Foot Power: York County runners share marathon experience in Ethiopia
By M.C. Besecker
To say Clay Shaw is a living legend in the York County racing scene is not a stretch of the imagination at all. Just take a quick look at the facts.
Shaw was an inaugural member of the York Road Runners' Club. He directed various races in the area for years, often drawing elite athletes from all along the East Coast. He has run 182 marathons in 22 different countries.
Shaw is also a local trendsetter. He has run a marathon in all 50 states, and now several local runners are attempting to duplicate that feat. Not to be outdone, Shaw decided to do it again, embarking on a second tour of our country. He has only two states left to wrap up that second tour: Kansas, which he plans to do in March, and Alaska, later this summer.
Shaw might have started this adventure alone, but he has had a partner in crime to keep him company on his many excursions for many years. Wife Karen Mitchell has run 105 marathons, and typically follows Shaw wherever he goes.
The most recent adventure was the inaugural Haile Gebrselassie Marathon, which took place in Hawassa, Ethiopia, in October. Shaw, who had taught school as a volunteer in the capital city of Addis Ababa in 2010, said this incredible opportunity to meet global running icon Gebrselassie, the marathon gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was simply too tantalizing to pass up.
"When I first saw the ad for the (race), I knew I had to be a part of it," he said. "I wanted to go back and check on the school and the children, and I wanted to see more of Ethiopia, as well. Above all it would be a fantastic experience to share with my wife."
One of the benefits of Shaw's life experiences as a race director and his many travels is that he has friends all over the world. One of his closest friends, Zintu Meaza, the 2004 Hartford Marathon winner, lives in Ethiopia, so it was also a chance to visit him.
The marathon was the brainchild of Tim Murphy and Moray Mountain Sports, which is based in San Diego, Calif. The group offered a variety of packages for runners to choose. Shaw and Mitchell chose the basic "Run Ethiopia" package and stayed at Yaya Village just north of Addis Ababa in Saluta.
After three days, they left Addis and traveled southeast to the Arsi region highlands. They stayed in Asella and took in a high school track meet at a new all-weather track, courtesy of Gebrselassie. Then they visited a school, which Shaw compared to an American charter school, built by Gebrselassie to honor his mother.
Finally they arrived in Hawassa, where they got to stay at the modern Haile Resort overlooking Lake Hawassa. Dinner that evening was at the Gezahegne Abera Resort, where they got to meet Gebrselassie.
Marathon weekend began with the kids' races and a 5K, which Shaw and Mitchell decided to do.
"We did the 5K as a walk to savor the Ethiopian running experience and check out the course," said Shaw. "Lots of children wanted to tag along, be friends, and hold our hands."
Marathon Day started at sunrise, and one of the highlights was when Gebrselassie arrived. "He was mobbed by adoring fans and the Ethiopian elite runners," Shaw said.
Then it was time to run. Once the race got under way, Shaw and Mitchell did what came naturally: They ran. The marathon course was a two-loop trek of the streets of Hawassa, and included three out-and-back sections. The course changed as the city awoke.
"The streets of Hawassa were tranquil in the early stages of the event, but later we had to share the roads with cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, and an occasional monkey who would dart across the road and jump into a tree," Shaw said. "Late in the marathon, traffic became more prevalent, but not in an unsafe manner."
Shaw said altitude was a concern for many runners, as the city is 5,700 feet above sea level, but the course wasn't too hilly. There were other cultural differences that Shaw shared.
"Water was distributed in sealed plastic bags," he said. "These were handed to the runners, who had to bite off a corner and squeeze the water out. Children also joined in from time to time to run with us."
Shaw's friend Zintu, no longer an elite runner, but now a successful rice importer, made the six-hour drive from Addis to watch and to run with the Americans for a little while. And while Mitchell battled a cold and the altitude, an inspired Shaw had a great day.
All in all, Shaw said it was an experience he relished and will likely never forget. That's saying something for a guy with a resume like his.
"I must have been psyched to be back in Ethiopia and running a marathon, as I managed to run my best marathon of 2013, by far," he added. "I would recommend this trip to all avid and adventuresome runners."
Around the roads
Winter Series >> There are three more races in the YRRC's series, and next on the docket is the Jacobus 5-Miler this Saturday. Contact race director Deanna Miller at 817-7888 for more details.
The Springettsbury race is after that on Feb. 22. Typically a 15K event, the course has been rerouted, and it will now be a 5-miler. The season-finale is the Indian Rock 10K on March 8. After that race, the series points are tabulated and the age-group champions are crowned.
For more info about the series or to register, head to the YRRC Website at yorkroadrunners.com, or contact series coordinator Margaret Moore at winterseries@verizon.net.
Squirrelly Tail Twail Wun >> Here is the only other regional choice in the near future for runners besides the Winter Series. The third annual Squirrelly Tail Twail Wun Half-Marathon is slated for Feb. 9.
The event will be held at Gifford Pinchot State Park, and race time is 10 a.m. It is important to note that there will be no race-day registration. However, you can sign up online at squirrellytrailtwailwun.webs.com. Packet pickup on race day runs from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m.
Contact race director Scott Newcomer at newcomer1@comcast.net for more details.
Footnote >> If you or anyone you know is planning to run the Boston Marathon this year, please drop me a line. The Daily Record is planning to do something a little different and is interested in you.
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