Running Man

The sun is not up as Gary Denny places water at Sagauro National Park

  People start arriving for the 40th Annual Saguaro National Monument Race a little after 3 a.m. on Monday morning, Labor Day.  And no, they’re not there to get a head start on ‘running’ the race, they are there to volunteer to help the race ‘run’ smoothly. It’s pitch black, the full moon casts a blue haze across the desert.  Now it’s easy to understand The Moody Blues poem at the end of Days of Future Passed – “Cold hearted orb, rules the night, removes the colors from our sight…”, but I date myself.  From the light of lanterns, flashlights and bicycle headlights, volunteers are taking last minute  registrations, looking up names, handing out t-shirts and pointing people to the Porta-Potties (nearly 20 in the area). More than 800 people are pre-registered, and another 100 or so will sign up the morning of the race.  Their needs are many, including race bibs (and safety pins to hold the bibs), t-shirts, race information, mileage signs, post race snacks and my job today: delivering water to the aid stations along the course.

Gary Denny is a past board member and SAR president, he no longer runs due to aching knees, but helps set up and tear down the water stations each year.  Race Director Randy Accetta gives us the  formula for calculating the amount of water each runner will need throughout the race, “6 oz. per runner, taking into account the heat, number of cups and the amount of ice, etc, etc. etc.” Let’s just say it is A LOT. Gary and I take the loaned moving truck with all the requirements for 4 aid stations: 2000 gallons of water, 12 coolers, 4,000 cups, 4 tables, 4 trash cans and 4 rakes.  If the truck breaks down, we could survive for weeks in the desert, plus our little oasis would be both tidy and well manicured. 

Sahuaro HS Super Heroes handed out water

The Sahuaro and Santa Rita High School XC teams each run a water station.  The Sahuaro team gets into it and goes Superhero mode, wearing capes, masks and sporting superhero monikers.  To many of the runners, they will be superheroes, handing water to passing runners, ensuring none spills before it is either gulped down or tossed on the racers head.  I realize the rakes are to help collect the cups that runners will discard like leaves in the road as they zoom by. Probably a lesson learned in one of the previous 39 renditions of this race. 

Back at race central, many of the registration volunteers excuse themselves to prepare for the race, as most are pulling double duty, volunteering AND racing.  Meaning they arrive much earlier than other racers, assist them with their needs and then move on to the race. I am smart, having elected to volunteer, and then volunteer some more.

The Pima Cross Country Team timed the race

case of problems. Along with the Pima Cross Country team timing the race, the Park Rangers directing traffic and random people generously lending a hand, 800 runners get through the course and have a great experience.