Rhode Island Road Runners’ News

Volume 12 Issue 6 June 20, 2008

President’s Pen Summer Time and the Living is Queasy. This past Sunday (June 8th) a group of us did two races. The thought of two races on the same day is difficult enough but the extreme heat made it stag-gering. We did the Musco Race in the morning and the Jog, Dog and Grog in the afternoon. The Musco race is a difficult 8K that runs through Kirkbrae and the Albion sections of Lincoln. The course has many hills, with an extremely difficult climb after four miles. The addition of high temperatures made a difficult run for all. It took many bottles of water to re-hydrate after this race. The Musco 8K would make a great addition to the Hocomock Swamp Rat Grand Prix. The second part of the day took place in downtown Providence. The Job, Dog, and Grog is a mile and a quarter run, followed by the eating of a hot dog and the drinking of a beer. The competition was fierce, with one team having a beer and a cigarette before the race, as a warm up. Seemed liked a few teams needed this warm up exercise. I watched these pre-race exercises with envy. I felt it was a little warm to do a beer before the race, but my mouth was water-ing by the time we finished. The RIRR were well represented with three teams of RIRR’s and some of Advance Financial Services Finest. The run and hot dog contest was not greatly organized. It was a laid back event that would not remind one of high tech race organization. We all had a good time and believe it is not that difficult to drink a beer and eat a hot dog after running. The folks at the Wild Colonial did a good job, but they made need a little work on logistics and timing. This year was the first time in ten years that I did not do the Milton 10K in Massachusetts. I felt that this was a nice race, but the cost of travel has made it tough for me to attend. The race has a special place in my heart because it was the first race I ran after my TIA stroke. Cost of gas is so discouraging that I was forced to pass on what would have been my 10th consecutive year at this race. I sent the Milton's Women's Club a check for the amount of what I fig-ured the round trip would cost in gas. I hope this is the only race that I ever fail to attend because of the cost of fuel. John Santillo

Reserve the date – August 17th! Our club picnic this year will be held at the site of and directly after the Common Fence race on Sunday, August 17th. Don Clukies will be again coordinating this year’s event. Please call or e-mail Don on dclukies@yahoo.com or 401-683-5207 to make your reservation and to let us know your choice of a clambake with lob-ster for $15 or homburgs and or hot dogs which are free. Reservations will be needed by Au-gust 10th. Picnic flyer in next month’s newsletter.

Also, please consider running the Common Fence 5 mil-er/walk before the picnic. You can register on http://www.geocities.com/oplusfinish/.

New Members:

Herb Armstrong, Newport, RI

Todd Benevides, Fall River, MA

Linda Karppinen, Fall River, MA

Wendell Yee, West Warwick, RI - rejoining

Meeting Minutes by Lisa Meehan – June 10, 2008 Membership 185; 117 males, 68 females

Treasurer's Report Beginning Balance = $,3840 Ending Balance = $3,475.97 Grand Prix standings are updated on website after Musco race on June 8th. Next Grand Prix race is Lit-tle Compton 4.8 miler on July 12th.

Friday, June 13th at 7:00 is the Revenge of Joe's Lounge 5K fun run.

2 Plans were discussed for Mt. Washington run on Saturday June 21st. Specific rules for runners can be found on www.mtwashingtonroadrace.com

Members approved $100 donation to the Common Fence Point Race on August 17th. The annual RIRR picnic will be held following the race in Ports-mouth.

Next club meeting will be held on Tues. July 8th

Tresurer’s Report by Jorge Matesanz Beginning Balance $3,840.63 Revenues Membership & Clothing $ 117.00 Expenses Clothing $ 128.91 Silk Screening – Caddens $ 149.75 Newletter $ 200.00 Bank Charge $ 3.00 Total Exepenses $ 481.66 Ending Balance $3,475.97

Grand Prix Standings after six races – complete re-sults can be found on our web site rirr.org

Grand Prix Races 2008 July 12th Little Compton 4.8 miles August 17th Common Fence Point 5 miler September 4th Red Rooster Ramble October 13 Ocean Mist November 16th Mews 5K December 7th Run For Hope 10K

New England Track and Field Grand Prix Series July 29- Yankee Homecoming 10 miler, Newburyport, August 9 – 10K Bridge of Flowers, Sheldon Falls, MA September 6 – Ollie 5 miler, South Boston, MA October 19 – Baystate Marathon, Lowell, MA

Group Runs Wednesday nights Group runs from Monroe Allen’s home at 12 East Gate Road, Greenville. Varying distances and paces for all beginning at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome! If interested, call Monroe at 949-0975. TRACK WORKOUTS "HOW FAST CAN YOU RUN" In conjunction with the Smithfield High School track workouts each 1st Monday 1-mile time trials will be held. Even if you don't come other times or do not plan to stay for the full workout come to see "how fast you can run".

Monday Nights Monday night workouts at Smithfield High School Track. A warm-up at 4:30 p.m. and workouts beginning at 5:00 p.m. The workouts will be led by Andy Barnes (785-0608). All are welcome!

Race Results Note: If your results are missed please let us know so we can publish them in our next newsletter. Irish Village 5 miles, Yarmouth, MA – May 10 302 finishers Don and I drove to the race with John Santillo and arrived in Yarmouth, MA amidst rain and wind. After picking up our numbers, we waited inside the bar/restaurant for the start of the race in order to stay as dry as possible. The registration fee of $15 included a white T-shirt with a Guinness logo on the front and a shamrock on the back. By the time the race began at 11:00AM the rain let up a bit so the lack of appropriate rain gear wasn’t too much of a problem. The 5 mile course runs in and out of residential areas and then along the ocean where we were greeted with strong winds but, thankfully, less rain. As he has several times in the past, Brian Kenney ran with me and encouraged me along the route since I’m still very new on the racing scene. Also as usual, he let me cross the finish line first. After the race, there was food and drink galore in the Irish Vil-lage restaurant and an Irish singer/guitarist who played every-thing from traditional Irish to Neil Diamond. The line for the Guinness was much shorter than the line for the Harp but the beer was plentiful for all if you were patient. The buffet included hot pastrami sandwiches, salad, pasta, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage & pepper sandwiches and seconds if you wanted them. All in all, it was a great day – nice race, delicious food and good company. Judy Smith Marge Bellisle 33:32 1 50-59 6:42 1st senior, 2nd female David Pember 36:34 4 60-69 7:19 Susan Kenney 37:21 3 50-59 7:28 3rd senior John Santillo 38:43 26 40-49 7:45 Jeanne Charon 45:0 14 50-59 9:01 Don Clukies 45:4 6 15 60-69 6 9:09 David Charon 45:5 45 40-49 9 9:12 Judy Smith 54:16 4 60-69 10:51 Brian Kenney 54:17 30 50-59 10:51

3 Be Thankful You Can See Lions 5K - May 14 The Be Thankful You Can See Lions 5k Road Race in Paw-catuck, CT follows a lovely course along the Pawcatuck River. This year’s weather was not monsoon-like, but mild and springy. 78 runners completed the course. Fred Z. and the other 70+ males noted that there were 6 of them in such as small race. There were only 2 60-69 year old men, for example. Refresh-ments, awards for the overall and age-group first-place finishers, and a raffle completed this Wednesday evening event.

