I ran at FP (Barnstable HS) in the mid/late '90s and remember this guy (I think it was him).
Was he the one who would talk to himself while looking at results at the finish line...sometimes muttering while writing neatly in pencils the times and places of the day?
I didn't know he had an awards ceremony - how did/does one get invited?
The lasting image I have of Mike is from after an invitational meet in 86. A friends parents were getting ready to take a picture of me with my parents. Mike was nearby and not only did he force his way into the picture, he squeezed my parents out. So the result was a picture of me with Mike, and my parents in the background with confused looks on their faces, trying to be seen through the gap between my head and Mike's. That picture was displayed prominently in my room for years, and still makes me smile when I think about it.
Also, after one DCL League Meet, the results were given to Mike (for some unknown reason) to deliver to the scorer. Mike lost the results in the 100 yard walk, and was banned from future meets. Anyone who was around then can probably still hear him telling the story. The way he emphasized the word "banned" still rings in my head.
And let's not forget that though the banquets may have been funded by the can collection, he also collected enough to buy a $5000 "double die" penny, which he was very proud of.
2004 Mahon Runner of the Year, right here.
Man, us Metro-West runners knew we'd hit the big time when Mike knew our names and started shaking our hands after meets. He loved my team, CC.
"Concord Carsile, 53 conskecutive victories"
Last I saw him - which was only a month or so ago - he was stripping down the results of the state meet from the back of the trailer repeatedly saying, "All the results will be on CoolRunning anyhow. They're not needed here." (He was pocketing the results for his own record keeping.)
ROFL.
You have GOT to be kidding me? Mike???
Well, he IS a savant. Mike, however, does have some issues: primarily hygiene problems and a VERY LOUD VOICE.
He is however a stone cold FANATIC about HS X-C and minor league football, collecting cans and bottles for recycling...and...COIN collecting (see below). He runs that annual x-c banquet sponsored by the local paper too at his own expense. You absolutely have to respect his dedication.
Ask him about his double-stroke Lincoln penny sometime.
He was around 5:30 per mile or so on the x-c courses during his running days at Keefe Tech.
He has the neatest block printing of any human being I have ever met. He holds the pen in the palm of his hand when he does it, but it is darned near professional quality.
He is an associate of sorts of Larry Olsen's, too. I believe another local legend, Ken Mueller, knows Mike as well. Larry was still winning races outright up to 4-5 years ago as a Senior (and made the Oly Trials in the marathon twice), and I believe Ken still holds the US record for the one hour run for age 35 men in addition to having a memory that goes back to the golden age of running tales of the pre-boom era (plus a sh*tload of race wins at varying distances).
...'closed head injury'?????
WOW, I never knew that. Thanks for that info, I had never heard that. I always was under the impression that Mike was 'special' from birth or some such.
Still, he sure is a local legend, and anyone who stole anything from HIM is the lowest of lowlifes.
bump
Yup that's Mike. Of course that photo is a few years old if I am not mistaken.
Mike can be intimidating when you first meet him, but once you get adjusted (believe me it is YOU that must do the adjusting) he can be interesting in an off-key sort of way.
Odds are he wouldn't harm a fly, but if you did not know him you'd never guess.
His dedication to the local high school x-c scene is actually sort of heartwarming in a way.
I remember DIGITAL Equipment Corporation used to put on a road race up in Maynard, MA around Memorial Day.
Mike went out with the leaders one year, as a legit competitor, running at 5-flat or better pace (against guys like Bart Petracca, Larry Olsen, John Isabelle, Van Townsend, maybe Guy Stearns) one year.
It was hot as blue blazes and humid. Mike hung in there for a bit over a mile or so. It was after the mile marker, when the course went off that highway (maybe route 27?) into a shady area, when his wheels came off.
Mike was covered with rivers of sweat (he wore no shirt that day), his eyes were glazed over and he was walking by the time I passed him (having played it VERY conservatively that day), but he had taken it out HARD and left it all on the road that day.
He did not lack for competitive guts.
