Wheelchair Racers, Blind Athletes are Regulars at the Crim 10 Mile.

By Ron Marinucci

To help lure American running superstar Bill Rodgers in 1977, Lois Craig had to make a deal. Rodgers, who has won both the Boston and New York City marathons four times each, insisted that the Crim make provisions to allow wheelchair racers.

Two years later, Bill Sills became the first Crim wheeler. He finished the ten miles in 1:53:54, using a standard, everyday wheelchair. “Imagine going up the Bradley Hills in one of those,” Craig later wondered.

Within five years, Kris Lenso had lowered that time to 49:32. In 1984, Pat Ford became the first woman to do the course in a wheelchair.

Over the years, using modern wheelchairs built exclusively for racing, weighing 10-12 pounds, and costing upwards of $2000, a number of world records have been set by Crim wheelers. In 1991, Scot Hollonbeck covered the course in 39:56, faster than four-minutes a mile. The next year, his 37:10.91 set a new standard. And, in 1999, Krige Schabort posted 35:18, a record that still stands. Candace Cable’s 45:19 is the women’s world record for 10 miles, set at the Crim, too.

Although there is some controversy over handcycled wheelchairs, at last year’s race, Dave Pilon covered the course in an amazing 28:26.

The Crim awards prize money to wheelers. Winners, men and women, in paraplegic, quadriplegic, and handcycling divisions earn $1000, with a sliding scale for second and third places.

Wheelchair racers have opened the doors for other special athletes. In 1983, race founder Bobby Crim guided blind runner Howard Meyer on the 10-mile course. Meyer had been blinded by a mine explosion while serving with the US Army in Vietnam. The next year, intrigued, Crim ran the course himself—blindfolded. He was guided by fellow state legislator Bob Emerson and won a friendly bet about a faster time. “I put on two blindfolds,” Crim recalled, “and at the finish I ripped them off. I said, ‘That’s enough of that.’”

Several other blind runners have followed Meyer at the Crim. Vance de Camp and Michael Holmes have been multi-year finishers. Holmes will complete his tenth consecutive Crim this year with guide Bob Drapal.

In 1991, Brian Hagan finished the 5K walk, on his third attempt. Hagan was a victim of multiple sclerosis. The previous two years he started, but ended up finishing in police cars. He was determined and, with encouragement from Crim officials, the third time was a charm.

Another casualty of MS, Gerry Traylor, ran the entire 10-mile course on his metal crutches in 1980. He returned to duplicate his feat ten times, becoming such a crowd favorite, Craig said, that he picked up the nickname “Sticks.”