to talk about a race I ran 20 years ago, but I just want to talk about you. You are the future of the running movement.” — George Wisniewski, March 1986 LFD Spanning CPTC’s history is our small but notable success in ultra-distances. Perhaps the most remarkable early performance was in 1979 when Allen Kirik won the London-to- Brighton 54.2 miler, an outcome the British found untenable. They brought in the heavy artillery for the following year’s race, and Allen placed second. CPTC, however, took the team award, thanks to Allen, Fritz Mueller, Brian Flanagan, Guenther Erich and Stu Mittleman. “There was a long history of this strange event I could never figure out then, people run past the marathon, they get all tired, sweaty, they eat bananas on the fly, I think they call it ultramarathoning. And I was like, What? They do this? They go beyond the marathon? No track? Where are the elbows? Where are the spikes? Where are the relays?” — George Wisniewski “We had a guy in our club, Pete Matthews, who had a business in London and he suggested that we form a team and he would organize the logistics about where we stay and think it was our most organized and so on. And I guess he chipped in a our most difficult team effort — and fair amount of money for this team. our most successful international And we did have a great team at that team race. I guess it was our only time in ultramarathoning. Allen Kirik international team race.” had won the London-to-Brighton the — Fritz Mueller year before, and Stu Mittleman of course was a super-duper ultramarathoner, and I could run a fairly decent ultra, and then Brian Flanagan who was working at a bar, and Guenther Erich from New Jersey. It was a great effort actually and I IT’S NOT EASY BEING … ORANGE “With the early — and growing — success of CPTC racers, uniforms became important. At its genesis, club colors were yellow and black, then white decorated with the green maple leaf symbol. After several metamorphoses, orange, in various shades over the years, eventually became the official club color, although not everybody was entirely pleased.” — Irene Jackson Schon “I hate the orange. I’ve always hated the orange. I don’t know who started the orange, and I can’t stand it and I’ve never liked it. I loathe it.” — Frank Handelman “Oh my God, the orange uniforms ...” — Fritz Mueller “They clash with my red hair, I’ll be honest with you.” — Ann-Marie Resnick “Orange is good if you are from Florida” — Herb Schon “Orange is the one fashion color that hasn’t come around since my infancy, and maybe before. Is there a reason for that perhaps?” — Peter Gambaccini “Orange ... I like orange.” — Dave Blackstone “We used to have white uniforms with a green maple leaf in it; really hokey old-fashioned looking ... my best races I ran in those I think.” — Fritz Mueller “The orange uniforms are traditional, whether I like them or not.” — Marty Smith “We all just look so good in orange; it brings out such fine skin tone.” — Betty Marolla “Orange is not only appealing, sartorially speaking, but I think it’s very safe at night.” — Hank Berkowitz “The orange uniforms stand out, and I think there have been good orange uniforms and bad orange uniforms. But in the words of Bill Clinton, I think we could do better.” — Kenn Lowy “Orange seems to be a nice, immediately identifying kind of color, so I always kind of liked it, although I know there’s a whole range or arguments pro and con.” — Tomi Gomory “The orange has become just about as important to some of us as the red, white and blue.” — Ed Coplon “Fritz is a man of few words — at least few that I can understand, so I’ve never really heard him voice his displeasure with the orange uniforms.” — Jack Brennan “That was an ongoing battle during my first four years as president — Fritz was the most outspoken person against orange uniforms, and always wanted blue. I’m a conservative person by nature; Fritz I always considered the other end of the spectrum. He’s further left than I am, in politics and everything, and I was always taken aback that Fritz wanted a blue uniform like everybody else, and I was the one that said orange. It was an ongoing battle. I don’t think I was out of office for six months and the next thing I know we have orange and blue shirts. He was relentless.” — Norman Goluskin “Well, at least orange is better than blue.” — Harry Nasse “Uniforms don’t make good times.” — Fritz Mueller “I still don’t know how the hell we got the orange uniforms. Before that, in the late 70’s, we had beautiful white singlets with green lettering and the maple leaf, and green shorts. But I guess you get used to everything. Now I don’t care anymore. I just want to run fast.” — Frank Handelman “Since it happened 16 years ago, I can now admit that I actually once wrote a poem called ‘Nothing Rhymes With Orange’ to a comely CPTC female I was dating. Soon after, she moved 3000 miles away to Oregon.” — Peter Gambaccini “So far, running marathons in the CPTC vest, I’ve had ‘Go Canada!’ (and who amongst us hasn’t?), ‘Go Central Park’ (very good, you can read!) but last year I had ‘Hup Holland!’ which was a new one. In any case, I’ll take every cheer! Thanks very much.” — Shula Sarner “Even though there were 9,000 athletes at the World Masters Games, it was quite easy for Devon Sargent and I to spot each other with the orange on. Orange is a very happy color and goes with all skin tones.” — Kim Mannen “What amazes me is how when I am running a race in small town USA, I am immediately picked out because of the uniform. The race director says ‘Central Park Track Club, I can’t believe you are here! Can you bring more people from your club next year !’” — Sue Pearsall “The orange uniform was a major headache until orange became a fashion color a few seasons ago and all the major brands were coming out with orange outfits. Suddenly, we were the most fashionable team in town. We may not always be the fastest team (although we are getting there), but we sure look the best. Image is everything, isn’t it? So now we have a great singlet, a beautiful jacket (next project: an orange jog bra) and everybody loves orange. It makes our team special and it makes for great photos. It also makes our runners visible and recognizable from far away, which is a great advantage for the cheering squads, especially at the marathon.” — Sylvie Kimché “Orange stands out when you are in the bushes. It should be very useful if there was ever a deer-hunting season in Central Park, but it is a serious drawback if you are in the bushes for that other reason.” — Roland Soong “I always think that I look like a traffic cone when I wear the orange jacket. Still, my friends from other clubs are all jealous, which makes it all worth it.” — Jonathan Cane A FEW YOUNGSTERS, TOO In the 80’s we had a lot of younger talent too. Paul Schwartz’s 2:22 1983 marathon is the club’s second fastest, and Richie Stewart, Tony Ruiz, Graydon Pihlaja and Zee were running track miles well under 4:20. On the roads in the Reagan years, we had John Kenney, Bob Meighan, Tom Phillips, Mike Trunkes and the ever-televised Fred Kolthay, along with some extraordinary teams. In the 1981 New York City Marathon, we had our fastest men’s team ever, with George Wisniewski, Mike Anderson and Fritz Mueller averaging 2:24; in the ’83 Brooklyn Half, we had five men under 1:10; at the Club Championship, we won the team title on our 10th man, Joe Bourland, beating out West Side YMCA by seconds; in the 1985 Club One of the constants from the 80s to today is Championship, the women’s team took the the forever boyish John Kenney: top five spots; in the Mike Hannon 20M, we won the team title for the third time in a row “Being a dad hasn’t slowed John with Rick Shaver, Manuel Caneva and Fritz down at all; he runs, has a job, Mueller — an average age of 43, beating the parents three small kids, and still has West Point cadets, whose average age was 21. a [formerly] secret life as a crazed writer of political diatribes.” — Peter The 86/87 season saw the men win 11 straight Gambaccini races in the Park. And then there was Peter Gambaccini, who had the distinction of winning two races, each in a different state, on the same day. Cindy Willis led our female New York City Marathon finishers for four years in a row, three of those in under 3 hours; she and Laurie Madson and Candy Strobach qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon, and others, like early member Gail Swain, married fast marathoners like . CPTC PRESIDENTS David Blackstone, 1972-1980 Dave was our first president and presided for eight years. He was also a good runner. Smoking 2 packs a day, he ran 55 minutes for 10 miles and a 2:40 marathon. “I have often seen that quote. In the Winter Series 10.2 miler in Central Park in 1974 Frank, Mike Tigh and I all broke 55 minutes at the ten mile split of the race. I quit smoking about twenty years ago and I’ve run slower ever since. Even Lynn and other people like Jack Brennan started beating me once I quit”

