Legend PVTC Meet & Mid-Atlantic Corporate Relays

By mitchpa on June 24, 2024 • ( 0 )

by George Banker

Alexandria High School, Virginia, June 8-9, 2024—The Potomac Valley Track Club conducted the All-Comers Meet #2 and Mid-Atlantic Corporate Relays (MACR) on June 8-9, 2024. The meet was held at Alexandria High School (VA) “Titan Territory.”

The MACR served as a qualifying meet for a couple of corporate teams from AT&T and Booz Allen & Hamilton (BAH). The members seek positions on their national team to participate in the national corporate relays. The corporate relays have a strong history in the Washington area dating back to 1985 when Runner’s World Magazine hosted the first meet at the University of Maryland with Dan Rincon as the meet director. This lasted for one year.

The period of 1986 – 1993 I had recruited Nelda Casper (Westinghouse) and Bill Conroy (General Electric) to continue with the relays. Each year we hosted 20-25 teams (over 300 runners) such as TENNECO (Newport News Shipbuilders), Marriott, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, AT&T, BAH, American Management Systems and Pepco.

The level of performance was up and down the scale as the companies brought out their hidden talent from company presidents to new hires. It was common to have runners dipping under five minutes for the mile.

The meets were held at Oakland Mills High School (MD) with Joe Herget as meet director. The Montgomery County Road Runners (MCCR) were the meet managers when the meets were at Gallaudet University (DC) and Montgomery College (MD).

A personal high point was on June 7, 1986, in the 800 meters. I stepped on the track and in the lane next to me was an Army athlete, and as we eyed each other we spoke briefly. The discovery was we had met earlier. We were classmates and graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1968. We were never one of the “Speed Boys” from the track, but the day belonged to us. The race started and we both passed 400 meters in 1:09 and the final time was 2:22 in which I edged out at the line.

Running at the corporate level is alive and well below the 5K distance. No matter what the age there nothing like is strapping on a pair of spikes for a fast 200 meters or 400 meters around the track.

The bottom line, hit the track.