Following up on our previous posting: Editorial comments are from Bob Roncker. We are not able to transmit the photos from this piece. With regrets.
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Memories of the First Heart Mini-Marathon
A few days ago you received an account describing the very first Heart Mini-Marathon (1978) through the eyes of Mike Boylan. Mike and The Clifton Track Club were responsible for overseeing the ‘finish line’ and ‘timing' procedures for the event. He described some of the pitfalls that befell them.
Now, in the attachment below, we may peer at this same event through the lens of Tim Schilling, Director of the local Heart Association. With that role he chiefly oversaw the Mini. You will discover his early memories of what actually took place and who were some of the main individuals involved. Tim's perspective reveals the Heart Mini Marathon's gestation and offers a glimpse of what the local running scene was like in the late 1970s.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
#4 Early Heart Mini Memories
by Tim Schilling: (former Executive Director of
the Cincinnati American Heart Association)
Tim passed away February 29, 2020 at age 73
When thinking about the Heart Mini-Marathon’s
history, I go back to April 1978, the month after
our inaugural event. Bob MacVeigh and I traveled
to the Boston Marathon hoping to entice elite
runners to come run in future Mini-Marathons.
To see how the crowds and excitement
captivated Boston was amazing. That experience
raised hope that perhaps the Heart Mini-
Marathon could replicate similar emotions in
Cincinnati. Now, 35 years later, I reminisce
about how successful our event has become for
the American Heart Association, the City of
Cincinnati, and its citizens. It has elevated
awareness both for the importance of
cardiovascular fitness through diet and exercise
and the dollars raised for cardiovascular
research.
One of my first employee hires was Karen
Niemeyer, nee Jaspers. She became one of the
Mini’s main ingredients. Karen worked with
volunteers and the city. She led committee
meetings and logistics. You name it; she did it
well and, she was respected by both staff and
volunteers. Over the years, I always referred to
her as the “mother” of the Mini because of the
way she nourished and watched over it.
A key ingredient to the initial, and continuing
success, was the first group of volunteers who
helped lead the event. They enjoyed their
experience and they continued volunteering;
always striving for improvement and driving for a
top quality event in subsequent years.
That first volunteer was Jack Kirschner, MD, an
internist and exercise guru. Jack, who was a
board member of the AHA, Southwest Chapter,
agreed to become the Race Director. He was
untiring in his effort and work on the event.
Jack, who passed away a little over a year ago,
was a wonderful individual, gentleman, and
physician and we became good friends.
Late one evening at the Heart Office, a couple of
weeks prior to Mini-Marathon 1, volunteers
completed stuffing envelopes for the pre-
registered participants. Everyone left, except
some staff and Jack. As we started packing up
the mailing to take to the post office, Jack spoke
up. He told the staff, “Put them in my car and let
me take the mailing. You all have been working
too hard.” Here was an individual who had seen
patients all day, was a volunteer, and yet was
concerned about the staff. His leadership, class,
and charisma helped lead the first race. Jack
would later become President of the Cincinnati
Chapter.
The Clifton Track Club, led by Mike Boylan, was
an important ingredient in that first race. Their
knowledge of the mechanics of putting a race on
and their corps of volunteers was invaluable prior
to, during, and after the event.
Also, in the fall of 1977, as word began to spread
about our upcoming spring event, someone
would say, “You know, you should speak with...”
Out of that came Bob MacVeigh, who worked for
Federated and had transferred to Cincinnati.
While in Boston, he had been an Assistant Race
Director of the Boston Marathon. Bob readily
agreed to join the planning committee.
Bob, who subsequently served as Mini-Marathon
2 Race Director and thirteen other Minis, became
a long time Heart Board Member and faithful
volunteer.
Our Board Member and Treasurer, Jim Roche,
suggested that Pete Wilton, who had given up
smoking, taken up running, and “had many
connections in Cincinnati,” be contacted. Pete
served as Assistant Race Director for many
years. He became Chairman of the Board of the
Heart Chapter and was a volunteer until number
26. Those individuals, in particular, were key to
the initial success and its subsequent growth of
the Heart Mini-Marathon.
Bob MacVeigh
Pete Wilton (l) with Richard Hanauer
The Race Committee felt that the event needed a
“name” runner. Through Bob we contacted Bill
Rodgers, who had won the Boston Marathon
several times and reached an agreement with him
to participate. In the fall of 1977, a news
conference was called to announce that the
Cincinnati Heart Mini-Marathon would host its
inaugural event in March of 1978 and that Bill
Rodgers would be running. Bill participated in the
news conference by phone.
