Metcalfes stage annual relay run reunion
When you run for the Metcalfes + Friends Klondike Road Relay team, there's a special kind of motivation to finish your leg.
A gaffe during your run, and you could end up in the eternal annals of family lore.
Since 1990, Juneau's Metcalfe family has had a reunion of sorts every September on the road from Skagway to Whitehorse.
Eight of the nine siblings have run at one time or another, while the ninth has participated as a support driver. All nine - and a cousin - were part of the race in 2000, when the family celebrated its centennial in Alaska.
"We're not a competitive team," said Kim Metcalfe, who helped start the team, which now runs in the Masters Mixed division.
"The only rule is that you finish your leg," said Kim's brother, Peter Metcalfe.
He learned that first-hand four years ago, when his legs gave out midway through his part of the race.
"The very thought of becoming a family joke was the thing that kept me going," Peter Metcalfe said.
He completed the leg - barely. At the time, one family member asked him if he wanted "GU," a high-energy gel.
"I am GU," was Peter's response.
Fourteen years of relays have provided countless memories for the Metcalfes. As with many teams, some of the best come from the nighttime legs.
"I like the night leg," Mac Metcalfe said. "It's where everyone gets tired and silly. It's like we revert to being kids again."
And after the race is done, the team enjoys the drive back to Skagway.
"We go back in daylight and relive the legs," Kim Metcalfe said.
This year's Metcalfes + Friends team includes Pat Gullefsen, Kim Metcalfe, Neal Fried, Mac Metcalfe, Peter Metcalfe, Jake Metcalfe, Tom Meyer, Patrice Metcalfe Parker, Hollis French and Bonnie Cudnohufsky.
Andrew Krueger can be reached at akrueger@juneauempire.com.