Late last spring, Kevin Keenan (LAW '02) was avoiding studying for his Law School finals. Paging through a runners' magazine, he came across an advertisement for the Reach the Beach Relay, which was described as "A Running Relay Adventure Race" with "200 miles of scenic New England roads; 24 hours of racing; 12 of your 'closest' friends; 6 beautiful New Hampshire State Parks; 3 good reasons -- fun, adventure and competition; and 1 spectacular oceanside finish."

"I thought the race looked interesting, challenging and fun," recalls Keenan, who has been running regularly since 1996 and says participating in organized road races gives him the discipline to maintain his training regimen.

"Then I thought, 'Why not try to put a Yale Law School team together?'" he remembers. "And then I thought, 'Why not challenge Harvard Law?' And then I thought, 'And why not use the competition to raise money for a good cause?' It was as straightforward as that."

And so the Yale Law vs. Harvard Law 200-Mile Relay Challenge was born.

Having passed his exams (procrastination notwithstanding), Keenan and some fellow Yale Law School runners, along with a few Harvard Law School acquaintances, went to work to bring the idea to reality, assembling their teams and raising pledges.

The Reach the Beach Relay, first run in 1999, is the longest distance race of its kind in the United States. The course itself consists of 36 segments -- or "legs" -- ranging from 2.4 miles to 8.6 miles in length. Beginning at the Bretton Woods Ski Area in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and ending at the Hampton Beach State Park on the Atlantic coast, runners must cover a variety of terrain, elevations and levels of difficulty. The race runs continuously from Friday, Sept. 28, until Saturday, Sept. 29.

Each member of the 12-person team runs three legs of the race -- an average of 16.6 miles per runner. The rules of the race require that runners complete their respective segments in rotation; so the runner of the first leg of the race must also run the 13th and 25th legs; the second leg runner completes the 14th and 26th legs, and so forth.

Over 575 runners in more than 50 teams competed in last year's Reach the Beach Relay. The winning time posted was 20:32:49, but other teams took more than 30 hours to complete the course.

Although competitive, the race is characterized by sportsmanship and good humor, as evidenced by the teams' names. The winners last year in the Mixed Open category (in which Yale and Harvard will compete) called themselves the "Fat Bastards." They will be returning to defend their title this year. Among the other teams entered in this year's race are "Crouching Runners, Hidden Crutches," "Last is OK," "The Free Radicals" and "Weakest Link."

Neither Yale nor Harvard expects to come in first overall in the race. "Just finishing is our primary goal," says Keenan. "Finishing before Harvard is a close second, though."

But this is about more than just bragging rights, he explains. As part of the Yale students' challenge to Harvard, each team agreed to raise at least $10,000 in running pledges (a little more than $800 per runner). These pledges will be pooled and then distributed following the conclusion of the race to local community service organizations selected by the teams. The winning team will receive 65% of the $20,000 to donate to the programs of their choice; the other team will receive the remaining 35%.

As an extra incentive, the teams can deduct a minute off their finishing times for every $50 they raise above $15,000.

If the Yale team wins, the proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity New Haven, which helps low-income families realize their dreams of becoming homeowners; and All Our Kin, an early childhood education collaborative. (See related story, this page.)

The Harvard Law School team is competing on behalf of Summerbridge Cambridge, a tuition-free academic enrichment program for motivated middle school students in the Cambridge (Massachusetts) public school system; and the Tri City Housing Task Force, which provides shelter for 54 Boston-area families, and also sponsors support programs, housing search assistance, and children's programs for homeless families.

The Yale team has also begun conversations with the Harvard runners about donating some of the money raised to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Yale team is composed of six women and six men -- most of whom trained on their own this summer and have been training together since the beginning of the school year (see related story on this page). Ten members of the relay team participated together in Labor Day's New Haven Road Race.

In addition to the Yale team's enthusiasm, inspiration, training, experience, strategy and strong community support, Keenan insists that there is one element that will contribute to Yale's preeminence, a "secret weapon" that will ensure the Yalies cross the finish line ahead of their Crimson rivals. "The race starts in the mountains and continues through some fairly hilly terrain," he says, "Our legs are going to need to be able to handle the inclines -- and the descents -- without cramping or injury.

"The last I checked, there aren't many hills in Cambridge; all they've got is the Charles River," he notes. "But we have East Rock. And we've been running it whenever we can." The team members hope this training will help give them a strong finish -- for themselves and for New Haven.

