Running for Clif

Clif Maloney died on 26 September 2009 of unknown causes while descending after summiting Cho Oyu on the border between Nepal and Tibet on 24 September 2009. Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world, at 8,201m (26,901ft). Clif appears to have been the oldest person ever to have made this climb, at age nearly 72 years.

Clif had planned to run in the New York City Marathon for the 21st time, on 1 November 2009. Some of his friends and family ran in that race as a relay team to honor his memory, wearing “Running for Clif” shirts in Princeton colors. These pictures (only a few because of the distance of the race) memorialize that effort.

The runners were:

start - mile 9 Mark Chamberlain friend, neighbor, running companion
mile 9 - mile 14 Mike Southwell Princeton classmate, occasional skiing companion
mile 14 - mile 19 Kelly Begg Lawrence wife of Clif's niece Eloise (she ran on with Dennis and then Virginia to mile 21)
mile 19 - mile 20 Dennis Neivens age 79 years, the original inspiration for Clif's marathon running
mile 20 - finish Virginia Maloney Clif's daughter, Princeton Class of 2010, cross country runner

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

[marathon image]
Mike waits at mile 9		 [marathon image]
Mark approaches mile 9		 [marathon image]
the handoff at mile 9
[marathon image]
Mark after the handoff		 [marathon image]
Virginia (wearing Clif’s lucky pink pants) waits at mile 20 with Erinn Mcgrath		 [marathon image]
Virginia waiting with Dennis’s son-in-law Francisco
[marathon image]
Kelly and Dennis hand off at mile 20		 [marathon image]
Kelly and Virginia at the handoff		 [marathon image]
Carolyn waits for Virginia
[marathon image]
Virginia approaches the spectators		 [marathon image]
Carolyn cheers on Virginia		 [marathon image]
spectators celebrate the race’s conclusion
[marathon image]
the runners at the post-race party
(from L) Mark, Mike, Kelly, Dennis, Virginia		 [marathon image]
[marathon image]
the runners with the picture of Clif running in 2007
[marathon image]
the “Go Virginia” rests, after having done its job

picture credits: Adam Salazar, Trudy Moran, Sarah Schiff, Ginger Lawrence, Dianna Raedle

Special thanks to New York Road Runners . This was the first official relay ever permitted by the Road Runners to participate in the Marathon.