Many runners have a bucket list of races they would like to
run at some point in their running lives.
Often, such a list may include an iconic, classis race,
steeped in tradition. The race may be challenging, and the crowds, competitors
as well as spectators, are usually large.
Some runners must plan, well in advance, in order to pay for
and travel to a bucket list event.
There’s a race that fits all the requirements on any
runner’s list. It’s right around the corner and it’s right up the road.
Save the turkey feast for later in the day and join more
than a thousand runners in one of the running world’s most storied foot races.
At 10:30 a.m., on
Thanksgiving Day, as has been the tradition since 1908, Berwick's Run for the
Diamonds will be contested.
Back in 1908, 13 runners lined up on Berwick's Market Street
early Thanksgiving morning, and except for a two-year hiatus during World War
I, they've been doing so ever since. In 2009, the race celebrated it's
centennial anniversary. A record 1,985 runners competed in the centennial race.
More than thirty Olympians, including Boston Marathon
winner, the late Johnny Kelley, have competed at Berwick, and the course record
for the grueling 9-Mile race is an astounding 43 minutes, 21 seconds, set in
1980 by two-time Olympian Pete Pfitzinger.
Weather conditions in central Pennsylvania on Thanksgiving
morning are unpredictable, to say the least. Sometimes, spring-like
temperatures prevail; while often the air is frigid, and occasionally, like in
2010, a sleet storm reduces visibility and turns the course into a slalom run.
The course is unique, and has remained virtually the same
since it was designed in 1908.
For the first two miles, runners are treated to a pleasant,
relatively flat terrain, and at the 2-mile mark are running at 600 feet above
sea level. From 2 to 3 miles runners ascend more than 300 feet to 900 feet
above sea level at the 1/3 point in the race. By 3 1/2 miles, runners have
climbed to 1000 feet, and after a brief downhill, climb to the apex, a
breathtaking 1100 feet, at 4 1/4 miles into the race. From there, a fast,
nearly 5 miles remains until the finish, and, after having completed a loop,
runners cross the finish line in downtown Berwick.
The top seven men receive diamond rings; while the top seven
women earn diamond necklaces.
Richer than diamonds, however, is the tradition and the
hospitality of this race. Race Director. Margaret Livsey conducts a first-class
event. Runner and former Berwick cross country coach,, Bill Bull, has been a
fixture of this race for many years, and makes sure the race runs smoothly.
If you go to Berwick, (it has been a favorite race of
Canadian runners since 1908), you will probably run into legendary
runner/coach/author, Mark Will-Weber. One of Mark's very fine running books is
entitled, "Run for the Diamonds: 100 Years of Footracing in Berwick,
Pennsylvania." The book is an entertaining history of the race. Mark will
be happy to sign a copy for you, and he'll be more than happy to join you for a
cold, post-race Yuengling beer. His latest book, entitled “Mint Juleps with
Teddy Roosevelt,” describes the drinking habits of United States Presidents,
and includes two stories about America’s Oldest Brewery.
In my first book, Running Shorts, I feature Run for the Diamonds in the chapter entitled, "Great Races. www.muldowneyrunning.net
Berwick’s Thanksgiving Day Run for the Diamonds is one of
the finest running events in the country.
If you’ve never run it, you owe it to yourself to place it
on your list of races you must run.
Check out their website: www.runforthediamonds.com
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