Norman Goluskin, 1980-1984 “One of the things we wrestled with when I was president was how much are dues, and who should pay dues. And we had some people who couldn’t afford to pay and didn’t, and should we drop them or should we threaten them or should we beat them up? (One of those guys was quite short …)”

Ed Coplon, 1984-1988 “There’s got to be a lot of young people in the club that should get involved, because in a club our size there’re a lot of leaders just sitting, waiting to get found, waiting to rise to the surface. I wouldn’t be president again, I think it would be foolish.”

Frank Handelman, 1988-1990 “The worst thing that happened when I was club president was that George Bush got elected to president of the US the same time I became president of CPTC. Unfortunately, I knew when to leave and George didn’t.”

Betty Marolla, 1990-1994 “The people who do all the work, all the volunteer work, are the people who are actually running the club. I’m bossy and can phone people and nag them and will willingly delegate, so being president isn’t such a big deal.”

Mike Blake, 1994-1996 “There’s an old saying that goes something like this ... Lead, follow, or get out of the way! Central Park Track Club has so many talented and dedicated athletes that, more often than not, I found myself following (Sid and company) while leading (as President). It was a privilege for me to be involved with everyone at CPTC. In fact, CPTC is the thing I absolutely miss the most since moving to Denver. The club is just an amazing, wonderful group of people, passionate athletes — and I remain extremely grateful for my involvement.” Sylvie Kimche, 1996-1998 “I became president at a time when the track team was experiencing tremendous growth. The biggest challenge (apart from trying to build consensus on the uniforms....) was to cater to the needs of both the ‘roadies’ and the ‘trackies’, get the two sides of the team to know and respect/appreciate each other’s efforts so as to keep the unity of our team. In fact, the unbridled growth of the track team proved to be a much more formidable challenge than the uniforms! (After all, doesn’t everybody love the orange jackets?)”

John Kenney 1998-2001 “I agreed to become CPTC President as a personal favor to Sylvie, who was running away to Columbus, Ohio as fast as she possibly could. I soon learned why she chose to leave town — and why the CPTC Presidency has never been a contested position! The best part about being CPTC President is our members. Once you’ve handed out the uniforms, collected the Armory checks and photos, and stopped our women’s team from brutally assaulting 220 lb. male NYRRC runners, you pretty much get to know everyone on the team.”

