Northfield Mountain 06-05-2004
La Sportiva - USATF New England Mountain Running Championships
by Dave Dunham <dave.dunham@verizon.net>
Pictures by Pixel-run.com
 |
| Northfield race masters
winner Dan Verrington (CMS). photo: pixel-run.com |
A new king of the hill was crowned on Saturday, as recent Keene State grad Josh Ferenc edged 2003 Mountain Runner of the Year Paul Low (CMS) to take the La Sportiva USATF-NE Mountain Running Championship at Northfield Mountain Recreation Area on Saturday June 5th.
In addition to being part of the USATF NE Mountain circuit and the designated USATF NE Mountain Championship, the race was also the next to last stop in the highly popular Hockomock Swamp Rat series, as well as a part of the New England Grand Tree trail race series. All contributed to the large 130 runner field who hailed from 8 states (CT, RI, MA, NY, VT, NH, ME and MD) and more than 30 different running clubs.
Conditions were excellent for racing over the double loop 13.2 km, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid fifties. The course was slightly modified from last year, moving to the original Snowshoe trail that could not be used in 2003. That modification and the number of downed trees made the course slightly slower than last year, yet despite that, there were some age group records and an overall course record set.
At the start, Ferenc took the lead and by the start of the first climb (at about .75 mi) he had gapped Low by about 5 seconds. Low, who has not been beaten by an American in an up/down course since 1999, made his move on the steepest climb of the course, about 3 miles. He gained a slight lead before the wide grassy downhill. Paul noted, “I ran the first downhill hard yet conservatively, and Josh caught me just before the single track turn”. Josh gapped Paul on the remaining downhill and had a few seconds lead as they passed through the start/finish at 4½ miles. As the duo climbed the first hill in the second loop, the next two runners passed on their way down the hill; Low gauged that Mark Werner and Rich Bolt were way back and would not be a factor. This affected his decision to “push the uphill as hard as I could”, knowing Ferenc would make up time on the long, grassy downhill. Paul moved back into the lead at the single-track section about 5½ miles into the race.
On the second loop, Paul held his lead until about ½ way down the hill and then was passed. “I tucked in behind him for a while,” Paul said, adding “I was right behind him by the end of the single track (400m from the finish). He proceeded to put 7 seconds on me by the finish line”. Josh looked strong on the final downhill and Paul’s hurdling of the gate did little to cut into the lead. Josh’s new course record (49:18) equates to 5:58 per mile over the 8.2m course with 1800’ of climb and descent. Paul took 40 seconds off of his winning time from last year. Werner, a member of the US Mountain team last year and recently qualified to represent the US in the 100 Kilometer World challenge, held on to 3rd with Bolt moving up 4 places and 30 seconds from 2003. Rich noted that he may have “saved a little on the downhill, thinking about Mt Washington”.
Further down, sixth placer Zach Emerson (Moose Milers) was first junior, adding another quality race to his resume toward possible selection to the USA World Cup team later this year. Bolt noted, "it's been a while since we’ve had good Junior (under 20) mountain runners in New England." Master’s course record holder Dan Verrington (CMS) took the 40+ victory, closely followed by Mark Pitts (Moose Milers). The 50+ went to Rob Higley (WMAC) with an excellent 11th place overall finish in 58:27. Now 3 for 3 in the 2004 circuit, he broke Richard Stockdale’s course record by nearly 6 minutes. Peter Orni (CMS) won the 60+ race in 1:11:03, missing his own course record by one second.
In the women's race, the perfecta repeated the Mt.Kearsarge finish. Kelli Lusk (CMS) took the women’s race in 1:03:04, 3 minutes slower than her course record of last year, but likely not an all-out run and Jenn Brooks-Lassen (Team Gloucester) was 2nd more than four minutes back, affected by an achilles spasm that forced a walk up much of the first hill; they retain the 1-2 spots in the circuit standings. Grace Jensen took the 40+ victory by nearly 2 minutes and the 50+ win went to Sherisa Sterling.
In the team battle, Central Mass Striders took the measure of Moose Milers. Eldon Burkinshaw (Gate City) moved into a tie for the most appearances ever in the nine year old circuit with injury-sidelined race director Dave Dunham, and Sarah Prescott (MVS) won a pair of snowshoes as the middle-of-the-pack finisher, 64 of 128.
Mike Woodman of Timonium MD was the top Hockomock Swamp rat finisher in 12th place, and Rob Smith (CMS) was the top Grand Tree runner with his 13th place finish. The final "Rat Race" is the Montpellier VT 10m later this month, while the Grand Tree competition continued on Sunday with the Nipmuck Marathon in Vernon CT.
