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Ironman Ty Hadley, 74, Is Man to Beat at Eppie’s Great Race 2010
By Staff Writer
Close
to 3600 entrants will meet on the American River Parkway on Saturday,
July 17, to compete in the 37th annual Eppie’s Great Race.
There will be over 2600 people competing in the relay section of The Great Race.
These three-person teams will be trying to beat the time set by The Great Race
Team one week prior to the actual event. The Great Race Team for 2010 consists
of runner Bethany Crouch, a reporter for KTXL Fox 40; cyclist Bill Bradley, sports
editor for The Sacramento Bee; and paddler Charlie Fox, a local businessman.
Any relay team that beats the time set by The Great Race Team will win a free
breakfast at a participating restaurant.
Another 400-plus entrants will be children and teens running the Kaiser Permanente
Thrive Kids Duathlon. It will be held on July 17, as well, and teams are made
up of children from 6 to 17 years old. They will run a 2-mile section and ride
a bike 5.75 miles.
The Ironwoman for 2010 is Pam Goodley, material program manager for Aerojet.
Ty Hadley, 74, is the official Ironman for The Great Race 2010.
There are currently 605 entrants in the Ironman and Ironwoman division. Both
Hadley and Goodley will run the course on July 7 to set their official time.
The Ironman division is made up of entrants who do all three relays alone; they
run 5.8 miles, ride a bile 12.5 miles and paddle a kayak 6.35 miles.
And Ty Hadley is certainly the man to beat, as his involvement in Eppie’s
Great Race completes a 30-year history.
“I first competed in The Great Race in 1980,” said Hadley. “While
I myself did not compete every year, I played a big role in getting youth teams
together and helping people train for the race. I have always been involved in
some way.”
Hadley was born in Illinois and raised in Southern California. He moved to Placerville,
California in 1971 because he loved the wide open spaces.
“I loved the outdoors,” said Hadley. “Horseback riding, swimming,
running – I did it all from a very young age.”
Hadley spent his career in education.
“I was a high school guidance counselor at Ponderosa High in Placerville.
In my opinion, that was the best job in the world. I love kids, and I met some
wonderful students. I helped them get scholarships, and I helped quite a few
of my students prepare for and enter The Great Race.”
“I was also a sort of consultant to the track coach,” said Hadley
with a smile. “And I was credentialed to work with disabled students.”
Married to wife Helen for 42 years, the couple has two grown children. Both children
work in education.
“I have always been an athlete,” said Hadley. “I was very competitive,
and running, biking and swimming were my favorite pastimes.”
“I had an accident mending fences when I was young. It was a pretty serious
back injury, and from that point on my right leg was weak and hard to use. So
I took up bike riding because it was the easiest sport to compete in.”
Hadley estimates that he has competed in the relay division at least 10 times
in the last 30 years. He has entered the Ironman division five times.
“I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005,” said Hadley. “I
was treated with radiation, and even though I was weak from the chemotherapy,
I still competed in The Great Race that year. I am definitely no quitter.”
Hadley also had two back surgeries, he tore an Achilles tendon loose, and he
broke his heel bone. Despite these injuries, he stayed involved with The Great
Race.
When asked why he has played such a large role in the history of Eppie’s
Great Race, Hadley said, “I love The Great Race because it inspires so
many people to get fit, train and exercise. I also enjoyed getting my students
involved in The Great Race. I would help them assemble teams, train and get the
right equipment.”
“Eppie’s Great Race is a realistic challenge. It’s not a tough
triathlon. Anyone can do it,” said Hadley.
“And my time will not be that tough to beat,” he remarked.
“Every day I do something. I run, paddle or bike. I work out five days
a week. Depending on the weather and circumstances, sometimes I will do two workouts
a day.”
The Great Race has played a huge role in Hadley’s life, and at age 74,
he has no plans to slow down now.
“On Wednesday, July 7, I will set my time for the Ironman division to beat.
If I can do this, so can others,” he concluded with a shrug.
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