A special streak ...

... and an enduring friendship

Christian Morrison was 12 years old the first time he ran in the John J. Kelley/Ocean Beach road race in New London, Connecticut. The 11.6-mile course ran right past his home on Quarry Road in neighboring Waterford. That was on the first Saturday in August, in the summer of 1975.

For 62 years, always on the first Saturday in August, the Kelley road race was kicked off, usually on a humid, steamy morning with the beach and the ocean as its backdrop. Back in the day, the race started at high noon, heat and humidity be damned. The race now starts at a more reasonable 8 a.m. The course follows a favored route of the race’s namesake – often referred to as “Johnny Kelley the younger,” in deference to “Johnny Kelley the elder,’’ John A. Kelley.

Though not related, in an incredible coincidence, both guys named Johnny Kelley (the middle initials are different) share the distinction of having won the Boston Marathon (Johnny the elder twice, Johnny the younger once) and both represented the United States in the Olympics (Johnny the elder in 1936 and 1948; Johnny the younger in 1956 and 1960). Johnny the elder was a legendary figure in the Boston Marathon, competing in the race well into his old age.

Anyway, back to the Kelley race. It’s an awesome event, and not just because it has NEVER had an entry fee! That’s right, it has been a free race for several generations. How about that?

In the case of Christian Morrison, that challenging neighborhood course that he completed before he was even a teenager has remained a staple of his life. This past Saturday, I accompanied him for every step of the race, now a half marathon, for his 49^th consecutive completion of the Kelley road race. It’s an incredibly impressive streak, one that I hope will garner him much more attention and accolades if and when he completes his 50^th Kelley next summer.

I have some history with this race, thanks to my long friendship with Christian. We were teammates and classmates at Marist College from 1982 through our graduation in 1986. We were roommates for the last three of those four years. And we have remained in close contact and friendship ever since.

In large part, this is because we are both longtime collegiate track coaches. He started and founded the track and cross country program at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and has been its only coach for the past 30 years. His status there is legendary, having won numerous conference titles and coach-of-the-year awards, as well as achieving the very difficult “triple crown” of guiding his teams to cross country, indoor track and outdoor track league titles in the same academic year. He’s an amazing coach with a literal track record of success. We see each other frequently through the long grind of the cross country and track seasons. This year, for the first time, we will share conference affiliation as Sacred Heart moves into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), same as Marist. Yes, we are technically “rivals” – but never has the term “friendly rivals” been more relevant.

And yes, our close bond has also been cemented over the span of hundreds of miles at the Kelley race.

Although I don’t come close to Christian’s colossal streak, my first run on the course was in the summer of 1983. Christian invited all his teammates to the race. The free entry (and Schaeffer beer sponsorship!) was a natural draw to college-age distance runners. We could flop for free at his parents’ home in Waterford. Long after our college running days, and long after our college teammates and friends stopped running (at Kelley and/or at all!), I kept coming back.

I joined Christian at the Kelley for 25 of the races, through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, missing only a few times for work or personal reasons. I veered off course in 2013, when the race conflicted with the Sweltering Summer ultramarathon in Pittsfield, MA, which I participate in every August. Christian got the best of me in many of those Kelley races; but again, it was a “friendly rivalry” and as age slowed him a bit more than me, neither of us cared all that much who “won” each year. For both of us, the post-race beer morphed into the free New England clam chowder and cans of Coke for me and water for him.

Now that the Pittsfield ultra is held on the second Saturday in August, this opened up my return to the Ocean Beach race for the first time in more than a decade this past Saturday. Christian’s pace has slowed a bit over the years, and we cruised through a leisurely run/walk pace under the unremitting sun and humidity. When I say “we” here’s what I mean: Christian was joined by a loyal Sacred Heart entourage. The team’s faculty mentor, math professor Dr. Bernadette Boyle, along with several faithful alumni of his program turned the race into a movable track team reunion of sorts.

Because I hadn’t run the race since it expanded to a half marathon, I was curious where the additional 1.5 miles were added from the original 11.6-mile loop. It was actually in Christian’s old Quarry Road neighborhood, and it went down to the town’s private beach area along the shoreline – humid and beautiful (although on Saturday, we both agreed that 11.6 miles would have been just fine, thank you very much!). Christian’s 86-year-old mom was out on the corner to hand him an ice cold water bottle at around the 3-mile mark. When I heard that mom was going to be there, I sprinted ahead for a quick reunion and a sweaty hug. Christian’s dad passed away a few years ago, and the course passes the cemetery where he is buried, along Great Neck Road, at around 7 miles.

We know every inch of this course, and it was great to reconnect with it and with the hearty, longtime southern New England road runners. One of them, Amby Burfoot, is a personal hero and role model. Serious followers of the sport probably know of Amby, who was coached in high school by … race namesake Johnny Kelley! Amby won the 1968 Boston Marathon while in his senior year at Wesleyan University in nearby Middletown, Connecticut, and eventually lowered his marathon best time to 2:14:28. Fun fact: Amby’s roommate at Wesleyan was … marathon legend Bill Rodgers!

Amby went on to a long and distinguished writing career, mostly with Runner’s World magazine. He still writes – well and prolifically – about the sport, and even started an excellent podcast (Running, State of the Sport) that is a good listen; specifically, the recent interview with Ed Eyestone is truly outstanding. And yes, he’s still running – and running well -- at age 77, having completed the Kelley race and winning an age-group award. It was really neat to sit in the shade at Ocean Beach with him for a few minutes, eating chowder and celebrating Christian’s 49^th completion of the race. Amby has a similar streak of his own, having completed the Thanksgiving day Manchester Road Race in Connecticut more than 50 times.

But on Saturday, it was Christian’s day, as it is every first Saturday in August. Like our friendship, his Kelley race streak has endured for the majority of his life. Long may it continue.   

Me in the middle, flanked by Christian Morrison (left) and Amby Burfoot (right). Photo credit = Dr. Bernadette Boyle