We are back for #35!
Your Loop organizers will open the loop lottery on January 6th and close it on January 9th. Anyone who wants to participate in the 35th Loop on April 23rd will only be able to do so by entering the lottery during those 4 full days.
Featured Harriers
Tony & Judy Godino
Tony and Judy Godino have been involved with the Leatherman’s Loop since the beginning in 1987 when Tony and a group of fellow trail runners founded the race after years of exploring the 4300 acres of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and laying out the iconic course in the crown jewel of the Westchester County Parks system.
Tony and Judy are stepping back from the day-to-day organizing of the event — but they will be present to advise and encourage runners on race day and year-round.
Danny Martin
Not too many races that we are aware of have a “spiritual advisor” for runners. Danny is a trail runner himself who has run the race and the course many times. Danny is the author of the “Beauty” poem he has read as a blessing at the start of the Loop many times. He gives credit to the Irish and Navajo roots of the words and cadence, but Danny puts it all together and always leaves us wanting more. Runners leave the starting line seeking out the beauty of the world, our fellow humans, and the other creatures on this loop journey and our journey through life.
The Loop runners, organizers, and volunteers are grateful for the service and creation these visionaries have bestowed upon us. We are committed to honoring the spirit of the Loop and keeping the race about the runners and a great experience for all.
Closing thoughts
In taking on the race director role for the Loop I feel like a sacred trust has been placed in my hands. I have been helping to organize the Leatherman’s Loop since 2007 and helped start Run the Farm in 2010. Tony and Judy and the other volunteers have taught me a lifetime of lessons on running races, organizing events, and keeping focused on what is most important — the joyous experience of gathering and the connectedness we all feel for the Loop.
I hope I can continue the Loop as an event everyone is excited to be a part of every spring. I have to say, I am a bit nervous. But it feels like the kind of nerves you get at the beginning of a race: excited anticipation and butterflies in the stomach. But trained up and ready to go.
Are you ready? Let’s do this.
…Rob Cummings