This document contains the scripts for the Awards ceremonies (including the 2002 athletic performers, the Founders Award and the Hall of Fame inductees) and a review of the history of the club.

[The masters of ceremony were Stacy Creamer and Tom Phillips]

TOM: Good Evening. Welcome to the Central Park Track Club's 30th Anniversary Party.

STACY: Tonight we'll be celebrating the club's 30-year history. We will also be doing a speeded-up version of the usual awards presentation, and we will have some special awards at the end of the program.

TOM: Here in this very room we have with us a couple hundred former and current members who have joined the Club throughout the past 30 years. We would like to start by asking all past and present members who joined CPTC between its founding in 1972 and 1975 to stand up…

STACY: Now, please keep standing, and we'd like all those who joined between 1976 and 1980 to stand as well…

TOM: Now all those who joined between 1981 and 1985…

STACY: Now all those who joined between 1986 and 1990…

TOM: Now all those who joined between 1991 and 1995…

STACY: Now all those who joined between 1996 and 2000…

TOM: Now all those who joined in 2001 and 2002…

STACY: Well that was a wonderful display of our 30-year history. Now it's time for the food. But before we indulge, we would like to introduce our current president Alan Ruben.

Alan Ruben:

First of all I would like to welcome everybody here tonight from all the different eras of the Central Park Track Club. As I look around I see faces which I saw at last week’s workout, faces that I haven’t seen for years and some faces which I’ve only seen in old greying photos.

I would particularly like to thank the people here tonight from the very early days of the Central Park Track Club – names such as Bob Urie, Allen Kirik, Arnold Fraiman and Larry Langer - for making the effort to reconnect with us here tonight. I would also like to thank one of the pioneers of women’s running Nina Kuscsik, and Mary Wittenberg who is here tonight representing the New York Road Runners.

At this time when we celebrate our 30th Anniversary and this wonderful sea of faces, let us also pause a moment to reflect on those members of our club who cannot be here tonight, names such as Shelly Karlin, Ed Coplon and Victor Perez. Sadly 2002 was the year we lost one of our founder members – the irrepressible Jack Brennan. Anyone who knew him, and that was just about everyone on the Central Park Track Club will miss his stories, his humor, his vitality. It is hard to believe that he is no longer with us, even now I half expect him to grab the microphone and start explaining how Frank Handelman never broke two and a half hours for the Marathon.

In helping to put together the historical aspects of tonight’s program I have found myself discovering new things about a club which I thought I knew pretty well. I mean we all knew Jack Brennan ran 2:20 for the Marathon, but who knew John Kenney had broken 25 minutes for 5 miles…in four different states! or that before Margaret Angell and Alayne Adams and even before Candy Strobach we had Laurie Madson running 35 minutes for 10K, and did anyone know that Frank Handelman won the first ever Corporate Challenge in an amazing 16:58 (a time which is rarely seen today)?

What we will be endeavoring to convey to you tonight is the rich history of the Central Park Track Club and how the ideals which formed it 30 years ago are very much alive today. In, what is after all, a very individual sport, it is still possible to be inspired to new heights, not only by the team workouts and the camaraderie that we all know so well, but also by what our past members achieved. I know that looking through all the facts and figures about our club’s past history has inspired me and I hope that by the end of this evening will be inspired too.   

I would like to close by thanking everyone on the club who has helped to put this 30th anniversary awards party together tonight. I have listed all the names on the back of tonight’s program and there are over 50 names on that list, which just blows me away. This is just another example of just what an amazing running club this is and what a privilege it is to serve its members.

I would particularly like to thank Frank Handelman, Sarah Gross and Stephanie Gould for all the work which they have done covering all aspects of the party; Noel Comess and Kim Mannen for preparing the food - a mammoth undertaking for over 200 people; Erik Goetze and Harry Nasse who together designed and produced these spectacular awards; Stuart Calderwood who painstakingly and meticulously put together those wonderful top 10 lists that are now on display in the main room; and finally Jesse Lansner who produced the most spectacular commemorative booklet on ‘CPTC – The First 30 Years’ – which you will find at your table after this presentation.

