6 o 6 The Story " Leader - Gill Cochran " Picture and story by Nate Betnun...
The “leader” of 6:06, Gill. The origins of the 6:06 Group predate the birth of the Annapolis Striders. Back in 1977 a group of downtown Annapolis residents, including Gill Cochran, Chuck Walsh, Tillman Johnson and Marty Snider, began meeting at the corner of Union and Market Streets on weekdays at 6 AM for runs through the Naval Academy. I joined the Group a few months later, followed by Merle Maffei. A six-minute grace period was soon given for late sleepers and the starting time evolved to 6:06. The course went out Rowe Boulevard, through Gate 8 (off of Baltimore Annapolis Blvd), around the perimeter of the Academy and back out Gate 1 (the main gate). Gill holds the distinction of being Annapolis’ most consistent runner. He has run at least a mile every single day for the past 26 years.** The asterisks to Gill’s record come as a result of the two six-week periods when Gill suspended his streak on doctor’s orders.
Merle and Nate	Gill and Charlie
After most of the Group moved away from downtown one by one, the meeting place changed to Church Circle. The route also changed to entry through Gate 3 (Maryland Avenue). Over time, several members of the Group decided to visit the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays and so the Group threatened to become solely a Monday, Wednesday, Friday group. Gill, however, persisted in coming out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Finally, others joined him. With heavy input from Carla Dal Colletto and Mike Smith, Tuesdays and Thursdays have become a different experience with different protocol. While, the Group will break into sub-groups going at different paces on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, everyone sticks together on Tuesdays and Thursdays. While the initial 6:06ers were all men and mostly lawyers, Tuesdays and Thursdays now see more women than men. No new lawyers have joined the Group in several years to run on any day of the week. The 6:06 Group has its own logo, which Mike Smith proudly wore on his blazer at the last Striders banquet. It has “6:06” set in the middle of a stylized map of Church Circle. It also has its own official slogan, “Look how light it is, oh my,” which celebrates the rising sun after months of running in the dark. The 6:06 Group is open to all Striders and other runners. Just show up at 6:06 AM at Church Circle on any Monday, Wednesday, or Friday for a normal run or on a Tuesday or Thursday for something different