Alan Ruben 2001- “I deposed the universally hated John Kenney in a bloodless coup. I lit the fuse then disappeared for two weeks on the pretext that my Mother had just died. By the time I returned John was begging me to take over. Now I feel like I have two jobs. I’ve learnt what the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ means.” THE MEN When we reflect on what the men have in their time of defeat and despair. These are Calderwood, Jonathan Pillow, Isaya Okwiya, accomplished in this past decade, one recurring not actions reserved for mortals. He epitomizes Toby Tanser, Erik Goetze, Rob Zand, Richie thought is how we’ve managed to stay so the camaraderie that exists in this group while Borrero, Kevin Arlyck, Michael Rymer, Josh competitive, while at the same time preserving at the same time being the ultimate fighting Feldman, Steve Paddock and Kevan Huston. our camaraderie. Although we are a highly machine. Sound mortal to you? However, it is the whole Men’s team which competitive group, the prevailing attitude is has upheld the rich history which was started Over the past 10 years the Men’s team has been that the team comes first. This quality has 30 years ago. The names then were different – led by names such as Mike Trunkes, Peter become a staple for success, which is most Handelman, Mueller, Brennan, Koenig, Allen, Hank Berkowitz, Casey Yamazaki, Tim evident when you see a wave of orange Blackstone, et al. – but the results are the same: Robinson, Alan Ruben, Roane Carey, Geoff pursuing the competition en masse. It is almost fierce orange-wearing men who form a nucleus Buchan, Rich Joseph, Joe Voyticky, Craig haunting to see those orange shirts with the that is formidable and relentless on the roads. Chilton, Paul Stuart-Smith, Stuart letters “CPTC” emblazoned on them, because this means that “they” are coming and, if you are the competition, doom and fear are about to set in. Of course an exception like Toby Tanser is unique. We’ve had the pleasure of watching him romp to victory in countless races but ultimately it was the “pack” that has secured our place in Road Runner Club history as one of it’s most consistently competitive. We’ve also seen the phenomenal Alan Ruben as he captures Masters’ victory after Masters’ victory while at the same time leading CPTC and the pack to many a win. Then there is the incomparable Sid Howard whose kind words and caring ways leads one to believe that he is a mere mortal. Nothing can be further from the truth, he is tenacious, unforgiving and outright nasty in his approach to competition. We know, we’ve seen him as he has crushed his competition only to humbly pick them up THE WOMEN In the early 90s the women’s team was led by Rae is a true homegrown Central Park Track Hall of Famer Candy Strobach, ably assited by Club runner, who began her running with us. such stalwarts as Claudia Porfolio, Erica Merrill, Laurie Sawyer, Yumi Ogita and Stacy “The first race that Rae Baymiller Creamer. Highlights included the team victory ran for the Central Park Track Club at the 1996 10K mini-marathon. was the Philadelphia Distance Run in 1993. She ran it in 1:19:48, setting More recently names such as Audrey Kingsley, a world record in her age group of Stephanie Gould and Stefani Jackenthal have 50-54. When she finished, she asked been joined by a lot of what George Wisniewski me ‘Do you think I placed in my age would have called “fresh, young blood” – group?’” — Dan Hamner Margaret Angel1, Ali Rosenthal, Margaret Schotte, Lauren Eckhart and Kate Crowley. Not only has this bucked the trend of the average age increasing but they are a delight to run with. Then there’s Alayne Adams who, at age 41, is running faster than just about anyone on the team and is now number two on the all-time CPTC Marathon list. We still haven’t mentioned our World Record holder – Ray Baymiller who holds the most outstanding record in the history of our club a 2:52:14 at the Chicago Marathon in 1998 at age 55. At the time, she smashed the previous 55-59 age-group American record of 3:07:21 by over 15 minutes! She also became the first 55 year old in the world to break 2:55. That record is considered to be one of the all-time great age-group records. Today, her record still stands, along with a list of other records over various distances. www.centralparktc.org “Long before I ever showed up at the hold a coffee mug in my left hand and “My favorite thing about the website Daniel Webster statue at 7:00 on a then I start clicking the mouse with is — I can provide pictures when my Thursday night, I had a pretty good my right hand for the orange website single friends ask if I know anyone idea of what would happen there. For …” — Ramon Bermo for them. This way, when asked ‘Is one, I knew that there was really no there anything wrong with them? And need to arrive before 7:15, because “It’s pretty obvious by now that you why are they single?’ I have proof that Coach Tony would talk for a while. just cannot hide from Roland Soong. it’s not from a lack of pulchritude. When I got there I would be greeted He somehow located and linked up Neuroses about running, that’s a enthusiastically by someone named stuff of mine that I couldn’t even find whole ‘nother issue.” — Shula Audrey or Stacy or Ramon. I was and I was hoping no one I knew would Sarner prepared to be thoroughly humiliated ever see. I wish I’d had his Internet by old guys called Alan and Stuart, skills when I was editing the old though with some serious training I CPTC newsletter. Actually, I don’t ...” might be lucky enough to be able to — Peter Gambaccini follow a certain Alayne around the “The CPTC website is unstoppable. park for an hour. And I could I refer to it before CNN. It is more certainly rest assured that any gaffe, up to the minute than NY1 …” — Kim misstep, or faux pas would be duly Mannen recorded for future use by the Club’s secretive agent. Of course, I learned “This website matches the standards all this, and much more than I ever of the major news websites — news wanted to, through the website.” as entertainment, news as attitude — Kevin Arlyck and news as opinion. What about news as facts? But that is so passé.” The website is a study in contradictions. It is — Roland Soong devoted to the sport of running, but is really about life. It is fundamentally nonexistent, a “If there was an award for websites collection of 1s and 0s, yet it is the most the way that they have the Oscars and tangible articulation of the Club’s identity. It the Tonys, the CPTC website would dutifully provides an (over)abundance of surely be up for best something names, dates, and split times, but still expresses (definitely the best humor!).” the poetic beauty of our collective Orange soul. — Sylvie Kimché It is local and parochial, locked in an unalterable orbit around Central Park, while simultaneously ranging across the globe. It is acerbic, critical, and opinionated; it is also tender, compassionate, and supportive. Most of all, it is very much the soapbox, brainchild, and labor of love of one man, but encompasses the passions, triumphs, and hopes of us all. We are the website, and it is us. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE FAST … IF YOU GOT A GOOD TAN Today, the customs, habits and communication CPTC awards are not all trophies and plaques. For example, among the non-running means of the Central Park Track Club presentations at the 1987 December bash were these tasteful bestowals: the “George Hamilton community have been radically transformed by Lifetime Achievement Award” went to the very young, very tan Greg Kraemer; the “Better the Internet. News is no longer transmitted Late Than Never Award” went to the women’s masters team; the “Allstate You’re In Good solely by word-of-mouth or the periodically Hands Award” to David “Finger” Malamut, CPTC’s unparalleled masseur; the hotly contested printed newsletters. Instead, race results, “Fred Kolthay Serious Beer Drinking Award” went to Marge Demarrais, and John and Jane events, announcements and other reports are Kenney were the hands-down winners of the “Breed For Speed Award.” And they had barely available in near real-time mode. Many new begun. members also found us through this website. Then there was the year Jud Santos got the “Body Fat Awareness Award,” Ellen Wallop got “The web page was actually what the “Ultra Athlete Terminatrix” (oh, those biceps!), Irene Jackson and George Wisniewski brought me to the club!” — Sonja were joint recipients of the “Keith Hernandez Bad Habits Make Good Leaders Award,” and Ellmann once, a long time ago, Tomi Gomory was given a Godzilla-sized Quaalude. Isn’t it nice we grew out of that stuff …? “The website was a major reason for my joining the club.” — Isaya “Actually, I used to give out the Humorous Awards. And I once gave myself an Okwiya award for being the outstanding member of the team. My feeling was that people might perceive that there was some bias in me giving myself an award, but, well, if “Every morning, when I arrive at the they didn’t like it they could do the awards the following year. In fact, they did …” office, I sit down at my workstation, I — Jack Brennan SID HOWARD As we reviewed the award winners over the years, we kept reading one name:

1982: MVP Master Track: Sid Howard 1983: MVP Master Track: Sid Howard 1984: Outstanding Athlete: Men’s Master Team (Including Sid Howard) 1985: MVP Veteran Track: Sid Howard 1986: MVP Veteran Track: Sid Howard 1987: MVP Veteran Male: Sid Howard 1990: MVP Master Track: Sid Howard 1992: Athlete of the Year: Sid Howard 1993: Best 50+ Male: Sid Howard 1994: Best 50-59: Sid Howard 1995: Best 50-59 Sid Howard 1996: Founders Award: Sid Howard 1997: Best 50-59: Sid Howard 1999: Most Valuable Track Runner: Sid Howard 1999: Most Outstanding Track Performance: Sid Howard 2000: Best 60-69 Middle-Distance: Sid Howard 2001: Best in Track: Sid Howard

Through longevity and excellence, Sid Howard has the most number of awards in the history of our club (note: Jack Brennan would have had many more but they stopped him from giving awards to himself). But the story of Sid Howard is much more complex and multi-dimensional. In fact, we wouldn’t even know where to begin…

“I met Sid for the first time at the Reservoir in about 1979. He had just turned 40 and joined the club. Someone introduced us and we did a lap or two together, and he told me he was training for the New York City Marathon. I looked at his stride and quickness and said ‘What for? You belong on the track.’ So, of course, I can only blame myself for having spent the last decade chasing him in the 800 meters.” — Frank Handelman

“This team has always been chockfull of captains of industry and world travelers who’ve met some of the most distinguished citizens money can buy, but even those men and women will tell you they never met a more extraordinary and wonderful gentleman than Sid. You all know his ageless and abundant talent; he, along with Fritz, is basically the reason the CPTC Hall of Fame was invented. We could fill volumes about Sid, but the word he most brings to mind - especially when a dictionary is nearby - is ‘equanimity.’

One of the advantages of becoming the architect of most of Runnersworld.com’s “Brief Chats” was that I could ‘chat’ with Sid, and introduce him to the members of the running community who’d not yet had the pleasure.