Laurie Lamb Fred Zuleger III 25:50.0 3 M 70-99 8:20/M Colburn Graves, Jr 34:19.0 6 M 70-99 11:04/M Laurie Lamb 52:17 Team Hoyt 5K, Waltham MA - May 22 - 209 finishers This was the 16th annual Hoyt race run out of the American Legion Post in Waltham. After moving this race from Thursday night to the Sunday before Memorial Day they have moved it back to Thursday night which was a good move as they lost many runners going up against so many races on that weekend. It was good running weather with temps at 55 degrees and the course a rolling loop through the back streets of Waltham. The post race food was plentiful pizza, and ziti, and $2 beer. A really nice touch was the fact that every runner pre entered received a raffle prize, which amounted to well over 100 prizes ranging from Timex watches to 12 packs of beer, and they were all picked before the race so no time was waisted giving them out after the race. This is an excellent early summer evening race. Dave Pember 22:18 1st veteran Run for Dave 5.3 Miles, S Dartmouth, MA - May 24 315 Finishers This was the first annual Run for Dave race and all funds raised would be used to provide financial assistance for Dartmouth Police Officer Dave Mello, who was rendered a quadriplegic, as a result of a 2005 automobile accident. Many runners, walkers, friends and family were there to show support for Officer Mello as well as numerous businesses and individuals who donated their time to make this race a memorable one. The course began at Dartmouth High School and meandered through the streets of Padanaram Village, over the historic Padanaram Bridge and continued on the rural tree-lined streets to the eventual finish back at the High School. It was not an easy course as there were many small hills and one steep hill in the third mile. Had the temperature been 80 degrees instead of the low 60's, it would have been a killer!! After the race was over with all the runners were treated to fruit, Dunkin Munchkins, Gatorade and coffee. They had a huge raffle with many good prizes and for ten dollars you could get an arm's length of tickets. Money was awarded to the top 3 overall male and female winners and trophies were given out to the top 3 finishers in each age division up to and including 70+. For a first time race, it proved to be a good one and hopefully they will get even more runners for next year's event. Sue Kenney This was a first time race to raise money for a Dartmouth police officer paralyzed in a car accident in 2005. For a first time event this was about as well run a race as I've ever attended. The site was the new Dartmouth high school gym with plenty of parking in beautiful South Dartmouth. If you've ever been to Pandenar-um harbor then you know what I mean. The course was run along rural roads for the first half of the race and then crossed the harbor bridge with terrific views of the

ocean and all the beautiful boats. The second half of the race consisted of numerous hills with one very steep knee bulking killer just before the three mile mark. Since it was run by many police volunteer’s cars were non-existent. The course is definite-ly challenging and not one to look for a PR. But the scenery was terrific as well as the organization. What I liked was how quickly results were posted. Within minutes of finishing announcements were made telling us more results were available. There was tons of food and multiply types of drinks along with free massages to keep us occupied and refreshed. Awards were beautiful trophies 3 deep to 70+ along with cash prizes for the top finishers. The short sleeved tee was nothing to write home about but comfortable. The win-ner was Boston's Ben Schmeckpeper in an impressive time of 26:41 and Julie Spolidoro who runs and wins most of the local races in an equally impressive time of 30:34. So, if you're look-ing for a terrific spring race with beautiful ocean views, chal-lenging hills and top notch organization then this might be a race to consider next Spring...I'll definitely be running it again. Woody Wilson Bruce Tavares 39:48 Sue Kenney 40:09 1st 50 - 59 Eric Benevides 40:29 Woody Wilson 42:15 3rd 60 - 69 Bozena Chmielewski 48:28 Maryanne Donato 52:13 Red White & Blue 5K, Wakefield, RI – May 24 118 finishers The 15th annual Red, White & Blue County Memorial Day 5K (formerly known as the "Miles for Smiles") race was held on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at the Thundermist Health Center. Although a small race, it has been one of my favorite 5K races, since the weather is usually perfect, it is a scenic, alt-hough slightly rolling, 5K course through Wakefield, with great T-shirts. The turnout at the race this year was less than in previ-ous years, which usually attracts approximately 175 runners, but this was probably due to another race, the Race for Grace, being held on the same date and time in Wakefield. As usual, the weather was almost perfect, with sun and tempera-tures in the mid-60s. The overall men's winner was Eric Lon-ergan with a time of 15:58. Francine Darroch was the overall women's winner with a time of 18:13. Laura Pagnozzi was the first RIRR finisher and was third in the women's category, with a time of 19:36. Penny Catalano was the overall first veteran in the women's division with a time of 23:56. Wayne Peacock was the third veteran in the men's division with a time of 24:07. Oth-er RIRR Finishers are as follows: Laura Pagnozzi 19:36 1/14 6:19 1st Kevin McCoy 20:15 3/13 6:32 Fred Mason, Jr 21:40 5/13 6:59 John Curran 23:49 8/13 7:40 Penny Catalano 23:56 1/2 7:43 1st veteran Wayne Peacock 24:07 3/7 7:46 3rd veteran Awards were given to the three top finishers in the following divisions: 19 & under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+. Following the race, refreshments including bagels, doughnuts from Dunkin Donuts, fruit, water and juice were provided and, as usual, a small raffle was held. This is a nice 5K which I am surprised does not attract more runners.

By Fred L. Mason Jr.

4 Wachusett Mountain Road Race – May 24 - 338 finishers Seeing as I signed up for the Mount Washington Road Race, coupled by the fact that I have never run an uphill race before, I figured that why not give this one a shot. The weather was per-fect with a cool breeze and mostly cloudy skies. They had a record 338 finishers but I did not recognize any other RIRR's, I'm sure there were some. The first mile plus is all on Mountain Road and uphill, the course then turns into Wachusett State Park and the remainder is closed to traffic. There is one downhill section during mile 2 I believe, it's somewhat of a blur. It's re-freshing but you know you are still heading to the summit. One thought that went through my mind over and over was; “Why did I sign up for Washington?” Well with heart pounding I fin-ished the 4.3 miles to the summit a minute or so faster than I though I would. I enjoyed the view and the cool breeze for a few minutes before heading down. There was a bus, however, most of us decided to just run down the 2.5 mile road to the lodge. That I enjoyed! One notable Rhode Island finisher, Mar-tin Tighe won the 50-59 age group. Mark DiFranco 36:36 Baldi River Run 5 Miler, May 25 - 262 Runners This is a first time race for me and I ended up picking up Dave at his house and we made the trek to Haverhill, just off of Rte 495. The race is an out and back lollipop configuration, is rela-tively flat and runs along the Merrimack River and then through a residential district ending in the old downtown. Our post race festivities were in a nice little park surrounded by 3 barrooms that have high decks that overlook the river. There are 3 gaze-bos and a tent where they cooked hamburgers, cheeseburgers and had chips and water. One gazebo was reserved for Bud Lite. The volunteers (who started drinking early) left and we poured our own drafts. They had to order a couple of more kegs but since they were warm, the foam was a lot to contend with. Only the hardy hung on and we had a great time. Before we left, they had a birthday cake for Dave Labrode - a piece of cake for the road. Other amenities were a t shirt with the Garibaldi club logo on it and awards, of which Dave garnered a 3rd Place just behind Denny Leblanc and Lawson Noyes. Trophies were beer mugs - what else of course! This is a nice small race with a great loca-tion and good after race camaraderie and goodies. I felt so good afterwards that I decided to drive another 6 hrs to surprise Judy in Canandaigua since I had the next day off. I would recom-mend this for anyone wanting a smaller race avoiding the com-petition such as the downtown Race to Remember or the Hyan-nis run held the same day. Don Clukies Dave Pember 36:33 7:19 3/13 3rd veteran Don Clukies 44:13 8:39 9/13 Run to Remember Half, Boston, MA – May 25 3,477 finishers Pardon my French but “Boston Run to Remember” was a damn good race event! This was the 4th running of this event that is a tribute to the fallen Police officers who gave their life in the call of duty with the proceeds given to “Kids at Risk” groups through out Boston. First of all, the weather was spectacular, with temperatures in the high 60’s with a light breeze (it felt warmer than that) and not a cloud in the sky. The course offered plenty of shade, was well marked, and the traffic was heavily patrolled. There was not one car allowed on the course. The