One final thank you and also tonight’s first award goes to someone who has single-handedly transformed our club. On a night when we will be celebrating the continuity of the Central Park Track Club and how the club is still, to quote David Byrne ‘The Same as it Ever Was’ - here is one aspect where the club is now totally different. The person responsible for this one-man revolution has also been of invaluable help in putting together tonight’s program. The booklet which you will find on your table after this presentation would not have been possible without him nor indeed would the presentation itself. It now gives me great pleasure to present this orange jacket with the word ‘webmaster’ on it … to Roland Soong.  

STACY: The question is will a picture of Roland receiving his jacket make it onto the website.

TOM: Tonight we want to give you a taste of the history of CPTC over the past 30 years. In order to do that we're going to serve you one hell of a great meal. But before we do that, we're going to give you a streamlined version of our regular annual awards presentation.

STACY: So all you award winners out there may not get quite the big introduction and moment in the spotlight that you've had in previous years. Sorry about that. But in no way does this mean that your achievements were any less than your predecessors'. Let's start by asking Devon Sargent to give us the track highlights of 2002.

…Devon Martin-Sargent…

STACY: And now the track award winners.  Short and sweet.  We would like to ask you to come up to the stage when you hear your name called to receive your award from Brian and Devon.

Best Middle Distance…Charlotte Cutler…
Best Track Comeback…Chris Potter…
Most Versatile…Naomi Reynolds…
Best Sprinter…Alston Brown…
Most Improved Track…Sue Pearsall…

And now the winner of The Best in Track award goes to all the World Record setting Mens 60-69 4x800m relay members who set that amazing record of 9:58 (that’s sub 5 minute pace for guys over 60!) at the Armory this March…Jim Aneshansley…Dan Hamner…Norman Goluskin…and the amazing Sid Howard…Let’s also not forget Bob Laufer, who was waiting in the wings in case Norman’s hamstring didn’t hold up.

[Don’t let Sid grab the microphone!]

TOM:  And now … the food. But before we eat, we'll move QUICKLY on to the road award winners beginning with a brief review of the road highlights of 2002 by the inimitable Tony Ruiz.

…Tony Ruiz…

STACY: And now the road award winners. Again we would like to ask you to come up to the stage when you hear your name called to receive your award from Tony. 

[1^st Group]
Female Triathlete of the Year…Stefani Jackenthal
Male Triathlete of the Year…Olivier Baillet
Female Rookie of the Year…Ali Rosenthal
Male Rookie of the Year…Armando Oliveira
Most Improved Female…Ana Echeverri
Most Improved Male…Brad Weiss

[2^nd Group]
Men's Open - Short Distance - Steven Paddock
Men's Open - Long Distance - Kevan Huston
Women's Open - Short Distance - Stephanie Gould 
Women's Open - Long Distance - Margaret Angell

[3^rd Group]
Men's Masters - Short Distance - Peter Allen
Men's Masters - Long Distance - Alan Ruben
Women's Masters - Short Distance - Sylvie Kimché
Women's Masters - Long Distance - Yumi Ogita
 
And our final award is the Most Valuable Performer award for 2002. Our MVP for 2002 ran a series of exceptional races throughout the year - sometimes disguised as a man - book-ended by not one but two superlative Marathons, where she ran 2 hours 51 minutes. And all this at age 41, with three young kids, and a prestigious job at Columbia  University. Sheesh. Folks will you please show your deep and abiding love and admiration for Alayne Adams…

[ For the record, here is the complete list of award nominees:

TRACK AWARDS:

Best Track Comeback  Pat Lewis, Frank Morton, Chris Potter, Melissa Tidwell

Most Improved Track  Bola Awofeso, Alan Bautista, Craig Chilton, Lauren Eckhart, Sue Pearsall

