The gauntlet has been thrown...

In May of this year, the three Smith boys will run a race together; either the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on the 3rd or the Ogden 20K Classic on the 24th. Like most things that happen in a family of boys, this race will be a competition and the winner will hold bragging rights for decades. Here’s an unbiased and honest breakdown of the contenders.

Stephen Stewart Smith – 5’10”, 160 lbs, 29 years old.
Strengths: Steve’s the oldest and therefore used to being first. He also has as obstinate drive to not let either of his younger brothers beat him at anything. As a third grade teacher, he used to sustaining an elevated heart rate over long periods of time. Perhaps his greatest strength lies in his fiancé and coach Nicole. She’s run countless races and knows a great deal about training. Michael Phelps asked her to help him prepare for 2012. Steve recently gained an unexpected boost - the endorphins that he got as a result of the Steelers’ Superbowl win will still be raging through his body in 3 and a half months.
Weaknesses: As stated above, he’s an elementary teacher that spends 10 hours a day in the classroom which doesn’t leave much time or energy for training. Furthermore, he’s planning a spring wedding which consumes whatever moments he’s not in front of a couple dozen eight year olds. Lastly, he’s quickly becoming an old fart.

Preston Taylor Smith – 5’11”, 175 (shaved) 190 (with a few days of stubble), 23.
Strengths: He’s a mutant. Preston possesses a gene unknown to the other Smith boys. After lounging on a coach for three months he can effortlessly trot along at a sub five minute mile pace. He started running track his junior year of high school and quickly earned the nickname, “Prefontaine.” Even with this innate physical advantage, Preston’s greatest asset comes from a desire for revenge. Winning this will give him a chance to repay years of torment from his older brothers. The bragging rights might be enough motivation for him to exert a super human effort.
Weaknesses: He’s in Iowa. It’s cold in Iowa. Running a few miles in 14 layers of clothes and boots heavy enough to anchor a small house in a tornado is rather challenging. Preston knows he's a strong runner and so therefore might not log a whole lotta miles before May. He's working in construction, as he has been for the last 6 months, and is slowly but surely getting a bit thick around the middle.

Trevor Heyward Smith – A tall and lean 6’4”, 185 pounds. He has the perfect blend of youth and maturity at the crisp age of 26.
Strengths: Trevor’s already averaging 15-20 miles of running per week in sunny Africa. Those runs take place in the hilly Kigali that sits at over 5,000 feet in elevation. His regiment will only increase and by the time the race rolls around he may be bagging 20k’s on easy days.
Weaknesses: Trevor has more screws and pins in his knees than in most kitchen appliances. It’s anyone’s guess as to when some of this hardware might shoot out and turn into shrapnel. Before either race, Trevor will have recently returned from time abroad and an long international flight. Jet lag could steer him off course to find a bench or just a grassy patch for a quick nap.

No matter who wins, it will be a great time. If anyone ends up bleeding let's just hope it adds humor to the memory.

Please make all wagers through “Papa Smurf Booking Agency” at 1-800-745-8738. (That’s 1-800-PIK-TREV)