Boston Police put this event on so it had better been well pa-trolled. The course was well marked with mile markers at every mile. The course was well supplied with both water and Ga-torade at less than 2 mile intervals. The race drew over 6,000 runners giving the event an international feel to it. The facility for the start and finish was spacious and easy to get to. A huge ball room on the ground level of the World Trade Center played host to the Expo and packet pickup on Saturday, packet pickup on Sunday as well as the Post Race ceremony after both races had finished. The new Silver Line on the Boston MBTA carried the droves of runners practically right to the front door of the World Trade Center. The post race ceremony included the awarding of race medallions to each finisher and presentations to the top 3 finishers in each category for both races. Post race nourishment, which I thought was a disappointment for an event this size, included bottled water, oranges, bananas, bagels, rice cakes, and potato chips. Harpoon beer was also served once the awards presentation was over and a live band was present to help make for a grand celebration. Mike Vallee Daniel Azevedo 1:32:07 20/376 7:02 Michael Vallee 1:46:28 107/376 8:08 Cee Vallee 1:52:10 10/70 8:34 Jean Rainwater 1:59:32 17/70 9:08 Fred Zuleger III 2:28:33 2/2 11:20 2nd 70+ Woodstock 10K, Woodstock, CT – May 26 157 finishers Of the 50-plus races I ran last year, no race humbled me more (or gave me post-race nightmares) than the Woodstock 10K that takes place every Memorial Day just over the state line in Con-necticut. In that race, I ran my first and only 10-plus minute mile in a non-marathon - no thanks to the infamous Child's Hill on the sixth mile - and ended up with a 54:05 time that ranks as my worst 10K ever. But despite that performance, this race ranked as one of my favorites last year, and I definitely had to come back for another crack at this unique course. I like this race not just because of the course and the unusually-low $7 entrance fee, but also be-cause of the surroundings of the town. Woodstock is a quiet rural, historic community (area-wise, it's actually the second-largest town in the state) that boasts a lot of farms, antique and craft shops, and gorgeous scenery, and it seems like all of the folks there are very friendly and always smiling. Speaking of smiling, some wise guy (or gal) spray-painted a smiley face and the words "THE HILL" on the street less than 50 yards into the last mile. After running the first five miles of this race – the first two mostly downhill and the next three with some slight inclines – there were a lot of people sporting smiley faces, but once they climbed that unforgiving one-mile long, 300-foot high mountain … This was the 28th running of this event, and once again, more than 150 runners (157) answered the starter’s gun. Missing from the pack were three-time race champion Scott Deslongchamps and last year’s top female finisher, the RIRR’s Laura Pagnozzi, but replacing them on the victory stand was Jason Croteau (37:38) and Kristen Rigney (45:42). Laura would have smoked her! The RIRR was led by the excellent finish of Harry Carter, who took 29th place overall, but first in the 70-plus division, in a 46:34 time. John Santillo just missed cracking the top 50, set-tling for 51st place in a 50:32 time, and thanks to a lot of hill

5 work, I cut a full three minutes off my 2007 time by placing 57th in 51:05. Dave Simmons, who raised a few eyebrows by bravely pushing two of his grandchildren in a stroller in last year’s race, only pushed one this year and finished in 56:14. Thanks to the ‘light-er load’ Dave had to push, he almost cut three minutes off his 2007 time of 59:12! The Mohegan Striders -- with all of their top five runners finish-ing no worse than 34th -- handily won the team title with a clock-ing of 3:32:38. The top (and only) RIRR female finisher was Bozena Chmielewski, who after hearing me spin tale after tale about the dreaded sixth mile, decided to test it out for herself and finished in under an hour (59:04). She was 28th out of the 50 female par-ticipants. Paul Pare was the only other RIRR runner to place in the top three in his age group and receive a trophy during the post-race festivities inside the Woodstock Boys' Academy gymnasium. He took third in the men’s 60-69 age group, and Tom Richards was right behind him in fourth. There was also a small raffle after the race (Bozena won a bottle of wine made by a local vineyard), and for the first time in this race’s existence, the times were quickly posted on the wall and immediately put on coolrunning.com. Last year, it took nearly two weeks for the race’s organizers to compile the results be-cause they assembled them the "old fashioned way" – but this year, they got “The Last Mile Racing” to take care of the dirty work! Eric Benevides I tell ya, I must be getting very slow and oh soooooo very boring in my old age. I never had a woman "fall asleep" on me before until yesterday at Woodstock. I pushed my youngest granddaughter, Gracie in the race. Well, when we finished, I looked and she was sound asleep. She was so out of it that we hung around waiting for Abby' friends to finish for about 20 minutes before walking back to the car and it was not until then that we woke her up. I asked her what was the last thing she remembered and she told me she remembered going by Woodstock Farm...and of course that is right at the 5 mile mark and we both know the last hill starts right there. My last 1.2 miles was just over 13 mins....but it was a little warm out there. Dave Simmons Harry Carter 46:34 1/2 7:30 1st 70+ John Santillo 50:32 16/24 8:08 Eric Benevides 51:05 11/12 8:14 David Simmons 56:14 19/31 9:03 Bozena Chmielewski 59:04 8/12 9:31 Paul Pare 1:00:39 3/10 9:46 3rd veteran Tom Richards 1:19:13 4/4 12:45 Kelly Half Marathon, Hyannis, MA – May 25 236 finishers This ended up being a beautiful weekend for racing. Sunny skies and no wind. Somehow the race director managed to pull off 3 races in 1 day. The 5K went off promptly at 9:45am. The 7.2 mile and half marathon races at 9:15 a.m. and we split at about the 6 mile mark. The half marathon started next to the Hyannis Village Green on Main Street. Lucky for us we stayed at the Heritage Hotel which was a few minutes walk to the start. The course has a couple of small loops in the beginning before heading off towards the harbor and the marina. From there it went past Craigsville Beach (I only caught glimpses of beach

