Members Musings

Who is Ed Erichson? Reprinted from previous MHRRC newsletter.

by Linda Stow

Who is Ed Erichson and why do we have a race named after him? Well, we can assume, because it is a race that is named after him, that Ed Erichson was a runner. The fact that it is a Memorial Run says he is no longer with us. Both these assumptions would be true. Ed was one of the "Founding Fathers and Mothers" of MHRRC. Being one of those "Founding Mothers" myself means that I have known Ed since February of 1979, when the club came into being. (I did not know Ed from his growing up days in Cold Spring, when he was known as "Fast Eddie.")

When we "Founding Folks" came together to establish a running club, I, myself, only knew Kathy and Pete Upson. Kathy and I took our first fledging steps together and Pete worked with Ed at Con Ed in Westchester. Ed, I believe, knew Joe Maggi, who, along with Bob Rother, had been running for some time and had been part of the Hudson Valley Athletic Association (HVAA) which had folded. (Have you followed so far?) HVAA still had a treasury, however. They wanted to take the idea for a new running club and start again. The rest of us went along for the ride, or should I say run?

So, Ed Erichson was around from the very beginning. In fact, it was Ed who helped set up the course (out of Dutchess Community College) for the first run, the Inaugural Run of MHRRC in 1979. It started in that location because Ed lived around there and had run the roads around DCC and through the psychiatric center. That first race began Ed's history of helping at races. During his time with MHRRC, Ed was part of nearly every race that the club put on -- volunteering in what-ever capacity was needed, even the non-glamour jobs like traffic control, lugging stuff and clean-up.

Ed was a huge part of MHRRC until November of 1986 when, on his way to work one morning, Ed was involved in a fatal car accident on Old Hopewell Road. It was a week or so before Ed was to turn 40 years old. The invitation to Ed's 40th birthday party remained on my refrigerator until I recently replaced it. It was a tremendous loss to his family (wife Kathy and a son and daughter) and to his MHRRC family.

To honor Ed for his contribution to the club, the Inaugural Run has been re-named the Ed Erichson Memorial Run. (Some of us old timers still refer to it as the Inaugural, old habits, you know ...) Although the site for the race has been changed to the LaGrange Town Hall and the distances from 15K and 5K to 10 miles and 5 miles, I still feel Ed's spirit looking over us.

The proceeds from this event have been used to present a plaque and check to a Roosevelt High School senior who depicts Ed's selfless giving of himself (or herself) to the sport of running.

I think of Ed a lot, especially when preparing for his races and I miss him.