The Governor’s Cup through the years

The historic Governor’s Cup Road Race, set for Saturday, will commemorate the 5-mile race course that was used in the 1970s.

To get you ready for this weekend’s event, here are 16 things about the history of the race and the Columbia Running Club:

1. In 1973, Gov. John C. West asked Columbia Running and Jogging Club President Bill Crockett to host a race around the State House in honor of World Wide Running and Jogging Day. Richard Harris, a longtime distance runner and club member, organized the event that included a 15-mile run, 5-mile run and 2-mile “fitness jog,” a first for Columbia.

2. University of South Carolina professor Steve Blair, who with his wife Jane was active in the running community, laid out the first courses. They began at the State House, looped through the city, and returned to the finish line at the State House. The 15-mile event had 68 male finishers, but no females. The 5-mile race had 108 finishers, including Jane Blair, who was one of four female finishers.

3. In the first race, Columbian Marjorie Loewer was the best female in the 5-mile race at 33:02, and Jim Schaper was top male finisher at 23:11. The winners of the first 15-mile race were three young men from the USC track team who had agreed that, if they were leading, they would cross the finish line together. Gary Hill, Bob Day and Halston Taylor were the three runners.

4. The 1973 event, which was known as the S.C. Governor’s Cup Road Race (GCRR), was the first race of its kind in Columbia. Richard Harris’ handwritten records of the expenses for the first GCRR show a total of $382.88. The bulk of the cost was $306.40 paid for 15 dozen t-shirts. Blank shells for the starting pistol cost $5.05.

5. The continued success of the 5-mile and a 15-mile races opened the door for adding a marathon to Columbia’s racing calendar. The first Carolina Marathon was in 1977. A total of 173 runners, including seven women, finished the marathon. Benji Durden won first overall in 2:19:03. Lisa Lorrain was first female, 20th overall, in 2:51:13.

6. Not all of the attention garnered by the first marathon, however, was positive. Controversy arose around high school teacher and ultra-runner Ray “the K” Krolewicz, who helped train two boys for the Marathon. He ran the course with 10-year old Joey Johnson and 12-year-old Joseph Bruccoli. They finished together, tired but jubilant, in 5:35:00. They had received some TV coverage before, and during the race that prompted many letters from people who disapproved of the boys’ run that far.

7. The eighth running of the Governor’s Cup 15-mile race in 1980 saw Russ Pate, 33, take the lead and keep it to win in a time of 1:16:50, leading a field of 439. This indeed was a competitive event because Russ’ friend, Lee Fidler from Atlanta, 31, finished in second place in 1:18:18. A much younger runner, Mark Koenig, 24, pushed them very hard with a 1:22:26 finish.

8. From Greenville, Garthedon Embler, 50, the most senior runner in the 1980 women’s field, was 37th overall in 2:08:39. Her son, Mark Embler, won S.C. races in the Grand Masters Division with his wife, Ruth Marie Embler. Garthedon’s involvement encouraged large numbers of other women to get involved in the sport. The 5-mile race had an estimated 800 male and female runners.

9. By 1984, some Columbia area triathletes, including Janet Ballenger, her sister Julie Thiel, Thomas Huggins and Bill Linder, had achieved national and international recognition for their pursuit of the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii and elsewhere. Their personal achievements helped expand the visibility of the Columbia Racing Club’s role in running and bi- and tri-sports at regional and international levels.

10. Also in 1984 the first Olympic Marathon for Women took place. The names included Joan Benoit (Samuelson), first overall, then Grete Waitz, Rosa Mota and many others. Benoit came to Columbia as an invited guest of Russ Pate at the Carolina Marathon. She set a course record in the 10K.

11. The Columbia Running Club was on “thin ice” in 1985 when Gayle Averyt brought Colonial Life into an important support role. Many Colonial employees were CRC members, and they quickly began training their Colonial colleagues to help out with the races. For the first time, the CRC had a rather well-trained, sizable work force as a partner, available both to work at the race and to train and supervise other volunteers.

12. Bill Linder is another lesson in S.C. durable athletes. A proud West Pointer who had served a full career, in 1990, at age 56, he ran the Boston Marathon. He finished about 34 minutes behind his son William. Fifty-six was a special number for Bill that year – West Point Class of 1956, 56 years old and had completed a total of 56 marathons and triathlons. The year 1990 saw noticeable increases in both male and female participants in the 60-64 and 65-69 age groups.

13. In 1996, the CRC geared up to host early arrivals who would want to familiarize themselves with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials’ course, and opened their homes to host the visitors. A measurement change helped broaden interest in the GCRR even more. The 13.1-mile Half Marathon replaced the 25K as the long run.

14. The 40th running of the Columbia’s Governor’s Cup Road Race in 2009 attracted more than 1,000 runners. Columbian Orinthal Striggles had a great race, finishing first in the half marathon in 1:15:13, leading 676 runners. The first female was Sarah Powell finishing in 1:24:14.

15. In 2010 the Governor’s Cup awards categories were further expanded to be more inviting and to better recognize older runners. The categories of Grand Master and Senior Grand Master were added to the Masters category. The first Grand Masters finisher was Mark Houde and the first female Grand Master finisher was Julie Brenan. The first Senior Grand Master finisher was Gerry Carner. The first female Senior Grand Master finisher was Kathlyn Haddock.

16. In 2013, Lexington Medical Center became heavily involved with the GCRR this year, much to the delight of the running community. The events include 681 runners in the half marathon and 490 in the 8K.

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 10:35 PM with the headline "The Governor’s Cup through the years."