Staying the Course
By: Michael J. Montalbano
© The Times-Picayune
The Crescent City Classic is no run-of-the-mill event, as those who have participated in every race illustrate. Thousands of participants run in New Orleans each year in The Times-Picayune's Crescent City Classic, a 6.2-mile event that has attracted elite runners, joggers and walkers since 1979.
The determination, spirit and zaniness of a select few stand out. About 20 to 30 individuals -- some noticeable on race day, others not so much -- have participated in each CCC, "giving a classic effort year after year," said Gary Gomez, the event's elite athlete coordinator. The 30th edition on the 10K race begins Saturday at 8:30 a.m. at Jackson Square in the French Quarter.
"That select group, very talented," Gomez said. "To maintain yourself, to continue an exercise program over all those years, that's quite an accomplishment. It's the heart of the race." And the pulse of that select group still beats strong. Jerry L'Enfant, who graduated from Fortier in 1968, and Wade Bolotte Jr., who graduated from Shaw in '68, were competitive runners in their younger days, and they jumped at the chance to run together in the first CCC on Sept. 23, 1979. The co-workers at South Central Bell welcomed the opportunity to run in a field of 912 that included Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon in Munich, Germany, and looked forward to having a good time.
"The first year, we ran pretty fast," said L'Enfant, who has lived in Waveland, Miss., for the past 25 years. "We ran 37:05. We were pretty serious runners. I even had a quick conversation with Frank Shorter (who prevailed in 29:47) while warming up. The race was so much fun." In 1983, the duo -- with their time no longer a deciding factor -- decided it was time for a change (as in clothing) when it came to participating in the CCC. "The first couple of years we ran incognito," said L'Enfant, who still runs about four times a week. "But in 1983, the race began to get too crowded. We decided to do something weird, something different. We decided to run that race dressed like the Blues Brothers (except for black shorts and running shoes), and have ever since." Said Bolotte, who runs 30 miles a week and has lived in Covington for the past 10 years: "In the early days we competed, we did our best. But remember, it's all about the party. . . . Now, a lot of people like to have their pictures taken with us -- before and after the race. It's always a fun day."
As noticeable as L'Enfant and Bolotte are in the crowd of thousands from the start at Jackson Square to the finish at Tad Gormley Stadium, Harvey Herstein is the opposite. Herstein, the CEO of St. Charles Vision for the past six years, ran in the first CCC at age 42 in 1979. "I was just a middle-of-the-road runner in the early years," said Herstein, who has lived in Metairie the past 30 years. "I'd finished in 48-52 minutes the first 15-20 years. Those days are long gone." Herstein, who runs five times a week -- 2 to 3 miles a day -- said the crowd along the route in the CCC was part of the allure and reason he participated each year. "Those early years, I ran with friends," he said. "The old route, finishing up in Audubon Park, the party at the batture, that was something special. All those beautiful trees along the route, it didn't get any better."
These days, Herstein is content to be another number in the crowd, anonymously shuffling along wearing his headphones, listening to music. But he knows his place in the history of the 10K event, and he knows the effort it has taken him through the years. "I had heart surgery in 2001," said Herstein, who was born in Philadelphia. "That's the only year that I have walked the event. . . . No matter what, I will run it. I'm still in good shape. Maybe I walk it a little more these days than in the past, but it's the event that I look forward to each year. My family plans around it. It's not to be missed."
L'Enfant and Bolotte annually mark the CCC on their calendars, and they also have faced potholes along the way. "I had a few setbacks over the years getting to the starting line," L'Enfant said. "Pneumonia, broken toe. The older we get, the slower we run (now in about 55 minutes), but it's all about having fun." Said Bolotte: "I've been pretty lucky with injuries, but I've had to rearrange weddings, birthday parties. When it comes to the race, I'm going to be there, come hell or high water."
And still in costume?
"Jerry has gone through three jackets, three hats that he bought at the Salvation Army," Bolotte said. "It can get pretty hot when running in costume. . . . You start to salt up. We make sure to stop at each mile and grab some water. "I've only gone through one coat and one hat. I run more aerodynamically than Jerry."
These three veterans of this historic race see no end in sight to their consecutive streaks at the CCC. "The streak ends when I can no longer stand up and run the course," Herstein said. "I intend to keep doing it forever. It's a part of my nature." The same goes for L'Enfant and Bolotte. "I'll run till I can't, then I'm going to walk," L'Enfant said. "If I get hurt, Wade's going to push me down the road. If Wade gets hurt, I'm going to push him down the road." Said Bolotte: "Jerry has been like a real brother to me over all these years. And of course, he's my Blues Brother. We are classics, you could say."
CCC INFORMATION: Visit www.ccff.org or call (504) 861-8686
