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Club News Back to Backshore – A Great Place to Be! GLOUCESTER - Last night we got to enjoy the second NSS Grand Prix Race, Backshore, and it’s certainly a club favorite! How do we describe the beauty of the shoreline, the lighthouses in the background with the waves tickling the sand in the foreground? It’s just stop-you-dead-in-your tracks beautiful. But no…we did not stop dead in our tracks! We geared up for the pleasantly challenging course (OK the opening uphill does not get rave reviews - till we retrace it downhill to the finish). There were just-difficult-enough rolling hills up ahead, the ocean bubbling on the left, pretty inland streets for a bit, and back out with the shoreline now on our right and gearing up for that downhill finish (after having to crest that hill’s backside). We had a large contingent of Striders putting their best foot forward, and many of them scored some bling. All in all, 34 Striders competed and of them, 7 earned awards. Among them: Layce Alves, first woman overall, twelfth finisher overall, and a blistering 6:10 pace! George Geis also scored gold, taking his 70-79 age group with a fine 7:57 pace. Sean (the younger) and Alexandra Kay brought home some metal in the 9-14 age groups, Sean taking a third and Alexandra a second. Jennifer O’Neil finished second in the F50-59 division, matching son Scott’s second in the M15-19 division. Deneen Habarta placed third in the women's 30-39 category. Linda Fitzpatrick wasn’t deterred by broken shoulder and wrist bones. She still strutted to a third in the Women’s 60-69 category! (And she wasn’t even pushing!) All Strider results are below and full races results can be found on Cool Running. The next club race where volunteering rather than running is the name of the game is the Dory Run on 5/28. At the Dory run we have to have lots of volunteers before we can release Striders to run. Hope to see everyone there.
Boston Marathon Results BOSTON - On a day when 6 of 17 Elite Women did not finish and 4 of 20 Elite Men did not finish the Boston Marathon, 10 of the 11 Striders able to step to the starting line finished.
I’m always impressed more by thoughtful intelligence than I am by unthinking brashness. Today I was very impressed by the thoughtful intelligence displayed by all 12 members of our North Shore Striders Boston Marathon Team. I know all of you will join me in congratulating all of our North Shore Striders Boston Marathon Team on a job well done.
Also, pictures from the Mile 12 Water Stop, courtesy of Roger Perham are now posted. A Race Off the Beaten Path IPSWICH - Like many of us in the Club, I am not running in the big race on Monday. (Although the weather predictions make it look very challenging this year.) So, I decided I wanted to run another race this weekend. I’ve always been rather intrigued with the 5K Chase the Gorilla Down Argilla in Ipswich. Is there really a gorilla? Does he really get chased down Argilla? Well, I decided to find out. Yes, there is a guy in a gorilla suit. He rides ahead of the front runners in the race and in past years gets out and runs the last tenth of a mile or so with enough of a lead so as not to get caught. Apparently last year the gorilla almost got caught. (I’m sure it’s difficult to run in a gorilla suit. Maybe hot, too!) I’m not sure if that happened this year because I was not in the lead pack, but I did see the guy in the gorilla suit hamming it up before the race and running with the kids in the kids race. In a past year there was also someone who ran in a BANANA suit, but with much disappointment I did not see that runner this year. (I wonder if the gorilla did??) First 2012 Grand Prix Race - April Fool's!
SALISBURY -The weather forecast sounded slightly daunting for this first race – at least by the standards set with weather this winter! Ooh – scary – snow and rain showers were predicted. However, it did not scare off 31 hardy North Shore Striders who finished this 4 mile race. Actually, there were a few snow flurries right at the start of the race, but the weather conditions were pretty darn good for running. It’s advertised as a fast, flat course to get your running season started, and I’d say it does that. The out and back course is about as close to flat as any course you will encounter. With a large overall field in the race this year, awards were given in 5 year age group increments which is a nice thing if you’re hoping to pick up a little hardware. Placing in their age groups were: Sue Quimby 3/95 F3539; Alexandra Kay 1/10 F0119; Aiden Kay 3/10 M0119; George Geis 1/6 M7074; Linda Desjardins 3/12 F6064; Armand Claveau 3/6 M6569; and Nancy Wilson 1/1 F7599. Rick Johnson was the first male Strider runner with a time of 24:44 and Sue Quimby the first female with a time of 28:46. Many other Striders ran a strong race and it looks as though many have been running this winter and others are rounding into shape. We hope to see many of you at the next Grand Prix Race: The Backshore 5 miler in Gloucester on Friday May 11 at 6:30. This is a really nice course for those of you who have not run it, with part of the race along the ocean.
Full results here. 38th DH Jones 10 Mile Road Race
AMHERST - The first race in the USATF/NE Grand Prix was a very hilly 10 miles with bright sun, temperatures in the 30’s and a stiff, gusty wind. Undeterred by the conditions, George Geis ran to glory and is now the 2012 USATF New England 10-Mile Champion in the Male 70+ Division. One of my other long-time training partners, Annajean McMahon, moved up to the 60+ Division and ran to a 4th place finish only 5 seconds out of third. Marisol’s main squeeze, Martin Tighe, matched Annajean’s effort, finishing 4th in the 50-59 Division, a mere 19 seconds behind third. In team competition, the NSS Women’s Open team finished 14th and the NSS Women’s Masters team finished 9th while the NSS Men’s Open team was 20th and the Men’s Veterans team was 6th.
Full results at Cool Running. The Great Stew Chase: A View From the Water Station LYNN - “Are you familiar with this course?” asked a volunteer from the Wicked Running Club as we filled paper cups with water. I answered in the negative. “Oh, after the race, you have to drive up there and see ‘The Hill’. You wouldn’t believe what they have to run up, it’s like this!” She demonstrated with her elbow held 90 degrees from her body, her fingers pointed to the sky. She elaborated - it seems there were, in fact, several Hills. Sometimes it’s nice to show up on a race day wearing jeans, not feeling the slightest bit anxious, and only hearing about The Hill, knowing that you can later view it from the comfort of your car - if you so choose. Thirty-Eighth Annual Great Stew Chase LYNN - The weather was cold but the streets were clear as thirteen Striders (eight women and five men) attacked the Stew Chase course and then the stew. Lanse Stover and Rachel Stafford set the pace, but Grand Master George Geis finished 1st and Bonnie Hallinan finished 2nd in the age-group competition. George Geis, Bonnie Hallinan, Jayne Sexton, Marisol Ficaro, and Mike Pelletier each received a small clock for their efforts. Strider Roger Perham did his usual stellar job as Race Director. Among those volunteering so that the rest of us could run were official Strider Photographer Krissy Kozlosky, Armand Claveau, Rosie Keyes, Karen Batt, Dan Forster and Dan’s daughter.
Full results at Cool Running. Archives
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