Dear Michigan Runner:

Runners eagerly anticipate birthdays, when it means they celebrate a new age-group. Next March, I'll be blowing out 80 candles, but there will be few races that will give me a new age-group. In most Michigan races I will have to compete against men 10, or even 20 years, my junior.

For years, I've trained hard and raced harder. I pay the same entry fee everyone else does, but in most races I won't have a fair chance of winning. While I realize that races have few runners over 70, those of us who continue to race into our 70s and 80s deserve a fair playing field.

For 32 years I've supported your races, and to all of you who have 80+ I thank you and support you. I'm sorry that I can't stop aging. I urge the rest of you to consider celebrating aging with me, and add five-year age- groups for all runners as high as you need to go.

Sincerely,

Jim Forshee

Jennie:

It was good seeing you and Art at Volkslaufe and congratulations on your 20K on a very-humid morning.

As I mentioned to you, Greg Janicki's story about his first Boston Marathon ("You Never Forget Your First ... Boston, That Is," July/ August) was very well done. Anyone who has done Boston, flying from Detroit to that city and back, can appreciate the buildup and descending back he described.

The running community is quite small, and it takes something like a Boston to pull people from all walks of life together. The writer built up the trip and anticipation, gathering runners along the way. He aptly described the day-before panic when you are trying to decide to get in that last run, and then the big day. After the race, he brought us down and eventually back to reality in Detroit Metro Airport, where very few people are aware of what just happened.

I'm sure many of your readers experienced Greg's first Boston along with him. I hope to read more of his work.

John W. Hebert

Dear Art:

Loved the article written by Riley McLincha ("A Deal with the Devil at Crim," July/August) about a supposed race by the late Ed Wiberg.

Ed was such a wonderful character and such a dear friend. Keep up the good work.

Lois Craig

Lois Craig was race director of the Crim from 1977-1994.