The design for the inaugural race borrowed the winged foot graphic from the Maine-Endwell Cross Country uniform of the late '60's and early '70's. The text font was intended to represent the great speed in which the runners ran in the first Matzke race. Originally planned to be printed in kelly green, which was Pete's favorite color, the shirt was produced in basic black.
The 1999 shirt design is based on the Salvador Dali painting "The Persistence of Time." The work is surrealistic and many items are meant to be symbolic of Pete's life and the race that honors him. The melting stopwatches symbolize the runner's obsession with time. The watch's melting qualities, along with the dessert landscape, are a reminder of how runners feel after running a race in the August heat. Pete's tree, healthy and green in this harsh environment, is a reminder of his everlasting presence as long as we remember and honor him with our running. Many people have commented that it is hard to tell if the runners in the picture are running toward or away from the finish line. You be the judge.
2000
The shirt for the 2000 race was a new creation, combining features of previous year's shirts and new ideas. Continuing with Pete's tree from the 1999 T-shirt, a phrase was added to help symbolize the races' spirit as well as Pete's. Pete was never one to give up and that was one of his distinguishing traits. Do you think the artist captured the mood?