Did you have someone shadowing you? Sometimes I've wondered if I will ever emerge from Rocky Ridge alive. It would be brave for a little kid to head in there on his first course! Congratulations on your Orient-versary.
Ran as a family with my mother and sister. Ran by myself for the first time in the spring of 1977. Almost the entire course from that spring 1977 course is now part of a monster quarry.
Mrs GHOSLO still conplains about how impatient you were with your slow mother and sister on that course.
I´m ten years ahead ;)
My first "real" race was in 1966 probably around the same time ( I had already done a few club or school races before that ). I was 15 when I started so I ran alone...