Tailing Marathon’s Ordinary People

It has been more than 13 years since she ran track for UCLA, and even then she certainly wasn’t a superstar. There were some big names on that team, but Kit Kakadelas wasn’t one of them.

Now, a marriage and six children later, Kit Brazier doesn’t expect to threaten the leaders when she runs in Sunday’s Los Angeles Marathon, either. Her best marathon time is 3 hours 29 minutes.

So imagine her surprise when race organizers asked her to come to the Biltmore Hotel last week to be honored as one of several runners to be dubbed Race Aces.

At the luncheon, she picked up a trophy and, more important, a yellow racing singlet that will identify her as a Race Ace and allow KCOP-TV to track her over the marathon course.

The idea is to get some up-close-and-personal stories on common runners, people the average jogger can identify with.

KCOP is working closely with Tandem computers on a system that will provide up-to-the-minute information on where the elite runners, and selected other runners, are on the course at all times. Tandem has installed a data center in the KCOP studios and has also designed a graphics program that will appear on the TV screen.

The computers will also be able to provide the TV commentators with marathon background and biographical information on any runner.

As entries were received, facts and figures were fed into the computers. That information has been pulled back out in different forms, giving race officials demographic charts that show how many of the runners are men, or women, are married, what states and countries are represented, which professions and corporations are represented, what kind of educational backgrounds and marathon experience the runners represent.

The system also sought out the Races Aces and picked Kit Brazier as “Supermom.”

No doubt there will be some TV viewers more impressed to see a 34-year-old woman of six children, all under 8, run a good pace and finish the marathon than they would be to see a world-class runner run a record time.

Brazier has run in 12 marathons and two ultra-marathons--50 miles--doing all her training between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.

“I have to be back by 7, because that’s when my husband leaves for work,” Brazier said.

Her two oldest boys sometimes run with her, but they really can’t do the kind of distance she does.

The kids think it’s great that their mom is the Supermom and that she’ll be on TV. As she talks about her childrens’ reactions, Brazier passes around a snapshot of the family--a whole string of cute little blond kids. Her personal fan club.

All of the Race Aces, though, will have their own fan clubs.

Terrie Brown, “The Fastest Waitress,” expects a lot of support from her co-workers at the Rusty Pelican. She’s a more recent graduate of UCLA, where she also competed for the track team. Brown, who is engaged to former UCLA linebacker Doug West, will probably have some Bruin backers, too.

Lots of folks will be rooting for Bill Lowry, “The Fastest Postal Employee,” and August Simien, “The Fastest Fire Fighter.”

Some may even be praying for Jimi Calhoun, “The Fastest Clergyman.”

Bill Ezpeleta appeared at the luncheon with his biggest fan, Emily. Actually, she goes along for the ride, which is why her dad was named “The Baby Stroller.”

Everyone was interested to see Leroy King, “The Runner With the Most Legs.” He turned out to be a dog. But he is an official entrant, and he’ll be wearing his own yellow singlet.

The list goes on and on. Some are running just for fun, others quite seriously.

Connie McCarthy, “The Fastest Homemaker,” has a best time of 2:57. And Hal Stern was named “Most Optimistic Runner” because he listed his best marathon time as 6 hours 30 minutes and his expected time as 4 hours.

Race promoters joked that they might change his title to “Biggest Liar” if he doesn’t come close to 4 hours.

KCOP Producer Phil Olsman explained the concept and the logistics to the Aces. He asked them to go out of their way a little bit to give a wave or a yoo-hoo to the spotters who will be reporting the progress of the leaders so that the Aces will be charted, too.

He said that newscaster Wendy Rutledge would be on the course, riding with a video camera. “If you’re moseying along Sunset, stop by and see Wendy,” he said.

“I don’t want to hurt your chances for a personal best or anything, but if you’re working on a four- or five-hour marathon, take a moment. I’m interested in anything from ‘Don’t talk to me now, I’m dying out here,’ to ‘Say hi to the wife and kids.’ ”

KCOP is going to be televising, live, for four hours and will do an hour wrap-up later that evening. So there will be time for looking back in the pack for the common runner.

Olsman said: “TV people have a tendency to ignore pack runners. What we’re hoping to do here is to make you, the unique runner, as much a part of the show as the elite runner.

“This is not a national show, it’s a local show. We want you local runners on.

“If you help us out, and if God is good to us, it will work.”