Bill Rodgers signing posters at the Heart Mini
Clinic
The majority of us thought that a poster would
enhance promoting the event. Pete Wilton
mentioned that he knew the owner of Cato
Johnson, a local ad agency. Pete inquired about
their interest in helping us. He reported that Cato
Johnson would assist us and that their artist,
Ward Mulroy, would design a poster. Ward’s
poster had several drawings of a runner in
motion. The final drawing showed the runner
holding the Heart and Torch logo of the American
Heart Association.
That running motion was used as a “signature” of
the Mini-Marathon for many years.
In order to make money from the event, we
decided to approach businesses and sell the idea
of “running advertising.” In return for a $1000
contribution to the Heart Association the
company could encourage employee fitness.
Their contribution allowed them to enter 20
participants into the race. A team feeling could
result because their company’s name was on the
backs of their particular shirts.
Since each participant received a Mini-Marathon
shirt with his or her entry fee, a shirt supplier
had to be found. Pete Wilton, who “knew
everyone,” suggested that we speak with Bill
Reilly, owner of Velva Sheen. An appointment
was made to discuss shirts being supplied by Mr.
Reilly’s company. I remember walking nervously
in and being led to his office. After introducing
myself to him, I began to explain the event and
told how each participant would receive a shirt
and companies could be a sponsor for $1000.
After interrupting me several times with
questions, he finally asked how many sponsors
we had lined up. I had to confess, “None.” He
interrupted once more to say, “I would like Velva
Sheen to be your first sponsor.” With that he had
a check written for $1000. I thanked him
profusely and left on a high thinking, “This is
easy.” How, little did I know!
The Race Committee decided that the runners'
shirts would be stuffed into individual bags,
which contained all the information the
participants needed. Volunteers packed bags for
the anticipated 1000 runners. These were then
transferred to boxes that the staff had naively
planned to load into their private vehicles in
order to be transported to the Carew Tower
arcade on Sunday morning of race day. The plan
was two-pronged. Pre-registrants could pick up
their bags and new signees could register, all in
the arcade.
Boxes overflowed in the Heart office. On the
Thursday, prior to the race, an individual came
into the office late that day to register. Looking
around, he inquired how we were transporting all
the material downtown. When told that the staff
was doing it, he replied that he owned a trucking
company and that he would have a driver and a
truck at the office to load the truck, transport it
to the Carew Tower and that “the driver would be
with us until the end.” That was our introduction
to Dick Thomas, owner of Priority Dispatch.
Priority and its drivers have served each Mini-
Marathon. Dick was also a key volunteer over
the years. Today, his son, Jeff and daughter,
Julie continue his work.
On the morning of the event, registration and
packet pick-up opened about 10 A.M. It was
crazy from the start. As the one o’clock start
time neared, registrants were throwing money on
the table saying, “I don’t care if I get a number, I
just want to run.” By the time the gun fired, the
800-900 participants we were hoping for had
swelled to nearly two thousand.
The race course started at the corner of Fifth and
Vine, the current site of the Westin Hotel. It went
north on Vine to Central Parkway and out to what
is now Cincinnati State University. It turned
around and came back to Walnut and finished at
Sixth and Walnut.
As the start of the race neared, runners were
lined from Fifth Street south on Vine and down
past Fourth Street. Channel 9 televised the
event. Their truck was parked on Vine, heading
south across from Fountain Square. Upon the
gun’s firing, it was an incredible sight to see this
mass of humanity begin heading up Vine in what
seemed to be a crawling pace.
Jerry Springer, then Mayor of Cincinnati, got
caught up in the excitement and jumped in with
the runners. He ran the race in winged tipped
shoes. I spoke with him later and he confessed
that his legs were extremely sore. (Kent Friel’s
wife was standing at the finish when Jerry
Springer finished. He said to her, “This is the
dumbest thing I have ever done!” . Ed.)
As runners headed out Central Parkway, many
who caught a glimpse of Bill Rodgers heading
back towards the finish shouted encouragement
as he passed. (Kent Friel says he saw Bill
Rodgers on his way back and his stride was so
graceful that he looked like he was floating on
air. Ed.)
After Rodgers, the rest of the field began heading
back towards the finish. The first couple of
hundred received correct times upon crossing the
finish line, but, due to the unexpected large
turnout, our recording process was unable to
keep up with the flow.
The majority of runners, as they turned off of the
Parkway and headed south on Walnut began to
back up. This continued for several blocks north
of the finish line. Soon, runners were standing
and waiting patiently to finish. Unfortunately,
the vast number of runners didn’t receive correct
times. But, most didn’t seem to mind. They were
pleased that they finished and fortunately for us,
it was a forgiving group!
