Last modified: Thursday, June 25, 2009 2:20 AM EDT ROSE: Race competition coming to an end Have you ever wondered what it's like to participate in a farewell tour, such as rock groups undertake. I'm referring to the first farewell tour, before the numerous reunion or revival tours. Before embalming fluid is required for aging band members to keep them upright. Before they have replaced 90-percent of the original members. Before tours replaced recordings as their major source of income. This Saturday, numerous local runners will embark on the farewell tour of the Hockomock Swamp Rat Grand Prix (HSRGP). The seventh rendition of the series, which started in 1991, will be the absolute final per publisher Peter Wallan. In addition to marking the end of the HSR Grand Prix series, it will also be the termination of the Hockomock Swamp Rat magazine. Hold the embalming fluid; there will be no reprieve. The Hockomock Swamp Rat (www.hockomock.net) is a magazine with a unique touch. It covers the New England racing circuit with a satiric edge and a whimsical bluntness that is refreshing. It has a circulation of 2,000 and many of those participate in the Grand Prix. The HSRGP occurs every three years, spans an entire year and includes, per Wallan, the toughest 20 races in New England. GPS #7 has the usual collection of grueling races such as Stu's 30K, the Cape Ann 25K, the Monson Half, the Marshfield 20K and the Newfound Lake (NH) Marathon. Let's not forget the Amherst 10, the Norfolk Pub 10, the Upton 15K and the absolutely diabolical Pack Monadnock 10. Runners accumulate points through a Byzantine scoring system that takes into account place, age, gender and number of races finished. There are six bonus races where runners can collect more points. In addition, there are atrocious weather, course difficulty and appearance points. If you drop dead during a race, you get 15 more. In prior years, you could postpone competing in a series, knowing that three years hence, there would always be another. Not this time. "It's been a great run and we've had marvelous times together but the sport has changed too much for my tastes and the die is cast," said Wallan. "It will indeed be over for good for the Hockomock Swamp Rat Magazine will cease publication after the Montpelier 10 Miler with the last issue being the August-September 2010 Rat that will have the full and final GPS #7 results and story. The Montpelier 10 will also serve as the last competitive road race for Yours Truly." One would think that the difficulty of the races, the travel involved, the time commitment and the less than ideal New England weather would drive people away. Once involved, it has the opposite effect, as it becomes extremely addictive. I call it 'Swamp Rat fever' because the only cure is the disease. Mansfield's Don Burke has had the fever for a long time. "I've been looking forward to the Rat series since the last one ended," he said. "What attracts me are the challenges; running races all over New England that I never would have gone to on my own. There are parts of New England that are really beautiful and can be appreciated better on foot than car. Completing two marathons in six days and not only living about it but racing hard two weeks later." Burke, who would have won the last series if he hadn't missed the Marshfield 20K, is a seasoned GPS veteran, having it ingrained in his DNA. He was booked on the farewell tour long ago. But Rehoboth's Dave Scanlon is embarking on it to make amends. "The last one, I only ran six or seven races before I was beat into submission by aggravating my old Achilles injury," he said. "I look at this last GPS as my last chance to do one and try to do it right. My approach is to complete as many races as I can. Since the goal of the GPS is to beat runners into oblivion if not death, I will be competing just to survive. If I can get through this last GPS without a visit to the orthopedic surgeon I will consider it a complete success and might make up for some of the frustration of recent years." One aspect of the GPS that gets obscured by all the machismo is the human angle. "One of the best parts of the series is meeting people from all over New England and developing friendships through a common goal," said Burke. The farewell tour ends in rustic Montpelier, Vt. on June 27, 2010. In most years, the 10 miler is greeted with some relief, knowing that there's a two year respite before it starts again. Not this time. Sadly, it's over. No revival tour, no reunion acts, no reprieves ... and no need for the embalming fluid. Footnotes Ten locals summited Mt. Washington at last Saturday's 7.6 Mile climb to the clouds; Mansfield's was the first of the 10 to the top in 1:11:28; the others - Attleboro's (1:45:59) and (1:51:13), Mansfield's (1:32:29) and (1:39:57), Norfolk's (1:49:37), North Attleboro's (1:35:29), (1:48:09) and (1:56:24) and Plainville's (1:49:25). ROB ROSE is a running columnist for The Sun Chronicle and can be reached via e-mail at LSXPLRER@comcast.net