Most Versatile  Craig Chilton, Craig Plummer, Naomi Reynolds

Best Sprinter  Alan Bautista, Alston Brown, Lee Shearer 

Best Middle Distance  Charlotte Cutler, Sid Howard, Kim Mannen, Devon Martin-Sargent

Best in Track  Jim Aneshansley, Dan Hamner, Sid Howard, Norman Goluskin

  

TRIATHLON AWARDS:

Male Triathlete  Olivier Baillet, Matthew Newman, Guillermo Rojas

Female Triathlete  Lauren Eckhart, Stefani Jackenthal

  

ROAD AWARDS:

Male Rookie of the Year  Adam Manewell, Armando Oliveira 

Female Rookie of the Year  Sylvie Burlot, Kate Crowley, Ali Rosenthal

Most Improved Male Patrick Cowden, Anthony Mayorkas, Chele Modica, Michael Rosenthal, Brad Weiss

Most Improved Female  Ana Echeverri, Etsuko Kizawa

Men's Open - Short Distance  Erik Goetze, Isaya Okwiya, Steve Paddock, Toby Tanser

Men's Open - Long Distance  Kevin Arlyck, Craig Chilton, Kevan Huston

Women's Open - Short Distance  Stephanie Gould, Margaret Schotte

Women's Open - Long Distance  Margaret Angell, Lauren Eckhart, Audrey Kingsley

Men's Masters - Short Distance  Peter Allen, Sid Howard, Tom Phillips, John Prather

Men's Masters - Long Distance  Alston Brown, Stuart Calderwood, Graeme Reid, Alan Ruben

Women's Masters - Short Distance  Irene Jackson, Sylvie Kimché, Mary Rosado

Women's Masters - Long Distance  Alayne Adams, Kellie Quinones, Yumi Ogita ]

STACY: And now it really is time for the food. Just as soon as we see this captivating slide show of the history of the Central Park Track Club, narrated by … well … Tom and me.  Clearly, CPTC has continued to build upon the solid foundation laid by it’s founders and has prospered over the past 10 years.

TOM: As runners, we're very familiar with personal records and team records and world records. This evening, we'd like to further indulge in the records of the Central Park Track Club over the past 30 years.

STACY: Our show is an overview of thirty years of great times-the kind run in races and the kind shared among friends. We've tried to convey the special feeling that we all have about our Club. Here goes.

TOM: Today, our club still holds true to its original principles. Perhaps the most appropriate way to describe these is in the words of our illustrious coach of 17 years, George Wisniewski, who often spoke in a unique foreign tongue called Dylan. Somehow, his wild ravings make more sense with each passing year. Here are three of his favorites:

STACY: First, "We are not Jack LaLanne" or "Everybody must get stoned" George meant that we are a competitive team, not just a fitness group. We focus on competing and on improving our running performances-even when that means working our hardest not to slow down. And we recognize that our individual successes depend on our support for one another during workouts and races.

TOM: Second, "We Need Fresh Blood" or "The times they are a-changin" We're always trying to attract new talent. For instance, at the workout Thursday, there were three new guys who run 10Ks in the low 30's. I know. I tried to keep up with them for a couple of miles. All of them came with friends or saw our Web site. Of course, our regular guys smoked them - Steve, Stuart, Kevin - but they've definitely got a future.

STACY: Third, "A Ship Cannot Sail on Yesterday's Wind" or "Ain't it hard to stumble and land in some funny lagoon" Our coaches and runners don't rest on their laurels. We continue to raise the bar for our competitive performances and for the depth and breadth of our team. Although we look back with pride at our past, like we're doing tonight, ...

TOM: Whoo-ee, ride me high, tomorrow's the day, we're going to fly.

STACY: But how does today's Club differ from our old glory teams? · First, we're smarter. No one on today's team has ever run a seven-day race. · Second, we get along much better with the editor of the Road Runners magazine. · Third, we're stronger and better nourished. With our triathlete contingent, today's team could easily out-pump the old gaunt, anemic team of yesteryear.

