Top Dog Trophy

"If you can't run with the Big Dogs, don't get off the porch!"

Brook Road Race Challenge
May 12, 2001

The reigning Top Dog, Ed Finucan, choose to sit on the porch for this one but did run a half ironman in Florida.  Perhaps the competition was getting to him, so the pack ran without him. Trish Vlastnik just back from the Boston Marathon, was calling this a "training run." The big dogs had been around the block too many times to believe this line.

Bill Anderson was whining about being tired. Only big dog Normer Adams was ready to run. The pack was led by the perfunctory police car. Bill Anderson jumped ahead of the pack with a blazingly fast first mile at 6:18. Adams was about 10 seconds behind him and Vlastnik another 10 seconds behind Adams. At mile two, Anderson was ahead by about 20 seconds.

Looking strong, he was giving Adams second thoughts about bringing home the trophy.  At mile three Anderson began tiring. A quick look over his shoulder confirmed that Adams was nipping at his heels. Adams dogged Anderson up the long hill of mile three to bite him just before the four-mile mark. Several more runners passed Anderson before he finally regained some ground. But Adams never looked back.

The stragglers made up some ground and the dogs finished this one in order 11th, 12th, and 13th overall.  Adams held on and crossed the finish line 23 seconds ahead of Anderson's 42:58. Adams finally took home the trophy with a time of 42:35. Vlastnik crossed the finish line in 43:17 another 20 seconds behind Anderson but finished first overall female in the race.