Dutkiewiecz Memorial Race moves to East Longmeadow

Sept. 17, 2012

By Chris Maza

chrism@thereminder.com

EAST LONGMEADOW – For the first time, East Longmeadow will host what has become an event that gets circled on many cross country runners' calendars.

The Ted Dutkiewiecz Memorial Race will make its debut at East Longmeadow High School on Sept. 22, bringing with it a tradition of allowing cross country teams the opportunity to get valuable big-meet experience.

Former Central High School cross country coach Ted Dutkiewiecz, who passed away in 2002, first formulated the idea for the race in 1998 with the intention of exposing inexperienced runners to the atmosphere of larger races like the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference championships in a relaxed setting.

"Ted wanted it to be a meet where there was no pressure on teams to win," Michael Budd, East Longmeadow High School girls cross country coach, told Reminder Publications. "When some of these kids get to the large championship meets, it's nothing like anything they have seen during the regular season. This is a developmental meet to give schools with new teams or inexperienced runners [an opportunity] to learn what it's all about."

With the experience, Budd explained, Dutkiewiecz hoped to build young or inexperienced runners' confidence.

"Ted believed that you should never let an athlete leave a meet with a bad feeling about it. If you do, you're not coaching the right way," said Budd, who was coached by Dutkiewiecz as a runner.

Dutkiewiecz ran the meet for two years at Central, but financial restrictions made it difficult to maintain there, so it was moved to Stanley Park in Westfield.

After Dutkiewiecz's death the race continued in his honor in various locations including Stanley Park and at the Southwick-Tolland Regional High School team's home course.

After taking place in Southwick last year, it became clear that the cost to continue at that site would have to increase, at which point East Longmeadow High School stepped up and volunteered to host the race.

"East Longmeadow will be a great venue for the race because we have the new track, so we are going to have an Olympic-style finish there," Budd said. "Also, while it's a shorter course, it's great for this kind of race because, for most of it, the runners are visible so their coaches can also see how their kids are progressing as the race goes on."

This year's race will host more than 10 schools, including several city high schools that may not have the opportunity to take advantage of other invitational meets. Among this year's participants, in addition to the hosts, include Dutkiewiecz's hometown school West Springfield, Holyoke, Southwick, three Chicopee schools – Chicopee, Chicopee Comprehensive, the Hampden Charter School of Science – and four Springfield High Schools – Central, Commerce, Putnam and Sabis International Charter School.

The race will have four waves with the junior varsity (JV) girls getting things started at 9 a.m., followed by the JV boys at 9:30 a.m. The varsity girls will step off at 10 a.m. and the varsity boys will finish things off at 10:30 a.m.

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