BRC History Run – 11/5 – 6:45AM – Boxford Border – 9.1 Miles

04. November 2016 News 0

True Story

The year was 1908. A German and an Irishman walked into a bar. [Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.] Fitz and Lars, over a few beers, talked about the summer Olympics held in London and how the American Johnny Hayes was awarded the gold medal in the marathon when Dorando Pietri was disqualified in what was to become one of many Olympic-related cheating scandals. They talked about how the Cubs demolished the Tigers in the World Series – again – and looked unstoppable. “They’ll win it every year,” they agreed. Then the beer and the one-upmanship kicked in. Fitz bragged about running up Bear Knuckle (it wouldn’t achieve Hill status for another couple of decades, but that’s a true story for another time.) every day just to get home. Lars boasted that he once ran to another state and back in the same day. And then the challenge – “Oh yeah, well I bet I can run to every neighboring town before you.”

 

Edna Sagg was riding in her buggy on her way from Salem when she came across the two. They were tired, muddy, thirsty, hungry, and their wildly inappropriate footwear had long since given up. She loaded them up and admonished them all the way back to the Common where she dropped them off. To ensure that they – and anybody else for that matter – would never try that silly stunt again, she put a curse on them as ladies from Salem were still prone to do. The Killilea and Reusch families carried that curse for generations and were know about town as loveable losers every time they tried and failed to break the curse. In 2004 after the Red Sox broke the 86-year Curse of the Bambino, Frank and Tom walked into a bar, and over a few beers they agreed to buy new shoes. A year later after some questionable training, the 97-year Curse of the Boderlines was lifted. True story, it just didn’t make the papers. Now you know the Legend of the BRC.

 

Borderline Bound

After a motivating story like that, we have to touch a sign and return. We will head to Boxford’s Other Border and we will pass a historical landmark along the way. When we get to the intersection of Salem, Boxford, and Foster Streets, doff your running cap and pay respect to the exact location where Fitz and Lars were loaded into Edna’s Sagg-wagon 108 years ago. You can’t make this stuff up, trust me.

 

Countdown Calendar

NYC Marathon

11/6/2016

1

Spartan Race – Fenway Park

11/12/2016

7

Philadelphia Marathon

11/20/2016

15

Andover Feaster Five

11/24/2016

19

Ugly Sweater Run

12/10/2016

35

BRC Christmas Run

12/17/2016

42

New Year’s Thor de Force

1/1/2017

57

 


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