South Philly Special: A Distance Run for Pop-Pop
Four months ago, I signed up for the eleventh annual Philly 10K. I have run this race a couple times, but this year was special. I organized a group in memory of my grandfather, Charles Palladino Senior, with a few of my cousins. We call him Pop-Pop, for short.
Given his physical education prowess as a gym teacher and father of seven, Pop-Pop was always on his feet, hitting the pavement or track. There was no question that his stamina could push through any struggle, as he trained for and completed a marathon in his 50’s with his two sons. He has run countless local races, with many ribbons and pictures in his basement gym. A second-generation immigrant from Italy, he married his wife, Catherine McConomy, in Philadelphia before moving his growing family of seven to a suburb of New Jersey. Through twenty years working as a physical education teacher in the Delran school district, he has altered the lives of not only his children but countless students with his positive guidance. He passed away last year near the end of October, culminating ninety years as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, neighbor, coach, and avid runner. His life has imbued a positive force in everyone that has met him, as well as those who only know his reputation as “Mr. Pal”.
The day before the race, I woke up early, gathered a bag of essentials, and started the long drive to Philadelphia from Glens Falls, New York. When I arrived at Center City Philadelphia, the sun was shining, and the crowd was bustling in the final days of summer. The race packet pickup was situated at the Cherry Street Pier, overlooking the Delaware River and the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. I walked past many different popup shops, selling bedazzled sports jerseys, nostalgic videogames, and unique gifts. There was even a rapper rhythmically sparring his verses to an upbeat crowd. I retrieved my numbered bib, shirt, and hat. The quality of the shirt and hat was topnotch, well worth the price.
I then traveled over the bridge to Cinnaminson, New Jersey to visit family as well as my grandmother. I showed off the sticker with Pop-Pop’s face that will emblazon our race shirts tomorrow, wishing my grandmother well and telling her about life in upstate New York. I enjoyed dinner and conversation with my father and siblings before driving to my mother’s home in Riverside, New Jersey. Retiring early in the guest bedroom, I noted that we will reconnect after the race tomorrow and check out her new backyard patio.
Waking up before dawn at the early hour of five o’clock on Sunday, I groggily ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, got dressed in running clothes, and drove back across the bridge to Center City Philadelphia. I had researched a reasonably-priced parking garage on Chestnut Street the night before that was only a half mile walk from the South Street starting line. Once I parked the car and began walking, I felt a chill in the air, not only from the temperature but the quiet darkness of the city. A few police officers and nightshift medical personnel passed by on the sidewalk, not even glancing at the half-dozen sleeping homeless people on the ground. As I reached South Street, the hustle and bustle of the city began to arise, from race staff finishing preparations to the city’s public works team setting up dozens of outdoor bathrooms.
I passed by lots of runners as I made my way to the bag drop-off area on 4th Street. The volunteers manning the station took my bag, tied a small race number to it, and wished me luck. Glancing at my watch, I hurriedly made my way to Starbucks on 9th Street where my cousins and I agreed to meetup prior to the start. Deciding I needed an extra boost of energy, I snagged a cup of black coffee and chatted with a few runners nearby until I spotted Nick, Mary, Maryann, and Mikey. All of them were wearing sleeveless shirts as I gave each of them a sticker with our grandfather’s face on it.
We still had less than an hour left until the start time, so Maryann, Mikey, and I walked around the block to warm our legs while Nick and Mary lightly jogged. We all met back up near the race starting banner on 8th Street to get a commemorative photo before we dispersed to our starting corrals. I was assigned corral C which began two blocks from the starting line. The speakers were blaring Doechii’s Anxiety, a humorously apt song choice, followed by Florence and the Machine’s Dog Days are Over. The race director announced, soon after, the local singer performing the Star-Spangled Banner. It was beautifully recited, and once the singer finished, she headed back into the corrals to get ready to run. (Talk about pre-race nerves: singing the American anthem and then competing in a race)
As the first couple corrals began, I noticed bubbles being blown out of a second-floor window; a woman peaking her smiling face out. It reminded me of the lovely headshot photoshoot back in Glens Falls, New York a month ago at Jess Keller’s Light and Lens studio. Chuck Copenspire and her orchestrated beautifully framed shots with bubbles floating around. Moving up toward the starting line, the blinding light from the sun filled the streets as the race director shouted for corral C to begin the race.
