Run For It (9 page)

Theo and Paul talked about nothing in particular for a while. A clock that had been set up near the grandstand said eight
forty-five when Steve La Motta and some other official-looking people got up on a little platform to one side of the grandstand.
A man wearing a race T-shirt spoke into a cordless microphone.

“Can I have everyone’s attention? We’d like the runners to get into place. We’d like the fastest runners, the ones with numbers
under fifty, to go to the front of the field. That way we can avoid traffic jams when we start. Please don’t crowd together,
everyone.
Runners will be starting at nine o’clock. Wheelchair entrants will start at nine twenty. But first, we have a few people who
have things to say.”

Other people on the platform spoke, thanking everyone for their contributions to cancer research, thanking the runners for
taking part, and thanking the volunteers who had set up the grandstand and platform and were out on the course already, setting
up and working the refreshment stations. Finally, the first man introduced Steve LaMotta, who took the mike in one hand and
held a starter’s pistol in the other.

“Are your folks here?” whispered Paul.

Theo, who had been checking the grandstand often, shook his head. “Not yet.”

On the platform, Steve LaMotta said, “I’m pleased to be involved in a race for a worthwhile cause. I hope everyone enjoys
themselves today and remembers that running is supposed to be fun. If anyone wants to buy shirts or other race souvenirs,
the money will all go to cancer research. And finally — and forgive me if you’ve heard this already today, but it’s important
— you runners have to watch out
for dehydration on a day like this. Drink lots of fluids. That’s all I have to say. Good luck to all. Runners, get set.”

He held up the starter’s pistol, paused a moment, and fired.

Paul and Theo were toward the back of the crowd of hundreds of runners. It was several seconds after the starting shot before
they were able to begin to run. To their left, a boy and a girl who seemed roughly their age took off as if they were in a
hundred-meter dash. Without thinking, Theo sped after them.

Paul yelled,
“Hey!
Slow down! Remember what Steve said!”

Feeling a little silly, Theo slowed his pace. “You’re right,” he admitted.

He and Paul ran together at an easy pace as the field began to stretch out. Some runners took off fast and seemed to whiz
by the two boys, while others settled into a jog. Theo and Paul passed several slower ones, but it seemed to Theo like there
were more runners ahead of them than behind them. He reminded himself that he had no expectations of
winning the race, and that, anyway, some of the ones who were sprinting now might well slow down or even be forced to stop
later.

When they found themselves in a shady area, the boys picked up their speed a little. A moment later, they were out of the
park and running down a street that had been blocked off for the race. They were in bright, hot sun and slowed down again.
Next to Theo was a man who had to be over sixty, but who looked amazingly fit. The man glanced over at Theo and smiled. Theo
smiled back, after which the man waved and sped away.

Theo saw a big table a little way ahead, covered with paper cups full of water and sports drinks. Some runners were picking
up cups from the table, while others took them from volunteers who were holding them out. Theo and Paul each grabbed a cup
from a volunteer and drank the water thirstily. They tossed the cups aside, to be picked up by volunteers.

A moment later, Theo and Paul came to a sign that said 1K. They’d run the first kilometer and had four to go.

“How are you doing?” Paul asked.

“Pretty good,” replied Theo.

Two teenaged runners, a boy and a girl, passed them. “I think we could speed up some,” Paul said.

Theo thought for a second. “Go ahead if you want. I’d better just stay like this for now.”

Paul nodded but didn’t speed up. He stayed next to his friend. The course now turned a corner into the downtown area. There
were a number of people on the sidewalk, watching. Some had brought folding chairs. They cheered and applauded and yelled
out encouragement to the runners going by.

“Hang in there!” “Way to go!” “Just do it!”

It felt good to hear it. Paul glanced over at Theo. “See those two who passed us a few minutes ago? Want to try to catch them?”

Theo looked to see the ones Paul meant, about fifteen yards ahead and now going at about the same pace. “Yeah, why not?”

The boys quickened their stride and soon were within ten yards of the teenagers… then only five. One of the two looked back
over her shoulder and said something to her friend, who also looked back. The two then upped their speed and widened the gap
again.

“Forget it,” Theo said. “Maybe they’re just faster runners. Anyway, it’d be crazy to try to keep up with them.”

They picked up more to drink at another station. Theo felt sweat dripping from his face. A minute later, they passed the 2K
sign.

As they did, Paul said, “Yo, Gee, check this out.”

One of the kids who had sprinted away from them at the start of the race was standing off to the side of the runners. He was
bent over with his hands on his knees, and he seemed totally wiped out. Theo and Paul exchanged a look. They had been right
to pace themselves.

Now they had reached the slight uphill grade that Steve had mentioned. It wasn’t much of a hill, but on a hot day, and after
running for a while, it seemed pretty rough to Theo, whose face felt really hot now. For the first time, he felt a little
doubt creep in about whether he could finish this race.

