The Run Thru Hell on Halloween

I think it's safe to say that most Michigan runners are familiar with, or have raced, the Run Thru Hell, in Hell, Michigan. It's famous for its roller coaster dirt road hills, beautiful scenery, cool, collectable shirts, and the Porta-john Police. Harrison Hensley and his wife Delores have organized the Run Thru Hell for many years, and have supported the SE Michigan running community in countless ways, from Delores helping with registration and finish line schutes to Harrison hauling hundreds of race flyers to each race. And at the Run Thru Hell, Harrison was the Porta-John cop! He was legendary. His ability to move hundreds of runners quickly and effeciently thru the johns had to be seen to be appreciated. Harrison and Delores were important parts of the running community for many years.

Unfortunately, that came to an abrupt end 2 years ago when Delores suffered a stroke. She couldn't leave the house and Harrison wouldn't go without her. The Run Thru Hell stopped. We didn't see Delores' smiling face at the registration table. There were no flyers announcing upcoming races, spread across tables at the races.

A lot of folks talked about how they could help, and finally, the Running Foundation organized The Run Thru Hell on Halloween as a fundraising race. The goal was to raise enough money to buy a wheelchair accessable van for Delores and Harrison, so these once vital, active people could once again travel to the races they loved so much.

That race was today. There were over 3,000 runners who competed in the 5k and 10k races. Everything was donated...from the timing chips to the tech shirts, and even the Porta-johns! 100% of the entry fees are going to purchase that van!

You could feel the excitement from all the runners at being a part of such a unique event. Everyone sang *Happy Birthday* to Delores, whose 80th birthday is November 1, and then she spoke to the crowd, thanking everyone for coming and assuring them that she remembered all of them. (She probably did!)

The race start was delayed by about 15 minutes, while latecomers registered and the lines to the porta-johns cleared. And that's when Harrison stepped in to claim his rightful place as Porta-John Cop-in-Chief! No more delays! Way to go Harrison!

And Way to Go Michigan Runners. You pulled together for one of your own and had a good time doing it.

Oh yeah, and it was # 107 for Asia. I'll write more about her race later today. Right now, I'm tired, and need to watch for Trick or Treaters.