As Longboat celebrates its 20th anniversary year, I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts and memories of the early years of the club. I joined the club in March 1982, so I missed the start-up, but came shortly thereafter. Today less than 15% of our members were here during the first five years. The good news is there are fewer of them to challenge what may be my faulty recollection of certain events and dates.
A few months ago when going through some old running memorabilia I came across what may be the only certificate remaining from the first Longboat Island Race held in May 1981. I had forgotten that I had run the race until I saw the certificate. This was my first encounter with the club and unfortunately I can't recall anything about it except what the certificate tells me - Molson's Brewery was the major sponsor and I finished 168th in 42:34.
My second encounter with Longboat will forever be seared in my mind. One Wednesday evening in February 1982 I was stuck in traffic at the foot of Spadina Avenue frustrated as usual with my commute home. As I sat there a magnificent sight went by on the sidewalk - some 60 to 80 runners passed me. I hadn't seen this many runners together other than at a race. Running in the group was Jack Friel who I knew from his victory in the 1977 Toronto Police Games Marathon and from infrequent meetings during my noon hour runs on the Lakeshore. I immediately resolved to stop Jack the next time I saw him and find out who this group was. I found Jack a few days later and he filled me in on the club. Unfortunately, the club had reached its membership limit - 125, but Jack promised to try to get me in. He came through. I was in.
On a clear Sunday morning in March I showed up at Settlement House with a friend from work -- Don Sherwood, whom Jack had also managed to get into the club. We were totally intimidated. Nobody spoke to us as we followed the group out of Settlement House. We had no idea of where we were running and how far we were going. Don and I struggled to keep up as we headed south. By Lakeshore the group was a way ahead of us - we couldn't keep up. At Ontario Place we came upon Tony Fletcher who was having problems with one of his shoes. We asked Tony where the group was heading as he moved away. His response was that the group was on its normal 20 miler out to 22nd Street in Etobicoke. Don and I were totally discouraged turning back at High Park. We resolved to give the club one more chance at the Wednesday night social run before we quit.
On my first Wednesday night I knew I had found my running home. Unlike the Sunday run where everyone appeared serious and uncommunicative, people were friendly. The first mile was kept down to an eight minute plus pace so everyone could stay together and chat. At the Lakeshore we broke into smaller groups according to pace. The atmosphere was no different than it is today - fun and sociable. The difference between then and now is that the group was larger - 40 to 70 then compared to 20 to 30 now, and the pace was much faster. Most of the group would cover 10 miles in less than 75 minutes with the lead group running well under 70 minutes.
Running Atmosphere of the Early 1980's What was it like to run in the early 1980's? I would call it the golden age of roadrunning in Canada. Stimulated by the 1976 Olympics and Jerome Drayton winning the Boston Marathon and setting a Canadian marathon record which still stands, a full scale running boom was on in Canada. Running was the sport to get into and the best way to do it was to join a club. Longboat was one of many clubs, which sprang up during this time (Burlington Runners, Credit Valley Marathon Club being others). New races were coming on the scene at a fast pace and sponsorship was easy to find. Races had names such as (Toronto) Sunday Star Trek, Cadet (Cleaners) 10 Km, Eaton's 10 K, Labatt's Lite 12 Km. No race promoter needed to import runners to get fast competition. From 5 km to the marathon there was tremendous competition from names such as Edge, Dyon, Bordeleau, Boileau, the Craig twins, Bannon, Butler, to name a few. On the women's side it was the same. We had Jacqueline Gareau winning the Boston Marathon. Sylvia Ruegger and Anne Marie Malone were posting marathon times around 2:30. Nancy Rooks (now Tinari) was tearing up the roads at shorter distances. I can recall being in a Canadian 10 km road championship where 10 Canadians ran under 30 minutes. The founding members of Longboat were mainly experienced runners. Some such as Jack Friel and Ron Flint had already won marathons in under 2:30 times. Many posted 10 km times around or just over 30 minutes. This initial group which included Bert de Vries and Charlie McCullough among its fast runners, soon attracted other experienced runners. The club's average age was much younger than it is today with most in their twenties or thirties. When I joined the club I already had run 6 marathons and was running 42 minute 10 km's. Where did this put me in the club pecking order? - at the back of the pack in any race. Many of the club records, which still stand, were set prior to 1986. How fast was the club? Coming up to the Ottawa Marathon in 1984 Longboat participants decided to stage a time trial on the 5 km course in Sunnybrook Park. Eighteen runners ran the time trial. The winning time was 15:43 and the slowest time was 19:17. That same year 55 Longboaters ran the Tuscarora 10 km - 26 ran under 40 minutes with Trevor Shand winning the race for Longboat in 32:12 and Susan Stone leading the women in 36:07. Stone's record still stands as the fastest women's time run at Tuscarora. This was no mean feat as that day was boiling hot. In 1984 35 Longboaters ran under 40 minutes in 10 km races.
The Women One of the great strengths of Longboat has been and still is our women runners. Some of these women who were with us in the 1980's winning medals are still with us today and still winning medals - Nancy Wells, Jean Doench, Wendi Hanger, Lynn Kobayashi. Our women could match and beat the women of any club in Toronto which they often did. Some of the early speedsters were Diane Porteous, Sue Stone and Sharon Crawford. When Laura Konantz joined the club around 1984 these three were her role models as runners. Yes, this is the same Laura Konantz who went on to win several marathons and is today one of the top master runners in Toronto. Check the club records and you'll still see these names. Stone won the Toronto Marathon in 1984 and Crawford still races and places in many Toronto races. During the eighties we continued to attract and develop top women runners such as Jean Payette, Adele Emo and Kathleen Walker (now Cranmer). For this a lot of credit has to be given to Timo Uuksulainen our Head Coach for most of the decade and his many assistants. The one area where club running strength has remained consistent has been our master women. In the early years it was Christine Walker, Claudia Hungerson, Wendi Hanger, and Wendi's sister Toni Haddrell. Because many women who joined the club have stayed with us our younger women developed into great master runners. Coming into the 90's Wells, Doench and Hanger were joined on the winners podium by Adele Emo and Kathleen Walker. In the late 90's they were joined by Lynn Kobayashi, Pearl Ing and Renee Head. The tradition continues. If someone had kept track of awards won by sex in the club it is probable that over our twenty-year history the women have won more than the men.
Social Members Throughout its history the club has had the support of some terrific social members. Although it was founded by a group of dedicated runners there always has been a group of equally dedicated social members in Longboat. Without these members many activities would have been difficult to carry out. In the early days social members like Irene Kerr , Marion Ogilvie (Paul Long's wife) and Irene Pastuch (Timo's wife) were always available to help organize club races, collect results and help with the organization of teams. I can remember many a day when Irene Kerr and Marion Ogilvie would be standing in the rain or freezing cold, clipboards in hand at the finishing line taking times as each Longboater crossed the line. Their dedication was extremely important as there was little computerization of results.
Peterborough Half MarathonThe one race that has been constant in the club history is the Peterborough Half Marathon. It more than any other race is responsible for building teamwork and camaraderie in the club. Through the 1980's the club virtually had a lock on first or second place in the mega team event. Bert deVries is responsible for keeping this event as a focus for the club. He organized the teams year after year. These days the race is run in springlike conditions compared to the early years when the event was held early in January. You could count on a really cold day and often lots of snow. Locked away in someone's basement is a testimony to the severity of the conditions - a set of slides of runners completing the course in 1982 or 1983. Virtually every runner had icicles on his/her face - nose, eyebrows, moustaches and beards. Some years the race looked like a giant snake as runners followed in single file along a rut in the snow covered road. The course was the same as now except you finished at the armory. It was usually so cold that you ran through the finish line right into the armory where if you were lucky clubmate Roz Fulwell would be waiting with a wee dram of scotch to warm you up. Two buses were required to transport two or three mega teams of 20 to 30 runners each. The prizes for winning were gold, silver and bronze T-shirts for each team member. Hidden away in my running treasures are gold and silver T-shirts from those glorious days.
