Gizzard streak takes on new meaning

Conner, of Bemidji, said he will be drawn to his 29th run Jan. 17 by lifelong friends and fun that only gets better when it gets colder.

He said the return to the original course through downtown International Falls will mean more people along the route to cheer competitors on.

“I will run it until I can’t do it anymore,” said Conner. “It’s like a family reunion once a year.”

It was just last year when Conner joined more than 200 runners in minus 22 Fahrenheit temperatures with a wind chill of 42 below zero. The cold wind, he said, bites at the skin and makes the eyes water.

Bemidji jogger

Originally from Iowa, Conner moved to Bemidji in 1971. He is a jogger and learned of the first Gizzard run from coworkers at a teen addiction treatment center.

Anticipating the run motivates him to stay in shape throughout the year. He jogs on bad weather days to get over the hesitation.

“Running in the cold is not exactly fun,” he said. “You have to go out with attitude.”

Now at 51, and a job counselor for Minnesota WorkForce Center, Conner keeps a scrapbook of all the Gizzard runs including his first race confirmation letter from then director Pat McKibbage and sponsor John McCarthy.

Conner recalled that the spirit of the run was born in 1982, when minus 28 degree temperatures with a 72 below wind chill threatened to cancel the race. The Canadian runners protested, he said, and officials compromised with a shortened run. He said this motivated the runners through extreme cold and brought the race into the national spotlight.

“That was a challenge,” he said. “I thought if I could do that one, then I can do anything.”

International Falls is obviously not the only cold weather city in northern Minnesota, but Conner said it is the one that can capitalize on its reputation. Many Gizzard runs have since been held in sub-zero temperatures.

“That is part of the mystique,” he added. “I go with the idea that it will never be canceled because of weather.”

Armed with a Gortex jacket, and polypropylene long underwear, Conner said he starts each run with a covered face and sheds gear as he warms up. He is a runner, but only a competitor for the first few hundred yards. From there, he said the serious runners start to distance themselves.

“Most folks run, but there are some walkers,” he added. “I always like to run to get done sooner.”

The Streak

He and other runners have been recognized over the years with commemorative sweatpants and T-shirts. He notes that close friend Dick Ostroot, a former event emcee, missed just one run along the way.

“It is always fun to get together with Dick,” he said.

Conner said his participation streak has required luck, determination, a little obsessive insanity and some cunning to avoid the hijinx designed to make him finally miss a race.

“I get superstitious now,” he said. “I used to drive to the Falls on the day of the race. But, I don’t do that anymore in case the car breaks down.”

Conner notes that other runners, notably Ray Garrity and Ron Chopek of the Winnipeg Prairie Sky Roadrunners Club, have missed only the first run and otherwise equal his streak. He said other long time runners from clubs in Thunder Bay and Minneapolis like to compete in running, eating, drinking, skiing and anything else.

“One of biggest draws for me is the people,” he said. “I have a lot of friends, especially the Canadian guys.”

Conner said the Roadrunners bring camaraderie and personality to the race. They run in costume each year, from business suits to ponchos and sombreros that flapped for the entire race.

“Their times were slower that year,” he joked of the Mexican hat run.

Winnipeg runners Garrity and Chopek “devised numerous devious ways” for Conner to finally miss a race, from incorrect race dates and times to talking about welding his hotel door shut. But it only motivates him more, he said.

Conner jokes about maintaining the streak, but he does avoid playing basketball as the race nears after breaking an ankle once that took seven months to heal. Other recent health issues have threatened more than his Gizzard record.

Ventricular tachycardia

A few years ago, Conner developed a rapid heartbeat that was diagnosed as ventricular tachycardia. After a series of unsuccessful treatments he said doctors at the Mayor Clinic used electrical impulses to correct his heart rhythm.

“They fixed it and I am not on meds, now,” he added.

With the Gizzard just a week away and still in recovery, he said doctors gave him the go ahead to walk what would be his most difficult race.

“The Gizzard run streak means a lot more to me now, because I no longer take things for granted,” he said. “I feel very fortunate that this problem is behind me.”

By that summer he was running the Duluth Grandma’s half marathon for a fifth time. He ran the full marathon in 1995. He has also competed in the Twin Cities marathon.

Icebox Days

Conner is an avid outdoorsman and likes to hunt and fish with his two sons, Pat, who also runs the Gizzard when he can, and Nick who plans to run this year if it does not conflict with basketball.

The pre- and post-race events are also a tradition of fun, and Conner said the “Gizzard Girls” and other volunteers do a tremendous job with support. They put together an annual “Beach Party,” and snowmobile radar run at Thunderbird Lodge.

The Icebox Days festival started in 1981 and is now a four-day event. It was organized by the International Falls Chamber of Commerce to boost the winter economy with cold weather recreation and entertainment.

Betsy Jensen, president of the Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, said that about 75 percent of Gizzard runners have run before and that some first time participants come back the next year.

“We would like to see a race of 300 people this year,” said Jensen.

“It adds stability to the run to know that people run year after year,” she added. “We are glad to have Bob back.”