The Manitoba Marathon and the Bolt Cutters ..... a story with a happy ending.

It happened in the early years of the running of the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg, Manitoba (which began in 1979).
The route, part of which used to run from the Perimeter Highway in the west end of the City south-bound down Portage Avenue, was subsequently changed so that it entered Portage Avenue at the footbridge connecting Assiniboine Park to Portage Avenue. My station was Station Number 12, right at the park-side of this footbridge.

The race begins at 7:00 a.m. - we are in place well before 6:30, with our radio active, and a check-in made to Race Headquarters at the University of Manitoba shortly thereafter.

At the time of this story, Dick Maquire, VE4HK was the Winnipeg A.R.C.'s Special Events Committee Chairman, and for the Manitoba Marathon held the titles of Coordinator and Communications Director (in other words, he was in charge!), and was the Net Control at the U of M, where the race starts and ends. Shortly after the race began, he asked me to check the gates to the entrance to the park, to be sure they were open. (The park police were to have them open by 7:00 a.m.).  I made the long run, and was horrified to see that the gates were LOCKED with a large padlock. AND THE FIRST ONES THAT WOULD BE CROSSING WOULD BE THE WHEELCHAIR ENTRANTS, who were given a 15-minute headstart, and generally hit the park entrance at about 7:30 a.m., or earlier. I raced back to my position, and spotted a woman who was on her bicycle at the park lavatory facilities (being opened for use by the runners). I quickly explained the problem, and off she went to the park police office located down by the zoo. I was getting pretty anxious, as was Dick, when he knew we had a potential problem of fouling up the race - you don't stop it once it has started! Just then I spotted a park vehicle coming across the grass in my direction. I ran to it and flagged it down, told the driver to get to the gates as quickly as possible as we had to open the gates for the Marathon, and way we went. It took only minutes,. and the gate lock was unloosed. We both moved the gates back, and when we had them wide open, exposing the roadway fully, we saw the first wheelchair racer coming around the corner of the road not more than 30 seconds away! What a relief to see him coming into the park and heading for the footbridge unimpeded. I radioed Dick to say that all was well - and I can't tell you what effect that had on him, but he sure expressed his pleasure.
The next year, I was given a directive by Dick that I should purchase a very large pair of bolt cutters, head for the gates before 7 a.m., and if they were locked, to cut the lock open - or the gate section if the lock would not give. I did buy the bolt cutters, and am glad to say that over the next many years that I attended at Station 12, I never had to use them!

Like to see me at my timing station on Portage Avenue, at the Unicity Shopping Centre near the Perimeter Highway, during the first year (1979) of the running of the Manitoba Marathon.? Then CLICK HERE.