TOM: One more thing: The food this evening will be MUCH better than it was at The Old Stand or the West End Café 20 years ago.

The Club was once described by Frank Handelman as "an institution with no building, no clubhouse, and no location for the display of the thousands of medals and trophies won over the years." How did this "state of mind" institution begin?

STACY: In 1972, Frank Shorter won the Olympic Marathon and was interviewed on TV by Erich "Love Story" Segal. America's running boom took off. In New York, Dave Blackstone had the brilliant idea of creating a running club that could challenge the unrivaled Millrose Athletic Association. Dave envisioned a club that would become national-class by having a membership open to everyone, regardless of race, creed or gender.

TOM: The only stipulation was that you had to be a lawyer.

STACY: A founding meeting was held in September 1972 at the apartment Dave shared with his wife Lynn overlooking the Central Park Reservoir. Other founding members included Fred Lebow (who was already the president of the New York Road Runners Club), Ben Gershman, Bob Urie, Larry Langer, Arnold Fraiman, Walter Nathan, Jack Brennan and Frank Handelman. Many of these people are with us here tonight to help celebrate our 30th Anniversary.

TOM: CPTC was the first co-ed running club in New York-perhaps even in the country. By 1975, less than three years after formation, the team of Kathrine Switzer, Lynn Blackstone and Nancy Tighe won our first national distance title: the Women's National AAU Marathon Team Championship.

STACY: In 1976, Michael König ran 2:28 in the NYC Marathon. He became our team captain and led CPTC to many victories. Kevin McDonald ran a 2:19 marathon and, in 1976, became the first Club member to run in the Olympic Marathon Trials.

TOM: But the guy who put CPTC on the world map in its early days was Fritz Mueller. At 41, Fritz ran the 1978 Boston Marathon in 2 hours and 20 minutes-a stunning National Masters Record performance that inspired his teammates. Fritz's glory days continued throughout the 80's with National, World Veteran, and even open championships just about everywhere.

STACY: Everything seemed to fall into place for the men after that. The founders coaxed Shelly Karlin, who had won the 1972 New York City Marathon, into joining the club. Jack Brennan became a celebrity runner when he sped through the New Orleans Marathon in 2:20. Then Pete Squires, who'd been a Manhattan College track star, joined up. Shelly, Jack and Pete all broke the 2:21 qualifying time for the 1980 Olympic Marathon Trials. Twenty-two years later, this endures as one of the highest accomplishments in our history.

TOM: CPTC's ultra-runners established the Club's international credentials in 1979 when Allen Kirik, who we're delighted to have here tonight, won the famous London to Brighton 52-mile race. The British were so upset to lose to an American that they prepared for Allen's return in 1980 by recruiting a ringer: Ian Thompson, a 2:09 marathoner. Allen valiantly held off his rival for forty miles before Thompson finally passed him. Allen settled for second, but still led the CPTC team - Fritz Mueller, Brian Flanagan, Guenter Erich, Stu Mittleman and Brian Jones - to a stunning victory.

STACY: Our women also grew stronger under the guidance of their own coach, Len Duey, who conducted speed sessions at the Delacorte Oval. This group included Jane Breene, Mary Gibbons, Hermine Bartee, Gail Swain, Caryl Hudson, Kaarina Uutenin, Nora Cheng, Weezie Sams, Johanna Colette, Yvonne Rosen, Marie Wicks, Liz Levy, and others. They trained separately from the men, whose running conversation was pretty much limited to stock tips, courtroom war stories and, of course, mileage.

Up to then the men were largely uncoached. Their training regimen was eclectic, to say the least. It included "Pumphouse to Pumphouse" at the Reservoir, six-mile tempo runs, and secretive Bavarian training methods. In 1981, under the guidance of our second president, Norm Goluskin, the team got more rigorous. George Wisniewski was hired as the first official coach for the entire team.

