By Bob Aldrich
It's almost time again for the 19th annual Great Race, the Sunday-morning trek between Saratoga and Los Gatos that brings out runners ranging from trained athletes to conscience-stricken couch potatoes.
The date is Feb. 25. Starting time from Saratoga School on Oak Street is 9 a.m., following a 7 a.m. registration at the school. The finish line is on Bean Avenue in Los Gatos. Registration fee is $16. Runners can preregister at Runner's Factory or Athletic Performance.
The route has been measured at 3.8 miles, and official running records will be kept by the U.S. Track and Field Association, according to Los Gatos Rotary Club race co-chairmen Stewart Elner and Tom Dodge. The race is sponsored by Rotary and Contempo Realty. The Saratoga News is one of the associated sponsors.
The Great Race, which is expected to bring out between 2,200 and 2,500 runners, will be somewhat different this year. As they head toward Los Gatos, the runners will be paced by a "pace car," which will give them an LED read-out of the elapsed time. Each full mile will be monitored by a split timer, and times will be called out. Upbeat music is expected to spur runners on at these split-time positions.
This year, for the first time, competitive runners will have an opportunity to be "seeded" and allowed to start their race from positions ahead of the pack. The 1996 Great Race will also feature pre-start aerobics warmups orchestrated by local instructors, including some from Move It!.
As leading runners near the finish line, an announcer will call out their names. As they cross the line, runners will be "chuted" east to the parking lot, where Los Gatos Rotarians will hand out goodie bags of food items and beverages. There will be a grandstand at the northeast corner of the lot for award presentations. Trophies will go to the overall winner, top man, top woman and top three finishers in eight categories.
Winner in the men's division last year was Jamey Harris of Los Gatos, then 25, who finished in 18 minutes, 5 seconds. Among women runners, Monica Townsend of Los Gatos, then 27, won at 21 minutes, 5 seconds.
The Great Race itself isn't the only event planned for the day. After the race, there'll be a "Fun and Fitness Expo" centered at the town's public parking lot on Elm Street, between N. Santa Cruz and University avenues.
"The San Jose Sharks mascot, Sharky, will be participating, as will the new San Jose soccer team, the San Jose Rhinos roller hockey team and sundry other entertainments," Elner said. Vendors will offer refreshments.
"We hope the Expo will add an element of entertainment to the race that everyone will enjoy," he said.
In past years, the number taking part in the Great Race has ranged between 1,800 and 2,200. In 1995, about 2,100 runners were registered, Elner said.
As the race has become better known, it draws runners from other West Valley communities as far as Los Altos.
"It's a lot of fun," says Bill Meinhardt, of Los Gatos, who has run in almost every race since the event began in 1978.
"In the first years, it was a two-way race," he recalls. Starting guns would sound in both Los Gatos and Saratoga; runners would pass each other going both ways on Highway 9.
Bill Glennon, who, at the time, was mayor of Saratoga, first suggested a race between the two communities.
Los Gatos Rotary Club took over management in 1984, after lack of corporate sponsorship threatened an end to the event. Saratoga Savings & Loan was a major sponsor.
Spectators will see well-trained runners skimming along with tireless efficiency. They'll also see a few folk who, like the rest of us, could lose a pound or two, young parents pushing baby-carts and assorted puffers bringing up the rear.
Winning isn't everything, and many runners enter just for the fun and the exercise.
Other race sponsors include Athletic Performance, Everen Securities, PowerBar, McHugh Lincoln-Mercury, KEZR (106.5 FM), Runner's Factory, Bank of the West, San Jose Construction Co., Asics, Toll House Hotel, Cornerstone Shopping Center and KNTV (Channel 11).
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 21, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved