Sunday, April 18, 2010

a 5-kilometer detour


I have been an enthusiastic runner for the past 10 years, and a New Yorker for the past 50 years. So, when a friend recently made me aware of an annual 5K run that takes place on a runway at JFK Airport (surprise to me), I thought that’s a great novelty.

I went straight to the web page of the JFK Rotary Club to register. After all, watching Bruce Willis, as John McClane, manhandle some impossible tasks out on the runways of Dulles Int’l Airport in Washington D.C. during Die Hard II is about as close as I’ve ever been to a ground level view.

The run took place this morning and the weather conditions were excellent. An early morning temperature of around 45 degrees, along with partly sunny skies provided an ideal race environment.

Unfortunately what was supposed to be a “5K Runway Run” turned into an airport roadway run. We heard a few different reasons for the change of plans. Security reasons, construction on an adjacent runway, and backlog from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano were the top contenders. Gate A, B, C, all or none of the above-I don’t know.

Overall, the organizers from the JFK Rotary Club put together a worthy event. Hopefully though, next year, I will be able to savor the novelty of the experience, instead of the usual bag of trinkets.

3 comments:

  1. On the list of things affected, domino-fashion, by Iceland's popping top, I would never have imagined that a runway run would be among them.

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  2. This race was proof that we could still "enjoy the journey" even though it didn't follow the planned route.

    Jerry

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  3. You know, the name of that volcano sounds like some exotic swear word put to good use in this blog post! Sorry about the dissapointment.

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