The announcer summoned everyone to the starting line, and although Ben and Seth wanted to start in the first wave with Gabe and E, Noah made them line up in the second wave.
“How are we going to beat them when they have such an unfair advantage?” Seth moaned.
“They’re only a couple hundred feet ahead of you, so I’m sure, if you can beat them, you can catch up to them,” Noah assured.
“Yeah, a couple hundred feet with a million runners in the way,” Ben complained.
“You’re quick and agile,” Noah said with a smile. “You’ll weave through the other runners in no time. Besides, it’s based on time, so you could have a better time than they do.” And leaving them with that strategy in mind, he walked farther back with Laney.
“You don’t have to run with me,” she said. “In fact, I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Why?” he asked, looking wounded.
“Because I’ll feel like I’m holding you back.”
“You never hold me back,” he said, putting his arm around her.
“Well, I’ve hardly had any time to run this summer, so I’m going all the way back to where the nine-minute milers are starting.”
“The nines?”
She nodded. “Maybe the tens—I am going to be fifty-three soon, you know.”
“You are?” he teased. “When did you get so old?”
“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I was twenty just yesterday.”
“It sure seems like it,” he said, stopping. “Okay, so I guess I’ll start around here then, on the tail end of the sevens. Good luck!” he added, giving her a kiss.
“You too,” she said, smiling. “I hope you don’t have to wait all day for me.”
“I hope not. Pancake Man closes at two.”
“I’ll try to be done by then,” she said, laughing.
Moments later, after the wheelchair racers took off, the elite runners lined up and the national anthem was sung, followed by the famous trumpet fanfare from Churchill Downs, and then a countdown from ten, and finally, the gun went off. The elites sprinted away, and the first wave started moving. The inspirational theme from Rocky along with lots of happy cheering filled the air as E set off at a quick pace with Gabe by his side. Meanwhile, Ben and Seth had to wait several seconds for their wave to start moving, but as soon as it did, they wove through runners with Ben leading the way, trying to catch up to their older brothers.
Farther back in the pack, Noah started trotting along. It was the first year in a long time that Micah wasn’t by his side, and he missed him. He glanced at his watch. It was five after ten, and he knew they’d had an early flight, so if they weren’t in Bermuda already, they were at least on their way. He hoped they’d have a good time—they certainly deserved it.
Laney smiled as she ran through the cheering crowd lined up along historic Water Street. She’d always thought the best part of running Falmouth was there was no shortage of cheering spectators. They lined the entire seven miles of the course, inspiring runners to keep chugging along. As she jogged along the narrow, winding, shady roads she thought about the chance encounter they’d had with Joan Benoit Samuelson. Noah had been thrilled, and she was glad the boys had had the chance to meet her. She truly was an inspiration.
When E and Gabe finally reached Falmouth Heights Beach, they were still together. Then they started to hear the crowd cheering, “Go, Joanie!” and they realized the little silver-haired runner they’d met that morning was trotting along—with her unmistakable steady-as-you-go gait—ahead of them! They looked at each other and picked up the pace, knowing they would never hear the end of it from their father if they came in after a woman who was nearly sixty years old . . . even if she was a world-class runner! They said hello to her as they passed, and then they raced each other down Grand Avenue, delighting the crowd with their effort, and in the end, it was a photo finish with both claiming victory.
Asher and Chloe ran to meet them as they came out of the shoot. “That was awesome!” Asher said. “We couldn’t even tell who won.”
“I did,” they said in unison, trying to catch their breath.
Two minutes later, Ben came in, and Seth—complaining that Ben went out too fast—came in a minute later.
“Excuses, excuses,” Gabe teased.
“Wait ’til next year,” Seth said.
Noah was happy to come in at under fifty minutes, but the clock had almost clicked over to an hour before they saw Laney in her bright orange shirt running under the huge American flag that hung over the finish line. “Yay, Mom!” they cheered, and Laney grinned and gave them a thumbs-up.