2008 Training Group courtesy Chris Walsh
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2006 Boston Marathon--the Return of the Sideshow Awards

by Bob Kopac

From 1996 through 2003 I traveled to Natick, Massachusetts and bestowed Sideshow Awards to the interesting Boston Marathon runners. Since 2004 I have photographed the elite runners from the finish line Photo Bridge for Runners Gazette magazine. Unfortunately, elite runners usually do not dress in interesting ways, and I would leave the Photo Bridge before the interesting runners finished. Thus I had not been able to create a Sideshow Awards article.

This year I ran the Sunday morning B.A.A. Freedom Run for the first time. This 2.8 mile patriotic warm-up run winds through Boston, including parts of the Freedom Trail. Happily, I encountered quirky runners worthy of Sideshow Awards. Then, the next day, amazingly I saw interesting and colorful runners finishing in under 3:45, thus enabling the return of the Sideshow Awards.

From the Sunday Freedom Run:

  • The Im-Just-an-Old-Fashioned-Kind-of-Girl Award goes to the woman who ran in a traditional Korean outfit, complete with head piece, long sleeves and an ankle-length, flowing skirt.
  • The Put-a-Head-on-that-Guinness-or-Put-a-Guinness-on-that-Head-Eh? Award goes to the 2 Canadian runners who wore tall Guinness beer hats.
  • The Im-All-Ears Award goes to the distaff runners wearing bunny ears. Lynne said they were wearing the ears because the Freedom Run was held on Easter Sunday. I thought they were Playboy bunnies.
  • The Who-Are-You-Calling-a-Bozo? Award goes to the two runners dressed as clowns. One of the clowns wore a red- yellow-green fright wig.
  • The Is-This-a-Hash-House-Harrier-Event? Award goes to the runners who stopped at the Cheers pub during the race.
  • The Return-of-the-Laugh-In-Farkle-Family Award goes to the runner wearing a red tinsel wig.
  • The Whats-That-Sprouting-on-Your-Head? Award goes to the runner wearing a red-yellow-black wig and to the spectator wearing a red-yellow-black feathered hat, the colors of the Belgian flag.

From the Monday Boston Marathon:

  • The What-Running-Shoe-Catalog-Carries-Those? Award goes to the Army team who ran in combat boots, as well as in camouflage outfits and packs.
  • The On-the-Ball Award goes to Zach Warren of Cambridge, MA, a joggler (a runner who juggles), who set a new joggling world marathon record of 2:58:23.
  • The Tightly-Wound Award goes to Emily Raymond of Medford, MA who tied her hair in knots using colorful hair ties.
  • The So-Thats-Why-the-Red-Easter-Egg-Dye-was-Missing Award goes to Eric Davis of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, who had dyed his hair bright red.
  • The Colorful-Aerodynamics Award goes to Michael Coyle of Rochester, NY, who had short green hair topped by a blonde Mohawk haircut.
  • The Mister-Bo-Jangles Award goes to Pierre Convert of Saint Raphael, France, who wore a traditional French outfit with a straw hat, and who jumped and clicked his heels while crossing the finish line.
  • The Pink-and-Red-Sox-Nation Award goes to the male runner wearing bright pink running shoes, a pink tutu, carrying a pink star wand, and wearing a pink Boston Red Sox cap. (I report it, I dont explain it.)
  • The An-Engaging-Performance Award goes to Tiffany Picinich of Port Orchard, WA, whose boyfriend proposed to Tiffany just after she crossed the finish line.
  • The Were-No-Angels Award goes to running partners Lynn Mueller and Hal Goolman of Lancaster, NH. For the 3rd year in a row, I photographed Lynn as she crossed the finish line wearing pink Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon wings.