Memories of the Penn Relays Marathon (RIP!)

I previously related some of my experiences of the marathon (mostly of following other teammates to the finish line despite my PR in 1979!).  I also talked a little bit about the 1982 finish where Bill Kvashay was directed through the campus at the entrance to the Stadium, thwarting his 2:17 or 2:18 time and a Olympic marathon trial berth.  Certainly the longest 300 meters of his career!  That same race saw Barb Black enter the stadium with the whitest complexion I have ever witnessed.  Take a white sheet of paper and bleach it and you still wouldn't quite capture the whiteness.  Her PR placed high in the field despite the agonizing last miles, and she soon regained her normal color!  It is a testament to her fortitude that she continues marathons to this day.

Here's some more memories of the 1982 Penn Relays Marathon from Hall of Honor inductee Harry Smith:

I have no (good) memories of Penn Relays. I ran the marathon there in 1982!

But seriously, my memory of training and running with the Wolfe bothers (Al and Jeff) who guided Bill Malchano, Geoff Root, Jim Sellers and me all through to personal bests that year was a good memory!  Brad Althouse ran also but he decided to take off at mile 2 and we reeled him in between halfway and mile 15 as he had the proverbial bear on his back already from going too hard too early
We took the "leisurely" 6 minute pace through 5 (31:00) and 10 (61:30) as well as the halfway (1:19:20) as we started to pick it up a bit after 10 and even more so after the halfway marker.  I recall that my second 10 mile segment was 54:50 (which I only calculated well after the race) knowing I came through 20 miles at 1:56:20.

But the real memory was believing I had missed the entrance to Franklin Field. As I approached the stadium and the finish, after not remembering seeing any other runners since mile marker 21 when I passed one walking it in, I did not realize  the tricks my mind was playing on me (at this point in a marathon) having only "run" one previously and not counting the Nittany Valley Track Club December marathons "just for fun"!  As I started counting the corners as I ran around f Franklin Field knowing that at any moment I would go through a tunnel entrance to the stadium and onto the track to finish to a wildly cheering crowd of family and friends (or about 200 spectators). However, as one approaches Franklin Field from a 5 way intersection, I had not noticed that you go by the open stadium entrance first and make an entire loop around the outside of the stadium prior to entering for the final 300M on the track to the finish line. So I started counting the corners of the stadium. 1 and 2 on that first street and then a long straightaway. So my mind told me pick it up and make it around that corner up ahead you will turn right into the stadium. Well I made that 3rd turn or corner and no one was there directing me into the stadium. So I jogged on down to the 4th corner and that stadium door was closed. Do I turn back or go froward? The last time I heard a place I was in 21st or was it 22nd some 8 miles ago. I knew there were 25 medals to be awarded and my mind told me that no one had passed me in those last miles so not wanting to lose my chance at medaling at Penn, I went forward but this was the long South side of Franklin Field. Now I was tired and my mind told me I was not being allowed into the stadium. But I continued on and rounded what I felt was the 5th turn and finally the opening to the stadium was there with a race marshall directing me to run through the tunnel and finish my 3/4 lap backwards to the finish. 2 hours 37 minutes and 27 seconds was my finish time good for 13th place - so there must have been some runners who dropped out or I passed and lost count (probably both likely happened). The Penn Relays Marathon was "memorable" or at least the last lap outside of Franklin Field is one that I will never forget as I have never run a marathon since!

Regards,
Harry Smith