Postcard from Buffalo: The Dead Runner’s Toast by Elizabeth Lavis

Step into the chilled wind-whip streets of Buffalo in this edition of 'Postcards', as we journey through the city's rich running culture and traditions. In this touching episode, Elizabeth Lavis, a runner herself, tells the tale of the Dead Runners Toast, a revered tradition of the Belle Watling Running Club, one of the oldest running clubs in Buffalo.

This is not just a story about running; it's a heartfelt tribute to community, friendship, and the indomitable spirit of perseverance. We navigate the vibrant history of the Dead Runners Toast, tracing its origin to Buffalo's oldest dive bar, the House O'Quinn. We honor the legacy of the club's founder, Dick Sullivan, delve into the club's high-spirited post-race celebrations, and reflect on the solemnity of the 2021 toast, made even more poignant by Sullivan's absence.

Read the original article: https://medium.com/@elizabethlavis/the-dead-runners-toast-72767d3a1e96

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome, fellow wanderers, to a delightful
addition to the Global Journeyswith Jill Dutton podcast
introducing Postcards yourpassport to bite-sized travel
tales.
I'm Jill Dutton, your guide inthis audio expedition, and I'm
thrilled to embark on thesejourneys with you.
In this new segment, postcards,we're flipping through the
vibrant pages of travel,offering you quick glimpses into

(00:26):
the captivating world thatawaits beyond our doorsteps.
These audio snapshots aredesigned to be your pocket-sized
companions, perfect for thosemoments when you yearn for a
touch of wanderlust but areshort on time.
While our traditionalfull-length episodes will
continue to immerse you in therich narratives of the
individuals I've encounteredduring my travels, postcards
steps into the spotlight as afrequent rendezvous with travel

(00:48):
essentials brief, insightful andready to transport you to
far-flung corners of the globe.
But further ado, welcome tothis installment of Postcards.
Postcard the Dead Runners Toastby Elizabeth Lavis.
The runners at 67 West are aragtag bunch, half in the bag,

(01:12):
half defrosted from their 5kilometer early morning run
through Buffalo's wind-whipstreets.
If there are two things thatBuffaloeans love, it's
slathering wing sauce oneverything and waking up in the
pale, frigid hours ofThanksgiving morning to
participate in thelongest-running turkey trot in
the country.
After the race, runners grab aquick beer and a banana at the

(01:33):
convention center before headinga few blocks north to Chippewa
Street.
Buffaloe's former red-lightdistrict has been the haunt of
the Bell-Wattling Running Clubfor decades and is home to toast
known by some as the DeadRunners Toast.
The Dead Runners Toast is aBell-Wattling Running Club
tradition.
The Bells are one of the oldestrunning clubs in Buffalo, if

(01:56):
not the oldest.
The club was a great way forpeople to get together and it
produced some damn fine runners.
In 1978, the Bells sent anelite team to the Boston
Marathon, beating a largerrunning club from Atlanta.
Founder Dick Sullivan himselfran 31 Boston Marathons.
67 West has been the unofficialhome of the Dead Beat Runners

(02:20):
Toast ever since its originalspot.
The House O'Quinn went through aposh transformation a few years
back.
The House O'Quinn was Buffalo'soldest dive mar and the Bells'
post-turkey trot haunt.
According to Bill Donnelly, along-time Bell and close friend
of the late Dick Sullivan, theBells would congregate at the

(02:40):
House O'Quinn for celebratoryred eyes, a gnarly brew of
tomato sauce and beer after therace.
Bill remembers the HouseO'Quinn as a real
hole-in-the-wall kind of place.
Rumor has it that there was anautographed picture of Oma
Menzin who played Bell-Wattlingfrom Gone, with the Wind
appropriately hanging on thewall.
The House O'Quinn was alsowhere Dick Sullivan first

(03:03):
started the toast back in the1990s.
It's unclear what the catalystwas, but once it started, the
Dead Runners Toast became assolidly buffalo-lonian as our
ill-placed ice-clogs Skyway andour heartbreaking sports teams.
In the words of the late greatDick Sullivan, the goal for next
year is not to make the list.

(03:23):
In the beginning, the list wasjust Bells who'd passed on.
It's since grown to accompanythe running community and
long-time volunteers.
It's becoming a way to payhomage to the Dead, celebrate
the living and honor the longtradition of slogging through
the slush and snow onThanksgiving morning, all to
take part in the fellowship thatis the Buffalo Running

(03:44):
Community.
The 2021 Dead Runners Toast wasmore somber than ever before
Dick Sullivan had died and hisabsence was palpable.
The raucous crowd of troddersquieted as Mary Magafin,
long-time toast leader, handedout white wax candles with small
paper circles affixed to catchthe drips.
Solomely Mary and Tim Zalasco,one of the youngest Bells,

(04:09):
carried on Dick's tradition.
Bill Donnelly reflected on theimportance of tradition and
friendship of the dead runner'stoast.
Dick Sullivan was a runner wholoved traditions, most of which
he started himself from posingbuffalo runners at the
Bell-Wattling Water Tower inBoston to partying on Chippewa
Street after the Turkey Trot.
He said the tradition thatmeant the most to Sully and to

(04:32):
those who took part in it wasremembering and honoring those
running friends who have passedaway and bygone.
Toasts with fewer names.
The crowd would murmur, hear,hear and raise their glasses of
labets, blue or flying bison.
After each name there are quitea few dead runners these days,
so Tim and Mary read six orseven before pausing.

(04:53):
I recognize some of them.
Tom Donnelly, bill's brother, apillar of the running community
and the key organizer of theTurkey Trot, is on the list.
Linda Yellum, whose brutalmurder at the hands of bike path
rapist Altimio Sanchez inspiredthe Linda Yellum safety run.
As another.
Finally, dick Sullivan, himselfthe original Bell runner of

(05:16):
marathons, drinker of red eyesand father of a huge segment of
the running community, is calledout.
Afterward Mary and Tim asked ifthere was anyone that they
should add to the list for nextyear.
For Tim Nuzalasco, the toast isan integral part of Thanksgiving
tradition camaraderie and love.
When I go to something likethat I feel like these are some

(05:38):
of my closest friends, he said.
I almost consider them family.
You don't want to forget theseold friends.
You say their names once a yearand it almost brings them back
to life again.
Hear, hear.
Elizabeth Lavas is an authorand journalist with bylines and
lowly planet trip advisor,american Way, canadian traveler

(05:59):
and Huff Post, who has workedand lived on four different
continents.
Her portfolio includes in-depthinterviews and local driven,
on-the-ground pieces.
These days, you can find her atthe intersection of Europe and
Asia, exploring the CaucasusMountains on multi-day treks or
planning her next beach vacation.
The link to the originalarticle is in the show notes.

(06:21):
Thank you for joining us onthis episode of Global Journeys
with Jill Dutton.
Until next time, may yourtravels be filled with endless
curiosity, open-heartedencounters and transformative
adventures.
Safe travels, fellow explorers,and keep wandering.