The next morning the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a
front-page picture of the start, which we were
told was the largest picture on the front page run
by the Enquirer since the end of World War II.
(Terry Armor was the Enquirer photographer.
Ed.)
That year, the American Heart Association raised
just over $16,000 for cardiovascular research.
The goal for this year’s event is $2.2 million
dollars.
In spite of the finish line foul up, almost
everyone gave positive feedback, and the race
committee began planning for the second Mini.
Unfortunately, Ward Mulroy, and Cato Johnson
were unable to provide a poster for the second
race. However, once again Pete Wilton rescued
us. He had gotten to know a young artist, John
Maggard, who was working for an ad agency
downtown. John readily agreed to work on the
poster.
Bob MacVeigh, Pete, and I thought that the new
poster would be some adaptation of the first
year. When John finished, the three of us went
to his office for the unveiling. When he took the
paper off of the artwork, there was a hushed
embarrassed silence as we looked at a huge
heart with wings on it. We diplomatically tried to
tell John that it wasn’t quite what we had in
mind. He responded, saying that a poster should
be art that causes the viewer to examine it more
closely; and it would therefore be remembered.
That began the long relationship with John
Maggard, who has been the artist for 32 posters.
When he could not produce posters on two
occasions, because other work commitments
interfered, he lined up Loren Long, who has
become a famous artist in his own right. Their
artwork became an important piece of the Heart
Mini-Marathon. Both artists have had artwork
honored and recognized on a national level. Their
kind generosity saved us hundreds of thousands
of dollars had the Heart Association had to pay
for their services
I will highlight some of the changes and additions
that occurred over the years. Since that first
year, the race has always taken place on
Columbia Parkway. Periodically the start and
finish has been moved.
One year, when construction was being done on
the Parkway, the most extreme change took
place. Runners went up Gilbert Avenue, through
Eden Park, and then dropped down to Columbia
Parkway. This route was extremely hilly. Once
reaching the Parkway they headed east to a
turnabout. Now they began retracing their way
back on the identical route, which included the
hill up to Eden Park.
Unfortunately, on that day the temperature was
in the high 70’s. That day probably created the
most work, as a result of dehydration, that our
medical teams ever had to do. One delirious
participant, who was being transported by
ambulance to the hospital, broke out of the
vehicle as it exited I-75 at Hopple Street.
Fortunately, for over thirty-four years, there have
been no deaths or serious injuries. Preparation
by the Heart Medical Team helps insure that any
individual in medical need will receive excellent
care.
The event has had five race directors:
Jack Kirschner, MD, Bob MacVeigh, Melany
Stinson, Roy Gerber, and John Lonneman.
Name speakers and participants have included:
Bill Rodgers, Jack Fultz, Patty Lyons, Bob Hall,
our first wheel chair participant, Bill Squires, who
coached Rodgers, Hal Higdon, who wrote for
Runners World, Marty Liquori, Katherine Switzer,
Jock Sempel, who was the long time race
director of the Boston Marathon, George
Sheehan, Amby Burfoot, Joe Henderson of
Runners World, Frank Shorter, Jim Ryun, Grete
Waitz, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Billy Mills, Mary
Decker Slaney, Bruce Jenner, Sir Roger Bannister,
the first sub four minute miler. Several of those
individuals are Olympic Champions.
Larry Whiteside accepting his award from Sir
Roger Bannister
Cincinnati Heart Mini-Marathon Timelines:
1978 Heart Mini-Marathon 1; 15k mass start
1979-1992 Four Heats
1981 First Kids Run
1984 & 1986 Women started first
1987 First Walk component
1993 Mass start resumed
1994 5k component began
1997 2k Kids Run began
2011 Half Marathon began (Credit for the idea
of including a half marathon belongs to Joe
Brinkmann, owner of Queen City Running. A
representative of the Heart Association came
over to The Running Spot. We were one of the
sponsors at the time. He was discussing our
store’s involvement with Joe and me when Joe
made the suggestion that the Heart Mini would
do well to include a half-marathon. At this time
of the year many people were prepping for the
Flying Pig full-marathon. A half would fit nicely
into their training schedules. The Heart
Association must have liked Joe’s idea, because it
was then inserted into the their kaleidoscope of
events. Ed.)
Wonderful insight into the growing pains of early road racing as the masses finally embraced the health benefits offered by our sport. Congrats on keeping it alive long enough to make the event into a top marathon destination.
Darryl Taylor