people). Since there weren’t a lot of runners I was concerned about getting lost but there were plenty of volunteers and cones on the course to keep you moving in the right direction. They had 6 water stops along the way. I can’t say there are any sig-nificant hills on this course. It’s fairly flat and fast. The hills are small and could be considered rolling and there weren’t many of them. I found that the temperature went up quite a bit an hour into the race so I had to slow down a bit. Otherwise on a cooler day this would be a fast course. The finish is on South Street at the back end of the Village Green. Music greeted you at the finish line and on the Green itself as they had a live band playing. While we were running they grilled hot dogs. Bagels with peanut butter and jelly, apples, oranges and bananas were served as well as Gatorade and water. The short sleeved shirts were a nice peach color. Medals to the top 2 finishers of each age group. I originally placed 4th in my age group but when I went back a few weeks later to check the stats for this report I saw that I had finished 2nd. The 2 NY ladies who finished 1st and 2nd had really run the 7.2 miler. Overall I liked this race and hope to return next year. Pat LaChance Pat LaChance 1:51:10 2 F 50-59 8:29/M 2nd senior Victor Haddad 3:06:45 2 M 70-99 14:15/M 2nd 70+ Keybank Vermont City Marathon May 25th 2, 379 Finishers

First, the facts. This race was as well organized as the Boston Marathon, and equally as supported by the citizens of Burling-ton. The expo was a breeze. The t-shirt was a short-sleeved pol-yester technical shirt. The pasta dinner ($25) was excellent with all-u-can-eat ziti, meat sauce, and two types of lasagna, salad, bread, and cake. Besides the marathon, there were also two mar-athon relays for teams consisting of two or five runners. On race morning, parking was free and plentiful in downtown Burling-ton. Shuttles were provided by the VCM from several hotels to the start, and back. The race started on time. The course was challenging, varied, and had plenty of nice scenery. The miles were well-marked with clocks and large signs. Great crowd support. ChampionChip Timing was provided by Granite State Race Services. Volunteers, police support, and water/Gatorade stations were all excellent. For post-race food, they provided bagels, oranges, bananas, cookies, yogurt drinks, Nutri-grain®

6 bars, and ice cream from native company and sponsor, Ben & Jerry’s. Free massages for finishers. A plethora of food booths were set up for racers and non-racers alike. If you haven’t done VCM, put it on your list. Now to the story: After a photo-op with Chris Poulos, RIRR, Jacques Benun, and I lined up for our 4th and 7th marathons, respectively. Jacques main goal was to avenge the virus-induced DNF from a year before at this race. We were to start and stay together for as long as possible. It was 50º at the start, so we thought maybe we'd get lucky and the temperature would stay at about 60º for the race. So, we went with a 3:28-3:30 pace plan (about 8:00 miles). The sunny, cloudless day heated up very quickly, reaching the high 60’s by midway and 73º by the end. The race ended up being a very tough test for both of us, and a learning experience for me. The course had lots of variety. It started in Battery Park on the edge of downtown, and ended in adjacent Waterfront Park along Lake Champlain, only a quarter mile separation. The course was a series of out and backs and loops, using downtown Burlington as a hub. The first 3-mile loop went through a residential area and back through downtown. The next leg was a 5-mile, cam-bered out and back with two long, challenging hills, then back through downtown. It then made a 7 mile loop out to a park and residential area, with some challenging hills, then back down a bike path at the half toward downtown again. Many nice views of Lake Champlain along the way. There were bands, bagpipers, singers, cowbellers and drummers along the way. Jacques and I got a bit separated at a water stop in mile 10, but he caught back up in mile 11. He was fighting a side-stitch. We reached the half marathon point in 1:45, which was right on target, but I began to think that the 8:00 per mile pace plan wasn't going to be possi-ble. I was feeling a bit sun-silly and stressed. I started to wrestle with all the ego-tied thoughts about not achieving what I set out to do. At mile 15, the course came to one mother of a hill called “The Battery Street Hill” or “The Assault on Battery”. It was steep and long. There was a group of taiko drummers called The Burlington Taiko Group at the bottom trying to give everyone a mental boost. After all the hills in the first half, this one was not easy. We just maintained feel and tried not to get into oxygen debt. We got to the top and went through a very narrow, chute-like section where the crowd was very close on both sides. Fun. We left that area for the final 11 mile loop that finishes on a bike path along the lake. Jacques went a little bit ahead. I was very hot and felt more like sitting down in the shade than running. I knew then that if I didn't slow down, I wouldn't finish. I dialed down my pace to about 8:30. Jacques kept the original pace and went out ahead, increasing his lead to over a hundred yards; I lost sight of him. Mile 18 was a residential cul-de-sac, which I ended up calling “The Cul-De-Sac of Love and Refreshment.” Seemed like everyone was out in their driveways watching, cheering, and offering water, orange slices, bananas, ice, popsi-cles, water sprays, and lots of love. It was imperative that I cool down, so I proceeded to grab water from everyone who offered and dumped it over my head and body. I ran through every hose-spray. I ate lots of orange slices and a banana, but the BEST was a grape cool-pop handed to me by an angel from Popsicle Heav-en. By the time I came out of the cul-de-sac to the main road, I was cooler, refreshed, sopping wet, and was thinking perhaps I'd make it to the end. I caught up with Jacques after the mile 18 marker; he had slowed his pace. About a half mile up, we en-tered a park. Jacques said he needed to take a walk break and told me to go ahead. The heat had taken its toll on him. I told him to take his time, kept my pace, and went on ahead. The course turned into a mulch trail that felt like pillows beneath my

feet. After getting back to pavement, I had to stop to get a huge wood chip out of my shoe. Mile 22 until the finish was on a bike path along the lake. I was thinking in my loopy, heat-induced high that the people of Bur-lington were so beautiful and AWESOME. As soon as I thought that, a 12-year old kid came walking the opposite way on the side of the trail. He looked at me, pointed and laughed, and said with the most punky face a kid could ever muster: "Look, you're an OLD fart and you're still running the marathon!" My reaction was to yell "You little #@*! (Rhymes with Mick)". Later, I wished I hadn't said that, then, even later on, I was glad that I did. Maybe he was a hallucination. I managed to maintain a no-wall 8:30-ish pace until the end, with a bit of a sprint in the last .21 for a 3:38:44 and 476th place (no chaffing or blisters). As I drooled and spoke utter nonsense, my wife, Winnie, gently led me by the hand to food and shade. Jacques finished in 3:51:55 for 730th place (top 31%)--he toughed it out quite nicely and met his goal and then some. Lo-cal elite, Matt Pelletier, won for the third straight year. I mentioned earlier that this was a learning experience. This was the first time I chose to make a major pace adjustment in a mara-thon. I learned that reality must be faced (“Yup, it’s too hot”) and acted upon (“I think I’ll slow down”)--and ego left in the dust (“Who cares. It’s only a marathon”). Dialing down 30 se-conds per mile turned out to be a wise choice. I avoided a death march or DNF, and had one of my best marathon finishes (top 20%). Not bad for an ol’ fart. by Jimmy Brunelle If I did not walk some of the last 8 miles I would have passed out--maybe I would have barfed on the kid that insulted Jimmy. I got every symptom you can think of: side stitch (never went away), knee pain, nausea, heart burn, hyperventilation, dizzi-ness, palpitations and worse of all I was mentally "out." But my motivation was first to finish it (nothing is worse than the feel-ing of DNF like last year at Vermont). When I was getting to miles 23-24, I pushed myself a bit more to try to keep myself under 4 hours. Even at the end, I did some walking--and you know what--at the end when the staff put that medal around my neck, I cried. There is something special about accomplishing this physical challenge of running a marathon. And despite sit-ting on my ass for the next 45 minutes trying not to barf, and then dragging my feet to the hotel room like a 90 year old man... there is a little spark in me that I want to run the distance again, and faster! by Jacques Benun Jimmy Brunelle 3:38:44 58/217 8:21 Jacques Benun 3:51:55 87/247 8:51

