September 2005

Up-the-Hill Races:
"World Games" have an international flair

Video montage of the day
13.3 MB - 3 min. 36 sec.

Up-the-Hill 2005 Photo Album

Another rite of summer passed last Friday, when the annual Up-the-Hill Races took place at the Mesa Lab. Sunny skies made it a perfect day for bike and foot races, followed by food, music, and mingling.

This year's theme was World Games. The Employee Activities Committee selected the theme to celebrate and promote diversity within the organization, according to EAC's Bob Tan (Director's Office), who helped organize the event along with Michelle Harrison (HR).

Blake

Kay

Blake Caldwell (left) eyes the finish line on his way to another victory as fans cheer on Kay Levesque (above).

The games started at 3 p.m. with the bike race. SCD's Blake Caldwell cruised to a first place finish among the men with a time of 5:02. Blake, who has won the race four times, races professionally for TIAA-CREF. He was followed by EOL's Jonathan Emmett (5:40) and MMM's Alan Hills (5:52). View video of the men's top finishers.

RAL's Kay Levesque won the women's race with a time of 7:13, crossing the finish line just after UOP's Jack Fellows. "That darn Jack Fellows. He got me this year but I won't let him get me two years in a row," she promised. Her friend and riding partner Deirdre Garvey, also from RAL, came in second (7:41). "It wasn't my best race but I couldn't be happier for Kay," she said. ACD's Cindy Nevison came in third (8:39). View video of the women's top finishers.

The "One-Gear Wonder," Scott Colburn.

Arnaud Dumont with his water bottle baby.

Racers reported that the course was hot with a headwind. "It was tough—windy and warm," said SCD's Wes Wildcat. Wes participated in the very first Up-the-Hill race in 1980. "My time was a lot faster back then," he recalled.

Although SCD's Scot Colburn came in closer to the back of the pack, he was the focus of attention when his unicycle crested the hill and crossed the finish line in 9:56. "I've only got one gear, and the guys with gears rule," he said.

Arnaud Dumont's fake baby in a bike trailer also caught the crowd's attention. Because the race rules didn't permit him to tow his 9-month-old son behind him due to liability concerns, the RAL staffer fashioned a baby out of water bottles to take his son's place. "I even approximated his weight," Arnaud said.

The running race came next. ISSE's Rick Katz won the men's race with a time of 9:08. He credited his victory to his age. "The course was a little windy toward the end, but I'm so old that I knew how to pace myself," explained Rick, who has won the race seven times. SCD's John Clyne took second place (9:35), followed by MMM/RAL's Andrew Crook (9:46). View video of the men's top finishers.

CGD's Carrie Morrill won the women's race with a time of 10:49 and rushed back down the hill to prepare for the relay race. ACD's Julia Lee-Taylor came in second (13:57), having just competed in the bike race. F&A's Betty Valent, a longtime Up-the-Hill racer, came in third (14:03). View video of the women's top finishers.

Rick Katz (above) and Carrie Morrill (right) battled a stiff headwind to win the running race.

Carrie Morrill

Finally came the relay race, when the World Games theme took on its full expression. Nine teams participated, representing not only their UCAR or NCAR divisions but also foreign countries of their own choosing. RAL showed off its breadth of geographic knowledge by representing Sealand, an obscure gunnery fort six miles off the coast of Britain that is a quasi-independent sovereign principality, while CISL demonstrated its knowledge of the Dilbert comic strip by representing the fictional nation of Elbonia.

Members of team Elbonia (above) pose before the relay race. Jim "Bull" Hurrell and David Mitchell (bottom left to right) position themselves for the relay race.

The competitors were required to run while carrying water-filled batons and wearing sand-filled hats, spilling as little as possible. Palau, comprised of UOP staffers, took first place. "We islanders know sand and water well from our mother country and can move it swiftly, be it on our heads or in our hands," joked GLOBE's Eric Stonebraker. Spain cruised into second place, led by a CGD staffer rumored to be Jim Hurrell dressed in a bull costume surrounded by Spanish matadors. Sealand took third.

Relay racers at the starting line.
Paula Fisher skips to the finish line.	Karen Smith-Herman (left) passes the hat to Sandra Henderson (right).

In keeping with the day's theme, the menu had an international flavor, with tables offering Italian, Mexican, German, and Asian entrees, topped off with American desserts of peach and apple cobbler. Staffers enjoyed tunes by the band Soul Sacrifice. View video highlights.

One of the most notable aspects of this year's event was found in the trash. The festivities were the organization's first Zero Waste event. With the help of the Environmental Stewardship Program, all food and beverage containers were compostable, including paper plates and napkins, and cornstarch cups and utensils. Special disposal stations were located in the cafeteria, lobby, and outside the Mesa Lab, and their contents were later taken to Eco-Cycle for composting. In addition to creating a valuable soil amendment for area farmers, the compost keeps methane-producing organics out of landfills, where they contribute to global warming. "We're looking forward to making this part of all EAC future events," Bob Tan said.

• by Nicole Gordon