Few people have been part of the Sam Lapidus Montclair Run for as long as Dr. Gary Monheit. A dedicated LJCC member and longtime volunteer, Gary was involved in the early planning stages of the race and served on The J’s executive committee when the Run was still a new annual event. He credits several early organizers (especially Bert Bloomston, whom he calls “one of the fathers of the race”) for helping establish what has since become one of Birmingham’s favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions.
Today, the Monheit family continues that legacy, faithfully operating the Putnam turnaround station each year, where they’ve cheered on 10k runners for more than two decades. We sat down with Gary to hear his reflections on the SLMR’s history, his family’s traditions, and what keeps them coming back year after year.
LJCC: How long have you been volunteering for the SLMR?
GM: I guess it’s been since the mid-’90s that we started working the turnaround — probably even before that. I remember my youngest daughter, who’s now in her 40s, was with us during the race when we did the turnaround. So probably we started that in the ’90s.
We can always depend on the Monheit family to staff the 10k turnaround station. What does this event mean to you and your family?
It’s a family gathering. We either work the race or run the race, then we all go to the Pancake House or somewhere nearby for breakfast. We watch football in the afternoon and then have Thanksgiving dinner around six o’clock — about 25 or 30 of us total.
Having the race on Thanksgiving is just perfect. Everybody’s off, so they bring families, kids, baby carriages, even dogs. It’s a way of socializing, meeting people — a real community event celebrating The J and celebrating Thanksgiving.
What’s your favorite part of race day?
Being at the turnaround is an opportunity to see everybody racing, from the fastest to the last. Seeing people (half of them wanting to give me a hug) and encouraging them to go on — that’s my favorite part. We encourage them all and give them a big smile and push them back up the hill. That’s what’s so fun, seeing people and greeting old friends again.
Do you have a favorite SLMR t-shirt you’ve collected over the years?
I like this one [pointing to his cobalt-blue sweatshirt from 2004]. These were the days we had sweatshirts. That was a nice thing, and I’m glad you’re bringing that back next year for the 50th.
The Montclair Run was renamed in 2009 to honor Sam Lapidus, who succumbed to Ewing sarcoma the previous year. What was it like to see the community rally around the cause when the race was renamed?
Billy and I go way back. He’s a good friend and runs the race every year, and it’s great that the race memorializes Sam. It was meaningful to have the community rally around him at the time, because Sam used to run it and was a regular with his dad.
What are some of the best costumes you’ve seen?
All the variations of turkeys are great. Some people have clown costumes, some of the girls wear little tutus. Costumes are encouraged, and that’s meaningful because this isn’t just a running race. For 90 percent of the people, it’s an event — a community event to get together. That’s what separates it.
The 49th Annual Sam Lapidus Montclair Run returns this Thanksgiving morning, November 27. Add the SLMR to your family’s holiday traditions by registering to run (or walk) or volunteer today. Early-bird pricing ends Monday!