Dedham, MA, April 29, 2001 — A sunny day, an enthusiastic crowd, and the course record broken five times — yesterday was a nearly perfect day for the eighteenth annual 10K James Joyce Ramble.
Temperatures hovered in the 50's and a light breeze billowed the Irish tri-color tacked to the front porch of the town's majestic Endicott Estate, where the course begins and ends. The race itself is a 6.2-mile tour through the streets of Dedham's Precinct 1, with actors and actresses reading passages from the works of James Joyce as runners pass by.
While last year's race drew huge crowds to see three-time Boston Marathon champion Uta Pippig run, this year's throng was treated to a collection of nearly a dozen of the world's finest runners. A contingent of professional runners from Kenya led the pack in impressive fashion.
A record-breaking 3,798 runners participated in this year's race, including heavyweight boxer Peter McNeeley from nearby Medfield. It was a little unusual seeing such a big guy among a sea of smaller, lighter bodies, but McNeeley reminded me that roadwork is an important part of a fighter's training.
"I had a great time today. The weather was perfect for running and I really enjoyed the course," McNeeley said. "The money that is raised will be going to a very worthy cause."
All proceeds from the Ramble are donated to the Claudia Adams-Barr Program at Boston's Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This fund supports innovative basic research endeavors at Dana-Farber. Proceeds from recent years have contributed well over $200,000 to this account.
-click here for more on the 2001 Ramble- | 
;)