On Saturday, August 20, 24 runners, 30 spectators and a dozen kids participated in the Second Annual Sedgwick SLOG – a team running relay race starting and ending on Sedgwick Street. The SLOG is organized each year by Sedgwick Street residents and includes runners and spectators from throughout JP and several surrounding neighborhoods. This year, organizers were able to obtain an official City of Boston permit to close off the street during the event, and enlist an officer and police cruiser from the E-13 precinct to lead the first wave of runners, siren blaring, down Sedgwick Street.
Runners were organized into three-person teams, with each runner completing a three mile loop down Sedgwick Street, along Centre Street to Pond Street, around Jamaica Pond and back. Passersby who saw small groups of runners wearing official race bibs, weaving through traffic and checking GPS running watches, may have wondered what was going on. It was the SLOGers, trying to hurry back to pass the batons to their next teammates and get dibs on some barbecue and beer. This year’s SLOG also included a fun run, where a dozen kids of all ages ran up and down the block, broke through the finish line tape and got custom-made race medals.
The winning team – Ben Carlson, Josh Borus and Scott Mays – completed the nine mile course in a total of 63 minutes, 40 seconds. The fastest individual male and female runners – Aaron Price and Sarah Price – completed their three mile loops in 15 minutes, 47 seconds and 20 minutes, 32 seconds, respectively. Local barefoot running legend Jeff Ferris completed three laps around the course in nothing but an old pair of shorts.
Sedgwick street will hopefully come alive again around the same time next year for the Third Annual SLOG. For video coverage of this year’s event, check out http://mediaslinger.com/danjanis/slog2011.mov or www.DanJanis.com. If you are interested in participating next year, either as a runner or a fan, please send a note to dtjanis@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment