Forest Gump on Running

In honor on National Running Day, consider the mythical movie exploration of why running took off in America as a personal sport in the late 1970s. 

Primal Scream Streakers Run Reverse Around Harvard Yard to Bypass Ferguson Protest

During the 1960s, a students started a tradition to shout a primal scream out their windows at midnight for ten minutes on the eve of final exams as a stress release.  By the 1990s, this exercise in youthful exhuberance devolved into an event in which everyone comes out to gawk, as many as five score of streakers (who are often inebriated) gather to run around Harvard Yard counterclockwise.  

The hedonistic happening has a quasi-official imprimatur, as the Harvard Band (dressed only in their parade tops).   About 25 Harvard administrators also attended this year and attempted to choreograph the organized chaos.

This year, about 30 activists  tried to co-opt the Harvard Primal Scream by imposing a "Black Lives Matter" protest prior to the run. Originally, protesters wanted to have a die-in but were convinced for student safety to revise their rabble rousing plans.

As conveyed by senior Aubrey Walker, the co-director of "Cultural Rhythms" at the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, the protesters wanted to have four and a half minutes of silence before the run.  In fact, protesters convinced the band not to play during their silence. Alas, there were unexpected kinks with this protest plan.

The streaking participants could not keep quiet during the conscience raising silence, so protesters chanted "Silence, silence".   When that had no effect, the Dean of College Rakesh Khurana was hoisted by a half naked student to bring order, but that had no avail. In fact, some runners followed their tradition and chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A", which protesters interpreted as a slap in the face supporting institutional power and that these fortunate sons refused to check their "White Privilege".

Shortly after this stand-off, the Primal Scream streakers ran clockwise around the Yard, conveniently avoiding the protesters.

Harvard Primal Scream, spring 2014

Some later said that had they known about the protest beforehand, they would have joined in.  Others said there was too much of a crowd to know that they were being organized to protest.

It is interesting that at a time when accusations about sexual misconduct has roiled college campuses that Harvard hosts the Primal Scream and has university officials organizing it.  But regardless of what one thinks of the propriety of streaking through campus at midnight at one of the nation's elite institutes of higher education, this was not the time to raise consciousness.  It is asking too much for drunken, naked students who want to have fun and frivolity to silently shiver in at the witching hour in the New England wintery cold for a protest was not going to go well. 

Despite the chaos and hurt feelings, this sort of smiling jog might have convinced the late Joan Rivers to consider running. 

h/t: The Crimson

Mia Hamm on Performance

Rosie Ruiz on Running

Rosie Ruiz, a 27 year old Cuban American hailing from New York City, was declared the winner of the 1980 Womens' Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours 31 minutes 29 seconds, which would have been the fastest female time in the Boston Marathon ever and the 11th quickest recorded time for any female marathoner.

Bill Rogers winning 1980 Boston Marathon

Bill Rogers, the four time winner of the Boston Marathon, including his last victory in 1980, sensed that there was something wrong with Ruiz's hobbled first place finish as there were no perspiration stains under Ruiz's armpits or on her back.  Rogers thought that a big mistake was being made.  At the post Boston Marathon press conference, Rogers asked Ruiz about her training and what intervals she did and Ruiz had no clue as to what Rogers was referring.

When a reporter asked Ruiz how she was able to best her marathon time from the New York City marathon by 25 minutes, Ruiz quipped that she woke up with a lot of energy that morning.  Ruiz could not remember anything about fans at Wellesley College, a female Seven Sister College of the Ivy League, which always roots loudly for the leading female runner in the Boston Marathon.  But the most damning evidence from the Hub came from two Harvard students who reported that Ruiz burst through a group of spectators on Commonwealth Street, a half mile from the finish line.

New York Marathon officials investigated a report from a freelance reporter who stipulated that six months before the Boston Marathon she rode the subway train with Ruiz and watched her report herself injured by the finish line, and she was credited with finishing the NYC marathon in 11th place, thereby qualifying her for the Boston Marathon. 

After doing their own investigation, the Boston Athletic Association disqualified Rosie Ruiz and declared that Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was the winner with a time of 2 hours 34 minutes and 28 seconds, which was the fastest time for a woman in Boston Marathon history. 

 The BAA staged a ceremonial photo finish for Gareau with 3,000 spectators to give the woman her due, but Ruiz had stolen the spotlight by grabbing the garland that Patriots' Day and remains infamous. 

Roger Bannister on the Four Minute Mile

British running Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile in 1954. Now, the Mile world record holder is Hicham El Guerrouj of Morroco who ran 3:43.13 in Rome in 1999.  And the new "King of the Mile" Guerrouj also lived.