Cuba, Missouri - Race to the Rocker (I won!!!)

Okay, that’s not true at all. I didn’t win the Race to the Rocker, but let me tell you a story about the guy who did…

Cuba, Missouri’s Race to the Rocker ends at the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, adjacent to which sits the Fanning Outpost, a quirky general store where customers can potentially purchase everything from a taxidermied bobcat to round of archery to a cold Pepsi.

When the race ended, my mom and I walked into the Outpost to try to warm up a bit. As Small Town Girl’s official photographer, my mom began telling me about the shots she’d gotten during the race. ”I don’t know if you’ll want it or not, but I took a photo of the man who won the race today,” she told me.

“That depends” I teased, “Is he cute, buff and single?”

She thought for a second before commenting on just how fit the winning runner was. Having seen a gentleman who matched a similar description near the finish line a few minutes before, I wondered if it was the same person.

“Was he the one with the really big arms?” I asked.

“He was definitely built,” she answered.

“It’s unusual to see a runner with such big arms and shoulders,” I commented. “It seems like usually the fast runners are lean, but on the skinny side.

Mom said, “his picture is on your camera – I wonder if it’s the same guy?” I found the picture of the winning runner crossing the finish line in a white sleeveless running shirt and blue shorts.

As I was looking at the picture of the man on my camera, I realized I was in the way of a costumer perusing the sweatshirts on the shelf behind me. I apologized for not getting out of his way sooner, and my mom and I continued to jabber, teasingly, about the cute runner who’d won today’s race. Wearing a Mizzou hat and a black long-sleeved shirt, the man nodded at my apology and continued to examine the Route 66 goods for sale immediately beside me in the Outpost.

Fast forward twenty minutes or so.

I was taking pictures of the awards ceremony when the overall race winners were announced. You can imagine my absolute and utter horror when the winner of the race, who’d donned a Mizzou cap and a black long-sleeved shirt over his white running tank and blue shorts since finishing the race, stepped up to accept his award.

So, man who won today’s Race to the Rocker, if you happened to overhear my mom and I talking about whether you’re cute, buff and single, please know that while I don’t embarrass easily, I’m pretty much mortified right about now.

For a real race recap, come back in a day or so. For more pictures and posts about Cuba, Missouri, check back often this week!

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Previous post on Race to the Rocker

Summer 2009 post on the World’s Largest Rocking Chair

Cuba Mural Project Post about my post about Race to the Rocker