There was a moment in 1997 that epitomizes what puts Mr. Howard a cut above mere mortals, and it chills me – in a good way – even to recount it. Sid, John Kenney and I and a bunch of other orange folk were at the Armory watching a heat of the men’s 1500 meters that quickly turned into a shoving match, with two lads pushing each other all over the track. When the body contact was over, the one we’ll call Steve was headed down the homestretch to victory, and turned around to visually and audibly taunt the one we’ll call Mark.

The rest of us stood in silent chagrin at the display of dreadful sportsmanship, as Steve and Mark retreated to their opposite corners of the Armory floor. But Sid wasn’t going to let the incident end that way. We stood as if our feet were encased in cement and saw Sid march over to Steve, grab his hand, and pull him over in the direction of Mark. With his gentle but irrefutable moral suasion, Sid insisted that Steve and Mark shake hands. And they did. ‘Those guys are friends today,’ Sid told me later.

John Kenney said about the only thing you could say about Sid after that: ‘He’s amazing.’ Yeah, he is that.” — Peter Gambaccini

“The label in the orange jacket says it all: ‘Keep the jog alive’” — Sylvie Kimché

“Always the first person to say, ‘Hi, I’m Sid, how are you? and who are you? and welcome to the team.’” — Shula Sarner

“If you want anything done, Sid is the man and he knows all the shortcuts. He has his opinions, but, hey, he has earned it. When we are at that age, we want to be hell on wheels too!” — Kim Mannen

“For many years, I and many others have appreciated Sid giving us a lift from East River Park or the Armory back to civilization. One time, when we got back to his van, there was a parking ticket on the window. At the next workout, I was ready to pass out a charity plate for donations. But then Sid told me that he had gone down to traffic court and talked his way out of the ticket. Yes, that’s my man Sid. Now, if only he could talk less, then maybe I could get home earlier?” — Roland Soong

“The ice bath. Last November, having joined the Club only a couple months earlier, I was running with the ‘C’ group, which at the time was led by this hyper, super friendly guy with a cycling hat and a world record. Every week following the Thursday workouts I was told about spending 16 minutes in a bath full of ice water. New to running I had no idea, for months, whether this was for real. I decided it was a canard, really just some gentle leg-pulling at the expense of newbies and greenhorns like myself.

So some months go by and I’m getting ready to start training for New York. had run London a couple weeks earlier, having missed the world record by a mere 9 seconds. And, AND: the word is, this zany Brit sits in a bath full of ice water. So then I’m thinking: maybe he was right? But, my Lord, 16 minutes? Is that really possible? Could I freeze to death?

Knowing I had 4 months of long runs waiting for me I elected to try it, but figuring to be maybe half the man that Sid is, I’d go for 8 minutes instead of 16. By August, I was doing the full 16, but I still think he’s crazy.” — Kevan Huston

“What impresses me even more than Sid’s athleticism is his attitude. If I was half the runner that Sid is, my ego would make me intolerable, yet Sid is always out there timing us at the Armory and cheering us on.” — Jonathan Cane THE COMMONWEALTH RUNNERS “Long before our current long- “What you have with the Canadians enduring club president (Alan and British is a simple case of self- Ruben), we had a couple of charming selection: if they’ve managed to get and genial Englishmen named Simon to, and thrive in, New York, they’re Bowden and Phil Toop back in the already ‘A’ type overachievers ‘80s. Toop may have been the tallest (perhaps more than their middling guy on the team ever besides Roger homelands would permit). Then, with Yergeau, or maybe it was just his those uniforms you’ve got the HAIR that was tall. As for Canadians Canadians all excited about the leaf; ... when did you start letting THOSE and the good whiggish Briton feels hockey pucks onto the team?” plenty at home under the House of — Peter Gambaccini Orange — it’s a Glorious Revolution all over again! How could the speedy “Whenever it rains during a workout, commonwealthman not rally to the Alan Ruben and I will usually finish CPTC banner?” — Kevan Huston 30 seconds ahead of our group. For New York City lays claim to be the most us, it is just like home where it rains cosmopolitan city of the world. As the club in all the time.” — Steven Paddock the center of the city, our membership reflects the multi-national diversity of this city. Most “Being British enables one to explain noticeable are the members of the the crucial difference between Commonwealth, including the United ‘shagging’ and ‘snogging’ to Kingdom and Canada, as well as Australia, otherwise innocent American fellow Jamaica, Nigeria, Tanzania, etc. members. This has the effect of distracting one from the pain of In absolute numbers, there are only 12 running around the reservoir.” Canadians and 11 United Kingdom citizens — Shula Sarner out of a total roster of 554 persons. That’s less than 5% of our membership. Yet, their share “The current thinking on the amazing of voice seems significantly higher. In the 2002 dominance of runners from Canada Club Championships, five out of the top ten and the United Kingdom is that in scoring men were from the Commonwealth. these areas of the world, there are so More generally in club history, the Central Park few of the kinds of distractions that Track Club has always been known as “winter’s our ‘advanced’ society offers us— team” and the contributions of the television, the Internet, Harry Potter, Commonwealth runners are substantial. Harry Lichtenstein—and thus such incentive to gain access to this wider Any speculation about the effects of genetic world and its college educations, inheritance, weather, schooling, stiff upper lips, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Botox, and drugs, national spirit, moral turpitude, Roger Googling, that young athletes in these Bannister/Paula Radcliffe and so on remains countries will train with a purely speculative. Or is it … ? We asked … singlemindedness and dedication “I would attribute this to lots of beer almost unknown in the U.S. since the drinking, thicker blood in the cold heyday of Irene Jackson and Peter and happy-go-lucky way of life. Why Gambaccini. Also, the lack of such are they always so darn happy and conveniences as automobiles, electric spritzy?” — Kim Mannen can-openers, and seltzer water makes (hometown: Houston, Texas) the people of these countries naturally self-reliant and physically “At the 2002 Club Championships, fit—traits rendered near-superfluous five of our top ten scorers were from in our technologically-enhanced the Commonwealth. More world. interesting, however, and proof that we are ‘two halves of the same Ironically, immersion in this culture— whole,’ is that if this race had only the very prize these athletes seek— scored five deep, CPTC as a team will eventually dilute their drive and would have placed the same in the talent until they, too, dread the annual standings irrespective of whether we Six-Northern-Hills Session.” fielded our Commonwealth team or — Stuart Calderwood our America team. CPTC unite!” — Craig Chilton

