broadway ultra society

 

March 6, 2006

 

Dear BUS Member,

 

The 34th running of the Metropolitan 50-Miler with the Kurt Steiner 50K HAS BEEN SCHEDULED for Sunday, April 2 at Alley Pond Park in Queens. Enclosed please find the entry blank. The events are being held to preserve their tradition. Our goal is to get them back to Central Park in 2007. I realize this announcement is at the last minute, but I would still greatly appreciate your participation even just for a workout.

 

Please note that the events this year will have a different feature than before. There is only one Start and you do not have to declare what distance you are running. That means, eventual 50-mile finishers will also receive an official time and place in the Kurt Steiner 50K. I do understand such a feature will entice you to stop at 50K. But please note that the main objective is to continue the long history of the Met 50-Miler. To lure you to go longer, I am offering an imprinted outerwear (like a jacket or similar) and a smartly designed plaque to all 50-mile finishers.

 

The course will be an out-and-back circuit on the infamous Vanderbilt Old Motor Highway. The distance of the loop (it has not been exactly measured yet) will be somewhere from 3.5 to 3.8 miles. The Motor Highway is a picturesque path, literally knifing through backyards, but will be rolling to hilly. Vanderbilt originally built the road almost a century ago from Garden City to Flushing to race his kiddy cars, and this is one of the remaining sections.

 

Alley Pond Park is also rich in ultra history. The start and finish of the London-to-Brighton Qualifiers in the 60s were located there, ranging in distance from 36 to 45 miles. It also was the site of the Metropolitan 50K Championship, held in December in the mid 70s. I ran the 1975 edition and it was my second ultra.

 

I can remember that event vividly. The loop was over 4 miles, and I asked my mother Pauline to be my handler. In those days, an aid station was a band-aid in your back pocket. Pauline also took my niece to assist. In the middle of the race, a mini snowstorm occurred. The conditions affected my energy, and I started to walk with 8 miles remaining. My niece kept saying to me to DROP OUT. She wanted to get out of the snowy cold. At least one member of the family was rational, but I continued. There were only 18 finishers, and I came in 15th at 4:08:00. I realize that would be a decent time today, but in the 70s, that was considered (as a PG Artie Linden would say) STALE!

 

I was disappointed with fading at the end, but then I would receive an envelope in the mail a few weeks later. It was 2 Met AAU medals and a handwritten note from Kurt Steiner. I have not known or met him. AAU scoring then was bizarre. There were a variety of odd categories that do not exist today. You could be over 19 and be considered a Junior, and under 50 and be a Senior. There were also such descriptions, like Newcomer, All Comers, Celibate and few other categories. Kurt rambled in his letter just like he would have announced it. It read that I was something like 10th Junior Met, 7th Newcomer, 3rd on my block, and 1st Innamorato. The next paragraph were then words that would echo with me forever.

Congratulations on your fine performance on a tough, cold and snowy day. Merry Christmas

And Happy New Year. From your friend, Kurt Steiner

Kurt Steiner passed away in 1993 at the age of 71. The Kurt Steiner 50K was later created that year as a tribute to him. I hope you will help to keep that tribute alive.

 

Regarding tributes, the memorial service for Ralph Balsamo on February 27 was an extremely emotional ceremony. Over 250 attended; thank you very much to those that were there. Passages from Bill Fischer, Ellen McCurtin, Joe Puglisi and of course, Betty Marolla were eloquently spoken and from the heart. The concluding passage of the service was a letter written by Ralph some years ago. The service ended with a procession to the lyrics and music of Freebird at his request. Ralph was a person that will be sadly missed, especially by me.

 

I have some more sad news. I have received word that Willie Rios has passed away in Florida on February 3. He was 89. Willie set many American Age-Group ultra records, and was a veteran of many BUS races. Details of his death were sketchy. I hope to have more information in the next mailing.

 

Please come to the 50/50 on April 2. The next mailing will be in two weeks. Meanwhile, stay well.

 

cheers,