“The Beast” is certified – Salisbury’s iconic 5km gets measured.
The beast is certified!
The sixth running of the Salisbury Beast 5K took place on a lovely autumn morning where the temperatures reached into the 70s by late afternoon. Only in the 40s at race time, the sun was shining, there was a little breeze, and many people registered the last moment cause of ideal conditions. A number of the “Connecticut 169 club” showed up, which is a group that tries to run a race in all 169 towns in the State of Connecticut. There were several dozen from this club in attendance, with their blue shirts with gold writing clearly visible. Race Director Athena Fliakos had a wonderful, smiling and knowledgeable crew at the starting line and registration area, and Peter Hawley helped with the computerized race timing.
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Athena’s father, Toli Fliakos, a running record holder at the Hotchkiss school, was also one of the volunteers at the turnaround. He had his famous big smile and a fist bump for all who made the ascent. The first half of the race has a 500 foot gain in less than a mile, which is why the name, “the beast!” It is a real test, and maximum heart rates are assured.
The first racer to reach the summit did so in just under 10 minutes, and sponsor Doug Landau is going to put up a premium for whoever makes it to the top first in 2026, in order to create “a race within a race.” In addition , there were racers in minimalist sandals tap-tapping their way up the hill; runners with dogs; participants who walked; and lots of smiles. The money event raises money for “the good brain project”.
In addition, monies were raised for the Salisbury Central School trip to Washington, DC . Obviously, that is something near dear to Attorney Doug Landau’s heart, as he was a middle school Civics and Constitutional Law teacher at Rachel Carson Middle School, and he advocated for students from Connecticut schools in the area to visit our nation’s capital and see our “government “in action,” just as he advocates for clients, their families, witnesses and even non-clients to come see him “in action,” so that they can learn how our legal system works and what to be prepared for when it is there all important “day in court.”
The racers lined up, with computer tag numbers, and immediately took off on an upgrade next to the Salisbury Town Hall. This is on the corner where the famous water fountain is located that has sated so many Bikers, Appalachian Trail hikers and runners over the centuries. The main street of this bucolic New England town still have goats, chickens and sheep grazing near the White Hart Inn. After approximately the initial ascent, the runners split to the left, not to go up the hill to Mount Riga, but instead go through the shady part of the course, continuing uphill. Lawyer Landau’s 2 miles split was 20:02! Nearly everyone in the event had a negative split & Landau was no exception. His final time of 27:14 showed that his last mile, plunging straight down, was much faster than the prior 2, and he was sore the rest of the day from the “negative exercise” of going downhill, without braking too much. Finishing 15th in the men’s division, 16th overall, Landau won the over 60 Prize. He commented after the race that he thought they were several runners who looked older than he was ahead of him. Nevertheless, Landau accepted his prize of chocolate, which will bring home to his wife, the infamous “chocoholic.”
Assisting with the certification of the course and the production of the race was longtime friend and former Hartford Track Club president Peter Hawley, who lives up in the northwest corner of Connecticut, and frequently runs Litchfield county races, as well as those in West Hartford. Additionally, a classmate from The Hotchkiss School, who trained in cross country skiing when they were together in Lakeville, had flown in from Colorado. She saw that there was a race, and jumped in. Landau was delighted to see Kim Kosciusko, a retired EMS Helicopter
Professional, at the finish. She was all smiles as she caught up with Doug about their lives since attending high school in nearby Lakeville, CT. Kim has competed in world championships; is a an accomplished horseback rider, skier and has completed the Lake Placid Iron Man triathlon. There were several faculty and staffers from the school, who were near the pointy end of the field. There were spectators in front of the coffee shops on Main Street, marveling it all of the runners out on an early autumn morning. Lawyer Landau hopes the race continues to grow, gain additional sponsors and support for the groups and individuals it helps . Fliakos is The program manager at the Ulster YMCA in New York, and her energy and positive outlook Inform the Good Brain Project, “the beast race,” and every endeavor to which she devotes her energies. For more information about “the beast” click here.
[N.B. This post was written in November of 2024.]