TONY RUIZ From 1999-2002, the masters team under Tony never to challenge Tony at the 800m, Ruiz was the NYRR club champions. But if which was his specialty. But I did the 5-peat in 2003 should be in jeopardy, coach manage to humiliate him in a two- Tony Ruiz can always count on the master mile race at Randall’s Island once, runner Tony Ruiz for a command performance. after which his good pal Manny Rial, with wide-eyed astonishment, “Tony joined us as a 19 year-old 800 muttered to him ‘Tony, you let that meter runner. He was lightning fast. Clark Kent dude beat you?’” Soon he developed the endurance to — Peter Gambaccini run a strong mile and then 5000 meters. My earliest recollection of “My personal watch is known as the Tony was a 4x5000 meter relay we did official watch and I’m known as the together at Flushing Meadows in official timer of the team — not for 1981. I think John Kenney and timing the runners but for timing how Graydon Pihlaja ran the other legs. long it takes for Tony to get the Tony Ruiz joined the Central Park Track Club Tony ran a beautiful anchor and I workout going. And he is pretty as a youngster almost twenty years ago. In thought, ‘This kid will make a real amazing ...” — Roland Soong distance runner.’ Did he ever!” 1998, he took over the coaching duties from “What can I say? I’d still be at the — Frank Handelman his mentor George Wisniewski. A coach does back of the pack not believing in coaching — such as prescribing and “Tony was already on the club when myself as a runner without his input. supervising workouts. But a real coach has to I joined during Reagan’s first term, Of course, I’m back there now, but I do infinitely more than that. The other team even though he (Tony, not Reagan) hope to be back ahead with his help.” roles that Tony has assumed are: cheerleader, was barely old enough to vote (not — Shula Sarner timer, pacer, spotter, psychiatrist, chauffeur, for Reagan, I hope) and hadn’t even sports doctor, masseur, porter, financier, traffic “¡Boricua! Tony Ruiz is a warm- started going to Iona College yet. But cop, motivational speechmaker, recruiter/ blooded Puerto Rican who says his he was prodigiously talented, linguist (he even tried to speak French to a preferred race is the Club occasionally disciplined and was part prospect!), softball team manager, lost-and- Championships precisely because the of the five-man CPTC team that found department, baby-sitter, weather August weather is so hot (caliente)! averaged 25:05 per man at the Turkey forecaster, orienteer (he got lost during a long Unfortunately, this means that winter Trot Five-Mile in Prospect Park one run!), fund raiser … does not go well with him. For as year. I was wise (or chicken) enough long as he has been coaching, I can remember us shivering in front of the Daniel Webster statue in December FAME AND FORTUNE and him saying, ‘I hope someone buys me a Goretex track suit for Christmas CPTC has had its share of spotlight, and some …’ So … do you get the hint?” of us actually earned some money doing ads — Roland Soong for various publications dressed in our running finery. The New York Running News has had cover models like Janice Alfson, Ellen Hoffman Wallop and Graydon Pihlaja, and Caryl Hudson once convinced Running Times to do a 1983 apparel story featuring Mary Gibbons, Peter Gambaccini, Yvonne and Myron Rosen, David Malamut, Gene Stacha, Herb Schon, Cathy Clark, Tom Enright and Tony Ruiz. (They wore outfits made of polytetra fluroethylene, which may or may not be radioactive, but just how many of these people do you still see running?) And we’re not just beautiful and fast. We have published authors, musicians of some renown, artists, magazine publishers, hoteliers, and relatives of senators and congressmen. (And CBS’ favorite rugelach-maker.) Not to mention bon viveurs of some repute. Many of our members are talented, committed people, destined to make a mark. TRACK “By the mid 80s, we were so heavily laden with road runners, that the open track division started to look like on a pimple on an elephant’s ass; we were really out of sync. But the master guys persisted; I think their meets were better run because it was a small overall group, and much more social, too. All these old farts knew each other — you know they take out the pictures of the 17 grandchildren and then they go out and kick each others’ butts with some quality running …. But we had some glory years with open track, and a lot of the team had no idea that we had one of the best high school teenage milers in the country Brad Kelley, who ran a 4:19 indoor mile while he was a women in the club. And it’s just been The 50+ 4x800 relay in 1989, with Sid senior.” — George Wisniewski terrific; I don’t know how to explain Howard, Cliff Pauling, Ed Coplon and Arnie Track took a back seat to road racing in the it. We even set a world record once Green, set an indoor world record, and the 40+ early years, but when schoolboy track stars for the old ladies’ 4x800 team.” team won the national championship in that George and Tomi signed on, they helped urge — Robin Villa event for 1985, 1986 and 1987. some of us to try this peculiar type of running. It has been men’s masters track, however, that Cliff Pauling set an American age-group record The women’s first experience was in the 1982 has really taken off. of 53 seconds in the 400m in 1985 when he Colgate Games, when three of the six finalists was over 50. In 1990, he won the world running in the 1500 meter in Madison Square “I find that the relays, the team races, championship 800m in Finland by running Garden were from CPTC — Irene Jackson, when the team is trying to do 2:09. Arnie Green was over 50 when he set an who finished second, Hermine Bartee and something are actually the best races, indoor two-mile age group record running Barbara Basch. Every subsequent year, until because there’s a tie there and you 10:17.4. And of course, in 1992, Sid Howard’s 1992, CPTC members consistently placed, and feel that you’re really representing 4:43 mile was one of three to break the world appeared in the Garden, including Robin Villa, your team.” — Ed Coplon age-group mile record. At the 1991 Penn who made the finals for seven consecutive Our men’s masters teams, both in the 40- and Relays, CPTC won medals in the 4x400m for years. 50-year-old divisions have been responsible for both the 40- and 50-year-olds. “Mostly I guess I run track to be on some of CPTC’s most outstanding At the New York Games 1992, the 50+ team some relay teams with the other performances. won the sprint medley, breaking the world record by six seconds. For this outstanding accomplishment, the 1992 Men’s Performance of the Year award went to the four guys who accomplished that feat: Lester Wright, Sid Howard, Dan Hamner and Cliff Pauling. “Sid and Cliff, especially, and Norman, too, running on that relay team with those guys … Sid is extraordinary, I mean he’s this great cheerleader of a person, and Cliff in a quieter way. They’ve meant a lot to whatever development I’ve had as a runner … Do you know Sidney’s Watoo? You know that drink he had? He gave me some Watoo one time before the 5K, and I couldn’t see straight …” — Ed Coplon “And so were out I don’t know, maybe more than 12 miles, and we actually stopped to look at the scenery. And then we saw Sid; he was grabbing both sprinters and roadies to the delightful intensity of 800m to 3000m racing. Her group consisting of names such as Charlotte Cutler, Sonja Ellman, Erik Goetze, Kim Mannen, Isaya Okwiya, Sue Pearsall and Chris Potter.is still growing and attracting ever-faster recruits – you’ll probably read about them in the CPTC 40th Anniversary booklet. Thanks to the efforts of Devon Sargent and company. All of a sudden, there were over forty regulars at our winter indoor workouts. This larger base has permitted the organization of team entries into the major track meets. During 2002, the following team milestones are noted: • The Men’s 60-69 4x800m relay team of Jim Aneshansley, Norman Goluskin, Dan Hamner and Sid Howard twice broke the world record. • The Women’s 30-39 40x800 relay teamsof food from some tourist. He had talked Julia Casals/Denise Whittaker-Crain, Sue them into giving him some oranges Pearsall, Devon Sargent and Kim Mannen or something …” — Norman twice broke the American record. Goluskin • Two Women’s Distance Medley Relay “I feel very fortunate to have been teams competed in the USATF National on the track with Sidney and Cliff, Indoor Track Championships, with the whose experience is endless and who “A” team finishing in third place stop concentrating solely on the damn are just so supportive and wonderful • marathon. I even got Jack Brennan to be around at track meets, socially Thanks to the relentless, persistent efforts of Mary V. Rosado, the 2002 Millrose to run the mile in a Randall’s Island and also because they can give such meet — he did his lifetime PR of 4:49, wonderful advice.” — Robin Villa games included a master women’s 4x400m relay for the time in their history the week after we had run Boston in And then there’s the track coaches – Brian 1973. But I ran lots of long distance Denman and Devon Sargent. Brian leads a Individually, there are too many world, races too, out of necessity — there small but dedicated group of sprinters at track national, regional and city titles to be was a very limited track and field workouts twice a week. His credentials are enumerated here. But the most distinguished schedule in New York then. Finally, pretty awesome a 44. relay leg and qualifying record is Sid Howard’s world best 2:14.75 for the Empire State Games started in to represent the USA in the 1980 Olympics in M60-64 800m set in 1999 at the Armory in 1978, and I focused again on shorter the 4x400m relay. As for Devon Sargent, front of his home crowd. distances, so I could escape being eclipsed by Jack and Fritz and Mike herself an Olympic Trials Qualifier in 1992 in “In the 1970s, I was the only team the 1500m, she has single-handedly forged a Koenig in the marathon.” member who specialized in track — Frank Handelman mini-revolution attracting large numbers of meets, and tried to get everyone to “Our men’s 4x800m world record it was awesome! It really gave you effort was a great experience. It felt the sense of being at an amazing meet like a real high when every team with amazing athletes and getting to member was able to run faster than participate in something way bigger his projected time before handing off. than yourself (not to mention way And the unbelievable thrill of Sid faster than yourself!).” — Lee coming under the 10 minute mark and Shearer breaking our own world record by 17 seconds.” — Dan Hamner “Track encompasses post-college to post-mortem. It is the glue and essence with which we define ourselves. It is what makes us go to workouts and train together and build friendships.” — Kim Mannen “It used to be that only the guys over 40 and the 30-something women who did the Colgate Games ran track. But George Wisniewski did stage an annual CPTC Track Meet indoors at City College. In one of them, Tom Phillips and Tony Ruiz squared off in a 60-meter dash (or maybe 50, you probably couldn’t fit 60m in there) and neither of them shredded their hamstrings. I understand those two guys are still around. Strange.” — Peter Gambaccini “Intensity - that’s what track running is. There is no settling in, you just go. Having the opportunity to be a member of the 4 x 800m AR relay team was something that I will never forget. You get on that line and you know your time has an impact on the net time. So you just go, it is a great feeling. For the first time in my life, I am actually running.” — Sue Pearsall “As the invited guest and most ‘senior’ member of this quartet of the AR-setting relay team, I found myself thinking the sentiments of the little red caboose from the most famed children’s book, The Little Engine that Could: ‘I think I can, I know I can...’” — Denise Whittaker-Crain “Despite what that song says, ‘The Most Beautiful Sight In The World’ for me was when I saw Sid waiting to take the stick as I ran the last 50 meters of my leg of our WR relay.” — Norman Goluskin “My major memory of running the 2002 USA Distance Medley relay with the girls this winter was that we were crossing over the track to the infield and nearly got run over by Gail Devers doing her warmup strides — MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES

Among local triathlons, the legendary Survival of the Shawangunks (SOS) is the most challenging race, consisting of one bike segment, four run segments and three swim segments in the wilderness of the Shawangunks. Over the years, we have contributed these SOS winners: Scott Willett (1991, 1998), Olivier Baillet (2002), Anna Coatsworth (1994, 1995), Julie Denney (1997, 1998) and Stefani Jackenthal (2001, In its first decades, CPTC had a few 2002). outstanding triathletes, including Harriet In numerous local triathlons, our team “Scott Willett and Ross Galitsky are Zucker, Ellen Hoffman Wallop, Suzanne Rohr, members fill up many of the top finishing spots. the leaders of the so call ‘why run Richard Kixmiller and Brian Jones. Brian was In the inaugural New York City Triathlon in when you can also swim and bike’ even given his own Up Close and Personal 2001, Stefani and Shelley finished 1-2 overall. movement. Scott stands as the most feature during the Ironman TV broadcast.) On our home court, Stacy Creamer has finished ‘laureled’ triathlete in CPTC, Others, such as Dan Glickenhaus, Karen first once and second five times in the Central winning such known triathlons as Nelson, Ann-Marie Resnick, Kenn Lowy, Park Triathlon in the last 6 years. Indeed, we Escape from Alcatraz and Survival of Arnie Green, Doug Feltman and Bob Laufer would be a powerhouse if there were such a the Shawangunks. Ross’s resume placed in triathlons a little closer to home. thing as a triathlon team championship. contains the very scary sentence ‘one of the few Americans to have In the last ten years, multi-sports activities “We refer to ourselves as CPTC — completed a triple Ironman’. They are (biathlons/duathlons, triathlons, adventure ostensibly for Central Park Track also responsible for bringing the most racing, etc.) have taken off around the world. Club but actually for the Central Park ‘I’m not a runner’ members to the Today, we boast an all-star cast of multi-sports Triathlon Club. After all, pray tell club.” — Ramon Bermo athletes, including established winners such as me, where is the track inside Central Michael Trunkes, Scott Willett, Ross Galitsky, Park? I can only see bicycles and Randy Ehrlich, Ramon Bermo, Olivier Baillet, swimming pools in the park.” Zeb Nelessen, Matt Newman, Adam Manewell, — Roland Soong Peter Allen, Anna Coatsworth, Aubin Sullivan, Julie Denney, Stefani Jackenthal, Shelley Farmer, Stephanie Gould, Lauren Eckhart, Margaret Schotte, Stacy Creamer, Sylvie Burlot, … THE TEAM A team would not be much of a team if it was “From always knowing someone “The team that keeps on giving — you just a bunch of individuals. This team is a when I’m running in the park, to can see it at the races when we are team because we also have team activities, from always having someone to run with all cheering for one another. It is a 4x100m track relays all the way to the 200- when I want, to having someone to great fraternity to be a part of. These mile Reach The Beach team relay to the 52.4 commiserate with when you’re are some of the best friendships I have mile Brighton-to-London race. Then of course injured and congratulate when you ever developed out of this team.” there are the NYRR races, mostly in our own run well, it’s the BEST! We may not — Kim Mannen backyard of Central Park, which, although always win but we ALWAYS have the ostensibly for the individual, are all scored as most fun.” — Shula Sarner “Of course when it comes to the a team. No one has kept a count of how many marathon, its not only the runners of these races CPTC has won as a team. The “The team is my extended family. that are legendary, for CPTC most competitive of these are the scoring races Being ‘exiled’ in Nowhereswhere, spectating at a marathon has become of about one per month counting towards the Ohio (as Roland Soong eloquently a sport as well. This is true not just overall club championships for the year. In describes Columbus) for the past four at the NYC Marathon, where the 2002, the open women’s team is headed years, I enjoy and appreciate team infamous WALL OF ORANGE in towards its first NYRR club championship in events that much more, whether it is Central park is a deafening more than ten years. a race in Central Park, or a cross experience for all who pass but also country race in , at other marathons throughout the “From the first year to 2002, I have or an outing to a track meet, or a country. A mini wall of orange has loved team races and relays. Out first plain old party such as the Snowflake, been seen and heard giving support team victory was the Metropolitan 30 the NYC Marathon or any other to our runnersin both Boston and kilometer in 1973 in Central Park - excuse for a party.” — Sylvie Philadelphia ” – Audrey Kingsley myself, Ben Gershman, Dave Kimché Blackstone and Brennan all in the top 7. We shocked the hell out of Millrose and the NYAC because they had won virtually every team race in New York for the prior decade or more. And I have run 4x400 and 4x800 with several generations of team members — my relay races as a master, with Alston Brown and Rich Hamner and Sid Howard and Hector Aponte and Stu Tucker and Mike Blake and innumerable others have played a major part in keeping me going on the track.” — Frank Handelman “Being on a team gives you a sense of belonging and camaraderie. You are helping to carry out a goal and everyone reaps benefits. I am always excited to be asked to be on a team and feel responsible to run my best so as not to let others down. It is okay to let yourself down but not your team. They keep you going.” — Kim Mannen “Why would four guys drive six hours to go run a 4x100m relay that takes less than one minute? Why would 12 people put up with each other — running, squatting in a van, smelling terrible and sleeping in the fields — for twenty hours straight? What is the return on investment? Because they love the team experience!” — Roland Soong ROAD RELAYS