Place Time First Last Catgry Age Sex Town St Club 1 0:49:18 Joshua Ferenc M20 22 M Keene NH 2 0:49:25 Paul Low M30 30 m Amherst MA CMS 3 0:52:07 Mark Werner M30 32 M Boothbay Harbor ME La Sportiva 4 0:52:55 Richard Bolt M30 33 m Manchester NH CMS 5 0:53:31 Kevin Tilton M20 22 m Conway NH CMS 6 0:54:44 Zach Emerson M15 19 M Hillsboro NH Moose Milers 7 0:54:57 James Pawlicki M25 29 M Beverly MA CMS 8 0:54:59 Greg Ward M30 32 m Holden MA Moose Milers 9 0:56:49 Dan Verrington M40 41 m Bradford MA CMS 10 0:57:26 Mark Pitts M40 41 M N Woodstock NH Moose Milers 11 0:58:27 Rob Higley M50 50 m Amherst MA WMAC 12 1:00:57 Michael Woodman M35 38 M Timonium MO Falls Road Racing Team 13 1:01:33 Rob Smith M35 37 m Charlestown MA CMS 14 1:01:58 Pat Giersch M35 37 m Natick MA 15 1:03:04 Kelli Lusk F30 34 F Amherst MA CMS 16 1:03:18 Bernard Hyland M30 31 M Brighton MA 17 1:03:56 Todd Brown M40 40 M Rocky Hill CT NMC 18 1:04:12 Bill Wardyga M40 44 m Pawtucket RI Wampanoag RR 19 1:04:14 David Audet M35 39 M Concord NH Sandown Rogue Runners 20 1:04:32 Gerald Campbell M40 44 M Hubbardston MA 21 1:04:46 Robert Naser M40 41 M Dedham MA Thirsty Irish Runners 22 1:04:57 James Doneski M30 35 M Concord NH 23 1:05:32 Andrew Novis M40 40 m Amherst MA 24 1:05:56 Paul Kirsch M35 38 M Madison NH White Mtn Milers 25 1:06:01 Wesley Lassen M20 26 M Gloucester MA Team Gloucester 26 1:06:04 Don Slovenka M45 48 M Fitchburg MA NMC 27 1:06:30 Donald Burke M45 47 m Mansfield MA HSR 28 1:06:39 Jim Panaccione M30 33 M Newmarket NH 29 1:06:44 Thomas Parker M30 34 M Nashua NH CSU 30 1:06:53 Seth Miles M25 28 M Georgetown MA 31 1:07:00 Jeff Gould M35 39 M Westminster MA NMC 32 1:07:09 Jenn Brooks-Lassen F25 25 F Gloucester MA Team Gloucester 33 1:07:24 Bob Mulvaney M50 50 M Derry NH Mose Milers 34 1:07:42 Ken Jacobson M40 48 M Ashland MA 35 1:09:09 Dan Murphy M25 25 M Putney VT 36 1:09:14 Richard Stockdale M50 53 m Mason NH Gate City 37 1:09:17 Will Graustein M40 43 M Harwinton CT HTC 38 1:09:41 Ray Daupiainais M40 44 M Ridge NH 39 1:09:45 Rodney Furr F40 40 M Florence MA 40 1:10:44 Joshua Curtis M25 29 M Newport RI NWC 41 1:10:46 Jim Drew M50 54 M Boxboro MA CSU 42 1:10:57 Vinnie Rivard M55 57 m Leominster MA CMS 43 1:10:59 Peter Gagarin M55 59 M Sunderland MA SMAC 44 1:11:01 Edward Alibozek M40 41 M Suffield CT WMAC 45 1:11:03 Peter Orni M60 61 M Ashburnham MA CMS 46 1:11:06 Stan Kolpa M50 52 M Vernon VT CSU 47 1:11:10 Steve Jensen M40 43 M E. Haddam CT 48 1:11:29 Grace Jensen F40 41 F E. Haddam CT 49 1:12:29 Bruce Marvonek M50 50 M Stafford Sprgs CT Shenipsit Str 50 1:12:37 Steve Davis M40 44 M Gloucester MA Team Gloucester 51 1:12:48 Eric Levin M50 50 M Waltham MA 52 1:13:22 Helen Bradler F40 44 F Temple NH 53 1:14:20 John Tallarico M40 44 m Wilton NH MRM 54 1:14:52 Phil Bricker M50 50 M Northampton MA SMAC 55 1:14:54 Steve Vaitones M45 48 M Waltham MA Somerville Road Runners 56 1:14:59 Keith Bockus M50 51 M Hubberdston MA 57 1:15:04 Laren Siebert F40 41 F Pepperell MA North Medford 58 1:15:09 Michael Souza M50 52 M Tauton MA 59 1:15:16 Donna Smyth F40 44 F Vernon VT CSU 60 1:16:08 Michael Menovich M50 53 M Lexington MA NMC 61 1:16:15 Mike Lahey M50 53 M Adams MA 62 1:17:35 CRobert Suarez M35 36 M Boston MA 63 1:17:38 Michael Quinn M40 40 M Arlington MA SRR 64 1:17:46 Sarah Prescott F35 38 F