Monday, March 23, 2015

2015 Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame Inauguration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dave Dunham dave.dunham@comcast.net 978-684-9211
Paul Kirsch  pkirsch2@gmail.com 603-398-1852

Northeast Delta Dental
Mount Washington Road Race
Mt. Washington Auto Road
June 20, 2015 – 9 a.m.
&
6th Annual Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame Inauguration
Saturday, June 20 -- 1 p.m.

·         Race’s Hall of Fame honors Eric Blake (W. Hartford, CT), Eleonora Mendonca (Cape Cod, MA), Eric Morse (Berlin, VT) , and Peter Watson (Cape Ann, MA)


March 20, 2015 -- Pinkham Notch, NH

Formed in 2010 to recognize outstanding performers in and contributors to this footrace to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States, the Hall of Fame this year will pay tribute to the achievements in a ceremony at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road on Saturday, June 20.  The ceremony will take place after the 2015 Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race which starts at 9 a.m.  The race attracts 1300 runners who will make their way up the 154-year-old Auto Road.

The 2015 Mount Washington Hall of Fame inductees:

Eric Blake is a 3-time winner of the race, taking the top spot in 2006, 2008, and 2013.  He owns the state record for CT (59:57) and NY (61:07) and is one of only eight people to have ever run under sixty minutes.  No one has run more times under 1:02 than Eric who has done so eight times.  Eric currently works as the head men’s and women’s Track & Field/Cross-Country coach at Central Connecticut State University.  He resides in West Hartford CT.  Eric notes that his most memorable moment at Mt Washington was his win and sub-60 minute effort in 2013.  “I had my wife and a lot of friends and family there watching so it was a pretty special day”.  Eric is still at the top of his game and “feel(s) I can run faster and still want a few more wins!”  Tops among Eric’s many accomplishments beyond the Mt Washington road race are his world record for a marathon on a treadmill (2:21) and being a scoring member of the 2010 USA Mountain running team which took home a silver medal at the World championships.

Eleonora Mendonca had three consecutive wins from 1976-1978.  She set the course record in 1977 and again in 1978.  She and Hall of Famer Chris Maisto are the only women to have set course records multiple times.  She recalls “I could not pass the opportunity to do a different type of race – only one hill.  I could not forget the incredible view as I approached the summit...The beauty carried me on”.  She was inducted into the Cambridge Sports Union Hall of Fame in 2000.  The CSU website notes “Ellie joined Cambridge Sports Union in 1974 and had an immediate impact on the women’s running scene in greater Boston by being a top finisher in road, track and cross-country races”.  Her biggest accomplishment was to qualify (for Brazil) at the Los Angles Olympic Games where she ran in the first women’s marathon.  Eleonora is retired and currently living on Cape Cod.

Eric Morse is possibly the most prolific runner to not have an overall win at Mt Washington.  He has the Vermont state record for this race with his 1:01:09 from 1999.   He is tied for the third most top 10 finishes with fourteen and is also tied for fourth with ten top five finishes.  He ranks 14th in all-time earnings at Mt Washington taking home $4,200.  He scored on course record setting teams (Central Mass Striders) an amazing nine times, setting course records five times on the open squad and four times on the masters.  He has finished the race sixteen times, including three times as runner-up.  Eric was inducted into athletic Hall of Fame at Harwood High School (Moretown, VT) in 2010 as “one of the most successful athletes in Harwood cross-country and track-and-field history. As a junior, he won four Vermont state championships...as a senior, Eric won two state championships… (and) was a member of the first hockey team at Harwood”.  His most memorable moment at Mt Washington was the “halfway race” of 2002 where he finished in second place, 10 seconds out of the win.  His many accomplishments outside of Mt Washington include being a 7-time member of the USA Mountain running team.  He has quite a range of ability from a sub-4 minute mile to a 1:03 half-marathon.  Eric is a graphic designer residing in Berlin, VT.  In recent years he has excelled at racing with his West Highland Terrier “Murdoch”.  They have won nearly every race they’ve entered and can boast personal bests of 4:59 for the mile and 16:44 for 5km.

Peter Watson - Peter, who passed away in 2012, ran the race 23 times from 1988-2011. He was the supreme organizer of Team Gloucester (TG), which annually accounts for an impressive number of runners in the field.  He created the Mt. Washington Practice Run in Rockport, where he lived, and he organized it year after year. He publicized the race every way possible, from the newspapers he published to the word-of-mouth network that extended from him to thousands of people in many directions, but especially around Cape Ann, Mass.  He dedicated large amounts of time and energy to promoting the race to all.  He inspired, encouraged and led Team Gloucester to form as an official club.  Each year he would email every runner he knew when the lottery would open.  To get more runners past the lottery he offered to provide volunteers.  Peter always organized and planned who would volunteer and supervised to make sure it was done well.  He kept detailed records of each TG member’s races up the Mountain and compared times to previous year.  He cajoled runners into competing on behalf of TG and generally orchestrated everything they did relative to the Mountain race.  He is the reason for the strong TG women’s presence at the mountain to this day. 

The Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame recognizes athletic performance at the MWRR or efforts to assist the Race or promote it.  Consideration is given to athletes, advocates, race staff members or volunteers.   Inductees are chosen by a vote of the Hall of Fame committee from a longer list of nominees compiled by December 31 of the preceding year. 

The Saturday afternoon Hall of Fame induction will precede the race’s award ceremony.  The induction ceremony will start at 1 p.m. in the large tent at the base of the Auto Road, on Route 16 just north of Pinkham Notch.

The public is invited.

Regularly updated information about the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame is available any time on the new website at: http://mwrrhalloffame.com/


Other HOF sites include:  Facebook (facebook.com/mwrrhof), Twitter  (twitter.com/mwrrrecords) and the Records/Hall of Fame blog (mtwashingtonrecords.blogspot.com ).  For other information about the race, visit www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

Eric Morse with an the CMS Polar singlet and Murdoch

Weekend Results

Sam Wood and Dan Vassallo won respective 5K road races over the weekend while Jim Johnson cleaned house for a 5 mile race in Portsmouth. Dan Verrington took home the top senior spot. 

Easing Heartbreak Hill 5K
Concord, NH, March 21, 2015
1 SAM WOOD  28 M  LACONIA  NH   16:25  5:29

6th Annual St. Paddy’s Five Miler
Portsmouth, NH, March 22, 2015
1   Jim Johnson         Madison NH        37 M   27:22.2  5:29   27:22.2
10 Dan Verrington    Bradford MA       52 M   31:12.7  6:15   31:12.8 1st50+

Hibernian 5K
Lynn, MA March 22, 2015
1 Dan Vassallo  Peabody MA 16:05
2 James Pawlicki Lynn MA  17:37

Monday, March 16, 2015

New Bedford Half Marathon CMS results

The Central Mass Striders embarked to New Bedford, Whaling Capital of the World, to compete in the USATF New England Half Marathon Championship. Dry pavement, a northerly breeze, and temperatures in the low 40’s greeted the field for the 11:00 start. The open and masters teams (40+) finished 3rd overall among the team results. There were 26 open teams and 15 master’s teams respectively. The senior team (50+) placed 6th out of 10 teams.
Dan Vassallo enroute to a 9th place finish in New Bedford
Photo by KrissyK
Dan Vassallo led the CMS open team with a 9th overall placing and 4th in the USATF age group. Joe Shairs paced the CMS masters team. He placed 3rd in the USATF age group. Dan Verrington was the top CMS Senior.

2015 New Bedford Half Marathon photos by KrissyK

38th Annual New Bedford Half Marathon
New Bedford, MA, March 15, 2015
9   5/178  M2029 DAN VASSALLO    29  1:08:54  5:16 1:08:56 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS
15 7/324  M3039 SCOTT LESLIE      33  1:10:32  5:23 1:10:33 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
24 10/324  M3039 CHRIS MAHONEY 37 1:11:35  5:28 1:11:38 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
50 25/178 M2029 MORGAN KENNEDY 27 1:13:38  5:38 1:13:43 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
76 8/313  M4049 JOE SHAIRS          46 1:15:40  5:47 1:15:40 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
93 10/313  M4049 ALAN BERNIER    40 1:16:44  5:52 1:16:44 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
96 44/178  M2029 RYAN COLLINS     29 1:16:58  5:53 1:17:01 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
97 38/324  M3039 KEVIN TILTON     33 1:17:13  5:54 1:17:16 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS 
103 12/313  M4049 JAMES PAWLICKI  40 1:17:25  5:55 1:17:29 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
117 16/313  M4049 ARTHUR BESSE      42 1:18:10  5:58 1:18:13 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
160 9/228  M5059 DAN VERRINGTON  52 1:20:30  6:09 1:20:34 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
176 29/313  M4049 NICK TAORMINA    42 1:21:21  6:13 1:21:30 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
269 23/228  M5059 JOHN GRIEGO        56 1:25:45  6:33 1:26:00 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS        
299 84/178  M2029 STEPHEN TRAINOR 23 1:27:15  6:40 1:27:24 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
394 34/228  M5059 PHILIP SAVOY         52 1:31:32  6:59 1:31:50 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS        
549 60/228  M5059 DAVID LAPIERRE    50 1:37:31  7:27 1:37:38 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS       
638 69/228  M5059 STEPHEN LASKA      53 1:39:59  7:38 1:40:16 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS       
768 146/313 M4049 WILLIAM GONSORCIK 48 1:43:53  7:56 1:44:24 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS       
882 104/228  M5059 DAVID KROM         55 1:47:13  8:11 1:47:25 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS       
1412 162/228  M5059 MICHAEL KEATING 56 2:01:08  9:15 2:02:29 CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS

MALE OPEN TEAM RESULTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1.  BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION  
          1:09:07 1:09:48 1:10:44 1:11:32 1:12:50 (1:12:50) (1:13:26) = 5:54:01
         ALEX TAYLOR 35 M, NILS SCHALLNER 34 M, CHRIS MAGILL 42 M, MIKE GALOOB
         41 M, JONATHAN BAKER 31 M, IAN NURSE 37 M, HARRY STANTS 42 M
   2.  GREATER BOSTON TRACK CLUB    
          1:10:31 1:11:07 1:11:40 1:11:57 1:12:02 (1:12:16) (1:12:49) = 5:57:17
         YUJI WAKIMOTO 22 M, ANDREW CHALMERS 25 M, ADRIAN MACDONALD 26 M,
         ROBERT BOND 25 M, ROBERT ESPINOSA 30 M, ERIC MENDOZA 30 M, MANUEL
         GONZALEZ 25 M
   3.  CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS 3rd out of 26 teams        
          1:08:56 1:10:33 1:11:38 1:13:43 1:15:40 (1:16:44) (1:17:01) = 6:00:30
         DAN VASSALLO 29 M, SCOTT LESLIE 33 M, CHRIS MAHONEY 37 M, MORGAN
         KENNEDY 27 M, JOE SHAIRS 46 M, ALAN BERNIER 40 M, RYAN COLLINS 29 M

MALE MASTERS TEAM RESULTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1.  BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION   
          1:10:44 1:11:32 1:13:26 1:13:50 1:15:03 (1:16:20) (1:17:43) = 6:04:35
         CHRIS MAGILL 42 M, MIKE GALOOB 41 M, HARRY STANTS 42 M, KEVEN O'NEIL
         45 M, CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE 51 M, WAYNE LEVY 49 M, JASON PORTER 45 M
   2.  Whirlaway                     
          1:13:51 1:14:56 1:15:38 1:18:16 1:19:09 (1:21:20) (1:21:38) = 6:21:50
         ERIC WILLIAMS 50 M, DAVE DECHELLIS 40 M, JOSEPH NAVAS 44 M, MICHAEL
         COONEY 53 M, SCOTT ANDERSON 50 M, CRAIG FRAM 56 M, BRIAN ALLEN 43 M
   3.  CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS   3rd out of 15 teams      
          1:15:40 1:16:44 1:17:29 1:18:13 1:20:34 (1:21:30) (1:26:00) = 6:28:40
         JOE SHAIRS 46 M, ALAN BERNIER 40 M, JAMES PAWLICKI 40 M, ARTHUR BESSE
         42 M, DAN VERRINGTON 52 M, NICK TAORMINA 42 M, JOHN GRIEGO 56 M
             
MALE SENIORS TEAM RESULTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1.  Whirlaway                     
          1:13:51 1:18:16 1:19:09 1:21:20 1:22:33 (1:23:26) = 6:35:09
         ERIC WILLIAMS 50 M, MICHAEL COONEY 53 M, SCOTT ANDERSON 50 M, CRAIG
         FRAM 56 M, PAUL HAMMOND 55 M, EPHRAIM EZEKIEL 57 M
   2.  BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION   
          1:15:03 1:23:57 1:27:56 1:28:49 1:30:17 (1:31:10) (1:33:15) = 7:06:02
         CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE 51 M, PATRICK STUMBRAS 57 M, DAVID CONSIGLI 50 M,
         CRAIG MACFARLANE 54 M, ANDY MACDONALD 55 M, JAMES WILSON 62 M, JOE
         KAISER 57 M
   3.  GREEN MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC ASSOC.
          1:20:02 1:23:22 1:25:56 1:33:23 1:36:46 (1:39:32) (1:41:16) = 7:19:29
         JOE MCNAMARA 52 M, MATT GALLAGHER 50 M, MIKE EARLY 50 M, TOM NUOVO 51
         M, KEN SCHATZ 61 M, ALLAN BATES 66 M, PASCAL CHENG 61 M
   4.  GREATER SPRINGFIELD HARRIERS  
          1:18:35 1:23:14 1:24:26 1:34:38 1:42:06 (1:57:58) = 7:22:59
         ALEJANDRO HEUCK 50 M, PETER FRATINI 50 M, SERGIO BRENA 50 M, STEVE
         O'NEIL 63 M, RICHARD CLARK 61 M, TOM MONTEMAGUI 70 M
   5.  Greater Lowell Road Runners   
          1:20:55 1:24:28 1:32:04 1:33:02 1:36:52 (1:40:33) (1:43:01) = 7:27:21
         EJ HRYNOWSKI 52 M, DAVID OLIVER 58 M, KEITH O'BRIEN 50 M, KEN GOODIN
         60 M, FIL FARIA 50 M, LEONARDO MEDINA 50 M, DAVID PENN 54 M
   6.  CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS         
          1:20:34 1:26:00 1:31:50 1:37:38 1:40:16 (1:47:25) (2:02:29) = 7:36:18
         DAN VERRINGTON 52 M, JOHN GRIEGO 56 M, PHILIP SAVOY 52 M, DAVID
         LAPIERRE 50 M, STEPHEN LASKA 53 M, DAVID KROM 55 M, MICHAEL KEATING 56
         M
 