Foxboro Against Diabetes 5k Road Race – May 31 756 finishers The Foxborough 5K Run Against Diabetes held its eighth annu-al race in sunny 70 degree weather. It was very successful in attracting 756 runners. With over 100 volunteers including many Foxboro police officers this race was well organized. This flat fast course consisted of all right hand turns from start to finish. Traffic control was excellent. Jake Churchill from Easton, Ma. won in 16:43 enjoying a com-fortable lead from the start. His wife Katie almost completed a Churchill family sweep when she finished second in the wom-en's side in 19:52. Women's winner was Nisha Sardella of Mans-field in 19:39. Woody Wilson of the RIRR swept to victory in capturing first place in the Vet Division in 23:38.

Al Campbell

7

This is a race I run every year. it's held at the same site as the February 10 miler but usually I'm the only road runner here. However, this year Al Campbell made an appearance as he told me he'd be moving to Attleboro soon and was checking out the local running scene. The course can be very quick if the temperature isn't to hot but that doesn't happen to often at this time of the year. The race is well organized but never gets a top level field with the Rhody 5K being the next day. However the course is completely traffic free with quick results. The tee shirt is only for the first 200 hundred entries so many people go away empty handed. There is plenty of food and drink and awards are three deep to 60+. Al may have to relocate sooner rather then later as he scooped up 3rd in the 60 division. Woody Wilson Woody Wilson. 23:38 1st veteran Al Campbell 26:12 3 60-98 8:27 3rd veteran 9th Annual Rhody 5K Road Race – June 1 425 male finishers It was a perfectly clear and warm day. A little warmer than what everyone has experienced up until now. The men’s race started at 9:30 the women had to wait another half an hour and started at 10:00. Running clubs from all over New England were here. I’m sure it wasn’t just for the food, maybe the race had some-thing to do with it. This course is basically flat with minor up-grades however there is little shade which made this a little more of a difficult race. The course finishes on the dog track you only run a small part of the track unlike when the race first began you ran the entire track which was difficult because the front runners dug up the clay and the footing was difficult. Unlike last year at the end of the race the sky did not open up and pour rain. It was clear the food is tremendous and plentiful. No one leaves this race hungry. Mark Adams Kevin McCoy 20:03 25/91 6:28 Milt Schumacher 20:32 7/34 6:37 Harry Carter 21:27 2/6 6:55 2nd 70+ Matthew Polak 24:48 62/91 7:59 Chuck Simeone 25:42 66/91 8:17 Mark Adams 27:17 69/91 8:47 Jack Howley 27:23 90/108 8:49 John McGowan 28:25 5/6 9:09 Paul Pare 28:31 26/34 9:11 Stan Kurzynski 30:49 86/91 9:56 Steven Donato 39:51 108/108 12:50 Joseph Pascale 40:50 2/2 13:09 Rhody 5K , Lincoln, RI - June 1 276 female finishers Marge Bellisle 20:01 1/41 6:27 1st senior Karen Regan 23:10 21/77 7:28 Jessica Wheeler 23:44 13/41 7:39 Penny Catalano 24:25 2/9 7:52 2nd veteran Poyee Oster 25:27 31/77 8:12 Kara Pimental 29:40 56/70 9:33 Mary Sahady 30:23 26/41 9:47 Robyn Bratica 31:19 62/70 10:05 Maryanne Donato 31:59 55/77 10:18 Pat Kurzynski 32:45 32/41 10:33 Middleboro YMCA 10K- May 31 55 finishers Kara Pimental 3 19-29 50:54 8:13 3rd 19-29

Father Bullock 5K, Sharon, MA – June 1 159 finishers This is the 2nd year I’ve run this race. The temperature was a tad warm for even this time of the day. The kids race took place before ours so we had plenty of time to cheer them on. The walkers took off the same time as the runners but they complet-ed 2 miles.While we were running they selected the raffle items. I appreciate it when the race directors let the walkers start early or complete a shorter course. Then you don’t have to wait as long for the awards ceremony. They were passing out the awards by 6:45 p.m. which I thought was pretty quick. This is not a flat and fast course but it does seem like there are a lot of downhills. Don’t get me wrong. At some point you know you will be heading up but I think some of the course is a gradual climb. The race starts in front of the High School. After about ¼ mile you take a right hand turn and run downhill for almost a ½ mile. The 1st mile time is always fast. That ends quickly as you make a right had turn up a small but steep hill. From this point on there are a couple of small hills and I think some parts from mile 1 to 2 is the gradual climb. It flattens out a bit but around 3.5 miles there is another hill although it is not as steep as the 1st one and is longer. It’s certainly enough to take the wind out of your sails if you’re not ready for it. At the finish they had Oreo Cookie ice cream, soda, water, oranges, bananas and chips. The T-shirt was a nice light orange color. Awards were 3 deep in the age categories with different color coffee cups signifying which place you came in. DJ was playing a nice mixture of tunes (lots of oldies!). Very organized race and I like the idea of having a late afternoon race. Pat LaChance 23:31 7:35 1st senior First Senior 5K, June 1st, Colt State Park Bristol RI 35 finishers I usually don't like to say anything bad about a road race but this was not a very well run affair. The idea was a good one but the planning left plenty of room for improvement. This was the first Ocean Tides senior games (50 and up) with events at many loca-tions throughout the state. The brochure would make this Sum-mer's China Olympics proud. So money couldn't have been the issue. But, when I registered the organizers said they hadn't anticipated so many entries to they had run out of t-shirts...my response was...dah...35 entries and you're out of shirts and I was one of the first ones to arrive...ok no big deal just one less shirt to squeeze into the plastic bin in the garage. The course was really nice...two laps around the paved road near the main sta-tion and picnic areas of the park. The morning was beautiful with no wind and a great view along the water. Awards were 3 deep in 5 year age groups Even though our small band of ancient warriors numbered only 35 it took forever for the results to be done...the old fashioned way...by hand. But that just gave us more time to enjoy such a great morning in the park. However, that old "we didn't anticipate sooooo many entries" mantra raised its head again as they didn't have enough silver and bronze medals to hand out to the winners. Sooooo the shirts AND medals will be mailed. But no matter it was a fun morning running with so many true road warriors and brought back memories of a by gone era when races were for the pure enjoy-ment of testing one's self against other runners and before the age of the mega races. The race was won by 60 year old Kevin McCarthy of Portsmouth in 19:41. So, the idea of a senior road race is a good one and hopefully if it's held next year more senior runners will show up. But if the