TOM: George implemented the twice-weekly workouts that we continue to hold today, and established our meeting point at the Daniel Webster statue. He was assisted by fellow boyhood misfit, Tomi Gomory, who coached our women for several years. George helped many of us run faster than we ever thought possible. He entertained us and was an important role model, teaching us that a 2:23 marathon and a two-packs-a-day cigarette habit can indeed go hand in hand.

The men's team welcomed a long procession of young runners eager to learn from the old pros. They got training tips from Fritz and Frank, and from Jack Brennan learned never to trust anyone and never EVER to sign a consent decree.

STACY: These young runners included Dan Glickenhaus, Peter Gambaccini, Marcel Romer, Stuart Calderwood, Tony Ruiz, John Kenney, Fred Kolthay, Graydon Pihlaja, Tom Phillips, Bob Meighan and Mike Trunkes. They were joined by a memorable collection of hairdressers, rock guitarists, financiers, and hundreds of Dominicans. These were truly great times in every way. Our depth was formidable, highlighted by our five-man team average of 25:05 for five miles in Prospect Park and our 10-man average of 25:30 at the Club Team Championships.

And not far behind them-literally-was our Masters team. Stu Tucker regularly ran 10Ks in the low 32's, and Fritz somehow always managed to place on our three-man New York City Marathon scoring team until he was well into his 40's. Their times have stood up well over the years-especially Fritz's 2:30:20 at age 50!

TOM: Our Men's Masters' Track contingent was led by our two apostles of clean living, Sid Howard and Cliff Pauling. In 1992, Sid was one of three men to break the world record for his age in the mile. (Imagine how competitive he'd be if he admitted to his real age!) Meanwhile, Cliff amused himself in his early 50's by regularly winning the 400 meters at high school meets, and then set the American fifty-plus record at 53 seconds. In 1990, Cliff became our first World Champion when he won the 800 in Finland in 2:09.

Sid and Cliff inspired many others. In the four-by-800, our forty-plus team won national indoor championships in '85, '86 and '87, and in '89, our fifty-plus team of Sid, Cliff, Ed Coplon and Arnie Green set the indoor world record. In '92, our team of Lester Wright, Sid, Dan Hamner and Cliff broke the 50+ world record by SIX SECONDS! These performances, together with some very charismatic personalities, made CPTC the team to belong to.

STACY: Our women's team was also quite successful during this era. Irene Jackson was a true standout on the road during the early 80's. She was soon joined by Laurie Madson, whose golden age of racing included a number of victories in Central Park and qualification for the 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials.

Then came our Hall of Famer Candy Strobach, who won countless races over the years. Candy ran a 2:45 marathon-the fastest ever for our team-and qualified for the '88 Olympic Trials. Just as important, she set a supportive and friendly tone that helped to build one of our closest and strongest women's teams.

Cindy Willis was another star for us, and our top female finisher in the New York City Marathon for four years in a row. Modest to a fault, she wore tights on even the hottest days. The other key women were Claudia Malley, Erica Merrill, Rachel King, Martha Murphrey and Laurie Jones.

TOM: During this era, our women also discovered the track. The Colgate Women's Games was our primary focus, with some great rivalries in the 1500 between Irene, Mary, Wendy, Laurie Madson, Jane, Yvonne Rosen, and occasionally, Warren Street arch-villain Sue Krogstad-Hill.

STACY: Other memories of this second decade of the Club's history include long rides to track meets and road races in Boston and Albany. There was our Spy Magazine farm team. There were eight-mile workouts at 5:30 pace. There was the shameless debauchery of older predatory members such as Harry Nasse. There was Fritz' 50th birthday party celebration. And there were many wonderful weddings.

TOM: The last decade has been just as eventful. It's had familiar faces and fresh new ones; old and new coaches; traditional races and some new exploits.

