JOHNSTOWN - For runners in the Second Annual Johnson Jog, starting the race near Johnson Hall was a simple matter of ready, set ... Boom! The race began Saturday morning with the firing of an 18th century swivel gun, basically a large musket mounted like a miniature cannon on an iron swivel - a weapon of the type Sir William Johnson had to guard his baronial home in the Colonial Era. The antique starting gun was just one of the unusual features of the three-mile run that attracted more than 200 participants, some from as far away as Massachusetts and Connecticut. "It's a themed 5k," said Johnson Hall Site Manager Wade Wells, standing near the swivel gun Saturday and garbed in 1760s clothing, complete with a cocked hat, breeches, black canvas gaiters strapped around his shins above black shoes. "The runners follow a course through the city, passing by some of the notable historic sites in town. It's a nice way for us to feature the whole town, particularly to some people who may not normally be attracted to historic sites or visit them." <http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/556191/Johnson-Joggers-mix-fitness-and-history.html?nav=5011> -- Bob Sullivan Schenectady Digital History Archive <http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/> Schenectady County (NY) Public Library