The Bev The Beverly Tavern has been our club pub except for a short period in 1985 when we moved to the Black Bull for some months when club member - Brian Hill negotiated cheaper beer prices. We were forced to move club runs to the St. Lawrence Community Centre in 1993 when Settlement House closed for extensive renovations. The Bev being too far away, we settled for an Ontario Street eatery. Other than that it's been the Bev. We started out in the back room where the pool table is. I don't think the second floor was open back then. The place is a palace now compared to what it was then. Wednesday night socials often went on into the night often with a hardcore group staying until midnight many evenings. We eventually moved to the front room on the main floor where many TV personalities from CITY-TV came to wile away time until the 11 o'clock news. Our move to the second floor and the opening of the patio didn't come until the 90's. Gus has been our bartender for many years, but no, the club predated his arrival at the Bev.
Innovation Longboat has often been at the forefront of supporting new events which include running. In the early 1980's we were involved in sponsoring a 100 Km Ultra. The race was run on an open course around the perimeter of the city. One year our own Ron Flint won the event. In 1984 we organized an ultra which began and ended at Fort York Armory. I worked at the 50-mile aid station, which was located on Lawrence Avenue. The aid station consisted of a card table and a few chairs. In addition to water we were equipped with all kinds of eccentric sandwiches that runners had made for themselves. When they reached our station many would sit on the chairs, eat their sandwiches, thank us and move on. It was the weirdest aid station I ever worked at. We were also in the forefront when it came to triathlons. Members Len and Elaine Janes, Brian McDowell and Rocky Phillips were entering the Hawaii Ironman when it was a relatively small event. The triathlon torch would later be carried by Wendi Hanger, Bob Nagel, Ian MacQueen and Claire Oger.
Wildfire Early in the 80's CBC decided to produce a film on Tom Longboat titled "Wildfire", one of his nicknames. A professional actor played Longboat and the producers were directed to the club to find runners who could fill in non-speaking supporting roles during running scenes. Several Longboaters including Allen Groome, Corey Gibson, Dave Fujiwara and Jack Friel volunteered. Scenes were shot in and around the Toronto area. The movie was not a classic and was somewhat negative towards Longboat's Indian heritage. However, it was interesting watching the amateur actors from the club play their parts. My favorite scene was one where Jack Friel, playing Pietri, Longboat's Italian rival, collapsed in a match distance race at Madison Square Gardens. The scene looked as if it had been shot at the CNE Coliseum and Jack's swoon was worthy of the bad actor's award of the year for silent movies. I had to watch this movie several times before I picked out Allen Groome.
The Picnic The social highlight of the summer season was the club picnic, which was held from the club's inception until 1995 at Bolton Camp. One of our early members, Bob Christiansen, was director of the camp and offered us use of the facilities each year. The camp was ideal as it had a huge swimming pool and several playing fields, as well as a kitchen staff who prepared bar-b-queued steak and chicken for our dinner. The day began when the yellow school bus and the cyclists arrived from Toronto. Hearty members of the club cycled to the camp while a bus was provided for those without cars. First order of the day was a cross-country run lead by Bob Christiansen. Since we were in the Albion Hills, this run was equal to some of the masters' cross-country races we run today. If you survived the run you next moved on to competitive games such as soccer, volleyball, team frisbee, baseball, or swimming relays. The club was so competitive that games were played with a vengeance. Many bumps and bruises as well as the odd broken bone were incurred during these friendly games. Kids and families were welcome and games and prizes were provided for all the kids. My sons, now 27 and 24, have fond memories of the picnics. Bolton Camp which served underprivileged families and children from Toronto for generations is now closed due to the encroachment of urbanization.
