Why Am I A Harrier?

by Ian Stewart

I was sitting at home rubbing my knee,
When I began to wonder about you and me.
Why are we Harriers? What makes us stay?
Is there someone or something that makes us this way?

A few years ago, back in Edmonton,
I was happy and carefree, just running for fun.
I had heard of the Harriers, their name had spread,
And to come up against them filled us with dread.

They were lean and wiry with fire in their eye,
And many a man cringed as they would fly by.
Their red shirts were awesome, their faces grim,
And their choice of body was skinny and slim.

But now, like me, they are feeling their age,
And Harrier running has turned a new page.
The fire is not out, the embers still glow,
But the 100 mile weeks they no longer know.

Is that why I am a Harrier, because of the past?
Because of the names, most of them fast!
Or maybe it's because of the hard work they do,
And how they demand help from both me and you.

Maybe it's people, whose hard work is known,
Who are always so helpful as running has grown.
They are the backbone of so many races,
At every event you can recognize faces.

Marg Melvin, Ken Smythe, Bob Reid are a few,
Rob Reid, the Harlows and Rosamund too.
Mike Ellis, all the Brians and John Crouch deserve cheers,
And so do so many who worked hard through the years.

Only a few I have mentioned, so to the rest I am sorry,
But mentioned or not, you share in the glory
Of being a Harrier, whether fast or quite slow,
And the pride we all have may not always show.

The question came back again and again,
Why am I a member, why continue the pain?
Of volunteering, of racing, of taking away,
The energy and time from my family each day.

And do you know what, the answer I'll share,
It's because, though we're aging, we really do care.
As the years go by and our times are slower,
The Harrier banner, we refuse to lower.

Our legs may ache, our chests may droop,
But pound for pound, we're the hardest working group.
We handle races, and supply expertise,
And complete many a task the runner never sees.

We have wisdom and experience, so much so,
That our name is known wherever we go.
But perhaps we have forgotten how to have fun,
We must question how the club must be run.

Perhaps when we work hard, we must learn to play,
So we can feel satisfied at the end of the day.
That our efforts are worthwhile and our goals are set,
So we don't believe we give more than we get.

Why am I a Harrier? I really don't know,
But being a member has made me grow.
I am so proud of the work that was done in the past,
And I know that my memories will forever last.

I challenge the club, work to maintain,
The history, the pride, and remember the pain.
So those who have given and worked without pay,
May carry Harrier pride to the end of their day.

Ian Stewart, October, 1996