One very familiar face over the past decade has been that of Sid Howard, now a cult figure in New York, Bermuda, Eugene, and the world. Two memories of Sid during the past several years stand out in particular.

STACY: The first illustrated Sid's peacemaking skills, as he defused a potential rumble at the Armory between CPTC and the Hartford Track Club following a spirited mile race. Those of us who saw this remember it as one of the noblest examples of sportsmanship we've ever seen.

TOM: The second involved Sid's 60-plus World Indoor 800-meter record of 2:14.75 on his 60th birthday in 1999 at the Armory. This event was attended by the majority of Sid's ten thousand close friends in the New York running community. There were a hundred people running the victory lap with him. It was truly one of the emotional highlights of our club's history.

STACY: This decade also marked the retirement of George Wisniewski after 17 years as coach. At times, George was the cheapest therapist in town, doing his best to coach us through our self-absorbed obsessions, our various real and imagined ailments. For his invaluable contributions to our club, he was inducted into the CPTC Hall of Fame last year. We think of him often, and fondly.

TOM: Tony Ruiz has proudly and ably carried on George's legacy as our distance coach. For those who remember waiting four hours for Tony to show up to get a ride to a race, we can assure you that times have changed. Indeed, many of our runners now depend on Tony to help structure their training programs.

Under his spirited direction, Alan Ruben has continued to improve, and he finally broke 2:30 for the marathon at age 41. With runners like Craig Chilton, Paul Stuart-Smith, Stuart Calderwood, Jonathan Pillow, Isaya Okwiya, Toby Tanser, Erik Goetze, Rob Zand, Richie Borrero, Kevin Arlyck, Michael Rymer, Josh Feldman, Steven Paddock and Kevan Huston, CPTC has a Men's Open team that has improved its Club Championships finishes over the past three years, while our Men's Masters team has simply overpowered the competition, winning for the past four years in a row.

STACY: At the same time, we have expanded our coaching to cover a wider range of events. In 1998, we hired Brian Denman to coach our sprinters. He arrived with a wealth of coaching and a world-class 400-meter PR of 44.6. Brian's workouts were dramatically different than anything we had done before.

We've also benefited from the selfless efforts of Devon Martin-Sargent, who now focuses on our middle-distance track program. As a former qualifier for the Women's Olympic Trials in the 1500 meters, Devon certainly knows a lot about running. Her passion for the sport and great sense of humor have been infectious, and she's attracted many converts to the shorter distances. Devon's success can be seen in her runners' many PRs, and in results like our third-place finish in the women's distance medley relay at the National Indoor Championships last year.

And by the way, our women's four-by-800-meter relay team of Denise Whitaker-Crain, Sue Pearsall, Devon and Kim Mannen now holds the American record for 30-to 39-year-olds.

TOM: A great recent CPTC achievement is the resurgence of our women's distance squad. They're currently in first place overall in the annual club standings. The main forces behind the comeback have been Margaret Angell, Alayne Adams, Stephanie Gould, Stacy Creamer, Audrey Kingsley, Margaret Schotte, Lauren Eckhart, Shelley Farmer and Ali Rosenthal.

STACY: So how does our Club relax? One of the more popular recent pastimes has been road-relays like Hood to Coast in Oregon and Reach The Beach in New Hampshire. At first glance, these 200-mile, 12-person relays look just as freakish as 100-mile runs around Flushing Meadow Park. But it turns out that they're a lot more fun. You lose a lot of weight, you get to run through beautiful scenery that you can't see because it's dark and pouring rain, and you get to watch your teammates perform lewd acts in public. They may be grueling, but they're great bonding events, and the participants regularly return to bore their friends and spouses about the "best racing experience I've ever had."

TOM: Our Masters team has proven especially successful in these events in recent years, despite the frightening toll it takes on their deteriorating bodies. CPTC not only won the men's masters division this year at Reach the Beach, we finished second overall-although the identity of one member-Alayne Adams-makes the team's category a bit fuzzy.

