Josh Billings is the pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw who was born in Lanesboro, Massachusetts on April 12, 1818. His father, Henry Shaw, served in the Massachusetts State Senate for 25 years. Billings was a renowned humorist in his day, and better known and appreciated than his contemporary, Mark Twain. Commanding capacity crowds wherever he performed, he became widely known for his down-home philosophies, Yankee “one-liners” and peculiar, phonetic spelling.

One of his wise sayings, “To finish is to win” is the motto of the RunAground and one of the reasons the event was named for Josh Billings. The fun-loving, not-too-serious aspect of the race is perhaps why it has become one of the oldest and largest bike-canoe-run triathlons in the country. Another Billings quote appropriate to this triathlon is “The rarest thing a man ever duz iz the best he can.”  Attracting elite and amateur athletes alike, “The Josh” is an event for all ages and abilities, for participants and spectators.