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“There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.”
So it is perhaps no accident that the oldest and largest canoe triathlon in the US, if not the world, is named in his honor. For 23 straight years, people from all over this country and from distant lands have come to Stockbridge Bowl to struggle against other teams, and themselves, in freewheeling competition known as the Great Josh Billings RunAground. “To Finish is to Win” is another appropriate bon mot from Josh and for many of the nearly 400 teams which compete, from canoe, to bicycle to foot, this is enough. Though the early years of the RunAground were characterized by a loose conglomeration of funky athletes in cutoffs and T-shirts, riding knobby old bikes from the garage, the race has evolved; now, Lycra suits and canoes made of space age materials can be found, yet the spirit remains surprisingly the same. The race has spawned it's own legends; in addition to there never having been a cancellation of the race, a number of competitors have participated for 20 years in a row. Though the race itself is the focus of the day, there is quite a festive atmosphere, almost like a carnival. Many people come early and set up informal encampments, even the occasional Conestoga wagon loaded with lounge chairs and barbecue. At 9-ish the race kicks off, with the more serious teams completing in under three hours and the more casual staggering in several hours following. There are generally a number of bands, foods and drinks. According to some of the race's organizers, many people start out canoeing for the fun of it, fall in love with the sport, and move on to the national canoeing circuit. The conventional wisdom is that the race is won or lost in the canoe portion, and this portion draws a large cross section of the amateurs and the elite. Among the nationally ranked athletes who have competed are such familiar names as Sue and Cathy Korte, Tim and Jeff Winkler, Ron Estes and Cort McDermot. Some facts: "The 24th Annual Great Josh Billings RunAground takes place this year September 17th, 2000. The scenic course starts at the Price Chopper Plaza (on Rte 7) in Great Barrington, MA with the 27-mile bike leg. This first leg finishes at the Stockbridge Bowl Boat ramp off Rte. 183 in Stockbridge, where the hand-off to the canoeist takes place. The canoe portion takes a counter-clockwise route 1 3/4 times around the lake with the transition at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. The runner runs clockwise around the lake, finishing at the Main Gate entrance to beautiful Tanglewood Music Festival Grounds.” Click here to continue or here to return to the introduction.
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Words to live by, to be sure, and the words are from one of America's most beloved humorists, the great Josh Billings. Though sometimes thought to be merely a legend, Josh, the nom de plume of Henry Wheeler Shaw, was in his day one of the most sought after lecturers and authors in this country, often performing for crowds of thousands with his bucolic wisdom and skewed grammar. Born in Lanesboro in 1818, he restlessly kicked around Western Mass until his father dispatched him out to The Frontier with $10 in his pocket. Henry tried writing, and in the tradition of the day, used several different pen names (including “Ephram” and “Sledgelength”) before settling on “Josh,” in tribute of a deceased friend. He went from writing newspaper articles to successful books; his spoof of the Farmer's Almanac sold 90,000 copies, an astounding figure for the mid-19th century. His literary reputation as a “sagacious rube” made him a wealthy man and the toast of US Presidents; Lincoln often quoted Billings at his Cabinet meetings. He epitomized the charm, wit and resourcefulness, which characterized the early Berkshires.