“Don’t pee near the Brownies!” — Erik Goetze’s tip for relay runners During Peter Downs’s heroic anchor leg in the 1991 Manhattan to Peekskill relay he was promised certain sexual favors by Mike Trunkes should he prevail over his Taconic opponent in that epic duel – we now know that Peter scorched to a dramatic victory but we’re less clear what happened to Mike’s promises. This was the start of a string of unbroken yearly road relays by the men and women in orange. It culminated in this year’s amazing three team showing in the 200 mile Reach the Beach relay. Along the way the team ran in three successive Manhattan to Peekskill relays, two successive The excitement generated by that event led Ocean to Sound relays and an impressive seven directly to CPTC entering three teams in this successive Vermont City Marathon relays. Our year’s Reach the Beach relay (New teams have always been highly competitive in Hampshire’s answer to Oregon). Tom Phillips these races winning the Ocean to Sound relay was now organizing three teams, six vans, food outright in 1995 and winning the Vermont City and drink for 36 people and all the resulting Marathon relay outright in 1995 and 1996 and logistics - remember ‘no good turn goes the women’s title in 1999. unpunished.’ 3,742 emails later and our three lead-off runners were all ready to start in the In 2001 a Masters team organized by a most horrendous driving rain, which persisted resurgent Tom Phillips claimed the runner-up until the early hours of the morning (we know Masters slot behind a Reebok-sponsored how early - we were all awake or running). national team at the Hood to Coast relay. This The following day dawn broke to a glorious relay starts in Mt. Hood, Oregon and finishes sunny day, and a few hours later CPTC Masters in Seaside, Oregon almost 200 miles later. had finished 1st Masters team (and 2nd Each team consists of twelve runners each of overall), Orange Crush had placed 4th overall whom run three separate legs totaling about and Clockwork Orange placed 9th. OK, Tom 16 miles at three different times of the day and did get some help from Erik Goetze, Sarah night. There are 1000 teams entered in this Gross and Paul Sinclair. And everyone who race and you’d better enter in the first week or was part of that great adventure agreed that you won’t get in. the camaraderie and team spirit generated by such an event epitomizes what Central Park Track Club is all about.

DIVERSITY OF THE CLUB: 30 YEARS ON

Back in 1972, the baseball world was mourning the deaths of two legends, Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente. Brian’s Song, the inspiring true story about two professional football players and their interracial friendship, won five Emmy Awards. The passage of Title IX was opening doors for women in sports. Diversity had not yet become the popular buzzword. Nonetheless, the founders of CPTC recognized the importance of drawing on the talents of both men and women from different ethnic, racial, cultural and economic backgrounds and so, set on a mission to start a competitive running club. Throughout our club’s 30 year history we have built on the ethos – open to all without regard to race, creed or gender, utilizing the melting pot that is New York City. Now in 2002, it is evident that the dreams envisioned by our founders are still being followed. CPTC has grown steadily into a richly diverse community made up of men, women, young, old, poor, rich, mothers, grandfathers, students, artists, scientists, carpenters, teachers and lawyers who hail from Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Nigeria, the Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad, Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Virgin Islands, running together side by side and sharing in the common language of running. 2002

