Post by -|E|- on Sept 8, 2005 11:40:38 GMT -5
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From MaineToday.com:
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Celebrity uses a stand-in for Beach to Beacon
By RAY ROUTHIER, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
If you were one of the dedicated "soles" who scanned the list of all 4,306 runners who finished Saturday's Beach to Beacon 10K road race, you'd see at least one oddly familiar name.
Finishing in 1,093rd place, with a time of 47:55.3, was Glenn Close of Scarborough.
That's what the official race results said, Glenn Close. Of Scarborough.
But could it really be the Glenn Close? The movie star - the ultra-scary villainess of "Fatal Attraction," the salt-and-pepper coifed Cruella de Vil of Disney fame - running a road race in Cape Elizabeth?
"I didn't see her, but I passed some people right at the end there," said Mike Madore of Cumberland, who finished 1.2 seconds ahead of Close, in 1,090th place.
Madore's friend, Randy Creswell of Portland, also finished at about the same time. He didn't see any movie stars, either.
So what happened?
Could Madore and Creswell and 4,000 other runners have missed a Hollywood screen star in their midst?
"Actually, Glenn is a little embarrassed," Catherine Olim, Close's publicist, said by phone Monday from West Hollywood, Calif.
"She came down with a cold that morning, so she gave her number to a friend, who ran instead. She had intended to run. She didn't realize it would be an issue."
It's not an issue, really.
Except if you are a big Glenn Close fan, heard she was running, and were bitterly disappointed not to see her.
Or, it could be an issue, too, if you had your heart set on winning the women's 55-to-59-year-old division.
The runner who actually competed under Close's name - and Olim did not identify that person - ended up winning that division. Close is 58.
Her substitute - whom Olim described as a friend of Close - used the computer-chip-shoe-implant timing device issued to Close, so when that person crossed the finish line, Close's name came up on the computer.
When "Glenn Close" was announced as the winner of that division after the race, no one stepped up to take a bow and accept the accolades.
It's not a big deal to race officials.
David Weatherbie, the race president, said Monday that race officials don't "encourage" people to let friends run in their place. But they don't necessarily ban runners for allowing substitutes, either.
Close is perfectly welcome to run next year, if she's so inclined, Weatherbie said.
And she just might be joined by other Hollywood stars.
"Matt Damon had expressed some interest in running, but then realized his schedule wouldn't allow it," Weatherbie said.
Close's publicist said she intended to run the race while she was "on vacation" in Maine. Her Maine visit apparently was not a one-time thing.
The New York Times and other publications have identified Close and David E. Shaw of Scarborough as a couple. Shaw is the founder and former CEO of Idexx Laboratories, a biotech company in Westbrook.
Shaw still maintains a home in Maine and he's listed in the phone book as a resident of Scarborough.
The Times ran a story in June about Close and Shaw purchasing a Manhattan penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park, which was once owned by Rock Hudson. The price was a little under $6 million.
Variety, a daily entertainment newspaper, ran a story in July that said Close was notified of her most recent Emmy nomination while she was on vacation in Maine. Close was nominated in the lead actress category for her role on the FX cable network police drama "The Shield."
Close has also been seen around Greater Portland in recent months, including dining at Yosaku, a Japanese restaurant in Portland about 10 days ago.
Susan Sato, one of the owners of Yosaku, said that while Close's waitress that night was very excited to wait on her, nobody else made a big deal over her.
"We made a point of not saying hello, we tried to respect her privacy," Sato said.
Which is a good policy. So if you happen to see Close at next year's Beach to Beacon, keep your head down, politely nod, and keep on running.
Then go home and tell all your friends.
**Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at: rrouthier@pressherald.com
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From MaineToday.com:
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Celebrity uses a stand-in for Beach to Beacon
By RAY ROUTHIER, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
If you were one of the dedicated "soles" who scanned the list of all 4,306 runners who finished Saturday's Beach to Beacon 10K road race, you'd see at least one oddly familiar name.
Finishing in 1,093rd place, with a time of 47:55.3, was Glenn Close of Scarborough.
That's what the official race results said, Glenn Close. Of Scarborough.
But could it really be the Glenn Close? The movie star - the ultra-scary villainess of "Fatal Attraction," the salt-and-pepper coifed Cruella de Vil of Disney fame - running a road race in Cape Elizabeth?
"I didn't see her, but I passed some people right at the end there," said Mike Madore of Cumberland, who finished 1.2 seconds ahead of Close, in 1,090th place.
Madore's friend, Randy Creswell of Portland, also finished at about the same time. He didn't see any movie stars, either.
So what happened?
Could Madore and Creswell and 4,000 other runners have missed a Hollywood screen star in their midst?
"Actually, Glenn is a little embarrassed," Catherine Olim, Close's publicist, said by phone Monday from West Hollywood, Calif.
"She came down with a cold that morning, so she gave her number to a friend, who ran instead. She had intended to run. She didn't realize it would be an issue."
It's not an issue, really.
Except if you are a big Glenn Close fan, heard she was running, and were bitterly disappointed not to see her.
Or, it could be an issue, too, if you had your heart set on winning the women's 55-to-59-year-old division.
The runner who actually competed under Close's name - and Olim did not identify that person - ended up winning that division. Close is 58.
Her substitute - whom Olim described as a friend of Close - used the computer-chip-shoe-implant timing device issued to Close, so when that person crossed the finish line, Close's name came up on the computer.
When "Glenn Close" was announced as the winner of that division after the race, no one stepped up to take a bow and accept the accolades.
It's not a big deal to race officials.
David Weatherbie, the race president, said Monday that race officials don't "encourage" people to let friends run in their place. But they don't necessarily ban runners for allowing substitutes, either.
Close is perfectly welcome to run next year, if she's so inclined, Weatherbie said.
And she just might be joined by other Hollywood stars.
"Matt Damon had expressed some interest in running, but then realized his schedule wouldn't allow it," Weatherbie said.
Close's publicist said she intended to run the race while she was "on vacation" in Maine. Her Maine visit apparently was not a one-time thing.
The New York Times and other publications have identified Close and David E. Shaw of Scarborough as a couple. Shaw is the founder and former CEO of Idexx Laboratories, a biotech company in Westbrook.
Shaw still maintains a home in Maine and he's listed in the phone book as a resident of Scarborough.
The Times ran a story in June about Close and Shaw purchasing a Manhattan penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park, which was once owned by Rock Hudson. The price was a little under $6 million.
Variety, a daily entertainment newspaper, ran a story in July that said Close was notified of her most recent Emmy nomination while she was on vacation in Maine. Close was nominated in the lead actress category for her role on the FX cable network police drama "The Shield."
Close has also been seen around Greater Portland in recent months, including dining at Yosaku, a Japanese restaurant in Portland about 10 days ago.
Susan Sato, one of the owners of Yosaku, said that while Close's waitress that night was very excited to wait on her, nobody else made a big deal over her.
"We made a point of not saying hello, we tried to respect her privacy," Sato said.
Which is a good policy. So if you happen to see Close at next year's Beach to Beacon, keep your head down, politely nod, and keep on running.
Then go home and tell all your friends.
**Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at: rrouthier@pressherald.com
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