The Newsletter Then as now, the main communication tool of the club was the newsletter. This was Bert deVries' baby up until 1987 when Cathy Graham succeeded him. Without the use of computers the articles for the early newsletters were typed or handwritten and then Bert pasted them together to form pages. Bert could always be counted on to write an interesting editorial even if you didn't agree with him. He never pussyfooted around difficult topics. Some classics dealt with the South Africa boycott, nuclear missiles, and a club boycott of the Eaton's 10 km race because of its Eaton's anti-union stance. Letters to the editor were a common feature because of Bert's editorials. The newsletter was always full of race results due to the diligence of members in collecting them. As team manager Bert continually exhorted the troops to participate in relays and team events. Bert's trusty assistant in picking up the newsletter from the printer and delivering it to the club was Byron Kangelis. When Byron showed up at University Settlement with the newsletter a crowd was always eagerly awaiting it.
Meetings Monthly meetings were held at University Settlement House either on the second floor or in the large room across from the locker rooms. They were well attended and lively as everybody had an opinion. In the early years much time was needed to flesh out the club's goals and direction. Many meetings we spent hammering out the club constitution and incorporating the club as a not for profit corporation to protect the board members. I wonder if the Americans spent as much time on formulating their constitution as we did. That little book that each new member should receive when joining the club is the result of many heavy duty meetings and much thought by a lot of dedicated members. Although we often laugh about it , it may well be the best running club constitution ever drafted. Over the years the need for monthly meetings declined as the club developed a calendar of social and running events.
Social Conscience From day one Longboat has been about giving to the running community and the community at large. Our Island Race has always been about putting on a first class event for social runners, hardcore runners, families and children. It is to our credit, and to the leadership of Ron Hipfner that we have grown our race to become the #1 Urban Race in Ontario. We have also helped the community at large by contributing thousands of dollars to Bolton Camp and University Settlement House. In our first decade we did volunteer work for the Grange Festival and for various charitable races. Several of our former members went on to form the Last Call Social Club about ten years ago. This club is primarily a social club although many of its members still run, and it has raised large amounts for the Run for The Cure as well as the Mount Sinai Sports Clinic. The Sunset Shuffle which it organizes in support of the Mount Sinai Sports Clinic is now in its 14th year.
Road Trips Road trips, which we now do twice a year to Peterborough and Tuscarora, were once almost a monthly event. Some of the favorites in the eighties were Ottawa (National Capitol Marathon), Utica Boilermaker, Shamrock Run (Buffalo) and Alphie's Trough 10 Km (St Catharines). We also had the ultimate road trips, which were taken by plane rather than bus. For years a large contingent of running and social members winged off to the Hawaii and Las Vegas Marathons. The marathons of course were followed by a lot of Longboat partying which itself was a marathon event. Then there were the weekend social trips such as the cross-country ski trip to the Huntsville area. Our longtime Social Coordinator and Travel Manager - Chick Roberts arranged cabin rentals. Skiers taking this trip were introduced to a new duathlon sport - hot tubbing followed by a roll in the snow. After one of these trips one Longboater was heard to say she had sworn off ice. It wasn't recorded whether there was too much ice for skiing or too much ice in her drinks. Hiking trips became popular later in the decade.
Talent Night Longboat has always been graced by people with a lot of musical and acting talent. Early on we had talent nights which these days would be called an informal dinner theatre night. The Social Coordinator would arrange the rental of a hall and food, then put an ad in the newsletter asking for acts. There would be no shortage of acts as the club included several professional musicians and actors as well as many hams. Music ranged from bagpipes to blues, rock and roll to opera. Some of our fine musicians were names you will recognize - Jean Doench, Bert de Vries, Jim Milligan. There were several comedy acts such as Barr and Flint, and some serious acting provided by Tony Fletcher and Chris Kelk.