Alayne Adams Jonathan Cane Scott Gac Chris Kennan Andy Merrifield Christopher Price Marion Smit John Affleck Thomas C. Cannon, Jr. Ross Galitsky John Kenney Jessica Merritt Bryan Proctor David Smith Harvey Agosto Roane Carey Peter Gambaccini Jane Kenney Kai Michaelsen-Falz Ray Prybylski Peter Smith Eric Aldrich Glen Carnes John R. Gibney Jr. John Kerner Laura J. Miller David Pullman Mindy Solkin Charles Allard Jr. Philip Carpenter Lee John Gleason Nicole Kikoski James Milne Kellie Quinones Paul Sommerstein Peter Allen Julia Casals Daniel Glickenhaus Connie Kim Darlene Miloski Clodagh Rafferty Roland Soong Rhonda Allen Lawrence Chandler Dorian Glickenhaus Sylvie Kimché Mary Minieka Graeme Reid Theo Spilka Julian A.L. Allen JP Cheuvront Erik Goetze Larry King Thomas Mitchell Jessica Reifer Rori Spinelli Amy Alsip Craig Chilton Sherry Goldman Audrey Kingsley Chele Modica Naomi Reynolds Carlos Stafford Steven Andrews Skipper Clark Michael Goldstein Alan Kipust J.R. Mojica Manny Rial Martin J Stanton Jim Aneshansley Anna Coatsworth Norman Goluskin Richard Kixmiller Jesus Montero Adam Riess Charlie Stark Margaret Angell Kathryn Collins Mark Gombiner Etsuko Kizawa Jane E. Monti Robin Roberts Bill Stewart Robin Anthony Knox Noel Comess Tomi Gomory Stephan Klein Jason Moore George Robertson Richard Stewart Hector Aponte Arthur Cooke Efrain Gonzalez Nathan Klejman Harry Morales Michael Robinson Gordon Streeter Bethany Aquilina Edward Coplon Joseph Gonzalez Fred Kolthay Kira Morser Tim Robinson Candace Strobach Kevin Arlyck Jacqueline Cortes Catherine Goodrich Bill Komaroff Jim Morton John Rock Paul Stuart-Smith Jeff Aronis Andrea Costella Stephanie Gould Michael König Frank Morton Tom Rodman Aubin Sullivan Adebola Awofeso Yves-Marc Courtines Ricardo Granados Laura Lee Kozusko Kevin Motsch Peter Rodrigues Bob Summers Olivier Baillet Patrick Cowden Joseph Gravier Joseph Kozusko Fritz Mueller Jose Rodriguez Marco Tagliati Anthony Baker Stacy Creamer Arnie Green Ardian Krasniqi Dion Mulvihill Suzanne Rohr Michele Tagliati Caryl Baron Kate Crowley Molly Greig Susan Krogstad-Hill Anthony Munk Guillermo Rojas Stefano Tagliati Steve Baron C. Tyronne Culpepper Sara Grillo Rainer Kunst Edward Murtaugh Martha Rojas Toby Tanser Brian Barry David D’Adamo Sarah Gross Jesse Lansner Kate Nash Mary V. Rosado Ross Taylor Alan Bautista Brian Denman Tim Grotenhuis Noah Lansner Harry Nasse Jamie Rosen Larry Thraen Rae Baymiller Julie Denney Robert Haig Jose Antonio LaSalle Zebulon Nelessen Jamie Rosen Marissa Tiamfook Nicole Begin Maureen Dooley-Elmeleh John Halebian Bob Laufer David Newcomb Alan Ruben Melissa Tidwell Paul Bendich Bill Dunlop Richard Hamner Patty Laufer Heidi Newell Tony Ruiz Peter Tipograph Morton Berger Josephine Eastman Dan Hamner, MD Diane Lebowitz Adam Newman Michael Rymer Philip Toop Hank Berkowitz Ana Echeverri Frank Handelman Jiyon Lee Matthew Newman Daniel Sack Odin Townley Ramon Bermo Lauren Eckhart Charley Hanley Marty Levine Margaret Nolan Chris Salibello Fred Trilli Jarl Berntzen Terri D. Edelman- Holger Hartenfels Patrick Lewis Andreas Nolte Chris Sanchirico Vincent Trinquesse Nicole Billman Sonenclar Holger Hartenfels Sam Li James Obrien Anna Sank Luca Trovato Kermit Birchfield Randall Ehrlich Thomas Hartshorne Roger Liberman Derek O’Connor Michelle Santomassino Michael Trunkes David Birchfield Steven Eick Eric Harvey Harry Lichtenstein Yumi Ogita John Sargent Joseph Tumbarello Guthrie Birchfield Sonja Ellman Bill Haskins Luis Lima Matthew O’Halloran Devon Sargent Carol Tyler Mark Birkey Bill Engeler Karen Heath Eugene Lingner Isaya Okwiya Shula Sarner Dudley Upton Lynn Blackstone Neeraj Engineer George Hirsch Bob Lingner Armando Oliveira Patrick Savin Phil Vasquez Dave Blackstone Guenter Erich Otto Hoering Jennifer Lynch Sandra Olivio Bill Schaaf Robin Villa Mike Blake Timothy Evans Rich Hollander Kevin Maher Chip Olsen John Scherrer Robert J. Vogel Trish Blake Doron Fagelson Gordon Holmes David Malamut James Olson Max Schindler Joseph F. Voyticky Adam Bleifeld Marvin Falikovic Peter Homsher Vram Malek Victor Osayi Erik Schmitz Michael Wallop Pam Bohl Brian Farley Sidney Howard Claudia Malley Jerome O’Shaughnessy Frank Schneiger Ellen Wallop Eve Bois Shelley Farmer David Howard Bruce Mandelbaum Harriet Oster Margaret Schotte David Walsh Jim Bolster Jan Farnung-Krause Mary Ellen Howe Adam Manewell Andrea Ostrowski Fred Schuler Hugh Watson Monica Bonamego Jonathan Federman Kevan Huston Zandy Mangold James Ottaway Robert Schulz Jon Weilbaker Jay Borok Joshua Feldman Vito Iacoviello Kim Mannen Steven Paddock Sandra Scibelli Brad Weiss Richard Borrero Douglas Feltman Stefani Jackenthal Betty Marolla Clifford Pauling Robert Selya Eden Weiss David Bosch Richard Fine Irene Jackson-Schon Thaddeus Marris Sue Pearsall Ken Shatzer Denise Whitaker-Crain Eric Boucher Sean Fitzpatrick Tivon Jacobson Jose Martinez Luis Peña Rick Shaver Marian White Blair Boyer Chloe Foote Robert Jamieson Andrew Maslow Thomas Pennell Lee Shearer Scott Willet Roland Breitengerger Laura Ford Paul Jimenez Karel Matousek Victor Perez Amy Sheeran Jeff Wilson Laura Brill Bunny Franco Jill Johnson Anthony Mayorkas Noah Perlis Michael Sheren Ken Winfield Thomas Brinkerhoff Glenis Frank Guillaume Joly Gerard McCarthy Alexander Peterhansl Gabe Sherman George Wisniewski Alston Brown Joseph Franzetta Laurie Jones Frank McConville Tom Phillips Chris Sicaras Wendy Wisniewski Janice Brown Kent Freeman Dale Jones Gary McCraw Richard Piccirillo James Siegel Casey Yamakazi Geoff Buchan Colin Frew Chris Jurkiewicz Jonathan McNamee Graydon Pihlaja Michael Siegell Roger Yergeau Julie Buck Josh Friedman Douglas Kabbash James Meadows Craig Plummer Joseph Simonte Marie Ynez Davis Kathy Bunin Denise Froelich Elizabeth Kaicher John Megaw Christopher Potter Paul Sinclair Jeffrey Zisselman Martin Bunin Megumi Fukami Kelly Karavites Bob Meighan John Prather Steven Sipe Harriet Zucker Robert Burke Anna Fyodorova J. Arlon Keegan Robert Meltzer John Prather Helene Sisti Jonathan Zuckerman Stuart Calderwood 1972-20021972-20021972-2002

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