A refreshment station appeared up ahead, just where the hill leveled off. As Theo grabbed for some water, a volunteer yelled,
“Pour it over your head! It’ll help.”

Theo did it and immediately felt cooler and better.
He grabbed another cup from a volunteer and drank it down. Paul, seeing what Theo had done, poured some water over himself.
“Great idea!” he yelled.

The boys passed the three-K mark. The course was now headed back toward the park. Theo wondered if his parents and Marj had
made it to the park by now, but for the most part he concentrated on running. He realized that his fists were clenched and
relaxed his arms and hands.

Next to him, Paul turned and said, “I want to speed up. How about you?”

Theo shook his head. “Not now. Go on, I’m okay. See you later.”

Paul moved ahead, and Theo kept the same pace. Seconds later, Theo found himself in the shade of some tall buildings and began
running slightly faster. Relaxing his arms and the cooling effect of the water he’d thrown on his head had made him feel a
little stronger.

He saw Paul about twenty yards ahead of him as he passed the 4K sign. It wouldn’t be too much longer before he’d be back in
the park. Theo imagined that the really fast runners — the guys who
were up there with Steve LaMotta — had probably finished the race some time ago. He ran on, hoping there was a refreshment
station not far ahead. There was.

Getting a cup of sports drink from the table, Theo drank most of it before tossing the cup aside. About fifteen yards in front
of him, he saw the second of the two kids who had sprinted off at the beginning of the race. The girl had slowed down a lot,
and Paul had passed her. Theo wondered if he, too, could catch and pass her. He decided to give it a shot.

He picked up some speed and focused on her back as she ran. Very slowly, the distance between them shrank. Theo figured that
there was about half a kilometer — a little more than a lap on the track — left to go. He sped up a bit more and now trailed
her by about ten yards. He passed a couple of other runners, but concentrated on the girl. He could see the entrance to the
park about a hundred yards away. The girl was now only seven or eight yards ahead of him, and there were no runners between
them.

Suddenly, she looked over her shoulder and saw him gaining on her. She put on some speed and moved further ahead of Theo,
catching up to Paul.

Just before the park entrance, Theo took a deep breath and quickened his pace. Paul and the girl were now even, and Theo got
a little closer to them. The finish line was now less than three hundred yards away. Did he have enough time and energy to
overtake them?

He could hear cheering from the crowd at the finish line. Other runners were finishing and getting applause. He was now running
in shade and didn’t think he could go any faster than he was going. But he was gaining on Paul and the girl. They were ten
yards ahead.

With two hundred yards to go, Theo was only five yards back. He concentrated on his breathing and on narrowing the gap. It
shrank to four yards and then three. There were less than a hundred yards to go.

The girl looked back again, and her eye caught Theo’s. She smiled at him… and sped up, passing Paul. Theo realized that he’d
never catch her. She had too much left.

Now Paul looked back and saw Theo only a few yards behind him. He, too, smiled. But instead of speeding up, Paul slowed down
a little. Theo pulled even with Paul, who reached out a hand. Theo
grabbed it and the two boys crossed the finish line together. A digital clock over the finish line said that they had run
the race in twenty-seven minutes and fifty-four seconds.

A man in an official’s shirt came over and led the boys into a shaded area, where both grabbed cups of water and drank them.
Then they poured more water over their heads. Theo suddenly felt tired, but he also felt excited and happy. He had done it!

He heard his name being called from the noisy crowd of spectators. Paul nudged him and pointed to where some of their ballplaying
buddies, including Van Sluman, were standing and cheering. Theo and Paul waved and smiled. Then Theo caught sight of his parents
standing nearby, next to the Baskins. Standing beside Mrs. Gordimer was Marj. She was beaming and clapping with the others.

Paul and Theo walked over to their families, and there were hugs and handshakes all around. Mr. Baskin grabbed Theo and Paul
by their shoulders.

“Congratulations, guys. Well done.”

After hugging each of his parents, Theo came up to Marj. They stood there, smiling at each other.

“Well done, young man,” she said. “You make me proud.”

Theo said, “I didn’t exactly win.”

“Sure you did. You won big-time.”

Theo said, “Well,
you’re
the one who won the big fight.”

Marj laughed. “Then we’re
both
winners.” She noticed Paul standing nearby, smiling at her.

“Correction,” she said. “We’re
all
winners.”

Theo understood that Marj was absolutely right.

Baseball Pals	Face-Off
Baseball Turnaround	Football Fugitive
The Basket Counts	Football Nightmare
Catch That Pass!	The Fox Steals Home
Catcher with a Glass Arm	The Great Quarterback Switch
Center Court Sting	The Hockey Machine
Challenge at Second Base	Ice Magic
The Comeback Challenge	Inline skater