8 organizers are going to charge $20 dollars again the organization has to be better for this race to be a success. Woody Wilson Dave Martin.......21:27 Scott Caldwell....22:38 Woody Wilson....23:48 (2nd 60-64) John Curran........24:35 Paul Bazin...........24:53 (2nd 65-69) Dennis Branham..25:46 (1st 75-79) Ali Dunn Parker 5K, Jamestown, RI – June 1 384 finishers Tim Finnegan here. I have been running a couple of days per week. I ran my first race this year. I was very excited to run under 8 min per mile. (I think the down hills helped!!) I ran Ali's Run in Jamestown. I finished in 23:40 (7:38). I have-n't attended a group run yet. I am pretty sure I will in the next few weeks. I am excited to meet some of the members. Thanks for your encouragement. Tim Finnegan Herb Armstrong 23:19 1 60-98 7:31 1st veteran Timothy Finnegan 23:40 14 30-39 7:38 Wayne Peacock 23:50 2 60-98 7:41 Martha Huston 25:56 7 40-49 8:22 KC Perry 26:49 11 50-59 8:39 Corrib Classic 5K, W Roxbury, MA - June 1 1,708 Finishers Fifteen years in the running and this race is still going strong with the participation level increasing with each and every year! Proceeds from this race are used to benefit many local charities and is sponsored by the Cooperative Bank and Gormley Funeral Home. This race has something for everyone from kid’s activi-ties and pony rides to the main event being the 5K race. After last year's overcast skies and chilly temperatures this year's race was a blessing, that is, if you call running in 81 degrees and humidity a blessing. The course is flat in areas to somewhat rolling in others, just enough to give you a good workout. After the race is over with a huge celebration begins! There is a great post race cookout on Billings Field with a seemingly never end-ing supply of hamburgers and hot dogs along with numerous kegs of Coors Light beer to wash it all down with. The post race party lasts for a few hours until right around 3:30 when their permit expires and everyone has to leave the field. By then, after mostly everyone has consumed large amounts of beer, it is definitely time to head home. Medals and gift certificates to the Corrib Pub are awarded to the first place finishers in each divi-sion and medals are awarded to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers as well. The only drawback to this race is that they do not have a division for 70+. This is a real shame since most of these run-ners have been racing for many years and they certainly deserve and need to be recognized as well. All in all it is a fantastic race and one that we do every year. Sue Kenney David Pember 22:27 3 60-98 7:15 3rd veteran Susan Kenney 23:19 1 50-59 7:31 1st senior Don Clukies 29:26 15 60-98 9:30 Brian Kenney 33:26 62 50-59 10:47 Day of Portugal 5K, New Bedford, MA – June 8 216 finishers David Pember 22:23 2/6 7:14 2nd veteran Todd Benevides 23:32 15/35 7:36

Susan Kenney 24:10 1/8 7:48 1st senior Penny Catalano 25:19 1/1 8:10 1st veteran Kara Pimental 25:26 8/25 8:13 Matthew Polak 25:55 16/22 8:22 Fred Zuleger III 27:13 1/2 8:47 1st 70+ Mary Sahady 30:17 4/8 9:47 DeCubellis Memorial 5K, Narragansett, RI – June 8 423 finishers Valerie Barcelos 31:43 1 60-69 10:14 1st veteran Sensata 5K, Attleboro, MA – June 8 210 finishers David Martin 22:26 6/22 7:13 Jerry Musco/Project Learn 8K, Lincoln, RI – June 8th 69 finishers Two of the state's early summer races that had seen better days in the past few years joined forces this summer in the form of the Jerry Musco 8K Run/2-Mile Walk (the only 4.97-mile race offered in R.I.) at Lincoln High, and the end result was a very successful event that was enjoyed by a lot of the Rhode Island Road Runners that gathered on this sunny morning. Last year, the Project Learn 5K in Johnston and the Musco 8K struggled to draw numbers (46 runners ran the Musco and 39 made their way to the Atwood Avenue event). But this year, close to 100 runners and walkers participated in this eighth an-nual event, and a quarter of the RIRR were on hand to either run in the race (30 participants) or volunteer their services. Last year's race (the first as an 8K after six years as a 5K) also took place in cool temperatures in the 60s, some light rain and wind, and a lot of puddles, but this year's race was a far different story. The temperature at the start of the race was 86 degrees and climbing, the humidity felt like it was off the charts, and there weren't many places to hide from the sun. The race itself, a scenic "roller coaster" loop that starts in front of the school on River Road, makes its way through Albion and next to the Kirkbrae Country Club neighborhood, and finishes in the back of the school near Ferguson Field, was also very, very challenging. The first two miles were mostly downhill, but after a rolling third mile that featured a slight uphill -- soon followed by anoth-er downhill run, came the "death march" back uphill in the fourth and fifth miles. But once the race returned to flat River Road, it was smooth sailing for the final half mile back to the school. When you combine the hills with the heat, you can tell that this wasn't going to be a great morning to run or key on PRs. In last year's race, 24 of the 46 runners finished in under 40 minutes, but this year, only 14 of the 69 runners who crossed the finish line were able to crack that barrier. The post-race festivities took place away from the sun and in a cooler environment (the school's cafeteria), where everyone was welcomed to an abundance of Ronzio's pizza, orange slices, brownies, cookies, and cold bottled water and PowerAde. There was also a large raffle of assorted items, with the grand prize (a bike) going to the RIRR's own Brian Govednik. As for the race results, Running Heritage's Ed Duhamel (29:14) and Erik Russo (30:18) finished 1-2, and Duhamel actually topped his time from last year's race, when he seized third in a 29:33 clocking. Unfortunately for Running Heritage, they didn't sport a third

