A Tribute to Bob Kennedy - Continuing to Reshape our Lives and Legs - The Great Bay Stewards, Greenland, New Hampshire

November 18, 2024 by Christopher Peter

Back in July, as I was driving home from a small town in central Vermont, I was losing consciousness from being awake for the past 33 hours straight. I quickly pulled off to the side of the road, reclining my seat back as far as it could, and quickly fell asleep. I was returning home from a trail running race that spanned through and past the entire night.

To this day, what happened next, imprinted onto me one of those ‘yesterday’ moments that remains unedited, unfaded, and ever-inspiring. These life events don’t happen often, but when they do, they are captured so vividly, down to the smallest detail, that gives the eerie sensation of making it feel like it just happened yesterday.

The race was the Vermont 100, where marginally insane runners line up in the dark at 4am, run 100 miles through trails and dirt roads, and finish a day later. I was there in support of my friend, acting as his traveling aid station through the backroads of central VT, and running with him for the last 12 hours of the race as an official pacer. Hours before I began my drive home, he finished his first 100 mile ultra. This race was a dream of his that he first signed up for in 2020, but got delayed by biblical levels of pestilence (covid) and flooding (federal disaster), cancelling the race for multiple years. We were both riding at the apex of this emotional rollercoaster, which was short-lived when my VT roadside nap was interrupted by a call from my coworker, passing on the tragic news about Bob’s tragic passing.

Bob Kennedy was an incredible person, dedicating his free time to Great Bay through his highly accomplished career as a professional ornithologist and through his scores of endurance runs. Bob and I first crossed paths in earnest back in 2020, when he created the Seacoast’s first ultra run: the Great Bay 55k (34.1mi). This run encircled Great Bay in its entirety through 7 different coastal towns and over 7 different tidal rivers. Having those same passions for Great Bay and endurance running, I was easily recruited by Bob to run the inaugural 55k with him, which turned into a tradition, where we ran together most years. We ran this course in early October, starting in the dark at the Great Bay Discovery Center, having cameo ‘star’ appearances from other Great Bay staff and friends. Some of these guest ‘stars’ would join us for some running miles, while others adorned us with copious amounts of water, ice coffee, granola bars, bananas, hashbrowns, and baked goods. These runs were some of my fondest memories with Bob.

My mind easily and often darts back to that day in Vermont, and I can’t help but think that this was a fated coincidence to have these life events clash together. Ten years earlier at this same race, Bob toed the line at 4am, remarkably completing the Vermont 100 mile race at the age of 66. I’m constantly reminded of that day and Bob throughout this year, upwelling many wonderful memories shared with him, which are carried with me and inspiring me to create more memories in honor of him. This October I was inspired to take the baton from Bob to run the Great Bay 55k. Several of those same ‘stars’ as well as many new ‘stars’ came out to run with me and support this tradition in honor of Bob. We had staff and friends joining us on all parts of this route, by car, bike and foot. One of my friends ran the entire 55k with me, despite never running even half that distance before! That day, sharing many miles and stories, propelled me, just 2 days later to bike around Great Bay as well as the rest of NH’s coastline, totaling 80 miles. Later that month, my heart warmed further when I ran the shorter Great Bay 5k, towing the line with over 700 other runners, many of which wearing commemorative shirts, pins, hats and armbands to honor Bob. Just one week after the 5k, I rode this wave of inspiration to a grueling 100k trail running race, which only 1/3^rd of the runners finish. At mile 50, with the sun setting and temperatures nearing freezing, I was dehydrated, calorie-depleted, nauseous, and unable to sustain a run or even a thought. But even at your darkness moment, deep inside is a forgotten light that can ignite us. For me, that light is a collection of people, who inspire me with their passion, kindness, and accomplishments. That night, thinking of Bob, surged a wave of energy into my heart and legs, carrying me to the finish line.

Although I won’t be able to run along the shores of Great Bay with Bob anymore or join him as he bands our newest osprey chicks, he continues to have an impact on the people and wildlife around Great Bay. We carry him forward with us not only though our memories but also through our actions, as we are shaped by the best of the people around us.

Photos below are from all the events listed above, in chronological order