Local road race runs into international problem

HAMPDEN – Some thoughts from Sunday’s Run For Hope 5-kilometer road race….

It was a bit disconcerting to attend the race and learn of its problems that led to the name being changed to the Run For Hope from the Terry Fox Run. The Terry Fox Foundation, based in Canada, monitors all of the commemorative races in its country for its native son as well as international races such as the one in Maine.

Fox is well-known to running locals in Maine as the one-legged runner who attempted a transcontinental run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research before succumbing to cancer a second time and dying in 1981. Since then, fund-raising runs across Canada ensued along with the Maine race, founded by journalist Ed Rice of Orono.

The 21st Maine race ran into some troubles this year, which race organizers are confident will be resolved, but should never have occurred if the folks running the Terry Fox Foundation took a little more time to research the Maine race.

One of the main problems is that local race organizers want the race funds to stay in the community and donate the money to the Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Cancer Care of Maine which uses the funds for a breast cancer trial, according to race director Peter Daigle.

The Fox Foundation disagrees and wants the funds to go to a primary research facility, Daigle said.

It’s understandable that the foundation would want as much money as possible to fight cancer, but then it contradicts itself by not wanting the money to go to a credible, established local organization such as EMMC. Mainers, God love them, can be a provincial bunch, and may be more likely to give funds to a local group rather than an international one. Those Mainers have raised nearly $70,000 from the Fox Run.

Another problem the Fox Foundation has with the Maine race is the fact that it is a timed event.

“They suggest it not be a timed event. They want more volunteers, more families,” Daigle said. “We felt a lot of people treat this as a 5K they do once a year to see how their fitness is going, so we felt it was important to time it. We’re hopeful to get approval from them for next year and work out the timing issue.”

Unfortunately, the irony of this whole issue occurred Sunday when a computer malfunction prevented any of the times to be recorded. However, again, with a little research, the disagreement over the Maine race being timed should not have occurred.

The Fox Run has been the trendsetter – thanks to a lot of work done by Rice and other local runners – in attracting lots of volunteers and promoting a family atmosphere. The race, as it was on Sunday, is overflowing with children as well as parents strolling their babies across the finish line.

Daigle is confident the problems can be resolved and the affiliation with the Fox Foundation will return. It’s clear, however, that the affiliation never should have ceased.

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One of the interesting parts of the Fox Run is always watching the influx of University of Maine athletes show up and compete. The race has been a traditional run for the men’s ice hockey team and this year, the women’s basketball team returned.

The team enjoyed participating in the race, said its standout senior forward Heather Ernest.

“We had a good time. We ran with some of the hockey players,” Ernest said. “It was nice and relaxed – we could still talk and run at the same time, which normally we don’t ever experience. Everybody did well, you could tell people had a good time.”

It’s a different kind of running than the basketball players are used to, but one the well-conditioned athletes could easily handle, according to Ernest.

“We’re now trying to get back into the sprinting mode, but everyone is definitely in shape and it wasn’t a struggle for anyone, and if it was, they’re in trouble,” she said.