The 2022 Titus van Rijn Hour featured 65 participants, ranging from 5 to 77 years young. Altogether, this group covered 537,699 meters (~334.2 miles) on tracks in 10 different states, plus international venues in Sweden and France. Congratulations to everyone who participated, and special thanks to those who organized group events and reported results.
Nathan Campeau ran 16,072m (~9.99 miles) to claim the 2022 men’s title, adding to his 2020 championship, with an effort that ranks 9th on the Men’s 40-49 list of performances. Pam Smith led the women, covering 13,615m (~8.46 miles) to claim her 6th TVR title, clocking the 10th best mark on the Women’s 40-49 list in the process.
The 24th edition of TVR also sparkled due to a number of new Top 10 age-group performances, including those by the hotfooted crew from Boise, ID, while Dan Meireis (Salem, OR) continues to rewrite the M60-69 list:
- Andrew Dodds 14,750m, #3 M U19
- Luke Ammirati 14,700m, #4 M U19
- Dan Meireis 13,750m, #4 M60-69
- Quinten Carney 14,450m, #5 M U19
- Noe Kemper 14,200m, #7 M U19
- Randy Niemiec 15,042m, #8 M50-59
- Daphne Kemper 10,600m, #10 F50-59
We also note with appreciation the return of the Northfield HS cross country programs, under the guidance of head coach Nichole Porath. Be sure to read her report, among the many field notes attached below.
Cumulatively, TVR participants have covered more than 15.35 million meters (~9,544 miles), and downed countless ounces of black cherry soda, since 1999.
Thanks for your patience as it took longer than normal to assemble this year’s results and reports. TVR management can neither confirm nor deny that one of the meet directors (AR) was lounging on a tropical beach while competitors were heeding the call of the Oval.
As always, we raise a frosty glass of black cherry soda in salute to each of you. And we hope you’ll join us next year for the silver jubilee edition of the TVR Hour.
Andy Roth & Mike Persick, TVR Meet Directors
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From the Port Jefferson HS track in New York, Alan Kim reports: I began my last TVR trial under threatening skies; the rain began as soon as I completed my mile warm-up. One jogger continued his desultory workout for about 20 minutes; then I was alone with my sodden thoughts. A week later, I happened to be on a visit near Haverford with Viviane, my daughter, and she decided to have a go. So we walked and jogged for an hour on a track fresh to her, memorious to me. For old times’ sake, I panted a last quarter in 79 seconds. We then walked through the brilliant campus to Lancaster Ave. and the car.
From Sweden, James Umbanhowar reports: This year TVR was hosted by Lund Centrala Idrottsplaten making this my third country for participation. The day, May 31, was perfect for the event, 13 degrees C with almost no wind and intermittent light rain. The track was empty when I started, but I was joined by various other people throughout the hour, including one man doing 400 repeats, a women doing sprint drills and a group of 12 teenagers playing a game that involved a frisbee, tennis ball and (American) football. All this provided a distraction from the boredom and pain as I ran a badly paced 13750 meters (The first 6km were 4:28 average and the last 7km were 4:16 average). I couldn’t find any black cherry soda, so I substituted a black currant kombucha, which was quite good actually. See you all next year.
Nathan Campeau reports from the Washburn HS track, MN, by way of Denver: It was a gorgeous Minneapolis summer morning! Perfect day to make a run at 16,000, and I was excited to have a solid negative split. I ran with longtime TVR racer, Randy Niemiec, which made the race even better. Except…Randy forgot the black cherry soda. I hope that doesn’t invalidate my result 🙂
From the Haverford Township High School track, Havertown, PA, Andy Bove reports: Solo run at the local track on a warm summer’s eve. I tried to follow a high school baseball game being played at the field adjacent to the second turn, which was a little like flipping back to the game every couple minutes while watching a fairly repetitive show on TV. The 14k run was a final tune-up for a 42k (road not track) run in a couple weeks.
Christa Garvey (Eau Claire, WI) reports: The seven-year-old [Carson] was just in it for the cherry soda. Getting repeatedly lapped by his mom was a difficult pill to swallow, but nevertheless he prevailed to put in over 4 miles.
From Salem, OR, Dan Meireis writes: I’ve slowed down this year a lot because of injuries and oldness, so I was hesitant to do the TVR. But then I thought, what the heck? What else am I going to do on Monday morning? Might as well run around in ovals. Running royalty Pam Smith and TVR newbie James Dunning also ran.
From the Worcester State University track in MA, David Mitchell reports: My first TVR! In honor of longtime TVR’er James Umbanhowar’s 50th, I ran my first TVR on the last day possible. My first time running on a track in probably 3 years, I spent a lot of the run trying to remember which lap I was on and the rest of the time dodging the kids playing soccer/wiffle ball/field hockey on the turf. Beautiful evening, but I failed to acquire a black cherry soda to get the true TVR experience.
From Boise, ID, Will Kemper reports: I’m typing this report on my phone while sitting in the old bleachers at the Boise High Track, unwilling to take the risk that I will fail to submit in time… like last year when my wife and daughter ran and received none of the Titus glory that we all have come to expect. It is a perfect Saturday morning for running: around 70 degrees, overcast, no wind. We agreed it felt humid (47% counts as humid here in Boise). My son Noe recruited 3 teammates to join our family for the running of the Titus (Perry who ran 12,915 last year as a 16 year old is recovering from an injury and couldn’t run). The boys started in a comfortable pack running 6:15 pace and Daphne and I settled into our own paces behind them. An hour later we were all still running (though most of us at slower paces than we started). Another Titus in the books!
From Northfield, MN, Nichole Porath, head coach of the Northfield HS cross country teams, reports: The boys and girls Cross Country programs enjoyed another Titus Van Rijn run as a part of their summer training program. 34 individuals, or perhaps 34.5 as I am currently 37 weeks pregnant, met at the track on June 14th, 2022.
June 14th happened to greet the team with the warmest temperatures and highest humidity of the year: 79 degrees and 71 degree dew point. As such, the team knew it was more about participation than trying to rewrite record books. Team captains brought a speaker for music as well as freezies bought the evening before. The former was a bigger hit than the latter; apparently when one puts a bunch of freezies in the freezer all together the night before, they don’t actually freeze. The team was not too dismayed at their bad luck. In future years the team may try to procure black cherry soda instead, although many have argued that chocolate milk would be a much more logical post-run drink.
Of note were three middle school runners who made their laps look effortless. Nathan Broughton, just 12 years and 30 days old, and a rising 7th grader, blew many of his older teammates out of the water with his 7,900 meter finish. 13-year-olds Peyton Quaas and Claire Forbord ran their entire 8,000 meters with a smile on their face.
Carter Schlomann, a rising senior, begrudgingly held back on his run as he is racing the Gary Bjorklund 1/2 marathon in just 4 days and knew better than to all-out-race his hour run, especially in the heat. He may come back to visit the team as an alum to give the TVR run and that 19 & under record book a good chase.
My daughters, Greta and Anna, ran their first TVR run with the team. They were particularly enthusiastic about the run, perhaps because 1) they don’t know any better, 2) their mom (the coach) told them it was going to be a really fun morning, 3) because they look up to (literally and figuratively) the team and if the team is doing something, it must be a lot of fun, 4) they were promised freezies at the end. When they found out said freezies were not actually frozen, Greta scolded the 17-year-old male captain, Johann: “You mean you just brought juice?”
All in all, it was another successful TVR run. The team looks forward to next year when it most definitely will be cooler!
Titus van Rijn 1-Hour Distance Run 