Read about some Leatherman’s Loop history via the links below.
If you are looking for Loop photos, check here.
For news, article, and race archives, check the Archives menu (listed by month and year) on the right side of this window near the top.
In 2010 Tony Godino put together some race history and it has evolved into a periodic “Founder’s Newsletter.” Read the first two below. They are not long and they give some background on the Loop.
- Founder’s Newsletter – Volume 1 – 2010 – Humble Beginnings
- Founder’s Newsletter – Volume 2 – 2011 – the 25th Loop
- Founder’s Newsletter – Volume 3 – 2012 – Reflections on the 26th Loop
25 Years of Leatherman’s Loop T-shirts
Our t-shirts are created by an artist each year and carry no sponsor logos or ads. Seven different artists have created Loop t-shirts. By far the most have been created by Tim Parshall, a longtime runner and artist from Connecticut. Check out the designs in the gallery below and read up on some background material about the t-shirts at the link below that.
- Gallery
- Background
- Tapestry – Donated in 2012 by Bob Goldblatt. It was displayed for the first time in 2012
Muddiest Runners
Thanks to the work of Mel Cowgill (longtime runner and volunteer), who transcribed 14 years of results from posterboard format into the computer, we have complete records to go through to figure out who has the longest streaks, who has run the Loop more than, say, 5, 10, or 15 times, and many other facts. We have put together this “Muddiest Runners” section with some highlights.
Message Board Posts from 2001-2008
Reposted Newsletters, Emails, and Notes from 2001-2008:
The Original 1987 Race Registration Form
Transcribed from the image above…
“Leatherman Harriers … What’s That?
Well, local lore documents one particular wanderer – modern life and times create many imitators. A “Leather-man or -woman” is known to “eat nails” for breakfast, is notoriously self-propelled, and frequents fresh-aired spaces. He or she enjoys, flaunts even, the five to ten pound “spare tire” (lovingly referred to as “the good life”) draped around his or her middle. Above all, a Leather-man is curiously motivated and cares not what the neighbors whisper about “strange habits.”
… In honor of the latent Leather-man in all of us, we’ve concocted this intense, scenic, “quickie” excursion into the unknown urban wilderness known as Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, a 4,700 acre county paradise featuring ski touring, orienteering, pick-nickers, and CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING as our gracious host this day (Applause, Please!)
As for the course, the outer limits are well within the capabilities of almost anyone curiously self-motivated – whether or not you’re just a weekend warrior or a dyed-in-the-wool mountain maniac. It’s got a mind all its own, with a foot-boggling array of barriers strategically placed so as to impede forward progress of the swift and sure-footed kind.
Ample reward could be found solely in the effort to finish. Or, you might enjoy wearing the commemorative t-shirt. But you’re sure to delight in the post-race-brunch, for these spoils will be worth the price of pain.
The top three finishers in the following age categories, both men and women – 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+ will become the proud recipients of specially designed awards suitable for display.”
-1987 Race Registration Form description of the Loop.
NY Times Photo May 2, 2004 (caption is wrong – it is a 10k not a 5k – still a cool photo!)
Dates of the Leatherman’s Loop from 1987 – 2012 (all Loops have been held on Sundays)
4/26/1987 4/24/1988 4/23/1989 4/22/1990 4/21/1991* 4/26/1992 4/25/1993 4/24/1994 4/30/1995* 4/28/1996 4/27/1997 4/26/1998 4/25/1999 4/23/2000 4/22/2001 4/28/2002 4/27/2003 4/25/2004 4/24/2005 4/23/2006 4/22/2007 4/27/2008 4/26/2009 4/25/2010 5/1/2011* 4/22/2012
*indicates a break from the “4th Sunday in April/Sunday after Boston Marathon” traditional schedule.
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