My son, Charlie, decided to run track this year for San Rafael High School. Charlie is a sophomore. The team’s main fundraising event is hosting “The San Rafael Twilight Relays.” This wonderful event took place on Saturday, March 14th. This meet, involving 30 high school teams, brings elite and not so elite runners together “under the lights.”

When we arrived (with my wife Linda and young son Daniel) the parking lot was packed. There was no space on the street so we snuck into the mall lot across San Pedro Road. As we entered Miller Field, there was a sea of humanity; runners warming up on the infield and friends, families, students and fans crunched shoulder to shoulder in the stands . The temperature dropped as the almost full moon rose. The stadium lights brightened the night and the atmosphere was electric.

The boys’ sprint relay was 2×100m, 1×200m and 1×400m. There were 10 – 12 heats. The first heats were the slower teams but they got faster and faster as time wore on. Charlie’s team ran somewhere in the middle and he ran the first leg. Sitting with the team in the stands I could hear the kids screaming, “Go SR!” or “Go Dawgs!” Charlie and his three teammates, all with buzzed haircuts, identical white compression shorts that peaked out below their maroon shorts and the same white and red Nike track spikes, came walking onto the track with seven other teams. No, these weren’t the elite teams but you would never have guessed it as the crowd roared when the anchors received the baton and finished the race. SR placed second in their heat and 25th of 64 teams. Not bad for the new kids!

The experience of hearing and seeing the best athletes yelling encouragement and cheering for newer, younger athletes was awesome. Eric Olson of Novato ran a 4:19 for 1600 meters and Petaluma HS set a meet record in the coed 4 z 800m relay (Marin IJ 3/15/2009). All of this was topped off with a guest appearance of 400m world record holder and former Olympian Michael Johnson.

We left the stands at 9 p.m. and went to dinner at Bahia Taqueria on B Street. I’ll save that story for another time!

Posted By: Mark Machado