text: Ever since man invented the wheel the animal kingdom had a hard time adjusting When cars were invented animals had to learn to avoid them...many failed. Then in the spring of 1985 a squirrel named Bert Beckerman got an idea He would make this killer of all animals - the most extreme sport of all time Here is how it goes Bert would mark a line in the road where the car would pass through. He would then draw a line for the starting point. When the car would pass through the first line, you would know when to start. The quickest you can get to the other side without being squashed was the time to beat. If you got hit or stopped halfway you lost Bert cleverly called the sport “Running” and started telling everyone First it was just Squirrels but then Opossums, Raccoons even Deer started playing Some would make it across, and some, well some wouldn’t make it past the first tire. But it seemed everyone wanted to at least try Running and the sport took off Bert was at the head of it all. He made “official races” on Saturday afternoons, the crowds would form on both sides of the road, and the lines were painted in white. When the spotter saw a car coming down the road he would signal and the crowd would duck, once the car got passed the first line the racer would start running. Now most Runners used the 25 foot rule, 25 feet in between the lines, this way you have enough time to make it across but not enough time to mess up. Bert was different; being the pioneer of the sport he always tried to push the limits. He was the face of Running and let’s just say Bert was Bert’s worst enemy. Being in the spotlight, Bert could have his pick of the ladies, they would line up to see him train, flock to his appearances and would always fill the crowd to see him race. Burt knew it too and would show off at any chance he could. After each win, he would run into the crowd and give one lucky lady a kiss on the cheek They would cheer so loud you could hear it for miles. Burt completed his 23 foot run in mid July As he ran out to the crowd for the kiss one particular girl caught his eye Her name was Nancy Higgins and she was one of the most beautiful squirrels around As soon as their eyes met it was love at first site. Burt did everything he could to make that kiss land on only one girl’s cheek. And from that day forward every kiss from Burt was saved for Nancy It wasn’t long until Nancy Higgins became Mrs. Nancy Beckerman In the prime of his career Bert was not only the leader in the sport he created but a husband to an amazing wife. After a short while Bert became a father too James Joseph Beckerman (Jimmy for short) was born during the finals of the Running season. Bert was planning on beating his record of 23 feet by attempting a 21 foot run. No animal had survived in the past but Bert was determined. The date was set and the preparations were underway. On the day of the run Jimmy and Nancy were stationed right in the front of the crowd. Jimmy was only a baby then sleeping in his mother’s arms. Even the noise of the crowd didn’t wake him. They called Burt’s name up to the line and the crowd cheered. As Burt stood at the starting line and a squirrel walked up to him and said “ Could you do 20?” And without even thinking about it the word that came out of Burt’s mouth was “Yes” “Move the line up!” Said the squirrel “He’s going for 20!” The crowd cheered even louder “20! 20! 20!” Nancy was horrified but there was nothing she could do The line was set and the crowd stood back under the brush. Bert stepped up to the street and a drip of sweat slowly made its way down his face. His eyes focused on the horizon as a car quickly came near Burt takes a deep breath and one last look at Nancy and Jimmy in the crowd The car hits the mark and Burt is off and running but it’s coming too fast The driver is unaware of anything happening and hits the gas to save time on his commute Burt only gets halfway across when he realizes he can’t make it and he quickly tries to turn around The crowd gasps as Nancy covers Jimmy’s already closed eyes The driver notices the squirrel and tries to stop but it’s too late. Bert was buried in the grass by the spot where the accident occurred. The Running world was rocked, having lost their creator and face of the sport. Running groups disbanded and deemed too dangerous. Sponsorships where pulled and the sport of running died right along side of Bert. Nancy vowed to never tell Jimmy about Running or what really happened to his father. She packed up all of Bert’s awards, posters and trophies and put them into the attic and told Jimmy that Bert had gone away and would not be returning. Nancy wanted to make sure he knew nothing about Running because she couldn’t bear to lose another loved one to the sport but years went by and Jimmy grew up quick. The newspaper article on Running making a comeback landed on Nancy’s doorstep in June. Turns out a few Deer in Connecticut started a club and vowed to bring the sport back. Nancy was horrified at this because she knew eventually Bert’s legacy would be revealed to her son. She quickly scooped up the paper and threw it right out. Nancy wanted to do everything she could to keep Jimmy away. It wasn’t until mid July when Jimmy and his friends were playing in the woods did they come upon a campsite. The man at the campsite was fast asleep but in front of him was a portable TV. The squirrel kids crept up towards the TV and started to watch. “The number of road kill has doubled since summer started, it seems the animals are just trying to get run-over. The numbers haven’t been this high since the 80’s. Here is footage obtained from a highway cam in New York” “Why are they doing that?” asked Jimmy “My brother said its called running or something. Some crazy new sport, I bet you’d be good at that” said Jimmy’s friend “You know I probably would..” thought Jimmy “ I’m faster than any of those animals” and he was. The man slowly woke up and the animals scatter. A few days later Jimmy and his friends were kicking around a nut when one of the boys accidentally hit it towards the street. “I’ll get it!” said Jimmy as he ran up to the pavement. A car flew past him and the wind almost knocked him of his feet. “Don’t ever go in the road” he can hear his mother saying. “Actually.. maybe I shouldn’t” he said nervously to his friends. “Come on Jimmy, it’s like that running sport, you said you’d be good at it!” He stepped up to the street and watched as another car came speeding past. Starting to shake Jimmy looks back and sees his group of friends cheering him on. “Jimmy! Jimmy!” He sees a car