Your Loop organizers will open the lottery on January 7th. And close it on January 10th. Anyone who wants to participate in the 34th Loop on April 24th will only be able to do so by entering the lottery. There are important and necessary covid related restrictions this year which will make it possible to have a safe gathering that is permitted by the County of Westchester.
You need to know that you must be fully vaccinated in order to participate. This also applies for your race organizers and volunteers. Face covering will be optional in the field but required at the show mobile and the food tent. These restrictions may tighten or loosen as we get closer to the date.
The Loop has always been an inclusive event that unites us in the comfort of our shared humanity. The thought of splitting off and turning away any part of our Loop family troubles me. But covid has not gone away and these restrictions are necessary in order for the Loop to happen again after a three year gap.
Featured Harriers
Eamonn Sullivan
2021 was quite a year for Eamonn. In the spring, he qualified to compete in the steeplechase at the NSAF High School National Championships at the cathedral of track and field, the legendary Hayward Field. In the fall, he continued his running career by joining the Fighting Tigers of SUNY Cobleskill. He led his team to victory in five invitationals, taking the individual win in all of them. Eamonn spearheaded the conference championship team victory, by winning the NAC Cross Country title. His stellar record garnered him the North Atlantic Conference Runner and Rookie of the Year honors. As the year came to a close, Eamonn rattled off school records in the Indoor 3K and 5K. Not a bad start for a freshman. Look for him at the start of his favorite race of all, the Leatherman’s Loop in April.
Veronica Leeds
In 2021 Veronica completed the 54 mile Manitou’s Revenge trail race in a time of 14 Hrs. and 11 minutes. She was the first female and the 11th overall ultra runner to cross the finish line. What is most amazing about her Herculean performance is that the course has 15,000 ft. of elevation gain and includes the Escarpment Trail and the Devil’s Path. She ran all of it without a pacer while traversing some of the most technically difficult trails in the Catskill Mountains. Veronica is only thirty two and did not start running trails until after the birth of her son Vladimir.
The Loop organizers and volunteers collectively tip our hats to these two amazing runners.
Closing thoughts
I have asked Rob to provide a link to some classic Loop photos (see ↓ below) that are inspirational and also a link to a short race video which we have shared before but is worth another look. My hope is that our Loop family will all be together soon.
Let’s do this.
…Tony, Judy and Rob
PS: It is important to note there are NO carryovers of 2020 registrations. Please see prior posts about 2020. In 2022 we are starting over.
Classic Loop Photo (and video) gallery below.
Link to Original Video on the Chasing Chelsea YouTube channel.