Daily News writer Tim Dumas toes starting line with Dave McGillivray and Bill Rodgers

MEDFORD – No way to do this experience justice in mere words. Or without a “look-at-me" approach. Or without a bunch of name-dropping.

But a guy from Natick who for decades battled low self-esteem felt worthy on Friday afternoon. Running usually props him up, and this experience reached top-of-the-world heights.

Not just the four revolutions around the track. Or the respectable mile time. Celebrity? VIP?

Who, me?

Upon entering Hormel Field for the track dedication festivities in honor of Dave McGillivray, the dread, the apprehension, the leave-your-comfort-zone feeling crept in. A reminder of early days when the skinny, goofy kid with unkempt hair and a surname that is/was easily mocked (Hey, Dum-ass) showed up at the bus stop. Or when the bell sounded at Lincoln Elementary School.

The track in Medford on the final day of summer was abuzz with activity: volunteers laying out T-shirts; vendors setting up an ice cream stand; walkie-talkies crackling along with an occasional hint/gust that Tropical Storm Ophelia was nearby. Another lanky runner, wearing yet another Boston Marathon shirt arrives. I didn’t think anyone would notice.

Ron Kramer did. With right arm extended. How ya doin, man!?

Defense mechanisms down. Shell cracked. We’d met two years prior at another McGillivray event and had brief interactions. But he remembered. And stunned me when he asked: Did anyone ever tell you, you look like Frank Shorter?

First time for everything, Ron. My anxiety melted (ran?) away when he spent ten minutes recalling the days when Holliston hosted the 20K National Championships in the late ‘70s.

The as-if-I've-known-you-forever greetings continued. Jack Fultz, who won a hot Boston in 1976, was cordial and humble. Bob Hodge, third at Boston in ‘79, said he’d mail me a copy of his book. And Bill Rodgers, who quickly pointed out that we were wearing the same shoes: Asics FF Blast.

Never had met them before. But the conversation flowed easily, with lamentations of growing old and slowing down. There was time to kill. Eventually, there was a race to run: the Mayor’s Celebrity/VIP Mile.

One of several run that afternoon, the event included – among others - four mayors, two Boston TV personalities, a former flight attendant who pushed a beverage cart 300 miles, para-athlete John Young, McGillivray, Rodgers, Hodge … and me.

Emcee Marc Davis enthusiastically introduced all 16 of us, including TD-12 (my bib number), while we jogged to the starting line. I sidled up to Josh Brogadir of Channel 5. He was the defending champ from last year’s debut of this race. Might I keep up with him? Anything was possible; self-esteem soaring.

When the air horn sounded, Troy Hoyt, Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Brogadir took off. No way I could win, but it didn’t matter. Even during those first steps, I knew there was no way I could top this experience – my first outdoor track race.

With each lap, more cheers and high-fives. And after each circumference, they announced my name: Du-MAS. Not the proper pronunciation, but with one ‘S’ thank you.

There was little time to bask in the aftermath; sports writers don’t get fall Friday nights off. En route to the Lincoln-Sudbury/Brockton football game, I hopped in the car and navigated Medford’s many intersections and rotaries. The CD player kept me pumped and appropriately captured my mood: Boston’s “Feeling Satisfied.”

I’m no VIP. I’m no celebrity. But the running community made me feel like one.

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Tim Dumas gets esteem boost from event with McGillivray, Bill Rodgers