coming up on the horizon, he hesitates for a second as the car get’s closer. “Go!” one of the boys yells and Jimmy was off. The other kids had never seen someone run as fast as he did, not only did he run across one side of the road but he managed to continue to the other side nearly missing a southbound car. When he got to the end of the street Jimmy kept on running. It wasn’t until a mighty oak tree put the brakes on him. Jimmy’s heart was pounding; he had a rush in his body that he had never felt before. “This is what the runners must feel like” he thought in between breaths “I could do this! I can be a runner!” He came home with a few scratches and Nancy asked what had happened. Jimmy told her about his run and Nancy’s heart dropped. “Get to your room and never come out!” She yelled. “But Mom why?” “ Get to your room! Don’t ever go near a street again!” Jimmy ran to his room and started to cry. He didn’t understand why his mother had yelled at him as she did. He didn’t understand what was so bad when he had felt so good afterwards. Nancy laid down a strict punishment to Jimmy but never told him the reasons behind it. Weeks past and Jimmy found himself wanting that rush more and more. Rain came down hard the next day which forced Jimmy inside. After a few meaningless activities he decided to explore his home. First he hit the basement, flashlight and all. Under a few boxes he found a pair of sneakers labeled “Bert” he thought nothing of it. He then snuck up into the attic. With flashlight in hand Jimmy started going through old boxes and chests that were now covered in dust. He was a pirate and he looking for his gold. One box stood out, it was large and had a tiny heart drawn on the top. Jimmy’s eyes grew wide. He started pulling out picture after picture, trophy after trophy, articles about Bert Bekerman being the fastest runner of all time. The he found a video tape that was labeled “20 foot run” it was the news cast of the race and he quickly put into the tv nearby and hit play. This was the first time Jimmy saw Bert. His jaw dropped. The newscast had a reel of Bert at his best, sliding by tires, leaving dust clouds as he would take off, his famous decent into the crowd after each victory. Then the beginning of Bert’s last race came on, Jimmy felt that rush in his belly again. It wasn’t until the light went on that Jimmy realized his mom was standing right there. “What are you doing Jimmy? Put that down! Turn that off!” “But Mom! I can do that! I’m really fast, I could be a champion just like dad!” “Don’t ever say that!” His mom yelled “You will never be like your father! You will never be a runner! Never!” Jimmy ran out of the room and Nancy gathered up the contents of the box and packed them onto her back. She came downstairs and walked out of the house. As soon as he hit his bed the tears flowed from his eyes. He had seen his father for the first time, in the sport he created. He had seen the glory and he had seen the fame. All he could think about now was how he wanted to be just like dad. It was September when Jimmy came upon a flyer in the woods. It talked about a local Running competition in October. All animals were invited to participate and the grand prize was huge. Jimmy knew it was wrong, he knew he would get in trouble if he was to participate but he also knew he’d win. He took the flyer, brought it home, filled out the information and put it in the mail on the way to school the next morning. He was determined. The day of the race was coming up fast and Jimmy knew he would need practice. He would walk away from his friends and Run, he would sneak out at night and Run. He would attempt to Run whenever he could get out of site of anyone. He was good at it, damn good. The day of the race the animals gathered. There was many different kinds, all thinking they were the best. The line was set and one by one the animals would attempt the 25 foot Run. Some made it through, some stopped in the middle and one attempt finished with an arm getting stuck under the last tire but the animal was still alive. They called Jimmy’s name. The announcer stopped when he read the last name. “ Is this possibly the son of Bert?” All eyes zoomed in on Jimmy. It was at this moment that Nancy, while flipping through the channels, saw her son on a local broadcast. “Noooo!” She screamed and ran out of the house towards the competition “Is that Bert’s kid?” “Oh my god is it?” the crowd continued to say An old squirrel walked up to Jimmy. “Are you really Bert’s son?” he said “Yes sir” Said Jimmy “Are you here to break your dad’s record?” Said the old Squirrel It was at that moment that the words “yes” came out of Jimmy’s mouth. Jimmy didn’t recall putting the words there but that is what came out. “Move the line up!” Yelled the old squirrel “This is the son of Bert Bekhiman the greatest Runner of all time” The workers ran to the line and brought it forward “Good luck” said the old man as he walked away from the street. “Runner Ready!” Everything had happened so fast that Jimmy couldn’t even think about the dangers of what he had just done. He stepped up to the street and watched as cars zipped past him. “Runner set!” Jimmy could hear in the distance a familiar voice “Jimmy no!” That feeling hit his stomach again and a drip of sweat slowly made its way down his face “Runner go!” Jimmy saw the car hit the line and he knew it was now or never. He began to run but his little foot slipped on the dirt costing him seconds of time. Jimmy got passed the first tire and in an attempt to reach the second he jumped. The crowd gasped, Nancy finally makes it to the street. Jimmy’s lifeless body rolls onto the median, his tail still sitting where the tire made contact. “Nooooo!” Nancy yelled as the crowd went silent. Visions of Bert rushed through her head as she ran to the street to get her son. The crowd bows their heads. Nancy makes it up to her son and then falls to her knees. Jimmy picks his head up from the grass and whispers “Mommy?” “Yes Jimmy! It’s me!” Nancy cries. Jimmy’s looks into Nancy’s eyes and says... “I did it” The tears flowed from Nancy’s face as she wrapped her arms around her son “You did Jimmy, You did” Once the crowd realized he was alive they cheered so loud you could hear it for miles. Still to this day Jimmy’s 20 foot run has never been beaten. Even you may come upon animals attempting to break the record. Out of nowhere they dash in front of your car and don’t give you time to react. Just stay straight and don’t hit the gas, you may be helping the next star of the most extreme sport in the animal kingdom - Running.