Team Racing and Relays In addition to the Peterborough Half Marathon, the club participated in many relays. One of the all time favorites was the Ottawa to Kingston Marathon which the club won. The participation record for the club was set in 1983 when the club entered 5 teams in the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) 24 Hour Relay. The 5km course through the University of Toronto downtown campus began and ended at Varsity Stadium. Some 100 Longboaters participated in the event meaning that over the 24 hour period every 8th runner entering and leaving the stadium wore a Longboat singlet. In addition, the club marshaled the event. Two other favorites were the Welland Canal Relay run from Port Weller to Port Colborne, and the Silver Relays held in High Park. One event eagerly looked forward to was the club 4x5km relay run on the Lakeshore from the west end of the CNE to Sunnyside Pool and back. Each team was weighted so that all should finish at the same time. It was a great event because slow runners were teamed with fast runners and every member had a chance to be on the winning team. One year one of our faster runners - Trevor Shand, who was known to throw away his shoes during races ran his 5 km leg barefooted in less than 16 minutes. The most unusual event ever organized by a member of the club was Diamond Bill's Run to the CN Tower. Bill Gray joined the club in the mid eighties. His occupation was diamond salesman, so he became known as Diamond Bill. In 1987 he decided to organize his own marathon for club members. He measured a marathon course from the CN Tower along Front Street to Yonge and then straight up Yonge to Aurora or thereabouts. On a Sunday morning in March he hired a school bus to take participants to the start advising all to bring a subway token in case they had to drop out. Since the race was 99% down Yonge Street anyone dropping out after half way could catch the subway. A moving aid station was provided and all runners and volunteers gathered at the Amsterdam pub for brunch afterwards. The event was repeated in 1988 and we actually had nonmembers asking to run the event.
Transition By 1988 the administration of the club had passed from the original members to newer members. Corey Gibson, one of the guiding lights of the club and Island Race Director since inception, gave up the presidency of the club which he had held for 6 years in 1987. That same year, Bert de Vries, Newsletter Editor since inception, passed the position to Cathy Graham. The club had grown by leaps and bounds and membership reached its highest level -- 215 in 1988. The 1988 executive, of which I was fortunate to be President, had several newer members with many ideas on how to make the club even better. Lois Dixon, Social Coordinator, wanted to find a new venue for the AGM which up until then had been held at the Roehampton Hotel at Eglinton and Mount Pleasant. After an exhaustive search she decided on Oakam House as the new location. Bill Gray, Race Director, was concerned with the club's lack of funds. Diane Porteous, our longtime Treasurer was rumoured to have occasionally financed advances for the club out of her own pocket. Bill contracted the club to work on three races in the space of little more than two months over the period April to June, in addition to putting on our own Island Race at the end of May. We found ourselves organizing the first ever Bay Street Rat Race and the National Ballet Point to Point 10 Km. Both turned out to be runaway successes, but required a tremendous volunteer effort on our part. Bill, Jerry Asner, Cathy Graham and several others spent many nights and weekends working on registration and race kits. In June we marshaled and looked after timing for the ROM Relay. The end result of all of this was that the club was awash in money and in a firm financial position to see it into the future. Transition was also occurring in the membership. Although member numbers were at an all time high, we were experiencing high turnover. Many original members were leaving for various reasons - job relocation, education, family commitments, injury. The club was entering a period when intense competition from newer sports such as triathlon, mountain biking, and rollerblading, as well as running groups started by the ever increasing number of running stores would prove a challenge to keeping our numbers up.
10th Anniversary To celebrate the end of the club's first decade we spent nearly a year planning an evening we wouldn't forget. Paul Long arranged for us to rent the ballroom at the Park Plaza Hotel (Bloor and Avenue Road), and Clara Northcott, our Social Coordinator, put together a wonderful dinner and program. We searched out and invited every former member we could find, and dug up every picture and piece of club memorabilia the members had. Clara arranged all of this wonderfully for the cocktail reception. Many former members came, and Longboat closed out its first decade with its glitziest and most successful party. The club had come of age and was highly respected by the running community.