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Houma’s annual Over and Under Tunnel Run turns 50 this year and plans to celebrate in style! Taking place on Saturday, April 12 at the Houma Municipal Auditorium, this race day will feature the Kid’s Fun Run beforehand with a special guest appearance from the Easter Bunny. An Easter Egg Hunt will also precede the Tunnel Run which begins at 4:30 p.m.
Dreamed up in 1974 by Dr. Richard “Dicky” Haydel, proceeds from the Tunnel Run fundraiser originally went to the American Heart Association in Houma. According to Dr. Dicky, a friend of his asked for fundraising ideas and they held the tunnel run and a tennis tournament. Because they raised more funds from just the first 18 runners than from three weekends of tennis, they decided to really focus on the annual tunnel run, and 50 years later, it’s still paying off!
Since the 5k predates the twin span bridges, the original route was not the unique over and under adventure it is today. The original route from 1974 to 1995 began with the participants meeting at Vandebilt Catholic High School and being bused to a fast food place called Burger Chef on the east side of town. The run would start there and end back at Vandebilt for the after-run celebration. The run also used to take place earlier in the day and so breakfast would be served, and entertainment was provided by the Houma Community Band for a long time before the committee switched to using DJ’s for the event. However, this year to celebrate the 50th, they are bringing back the live music with The Canebreakers band.
“I remember when the twin span was first built, my nephew came to me and said ‘Look man, you have the tunnel run but now they have the twin span, if you don’t jump on that run and make it an over and under run, someone else is gonna do it,” Dr. Dicky shared.
Dr. Dicky did not exactly expect for the run to become the community tradition it is today. “It’s kind of funny. It just kept going on year after year, and it got better and better, and bigger and bigger, and I was kind of excited! Everyone had fun putting it on and the people in the community are all participating, and I think it’s the oldest run now in Louisiana,” Dr. Dicky said.
After the American Heart Association closed their Houma offices, the Tunnel Run wanted to keep supporting local programs. In the waiting period, they continued to hold the race and supported various charities, but since 2019, the race proceeds have been supporting the Foundation for Terrebonne General Health System. The funds raised from the run ultimately go to the programs of the greatest needs in the community. Some of these programs include free health screenings, health education, and baseline concussion testing.
The president and CEO of Terrebonne General Health System, Phyills Peoples said, “Dr. Dicky’s dedication to healthcare within our community exemplifies the core values of family medicine. Through his unwavering commitment, he has made a profound impact, caring for multiple generations of families and significantly improving their overall health through philanthropy. We are deeply appreciative of his extraordinary contributions throughout his distinguished Over and Under Tunnel Run. His legacy of compassion and service will undoubtedly continue to inspire and benefit our community for years to come.”
Dr. Dicky sees the run as a fun way to encourage exercise and health within the community, but he also sees it as a good family affair. A truly unique aspect of the Tunnel Run is that it is the only race to go over and under the same body of water, and that makes it extra special to the Houma community.
But that’s not the only thing that makes this run special to Dr. Dicky especially. His son, Chad Haydel, essentially acts as co-chair of the event and the rest of his committee he considers to be so good at what they do, that he feels no need to worry about anything anymore. One person who Dr. Dicky believes the race could not go on without is Catherine (Catty) Straatmann Robichaux.
“She was with the American Heart Association when we were doing the run for them, and then when they closed down, she moved over to Terrebonne General and we kind of went along with her with that particular recommendation. But she’s a big wheel in this thing and without her, it wouldn’t be much, I can tell you,” Dr. Dicky said.
Catty currently spends her days working from home as a stay-at-home mom, engaging in what she loves to do most: philanthropy. She does a lot of nonprofit work within the community and therefore, has supported the Tunnel Run for years upon years. Catty stresses and understands the importance of allocating the funds raised from the race to local programs because people like to see where their money is going and what is benefitting from their donations.
Working as the race director, Catty’s job, along with the committee, is to organize security, obtain permits, and work hand in hand with the Foundation for Terrebonne General and the hospital staff to help facilitate it. The current foundation director is Elmy Savoie.
The number of participants in the Tunnel Run has certainly grown from the 18 runners they started with and now ranges around 1500 people. Of course, about 200 or 300 people are actually running whereas the other 200 or 300 people are there to support the runners, support the bands, the community, and even Dr. Dicky himself.
“A lot of people are coming out specifically just to support Dr. Dicky, who obviously created this race 50 years ago. He’s a pillar in our community and people come out just to support him and what he’s supporting,” Catty said.
The race itself is also sponsored by staple businesses in the community such as Haydel Family Practice, Trapp Cadillac Chevrolet, Haydel Memorial Hospice, and Terrebonne General Health System. Catty said one of her favorite aspects of the event is how the whole community is able to come together and keep up a tradition like this for so long. She sees it as a true testament to what Dr. Dicky means to the community.
Although this year’s Tunnel Run involves all sorts of Easter madness, the event is different every year. In the past, they have had some fun with petting zoos, guests from the Saints experience, and appearances from mascots like the Chick-Fil-A cow. According to Catty, they try to incorporate as many people in the community as they can.
This Tunnel Run will begin on the backside of Division St. and take about five right turns from Point St. to Gabasse to West Main, Grand Caillou Rd. and through the tunnel, back to Division St.
