Out of 160 runners at Thursday's Green Mile Road Race, I finished in 152nd place -- and it was the greatest run I've ever had.

It was so special because I ran the race, side-by-side, with my 5-year-old son Grayson.

The second 3rd Thursday of 2018 took place in Downtown Pittsfield this week and featured the annual mile race through North Street. All proceeds of this year's Green Mile, which was put on by Berkshire Running Center, went to Operation Copsicle, an initiative put together for the Pittsfield Police Department to get, and put out on the road, a brand new ice cream truck. The community came out with some incredibly fast runners, including winner Brian Cole (4:37.62), Mark Rabasco (4:54.42), Aaron Udel (4:58.68) and Joe Geurds (4:59.06) who all finished the race in under five minutes. My wife, Holly, ran a fantastic race in her own right winning for her age group.

Running alongside my son was an incredible feeling. Along with our matching white headbands, Grayson rocked a pair of white wristbands, which he used as an Omnitrix -- a watch used by cartoon hero Ben 10 -- to become a superhero. Whenever he felt tired, or slowed down, Grayson would slap his wrist and say, "It's hero time!", and we would go a little bit faster.

What I could tell he appreciated most was the support of the community watching the race. Every person he passed had words of encouragement, hands that were clapping and positive reinforcement. At first, he was a little surprised about it. Then, he began to bask in it.

It was a bit toasty on the course. As the sun was beaming down on my shiny bald head, I could tell he was feeling the effects of the heat. It made me so proud that he didn't stop running for a single second.

When we made the turn towards Park Square and he saw the finish line, he began to hulk up -- literally. He flexed his muscles and said "let's go, Daddy!", and we took off towards the finish line. He crossed the finish line before I did and he ate that free popsicle like a champion.

I will certainly run many more races in my life, but I can say, with full certainty, that those 11 minutes and 26 seconds will be the most memorable I will ever have.

Full Green Mile Race Results:

Top 3 Male Overall

  1. Brian Cole - 4:37.62
  2. Mark Rabasco - 4:54.42
  3. Aaron Udel - 4:58.68

Top 3 Female Overall

  1. Meghan Davis - 5:20.11
  2. Alice Njimy - 5:28.05
  3. Abagail Wright - 5:39.77

Male 12 & Under

  1. Brady Beaudoin - 6:22.92
  2. Eric Harrington - 6:23.56
  3. Liam Lynn - 6:37.58

Female 12 & Under

  1. Paige Tudor - 8:05.19
  2. Isabella Moore - 8:37.44
  3. Hailey Kingsley - 8:56.81

Male 13-19

  1. Ted Yee - 5:06.91
  2. Sam Harding - 5:08.43
  3. Easton Eberwein - 5:23.01

Female 13-19

  1. Kellie Harrington - 5:59.29
  2. Ella Korte - 7:17.55
  3. Caitin Hall -8:09.07

Male 20-29

  1. Joe Geurds - 4:59.06
  2. Tim Loehr - 5:59.35
  3. Luke Brown - 9:47.51

Female 20-29

  1. Lucy Rollins - 6:19.90
  2. Danielle Clairmont - 7:08.79
  3. Karli Cassavant - 8:15.15

Male 30-39

  1. Brad Gawron - 5:19.81
  2. Tim Nichols - 5:29.13
  3. Mark Rumbutis - 5:56.98

Female 30-39

  1. Holly Heck - 6:58.24
  2. Halley Cimini - 7:22.58
  3. Theresa Williams - 7:35.77

Male 40-49

  1. David Olds - 6:05.79
  2. Kevin Crosier - 6:06.73
  3. Jay Cairns - 6:35.28

Female 40-49

  1. Christine Arace - 6:22.34
  2. Melissa Canata - 6:56.56
  3. Peggi Jeanne Flood - 6:57.65

Male 50-59

  1. Albert Najimy - 5:35.29
  2. Jake Eberwein - 5:39.40
  3. Blaine Freadman - 5:58.73

Female 50-59

  1. Jacqueline Shakar - 6:13.95
  2. Elizabeth St.Clair - 6:48.02
  3. Jill Pompi - 7:29.70

Male 60-69

  1. David Lipinski - 6:18.72
  2. Steve St.Clair - 6:34.12
  3. Steve Galib - 6:35.08

Female 60-69

  1. Robin Avery - 7:11.20

Male 70 & Over

  1. Harold Hastings - 8:46.24

 

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