Miles Over the Moon

Salem, MA, July 8, 2016 – 4 mile race – recap by Mike Pelletier

It was a great night in July for running. At race time of 8 pm, the temperature was in the low 60’s with a sea breeze in the Willows. A new race course for the 6^th year of this race proved a hit. There are now two loops around the Salem Common which are dead flat. The only hills are a gentle rise along Fort Avenue heading for the Willows, a short upgrade on Bay View Avenue to Restaurant Row and a small up-hill where Memorial Drive begins at Dead Horse Beach.

Lauren Hamilton hasn’t been able to run with the Salem Saturday Slackers for several months because of work, but whatever she has been doing for training has really paid off as she won her Senior Masters age group handily.

Gary Freedman was the first Strider male in 29:29, good for 10^th place in the Senior Masters Division. This was Gary’s second 4-Mile Race in five days as Gary had run 30:46 and finished as 8^th Senior Master in Marblehead’s Firecracker Four on the Fourth of July.

Jennifer O’Neil finished 3^rd F5059 and then doubled within 24 hours. The next day, Jennifer was 1^st F5059 at the Greenbelt’s Run for the Hills Trail Race in the 5k Division. [Since she didn’t race on Friday night, Bonnie Hallinan ran in the 10K Division at the Greenbelt’s Run for the Hills Trail Race and finished 1^st F6069.]

Next Event in NSS GP: Yankee Homecoming 10M/5K, Newburyport, Tuesday, August 2, 2016, [6 pm-5K and 6:10 pm-10M].