Boilermaker Committee Run began with a moment of silence.
The last time many of the committee members had seen each other was at Bob Ingalls’ funeral on Saturday.
Starting with Wednesday’s passing of Ingalls, a former Boilermaker Race Director, it has been a tough week for the Boilermaker family.
But in Sunday’s run and far beyond, that’s exactly what the members call themselves, a family.
“How could we sit home and grieve when it’s better to be with friends,” said Judy Ingalls, Bob’s widow.
Judy ran a good portion of Sunday’s race with longtime friend Sue Simonelli, who, along with her husband Frank, had been close personal friends with the Ingalls family.
By coincidence, or perhaps not, Judy met up with Susan Corlyon and her daughter, Danielle Guamer – Bob’s daughter and granddaughter – toward the end of the race. Judy said she believed meeting her family on the course was a tad more than a coincidence.
“I want to say it was by accident, but I think it was Bob’s way of reaching out to us and making sure we had each other,” she said.
At first, Judy wasn’t sure if she was going to run, but she said she’d learned a long time ago that she had an entire community to share Bob with.
“I have several families,” she said. “The Boilermaker is one of those families. We had a passion; we love the Boilermaker.”
Boilermaker Executive Director Tim Reed ran the race, but didn’t know Bob’s family would. He saw Judy Ingalls at the finish line for the first time.
“I was shocked when she was there,” he said. “I was really happy, but I was shocked.”
Judy offers a simple explanation for her perseverance:
“Bob made me a very strong woman, and that holds true with his family,” she said.
Judy’s still undecided as to whether or not she’ll run the Boilermaker itself, but said Sunday’s run proved to her that she could.
“It was tough, and there were tears along the way,” she said. “There were some laughs and several tears.”
A lot of moods ran through Sunday’s run with the committee members, but Reed said he hoped that somber wasn’t one of them. In fact, Reed said he’s not sure how many more moments of silence will be held throughout the week because he thinks Bob Ingalls would have wanted his Boilermaker family to enjoy the events he helped to make a staple in Mohawk Valley culture.
“I want to keep it as upbeat as possible,” Reed said. “That, in my opinion, is the way it was. I think he’d rather be toasted and celebrated than mourned.”
The committee run is typically the last time the members are all together before they take on their tasks for race week. Race Director Jim Stasaitis shot of the cannon to start the race Sunday morning. He said the mood of the runners is more laid-back and appreciative of the course.
“It’s more of an easy, more of a fun time,” Stasaitis said. “It’s filled with camaraderie more than competitiveness.”
The members had bagels and drinks at the finish line, and some went out for breakfast or drinks afterward. It’s more of an informal way to prepare for all of the work ahead of them.
“People get a chance to get out there and have fun and discuss things other than the Boilermaker,” Stastaitis said.
However, speckled in with the committee runners, is a corps of other runners. These runners are people planning to run the Boilermaker who go through a trial run. Lauren Mattia, in charge of elite runner accommodations, said she and the other committee members welcome the extra runners.
“It’s really low key,” Mattia said. “You just kind of show up and enjoy the run.”
The relationship between the volunteers and the runners is one of co-dependence. It’s a relationship Reed treasures, and he hopes the participants know to extend the appreciation.
“It’s like a puppet show,” Reed said. “All people see are the stage and the actors. They don’t see all the magic that happens to make the race what it is. One of the things I want to get across is for the runners to thank a volunteer. They’re the ones setting up the water and picking up the trash.”
Sunday’s committee run was a good example of the mix between volunteers and runner, friends and strangers with one common passion for a road race that will turn 31 years old in a little less than a week.
Judy Ingalls, for one, joined the runners after they had already started. She said the end was pretty emotional and figured the beginning would be even more so. Still, for her, the race is a memory for the Ingalls family, and memories are something they’ll hold onto and treasure in the years to come.
“We know how much Bob loved to the Boilermaker,” she said.