STACY: As the Club evolves, it continues to exert its pull on members past and present. This pull is strong enough to bring back many members who had taken time off because of injuries, work, suburban commutes, and spouses who just plain hate running! Mike Trunkes, Stuart Calderwood, Tom Phillips, Frank Morton and Yumi Ogita are all prodigal members who have returned to our ranks after extended absences. Occasionally, we've even seen Jerry McCarthy at our track workouts with his parrot on his shoulder! The fact is, there aren't that many clubs in the world that offer as much as we do: a competitive program; a great support system; and a wonderful collection of people from all over the world.

TOM: We've returned to renew old friendships and rivalries. We've returned because we know that CPTC still meets every Tuesday and Thursday for the best group workouts in town, and because we know that the Orange is always looking for a good sixth man, or a good fourth woman, who'll take on the challenge and try to make the scoring teams. For those of you who aren't running much now, we'd like to remind you: We're still here, and we're still out there. Welcome back.

TOM: Okay, who's ready to eat? Before we dig in, Alan Ruben would like to present The Founders Award. This is a very special award given out every few years to someone on this team who can't run for shit. No, seriously, this award is given to someone who performs exceptional service to the club in a non-running capacity.

STACY: The recipient is someone who perhaps 95% of you here tonight would not recognize were it not for those beautifully produced buttons courtesy of Kate Crowley. But he has provided a whole series of club presidents with his wise and balanced counsel.

He is someone of the utmost integrity, who has been our Treasurer for the past seven years and has been the longest serving member on the current CPTC Executive Board. Ladies and gentlemen will you please rise for Richard Kixmiller.

TOM: And now for the highlight of this evening's presentation. The food. But before we eat, we want to take a few moments to induct four of our beloved members into the CPTC Hall of Fame.

STACY: The CPTC Hall of Fame was established five years ago by one of our former club presidents - Frank Handelman - to honor excellence in running over a sustained period of years for the Central Park Track Club.

TOM: At that time we inducted Fritz Mueller, Candy Strobach, Ed Gonera, Cliff Pauling and Sid Howard into the Hall of Fame. Last year they were joined by our esteemed coach of 17 years George Wisniewski.

STACY: Our first inductee tonight tragically did not live to see this honor bestowed upon him. He was one of our founding members in 1972. He was an integral part of our club for more than 29 years. His tales of running were legendary; he could also run fast, particularly at the Marathon and longer. In 1977 he finished 3rd in the Yonkers Marathon, and in 1978 and 1979 he came in third and then second in the national 50 kilometer championships, breaking three hours both times. For you distance runners, that is better than 5:47 pace for 31 miles. And in 1980, he ran his marathon best of 2 hours and 20 minutes in New Orleans, and competed in the United States Olympic marathon trials. His amazing 2:20 is still number three on CPTC's all-time Marathon list. To receive the Hall of Fame award for Jack Brennan we are indeed very pleased to have with us tonight both his brother Michael and his sister Peggy.

TOM: Our next inductee is someone who has traveled across the country to be here with us tonight. She dominated our Women's running team in the 80s. Between 1982 and 1986 she ran a series of exceptional times across the full range of distances from the mile to the Marathon. She ran 5:14 for the mile, 18:14 for 5K, 23:16 for 4 miles, 28:55 for 5 miles, 35:55 for 10K, 58:02 for 10 miles, 1:22(:03) for the half-marathon and 2:51 for the Marathon. Four of these times place her 2nd in CPTC's all-time performance lists. Folks, will you please give a big hand to…Laurie Madson.

STACY: Our next inductee is a past president of our club. He dominated 80s running for our Men's team even more than Laurie Madson dominated the Women's. He ran times at all distances from the mile to the Marathon, times which virtually no one on our current Men's team can get close to and he did it throughout the eighties. He ran 4:20 for the mile, 14:46 for 5K, 19:46 for 4 miles, 24:29 for 5 miles, 30:52 for 10K, 52:16 for 10 miles, 1:07(:21) for the half-marathon and 2:25(:46) for the Marathon. And he's still running. This year he anchored the victorious master's team in the Reach the Beach relay. Ladies and gentlemen, will you please rise for…John Kenney.