Aside from the famous Mike Mahon Banquets, the CFL jersey and the unique (and very impressive) handwritting, I'd have to say that my most vivid memory of mike mahon was immediately after my (not very good..) race in the state meet at FP a few years ago. I was bent over with exhaustion and disappointment and on the verge of tears when Mahon comes running over and holds up his tape recorder shouting "How does it feel that you team lost and you moved down in the mahon rankings?!" It wasn't exactly what I needed to hear right then. But, as bummed as I was about the race, this reminds me of how dedicated Mahon is to the sport of cross country and to his records and rankings. I even saw him a few weeks ago at the Northeast Regional meet and Franklin Park. It made me miss highschool cross country and all the crazy characters that come along with it. He truly deserves his self appointed nickname "Mr. Cross Country". Does anyone know about the progress of the movie he was going to make called mr. cross country? I remember he talked about it for a good half hour at one of the banquets... Below are two links: the first is Mahon posing with our team and THE CUP! in the second one you can see a more recent picture with his CFL jersey. (instead of "cheese" he was saying "just do it":-))
My most vivid mahon memory came from a few years ago, when both Concord Carlisle XC teams won his cup. My father coached the girls team. We came home one night to find a message on our phone from Mahon. It was so loud that we could hold the phone in the middle of the room and still hear it. He counted down, from eigth place, the top teams in his ranking, finally finishing by yelling
"AND THE WINNER IS THE CONCORD CARLISLE PATRIOTS!!!"
I mean he was screaming. We had to wonder where he was making this call from.
My father always said that he knew the season had started when his phone rang and Mahon was on the line.
A bump of sorts. I saw Mike pedaling in his indomitably determined fashion in downtown Ashland last week with the ever present (and bulging) trash bag over his shoulder.
One of a kind.
Bump for love. Mike is the man!
I ran for Marlboro in the mid-late 80's and remember Mahon coming to most of our meets and many practices.
Crazy guy - but definitely sincere about Central Mass HS cross country. I remember getting a plaque for making the "All Mahon" team...did not attend the banquet, but was impressed that a seemingly homeless man with a large can collection could and would give out awards and have a banquet.
The bic pen interviews were priceless.
The poster that said he was right on with his predictions was correct...and the small typewriter like hand writing on his notepad, written while he held his pen in the grip of his hand...
I think he became justified when his Mahon pole would be published in the Metrowest News...
All in all, a little kooky, but great for XC.
Natick Runner wrote:
In a recent post regarding all time Massachusetts runners, someone had the idea to mention the great Mike Mahon. This guy deserves his own thread, to honor him and for others to get to know him. The best way to describe him is a Cross Country Savant. He creates a poll of the top 25 HS runners and HS teams in the Metro West Area of Massachusetts. This guy has a flavor all of his own. Lets start sharing some more stories of this guy.
0/10
Mike Mahon sighting at shrewsbury-westboro dual yesterday.
entertained all w/ play by play at the start.
or at least entertained those not frightened away.
apparently this dual meet was the opener for all of new england xc - 2009. "Its ON, baby."
After losing 15-48, the westboro varsity girls may have been a little surprised at the finish being interviewed and asked for their names and times. (all in 23-26min range)
Surprised, but cooperative, its all good.
Does he still come to meets and do this?? I really hope so.
massrunnerrr2 wrote:
Does he still come to meets and do this?? I really hope so.
Of course he does. He's at almost every single DCL meet
I read through this thread out of curiosity and enjoyed the stories (I grew up in Seattle). Found this video that summed up the image you guys have painted through your stories. Love it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV52xzeRre8
Great stories here!
It's amazing how many different generations have the same stories.
I ran for Larry Olsen at Milford in the late 90s / early 2000s and my team had most of the very same experiences posted here.
Fantasy CFL with Lord Zed, bic pen / marker interviews, Mike catching a ride on the team bus ("drop me off at that tree!"), Mike singing the theme song from Godzilla vs Mothra on the bus, his amazing recall of stats - he saw me at a college meet years after I'd graduated HS and rattled off some of my unimpressive results (that I'd forgotten)... and so many more.
Also - I was at that Mahon awards banquet with Al Sal filling the role as key note speaker... amazing! The following year, Mike gave an award at the banquet titled the "Charlie Manson Award". That kid's parents must have been so proud!
