Race to

Robie Creek

"The Toughest Half Marathon in the Northwest"

The Robie logo, an uncrossed "A" that many racers think is a fair representation of the tough course, was created by Boise painter/runner Nunzio Lagattuta. He says, "As part of the original Rocky Canyon Sail Toads, my mission was to come up with a new logo. Back then, I was a vegetarian, so I ate brown rice for several days straight. I read a Japanese story of an artist who was commissioned by a king to draw a sparrow in a calligraphic style. The artist went back day after day with his latest drawings. After he had completed 1,000 renderings, the king said, "Bring me the first one." That was the one the king wanted.

With this story fresh in mind, I went to Boise Blue and purchased a Japanese calligraphy brush. I was quite familiar with the course by then, so I set out to pay homage to its magnitude and overall greatness.

I made 100 samples and secretly numbered the back of each one in pencil. On the day the committee was to choose the logo, I had hung all 100 designs on the wall of a large room. The race committee unanimously picked what is used today as the race logo. It was number three. When I created the logo, I was painting houses. I have been teaching high school art for the past nine years, and I have only missed two races since it all started."

In 2000, Sail Toad Nunzio Lagattuta, at 50, Boise, finished the Race to Robie Creek in 2:31:27