TOM: Our final inductee is someone who has been with our club from its very beginning. He did some pretty impressive running in the 70's - how about 51:16 for 10 miles! He ran 2:35:08 in Boston in 1977, before realizing that his forte was the track - running 1:57 for 800m (#5 on the CPTC all-time list) and 4:16 for the mile (#4 on the all-time list). He is still out there every Tuesday and Thursday training on the track. This year he ran a mile in 5:08 at fifty-something. He is also a former club president. He has used his lawyering skills to help more people on this team than anyone can track, and he has been instrumental in putting on tonight's extravaganza. It is indeed a wonderful privilege to be able to announce our final Hall of Fame inductee, the one and only…Frank Handelman.

[Frank loses his composure, but recovers in time to give his wrap-up speech]

STACY: Ladies and Gentlemen, Frank would now like to say a few words before we really and truly get to the food.

Frank Handelman

Many things make up the fabric of a life - your home, your work, education, community involvement, the arts, and most importantly, relationships with family and friends. In my life in New York City, the Central Park Track Club has been at the center of so much of these for me. Starting with the 10 or 12 of us thirty years ago, it has grown to be an enormous extended family, truly another home for so many.

Dave Blackstone got the idea for the club, but I'll take credit for giving him the original kick in the ass that got it started. In 1970, we met at the reservoir, and we were soon training together. He would always press the pace and try to beat me around the loop. I told him I didn't race without a number on - an excuse I still use when someone like Bola or one of the Margarets is destroying me in a workout - and told Dave to come up to Van Cortlandt Park where the action was. So he ran his first race, a 20 kilometer I think, got the racing bug, and the rest is the history that brings us here tonight.

In those first years, we had no organized workouts, and the team roster just sort of grew in an almost organic way. We met our teammates for the first time, most often, when they showed up for their first race as members. In the 1974 Yonkers Marathon, Jack Brennan and I ran all the way together - it was the day of our law school graduation. After we finished, we lit up a joint - can I say that, Dave? - I think the statute of limitations has passed. We were lamenting the fact that we didn't have a 3rd runner there for the team race, when here came a guy in our uniform, running about 2:40. Given our depleted, well, maybe, elevated state, we thought perhaps we had conjured him up. But no, he was real. It was Michael König, whom we had never seen before. That got us the second place team award. Mike went on to run 2:28 over the hardest New York City marathon course you can imagine - including four times the Central Park 6 mile loop, and became our first team captain. He just ran the New York City Marathon for the 22nd time - Michael - take a bow . . .

About 1979, we had our first huge spurt in membership, going from under 100 to more than 200 members almost overnight. That's when we began to set standards for new members. In fact, several times in the 80's we had to institute membership freezes, because even our great coaching staff headed by George Wisniewski could not possibly keep up with so many runners every week. This got us the label "elitist" for the first time - a complete misnomer. What we were and still are is a competitive team - it has never been our mission to be a membership organization, or another New York Road Runners Club. We are a racing team.

And we are a social and cultural phenomenon, part of that fabric of life that makes little old New York seem so much like a small town to me. I came here from Ohio by way of Chicago, as hundreds of us have come to New York from the Midwest, from Central and South America, from the West Coast, Europe, Africa, the Asias, even God save us, from north of the 49th parallel. Ever wonder why we have so many Canadians on the team? If you do, you haven't spent much time in Canada.

So thank you Central Park Track Club, for being what you are, so hard to define, yet so easy to love. You have kept me racing and training hard for three decades, and keep me now, still looking to the future and still trying to run as fast as I can.

STACY: And now courtesy of Noel Comess, Kim Mannen and their many helpers – the food.