November 15, 2017

Family and Friends,

I placed first among men 70-years-old-and-up in the Bakersfield Marathon Sunday, although this was by far the slowest of my 39 marathons. That’s the advantage of competing in a division with only two other runners! (More race details for those interested are below.)

I was energized by attending an inspiring and urgent peace event two nights earlier: “Averting U.S. War on North Korea: What Progressives Must Know and Do Now.” Make a note to watch the video of the presentations by Christine Ahn of Women Cross DMZ, Ellen Choy of HOBAK (Hella Organized Bay Area Koreans) and Kevin Gray of the University of Sussex, plus moderation and poetry from activist veteran Miriam Ching Yoon Louie; it will be available in two or three days on the sponsoring Center for Political Education website here:

http://www.politicaleducation.org/

At the event, USLAW National Coordinator Emeritus Michael Eisenscher reminded the audience that USLAW will be organizing a U.S. trade unionists’ delegation to South Korea next year to build solidarity against U.S. war plans. That’s the kind of project that provides big incentive to make sure USLAW has the funds needed to make it happen. Thanks to the generosity of more than 115 of you, this year’s Marathon for Peace has already raised over $7,000. [Update: The final total raised exceeded this year’s $11,000 goal, raising $11,483.82 from 161 donors.] Can you pitch in to give this fund drive a strong finish?

You can donate on-line here:

https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/marathon-man-max-elbaum-runs-for-peace-uslaw-2017

You can also send a check made out to USLAW to USLAW, 1030 15th St. NW #153, Washington DC 20005. If you intend to take a tax deduction, make your check out to USLAW-AFGJ.

As for the race, not being 100% free of leg and back problems at the starting line meant it was different from all my previous marathons, sort of a cross between a run and a long hike. I finished in 5:28:37. That’s almost an hour slower than the last time I ran when I was fully healthy (4:39:04 in Philadelphia in 2015) and more than two hours slower than my personal best (3:26:53 in Napa Valley in 1999). I was careful not to aggravate any of my muscle problems. And I was able to finish strong not only in body but also in spirit thanks to my son James pacing me the last four-plus miles and my partner Ellen, along with James’ fiance America, cheering us both at the finish line.

Still, this marathon will only be a complete success if we can raise a few thousand dollars more for USLAW. Please donate here:

https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/marathon-man-max-elbaum-runs-for-peace-uslaw-2017

Thanks, Peace, and Hope!

Max