9 runner that would have made them eligible to compete for the three-man Jerry Musco Challenge. As a result, the RIRR repeat-ed as team champions, but with a different look from last year's winners, as John Lariviere (who took third in 31:52), Brian (fifth in 34:18), and Dan Azevedo (seventh in 35:54) did the honors. Last year's RIRR winners were Dave Goff, Jimmy Brunelle, and Harry Carter, who swept the seventh through ninth spots. The top female finisher was the RIRR's Lisa Meehan, who got off to a dominant start and never looked back, as she placed 15th overall in a 40:01 time that was 94 seconds quicker than Clara Geswein (17th, 41:35) and 96 ticks faster than another RIRR runner, Pat LaChance (18th, 41:37). While Lisa took home a shiny gold trophy for her victory, 11 other RIRR runners made their way to the awards table and received beautiful trophies for finishing in the top three of their age groups. In addition to John (who placed first in the men's 40-49 division), Kevin McCoy (who did a wonderful job with the awards) earned one of his crafts by capturing the men's 50-59 age group (and finishing eighth overall) in a 36:14 time, and Harry Carter placed ninth overall for the second straight year and repeated as the 70-plus champion in a time of 37:25. Harry and Pat were also the male and female winners of the prestigious Leo Tomasetti Trophy, which goes to the runners who had the top two age graded finishes. Harry's adjusted time was 26:24, and Pat (who also was first in the women's 50-59 age group) had a 32:52 time. Taking second in their age groups were Mark DiFranco (men's 50-59, 10th overall, in 37:43) and Eric Benevides (men's 30-39, 20th overall, in 41:44), and third place went to Brian (men's 20-29), Dan (men's 40-49), Scott Caldwell (men's 50-59, 19th over-all, in 41:43), Paul Bazin (men's 60-69), and Bozena Chmielew-ski (women's 30-39). Overall, this was a nicely organized event -- and a job very well done -- by the race directors, the RIRR's Milt Schumacher and Julian Angelone, last year's Project Learn race director. Their hard work, and the contributions from all the volunteers, were extremely appreciated! All the proceeds from the event went toward two worthy chari-ties -- the Project Learn Adult and Family Literacy, a local adult education organization that provides classes for people who want to improve their literacy skills, and the Jerry Musco Me-morial Scholarship, a $500 scholarship to a Lincoln High, Smithfield High, Johnston High, or North Providence High stu-dent-athlete that is a member of their school's cross country or indoor or outdoor track team and named in the memory of Jerry, an avid runner for 25 years and former president of the RIRR for more than a decade who passed away in 2000 at the age of 53 after a 10-month bout with cancer. The only thing that I think needs to be changed in future events is the date of the race because it went head-to-head with so many other popular races in the area. The Will Speck 5K was right down the road in Cranston, and the Katie DeCubellis 5K took place in Narragansett and is annually one of the South County's premier races, gobbling up at least 400 runners each year. And don't forget the Day of Portugal 5K in New Bedford, which draws runners alone just for the wide array of Portuguese food after the race (kind of like the Giunta 5K in Fall River). If this race was in April or May, there's no question it would draw well over 100 runners, and I think even if it took place on the Sunday of the Fourth of July weekend or after the Blessing of the Fleet (where there's nothing on the schedule, but obvious-ly a good chance of another very hot morning), it would still do well. Eric Benevides

Musco 8K has a special meaning for me. Because its course has run past my neighborhood, for the past few years, I have seen the runners and found out about the club. But it took me two years before I finally joined the club. Since May of 2007, I have been running with the Wednesday night group. Indisputably, I am the slowest runner in the group, but they all welcome me with open arms. So when the Musco came around this year, of course I had to do it. I knew it is a tough course, after all it is my neighborhood. But when it coincided with the heat wave, I knew it is not going to be pretty. I got there just in time to pick up the number and then it was time to line up. It was great to see so many familiar faces at the starting line. Usually I won’t take water when the races are short, but this time, I stopped 3 different times to drink. I am convinced that it really make a difference for me. The heat and the hills were formidable. At every turn, there were fellow RIRR volunteers cheering you on. Believe me, they were the only spectators in this race who are crazy and dedicated enough to stay out there. I appreciate them though. The biggest challenge of this race is it finishes with an impressive uphill run on Kirk-brae Drive to Old River Road. A lot of the runners ended up walking it. I am proud to say that I ran the whole way without walking or stopping. But as I kicked in to finish the last ½ a mile, I started to feel as if the energy was pouring out of me and that there was nothing left. Then came Brian Govednik who obviously saw the urgent need of a pickup and came to the res-cue. He ran with me for the last one-tenth of the mile to the finish line. I finished at 44:03 at 8:52 pace. After that, it was party time. It was like a happy family reunion. People whom I have not seen for a while and people whom I run with very week were all there. It was just wonderful to see them all under one roof. There was plenty of food and drink for eve-ryone. To top it off, there were so many raffle prizes that just about every runner went home with something. I’d say that is a successful race. By Poyee Oster John Lariviere 31:52 1/12 6:25 1st master Brian Govednik 34:18 3/5 6:54 3rd 19-29 Daniel Azevedo 35:54 3/12 7:14 3rd master Kevin McCoy 36:14 1/14 7:18 1st senior Harry Carter 37:25 1/1 7:32 1st 70+ Mark Difranco 37:43 2/14 7:36 2nd senior Jimmy Brunelle 39:41 5/12 7:59 Lisa Meehan 40:01 1/16 8:03 1st overall John Santillo 41:15 6/12 8:18 Pat LaChance 41:37 1/4 8:23 1st senior Scott Caldwell 41:43 3/14 8:24 3rd senior Eric Benevides 41:44 2/3 8:25 2nd 30-39 Dave Goff 42: 45 7/12 8:36 Diane Hamel 43:51 5/16 8:50 Andy Barnes 43:51 6/14 8:50 Poyee Oster 44:03 6/16 8:52 Bill Marquis 44:26 7/14 8:57 Paul Bazin 46:26 3/7 9:21 3rd veteran Maureen Lee 48:16 7/16 9:43 Woody Wilson 48:24 4/7 9:45 David Simmons 48:25 9/14 9:45 Martha Huston 49:19 10/16 9:56 Mike Goodson 49:58 5/7 10:04 Bozena Chmielewski 50:05 3/4 10:05 3rd 30-39 Jack Howley 50:30 9/12 10:10 Paul Pare 51:24 6/7 10:21 Pat Kurzynski 1:00:10 4/4 12:07

10 Stan Kurzynski 1:00:11 12/14 12:07 Maryanne Donato 1:01:04 14/16 12:18 William Goodwin 1:04:37 5/5 13:00 Speck Memorial 5K, Cranston, RI – June 8 195 finishers Cranston High School West track was the site for registering, finish and award ceremony for this hot day race. It was difficult finding some shade for shelter before and after the race. Being a flatlander from Florida the hills took their toll on this runner on a very warm day. There were no mile times called out, however large yellow numbers painted on the road kept me aware of how slow I was running. I thought that the 300 meter flat finish on the track would be the time to speed up but my pace did not quicken at all. Aside from a few walkers taking a wrong turn, Frances Branham included, the race was handled well. Frances was the only person seen after the race to take her shade with her. A large umbrella! Dennis Branham John Roccabello, Jr 25:46 2/5 8:18 2nd veteran Dennis Branham 27:05 1/1 8:44 1st 70+ Chuck Simeone 27:49 6/14 8:58 Florence Dagata 53:15 1/3 17:09 1st 70+ Frances Branham 56:00 2/3 18:02 2nd 70+ Day of Portugal 5K, New Bedford, MA-June 8 216 finishers It was a blistering hot day with temperatures in the upper 80's and lots of humidity to go along with it, even with the early start at 10:00 a.m. The race director, Connie Rocha- Mimoso puts in a lot of hours preparing this event and seeing to it that every-thing goes off just right. She does an excellent job of organizing this race and it certainly shows. This is not just a race but a cultural event as the City of New Bedford celebrates its ties and traditions with Portugal. There is a big celebration that goes on for the entire weekend with lots of entertainment, ethnic food and a carnival for the kids. The race itself runs along the city streets in a loop fashion beginning and ending on Acushnet Av-enue. The first mile is pretty much flat with a moderate uphill climb in the second mile. The last stretch home is pretty much flat with a slight downhill grade to the finish. Lots of post race food which included chourico, pork and tuna sandwiches, as-sorted pastry, malasadas, linguica, hot dogs, hamburgers, water, coffee and cans of Monster energy drink were offered to the runners upon completion of the race. Cash awards and plaques were presented to the top 5 overall male and female finishers and trophies and cash were given to the top 3 male and female finishers up to 70+. Once the awards ceremony was over with there was a very large raffle with lots of good prizes. This is a very well organized race and for an entry fee of only $10.00 it is definitely worth it. Sue Kenney David Pember 22:23 2/6 7:14 2nd veteran Todd Benevides 23:32 15/35 7:36 Susan Kenney 24:10 1/8 7:48 1st senior Penny Catalano 25:19 1/1 8:10 1st veteran Kara Pimental 25:26 8/25 8:13 Matthew Polak 25:55 16/22 8:22 Fred Zuleger III 27:13 1/2 8:47 1st 70+ Mary Sahady 30:17 4/8 9:47 Gaspee Days 5K, Cranston, RI – June 14

