MARY ELLEN BRADSHAW initially was dismayed to learn, by crossing the finish line first, that she was obligated to take home "The Thing" aka "the Monster" "The Big Ugly" and perhaps various other unkind appellations. This was her first appearance in the Sandbagger 10K and she professed not knowing exactly how this worked. After finishing, she did learn that having the worst prediction, "sandbagging" better than anyone, made her a winner. At the awards ceremony, such as it was, no mention was made as to who had made the best prediction, nor was anything said about who had run the fastest. No, it was all about Mary Ellen and her prize; no sauerkraut, only The Thing. As Andy Emerson pointed it, it was apparent that Mary Ellen had no intention of winning the Thing, since she ran six miles to the site, ran the race, and then had to run six miles back home relying on someone to transport The Thing. Once she got to hold the creature she was glad she had won and has promised to keep it in a prominent place in her home, treat it with tender, loving care and return it in 2012 with something of value added to its various accouterments.

The 3-foot tall Thing has endured for 41 years as a traveling trophy. When Rob Spier won it twice in a row, in the early 70s, we said that the first person to win it three times, not necessarily consecutively, would keep it permanently. Rob tried desparately to never again win. He succeeded.

Many thanks to Nancy Rezabek, Linda La Fontaine (thanks to Linda for the great Facebook photos), Randy Gay, Tony Taube, and Bruce Dunwiddie for their invaluable assistance.

--Joe Duncan, race director