The crowd immediately began to disperse, runners swiftly moving around each other, eager to make head way at the start. After the first right turn onto Sixth Street, I noticed two cones in the middle of the road up ahead. The cones were highlighting a large pothole, but it did not stop a runner in front of me from leaping over it. With a snap judgement, I braced myself and sprinted forward, leaping a couple feet forward in the air. I landed on solid, even pavement, hearing a few cheers around me. As we turned left onto Washington Avenue, the road widened as the crowds cheered on sidewalks. Before we turned onto East Moyamensing Avenue, the street narrowed slightly with construction fencing on a bike path.
When we turned onto Snyder Avenue, all of us runners were relieved to find a line of tables and volunteers handing out water. I recognized a few faces from the Philadelphia November Project group. I opted to push through a little longer, thanking the volunteers, as the powerful percussions and strings from How to Train Your Dragon’s “Test Drive” starts playing in my earbuds. My legs picked up speed, feeling weightless like Hiccup and Toothless gliding through the skies. I saw runners giving sweaty hugs to family and friends along the sideline who were excited to see them along the course.
After eight city blocks, we turned right onto 13th Street as the townhomes broke through the sun and offered a shady reprieve. A policeman up ahead was blasting the Rocky theme song, a fifty-year staple of Philadelphia. Runners cheered and clapped his hand as they passed by. The musical interludes of Rocky were perfectly timed, as we swiftly ran through Dickinson Street, East Passyunk Avenue, and 9th Street toward the Italian Market section of the city. The celebrated (and contested) cheesesteak competitors, like Geno’s and Pat’s, dominated the crowded streets, along with many delicatessens and butcher shops surrounded by townhomes.
Across from Geno’s Steaks, I noticed the Philly Runners group, known as Run and Chuggers colloquially, manning the second water station. I recognized an old friend, Larry Powell, striding toward him with a hand outstretched for a running high five. After the race, he told me that he loved my new beard. The course made its way back to Washington Avenue before venturing north along 13th Street toward Locust Street. I saw many rainbow crosswalks and street signs, the sun shining down above the buildings, to illuminate their vibrant colors, as we entered the “Gayborhood”. Officially commemorated in 2007 by then-Mayor John Street, this section of Philadelphia has LGBTQIA+ friendly bars, restaurants, bookstores, and other spots for folks to come together with pride.
We headed south down 12th Street passing the third water station, manned by volunteers from Students Run Philly Style. The organization has many ongoing programs to cultivate mentorships between students and local leaders that help them achieve fitness and community goals. Taking a swig of water, I ecstatically saw the mile five marker; the race was almost finished. The crowd cheered around us, as we turned onto Christian Street toward 7th Street. My earbuds began to play Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as we turned the corner back onto South Street, the finish line straight ahead.
Feeling adrenaline pumping through my body, I picked up speed and crossed the finish. I waved to Nick and Mary who congratulated me from the sidelines as I walked along the final corral, grabbing a water bottle, banana, and wet towel to cool and replenish my body. Grabbing my drawstring bag from the bag check tent, I headed back toward the finish to connect with Nick and Mary as well as watch Maryann and Mikey finish the race. Once we were all together, we headed toward the race celebration area. Snaking through lines of runners, we snagged a cold beer from Brewery Ars.
The craft brewery started in 2016 with Sean and Andy Arsenault on West Passyunk Avenue, opening up shop in an old autobody shop. Their flagship beer, Wayne’s Pale Ale, was made in honor of their father who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. In fact, a portion of all sales goes to funding Parkinson's research. It has a refreshing, citrusy taste, with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops, perfect for after atmosphere after the race.
We waited in another line of finishers, eager to quench our tastebuds with a popsicle from the Lil’ Pop Shop truck, grab a can of Athletic Brewing’s selection of non-alcoholic beers, and snag a granola bar from Made Good. While waiting, we chatted with each other and the other runners about our race experience, past and future travel plans, and the trials of training runs. After our heads cooled down from popsicle-induced brain freeze, we headed north toward our cars and wished each other well.
The eleventh annual Philly 10K was a fantastic experience, well worth the travel for those out of state. It brings together so many groups that make South Philadelphia a wonderful place to be. This year, among my cousins and myself, our hearts and minds were united in saying, “This is for you, Pop-Pop!”