For more information on the Yale Law vs. Harvard Law 200-Mile Relay Challenge, see the official race website at http://www.rtbrelay.com or contact Team Captain Kevin Keenan at kevin.keenan@yale.edu. Contributions to help the team cross the $15,000 fundraising threshold are also welcome.

All for charity: Runners support local efforts

All Our Kin, one of the New Haven organizations that the Yale team is championing during the Reach the Beach Challenge against Harvard, was cofounded by Jessica Sager, a 1999 graduate of the Yale Law School.

Through the program, single parents on public assistance meet state workfare requirements by working with their own children in an on-site lab school. The parents enrolled in the All Our Kin program receive on-the-job training to become professional early childhood educators, allowing graduates of the program to establish family day care centers or to obtain employment with existing day care centers.

It was team member Laura Provinzino who suggested All Our Kin as a beneficiary of the Reach the Beach Challenge. "I attended a fundraiser last year, in which a welfare-to-work mom trained through All Our Kin spoke of the tremendous courage and confidence that the program has instilled in her," recalls Provinzino. "I found her speech inspiring and was excited to learn about the positive things happening in New Haven through the commitment and dedication of one of our own [Yale Law School graduates]."

Similarly, the team's captain, Kevin Keenan, has volunteered for years with Habitat for Humanity New Haven. He has been impressed by the personal stories of the individuals who have been helped by the organization, which is dedicated to providing affordable homes to low-income families.

"Replacing a boarded-up empty house with a first-class house for a family improves the quality of life for a whole neighborhood," says Keenan.

"Everyone on our team is receiving inspiration from the organizations we've selected, and we're committed to winning the challenge for them," he adds.

Team will draw on its members' diverse talents

The Yale team members' running abilities are as diverse as their backgrounds and their professional aspirations.

David Marcus (LAW '02) describes himself as a "kamikaze runner" due to his tendency to "run as fast as I can." Marcus suffered a debilitating injury during the Texas State High School Cross Country Championships in 1993, which prevented him from running competitively in college (at Harvard). The Reach the Beach Challenge thus represents Marcus' racing come-back. Upon graduation, he will opt for a judicial clerkship.

On the other side of the running experience spectrum is Adam Grumbach (LAW '02), who taught in the New York City public school system for seven years before coming to Yale Law School. When asked how long he has been a runner, he responds, "Rarely." He describes his approach to the race as "run until the joints give out -- I may die of exhaustion before I cross the finish line." Assuming he survives, Grumbach plans to clerk for a year following his graduation from Law School and then will work in juvenile criminal defense.

Chris Hales (LAW '04) is a first-year student, and one of the newest members on the team. Badminton is his primary sport -- he has competed nationally and internationally (including a stint on the U.S. national squad) -- but running has always played a part in his training. He describes his greatest running attribute as "consistency."

Laura Provinzino (LAW '03) began running seriously when she was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford several years ago. She characterizes her running strength as "endurance, not speed." Provinzino hopes to work as a public defender when she graduates, and eventually to teach law.

The most dedicated member of the Yale team may well be Emily Pierce (LAW '02), who was married on Sept. 9, but still found time that morning to join the team for a training run. She ran with her high school track team and now coaches track at Hillhouse High School in New Haven. Last May, she placed third in her age group in the Milford 5K Run.

James Gooch (LAW '02) is the support captain for the team and will coordinate its extensive logistical needs, including food, transport, on-the-road sleeping and medical care. Gooch's parents, who recently moved to New Hampshire, will provide lodging and hospitality for the team. Gooch is not a runner, but a fit former football player, who grew up playing ball at Amity High. He now coaches Amity's freshman team when his Law School classes allow.

The Yale Law School team extends beyond the school's student body, as well, to faculty and parents. Professor Dan Kahan, an avid runner who was recently sidelined by a leg injury, has volunteered to be an alternate runner, should he be needed. And the team's support squad is being augmented by Kevin Keenan's "enthusiastic Mom and quietly suffering Dad."

-- By Elizabeth Stauderman

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

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Perspectives from Yale Experts

In the Wake of Tragedy

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'Be part of the community' psychiatrist urges in tragedy's wake

IN FOCUS: Mental Health Services

Experts to discuss 'The Development of Earth and Its Life'

Tercentennial exhibit showcases British masterpieces

Early European views of 'Wilde Americk' explored in exhibit

Law School 'runners' hope to beat Harvard to the beach

Yale employees being treated to free football, tailgate party

Conference to examine disparities in health care based on sex, race and income

Peabody invites all interested to volunteer open house

Memorial Services

Campus Notes

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