05/21/2014
As I wind down from the weekend's festivities in Bishop, I can't help but feel a bit sad about leaving the incredible community there. I had my concerns that I'd be treated as a carpetbagger, an outside intruding on someone else's territory, and endlessly critiqued for not "being Marie". In truth, the exact opposite occurred. As it always has, the entire Bishop community rallied behind the event, and turned it in to an incredible experience - for both myself and the runners. Thank you to everyone involved for helping continue the incredible tradition and hometown feel of (founder and former-RD) Marie Boyd's course and race. I'm sure every runner would agree, the Bishop community and volunteers are what truly makes this race so special.
My incredibly long list of people to thank - Cheryl Underhill, Scott Ho**er and Angie Aukee with the Northern Inyo Hospital, Jan Gnass and his magnificent trail marking crew, Tina Borcherding, Theresa Otto, Manor Market, the Bishop Area and Ventura HAM Radio Clubs, the Bishop 4WD Club for providing course sweeps and manning two remote AS, Bishop Rotary, Bishop Lions Club, Renown Institute, the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, Corrie and the Looney Bean Coffee Shop, race photographer Sean Malone, Sage to Summit, the Northern Inyo Search and Rescue Team, and of course Marie Boyd for creating this awesome event and for her tireless support. There are many, many more people who helped in countless ways throughout the long race weekend - to everyone I give the most heartfelt thanks.
I've already been chatting with Marie, Andy and Jan about ways to improve BHS - perhaps making things a bit more... "interesting"... in the near future, as well as the potential of a new event in an incredible, beautiful and challenging untapped Bishop area locale.
Our follow up email to all runners (and volunteers) will have a link to a survey, and I'd love to hear your feedback (good and bad).
Still more to come!
-Tim
