Old Mill Run run springs ahead – again,

Remember that long piece that ran back in July on how to best remember the date of this year's new, one-time-only October Old Mill Run?

Well, forget it! Thanks to COVID'S resurgence, we organizers have pushed Tuolumne County's oldest 10K race into 2022 and up to its traditional date — the third Saturday in April.

That would be April 16, 2022. This allows nearly eight more months for pandemic recovery, recuperation and something more than that light at the end of the tunnel we all thought we saw just four months ago.

That encouraging spring light may not have been an oncoming locomotive, but the months that followed brought a viral resurgence that makes a fall race potentially involving hundreds of runners ill advised at best.

Over the decades since it was founded in 1978, the Old Mill has been a celebration of camaraderie, exercise and good health. The wait at the Columbia State Historic Park starting line has traditionally been a time of shared anticipation and excitement.

But now it could be a superspreader: COVID case counts, hospitalizations and deaths are all on the rise here in the foothills. Bringing together a crowd, even outdoors, is a risk we are not going to take.

Could we instead host a virtual run? Could we require masks? Could we swab noses at the registration desk? Could we limit the Old Mill to vaccinated runners only? Theoretically, but these options would be counter to the inclusionary, welcoming spirit of our race.

So we're going to wait until we can do it right. It's not too early to circle April 16 on your 2022 calendar (after you erase the circle around that October date!)

And now, runners, you have six more months to train.