Concord NH MVS 65 1:17:49 James Shope M50 50 M Leominster MA CMS/NMC 66 1:18:48 Charlie Farrington M55 59 m Methuen MA MVS 67 1:18:53 Ken Goodwin M45 49 M Lowell MA 68 1:19:08 Laura Evans M30 39 F Turners Falls MA 69 1:19:09 John Kinnicutt M40 41 M Menands NY 70 1:19:12 Peter Lipka M50 52 M Adams MA WMAC 71 1:19:24 Paultte Bolton M40 44 F Manchester NH 72 1:19:38 Kate Naples F35 35 F E Sandwich MA CCAC 73 1:20:49 Eldon Burkinshaw M65 65 m Londonderry NH Gate City 74 1:21:18 Ken Mueller M60 67 M Bellingham MA WBFC 75 1:21:47 Jim Boss M45 47 M Keene NH EURC 76 1:22:28 James Schneider M45 47 M Weymouth MA Swamp Rats 77 1:23:10 Kris Gleason F40 F Leominster MA NMC 78 1:23:21 Peter Brook M40 44 M S Boston MA SRR 79 1:23:28 Micheal Thatcher M45 46 m Manchester NH Gate City 80 1:23:37 Angela Iaria F30 33 F Boston MA 81 1:23:46 Charlie Hudson M50 53 M Easton MA 82 1:23:49 Dave Martin M40 44 M Sharon MA CRR/HSR/SFD 83 1:23:51 Dave Tyler M45 45 M Lowell MA MVS 84 1:23:57 Manny Arruda M50 53 M Somerville MA HSR 85 1:24:17 Rod L'Italien M65 68 M Newburyport MA 86 1:24:26 Rick Baccus M50 51 m Bristol RI RIRR 87 1:25:21 Richard Jones M45 46 m Carlisle MA HSR 88 1:26:11 Ray Boutotte M58 58 M Pepperell MA NMC 89 1:26:21 Peter Watson M65 65 M Rockport MA Team Gloucester 90 1:26:27 Darlene Murray F45 48 F Sterling MA NMC 91 1:26:35 Richard Macdonald M50 54 M Milford NH GCS 92 1:26:44 Fred Ross III M55 57 m Vernon VT CSU 93 1:26:46 Walter Kuklinski M55 55 M Princeton MA WPI Footpounders 94 1:26:50 Jack Foley M50 51 m Braintree MA HSR/CRR 95 1:26:53 Paul Grogan M50 50 M Hudson MA WPI Footpounders 96 1:27:23 Paul Grant M55 56 m Carver MA CSU 97 1:27:35 Sherisa Sterling F50 51 F Ashburnham MA CSRC/NMC 98 1:27:42 Rick Hayes M50 53 M W. Wareham MA Colonial RR 99 1:28:39 unknnown 100 1:29:13 Jack Buckley M55 55 m Hopkinton MA 101 1:29:40 Beth Reynolds F45 48 F Hopkinton MA 102 1:29:40 Richard Paulsen M60 60 m Woburn MA Shamrock 103 1:29:44 Emer O'Donoghue F40 41 F Lexington MA SRR 104 1:30:38 Judy Romvos F50 53 F Carlisle MA HSR 105 1:34:16 John Goldrosen M50 54 m Whitman MA Colonial RR 106 1:34:18 Ronald Trippett M60 61 m Topsfield MA Gilly's AC 107 1:34:22 Owen Barber M65 66 M Keene NH 108 1:35:26 Thomas Stracqualursi M20 29 M Stoughton MA Colonial Road Runners 109 1:35:27 Sarah Winkley F35 37 F Littleton MA 110 1:35:28 Tom Micka M50 53 m Newtonville MA HSR 111 1:37:06 E. Dowlings M45 48 M Milton MA HSR 112 1:37:15 Gail Martin F35 38 F Sharon MA CRR/HSR 113 1:37:49 Larry Morris M55 57 m Leominster MA CMS/HSR/NMC 114 1:37:56 Peter Wallan M60 61 m Sharon MA HSR - King Rat 115 1:40:34 Dick Hoch M60 63 M Fisher Island CT WMAC 116 1:41:22 Paul McDermott M65 69 M Fitchburg MA NMC 117 1:44:17 Martin Glendon M55 57 M Windsor MA WMAC 118 1:44:20 Michael Farley M30 38 M Hudson NH HSR 119 1:44:59 Bill Glendon M55 58 M Dalton MA WMAC 120 1:46:47 Brian Smith M30 30 M Boston MA 121 1:46:47 Martha Stack F30 30 F Boston MA 122 1:47:10 Laurel Shortell F35 38 F Northampton MA WMAC 123 1:47:57 Skip Cleaver M55 59 M Merrimack NH Gate City 124 1:48:05 Peter Buhl M60 63 m North Easton MA HSR 125 1:48:43 David Malliaros M40 48 M Milton MA HSR 126 1:57:28 Stephen Lombardo M55 55 m Maynard MA Rob Henry TC 127 1:57:44 Greg Carson M40 43 M Londonderry NH 128 1:58:04 Ann Tassinnari F50 50 F Beverly MA GAC