589 finishers This is always a fun event with an out and back course with a couple minor hills that always seem harder when the weather is hot as it was today. The course is lined with people awaiting the parade which begins immediately after the race. It makes for a carnival-like atmosphere and helps get your mind off of the pain from having gone out too fast. The overall male winner was 25-year old Dyaln Wykes from Providence in 14:42 which is a 4:44 pace. Female winner was Stephanie Reilly from Whitinville, MA in 16:36. Laura Pagn-ozzi was first RIRR member followed by a more mature Marge Bellisle who took 1st senior in 19:29. Meredith Nelson was very gracious to a few of the elder runners by assigning their race numbers to match ages. Wayne Peacock 69 and will become a force to recon with when he turns 70 on July 23rd. As it was he placed 2nd in the veteran division. Look out Freddy Z who wore 70. I was 72 which will also have to change in July. Of course, the best number of all is 85 assigned to Joe Pascale. This race gives out cash awards to the overall top five male and females plus $50 & $25 to first and second place age group win-ners through 70+. Our club had four firsts, two seconds and one third. For some reason, this year they ran out of water at the finish and there was very little after race food. They did have barbequed pork rolls. In the years gone by beer was served from the back of a truck. All in all, a fun race and a great place to socialize before and after with your fellow runners. Chuck Hyson Laura Pagnozzi 19:17 6/149 6:13 Marge Bellisle 19:28 1/17 6:16 1st senior John Curran 22:58 7/40 7:24 Joseph Behl 23:11 1/15 7:28 1st veteran Wayne Peacock 23:42 2/15 7:38 2nd veteran Pat LacCance 23:48 2/17 7:40 2nd senior Fred Tanner 24:07 1/9 7:46 1st 70+ Mark Schwager 24:19 13/40 7:50 Bill Marquis 24:31 14/40 7:54 Paul Bazin 24:51 4/15 8:00 John Roccabello, jr 25:03 6/15 8:04 David Simmons 25:10 16/40 8:07 Martha Huston 25:29 18/59 8:13 Fred Zuleger III 25:55 3/9 8:21 3rd 70+ Kara Pimental 27:56 77/149 9:00 David Charon 28:17 64/82 9:07 Mary Sahady 28:52 10/17 9:18 Stan Kurzynski 29:54 27/40 9:38 Valerie Barcelos 29:59 1/6 9:40 1st veteran Chuck Hyson 30:09 5/9 9:43 Michael Parker 31:01 31/40 9:59 Pat Kurzynski 31:27 13/17 10:08 Joseph Pascale 39:30 8/9 12:43 McKeon Post Scholarship Race 4.3 mi, Dorchester MA

11 June 15 - 138 finishers This was my 12th time running this terrific Father's Day race, and they have been running it many years before I started run-ning it. They call this the old man's race because the veterans division always has a big turnout since the same runners have been showing up year after year and now we are all old and almost decrepit. This year there were 16 veterans 60-69. The weather is usually hot but not this year it was only 58 degrees and a steady rain, which made for good running on this rolling course with the big hill near the end. Unfortunately the cookout had to be moved inside the AMVETS where there was plenty of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and cold beer that never ran out!! As I said not much young blood in this race as the overall winner was 55 year old Reno Stirrat in 24:30, medals were 3 deep in all divisions, and Herbie from the Amvets does a terrific job every year putting on a first class race! Dave Pember Dave Pember 30:51 1st veteran Sue Kenney 31:24 1st senior Don Clukies 39:13 Brian Kenney 42:16 Father’s Day 10K, Fairhaven, MA – June 15 415 finishers Kara Pimental 44:06 5/64 7:06 Bruce Tavares 45:59 15/67 7:25 John Santillo 46:40 18/67 7:31 David Simmons 52:10 30/64 8:24 Fred Zuleger III 53:09 3/4 8:34 3rd 70+ Bruce Tavares 53:19 29/54 8:35 Jean Rainwater 1:02:04 10/14 10:00 Victor Haddad 1:12:23 4/4 11:39 5K - 384 finishers Todd Benevides 22:41 10/43 7:34 Penny Catalano 23:49 1/6 7:57 1st senior Woody Wilson 23:53 2/20 7:58 2nd veteran Maryanne Donato 28:02 11/38 9:21 Kevin Brennan 30:55 10:19

 

Club members entering a new division in July Martha Huston becomes a Senior (50) on July 5th.

Wayne Peacock becomes a Grand Veteran (70) on July 23rd. Thanks to all of you who have contributed articles for the news-letter. We appreciate your input! Please feel free to write up a race and send it to us. Also any suggestions you might have regarding running and/or our club. You can call, write or E-Mail: Chuck or Susan Hyson 18 Musket Road, Lincoln, RI 02865 Phone: 401/725-1725 E:mail: chyson8089@aol.com

Next Meeting on Tuesday, July 8th -7:30 p.m. at Sons of Italy Restaurant 99 Hicks Street, East Providence, RI. Direc-tions can be found on our web site rirr.org.

Al  Campbell  &  Maria  Fanseca  will  be  mar-­‐ried  on  July  6th.  We  wish  them  well.    

 

   

Club Officers John Santillo – President 401/683-4733 katjonkkd@cox.net Dave Simmons – VP 508/993-1803 dasimrun@yahoo.com Jorge Matesanz – Treasurer 401/475-5287 jmatesanz@att.net Lisa Meehan – Secretary 401/398-1969 marameehan@aol.com Susan Hyson – Clothing 401/725-1725 Sgh8089@aol.com Jimmy Brunelle – Web Master 401/658-3753 jimmybrunelle@yahoo.com Chuck Hyson – News Editor 401/725-1725 Chyson8089@aol.com Club Web Site RIRR.org RIRR.org