USATF AGE-GROUP RESULTS
MALE AGE GROUP:  01 - 39
 
Place    Name             Age Team            Gun Time 
    1 LOUIS SERAFINI       23 THE HEARTBREAKE 1:08:14 
    2 JAMIE JULIA          30 ALBANY RUNNING  1:08:32 
    3 TEAGE O'CONNOR       31 GREEN MOUNTAIN  1:08:47 
    4 DAN VASSALLO         29 CENTRAL MASS ST 1:08:56 
    5 ALEX TAYLOR          35 BOSTON ATHLETIC 1:09:07 
 
MALE AGE GROUP:  45 - 49
 
Place    Name             Age Team            Gun Time 
    1 GREGORY PICKLESIMER  48 SOMERVILLE ROAD 1:12:05 
    2 KEVEN O'NEIL         45 BOSTON ATHLETIC 1:13:50 
    3 JOE SHAIRS           46 CENTRAL MASS ST 1:15:40 
    4 WAYNE LEVY           49 BOSTON ATHLETIC 1:16:20
    5 BINNEY MITCHELL      46 GREEN MOUNTAIN  1:17:31 

Monday, March 9, 2015

Weekend Results

NH & Northeast Championships
Moltonborough, NH, March 7, 2015
1   45:15  7:25 Jim Johnson          CMS                  37 M   655 Madison NH        
2   45:59  7:33 Kevin Tilton           CMS                  33 M   317 North Conway NH   
3   48:51  8:01 Ethan Nadeau  ACIDOTIC RACING 42 M   520 Everett MA        
4   50:03  8:13 Chris Mahoney     CMS                   37 M   678 Westford MA       
5   51:57  8:31 Todd Callaghan    CMS                   45 M   627 Beverly MA        
6   52:22  8:35 Damon Gannon                              46 M   646 Topsham ME        
7   52:42  8:39 Alex Hall     WHIRLAWAY              27 M   649 Hanover NH        
8   53:03  8:42 David Martino                                22 M   680 Laconia NH        
9   53:08  8:43 James Pawlicki     CMS                  40 M   699 Lynn MA           
10   54:36  8:58 Josh Fields ACIDOTIC RACING    26 M   523 Claremont NH      
11   54:49  9:00 Chad Carr    CRC                          39 M   628 Cambridge MA      
12   55:18  9:04 Scott Leslie     CMS                     33 M   668 Rutland MA        
18   57:49  9:29 Leslie O'Dell    CMS                    38 F   693 Albany NH         
19   57:51  9:29 Daniel Verrington CMS              52 M   320 Bradford MA
25 1:01:23 10:04 Sam Wood         CMS               28 M   533 Laconia NH        
30 1:03:36 10:26 Jennifer Brooks CMS                35 F   623 Gloucester MA     
63 1:19:34 13:03 Jim Grady          CMS               53 M   648 Auburn MA         
68 1:22:46 13:35 David Lapierre   CMS               50 M   666 Chelmsford MA     

Smuttynose Palooza 5K & Karaoke Contest
Salisbury, MA, March 7, 2015
1   1/43   M2039   DAN VASSALLO   Peabody MA 29 M  15:35.6  5:02   15:36.9

41st Annual Great Stew Chase
Lynn, MA, March 8, 2015
1  139 Dan Vassallo     29 M Peabody   MA CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS      50:36  5:26   50:36  5:26
8   69 James Pawlicki  40 M Lynn          MA CENTRAL MASS STRIDERS      57:20  6:10   57:20  6:10

NHTI Spring Ahead 3 Miler
Concord, NH, March 8, 2015
2 TIM COX              41 M NORTHWOOD NH    16:31  5:31
5 DAVE DUNHAM    50 M BRADFORD MA       17:05  5:42

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Weekend Results

Several Central Mass Striders found the winning ways. Jim Johnson took a pair of recent wins on the snowshoes in southern NH. Scott Leslie went out easy and ripped the 2nd half of the Stu’s 30K course taking the win with an honest 5:45 pace per mile. Arthur Besse took the top masters position. Lastly, two DV’s toured Bradford with one winning overall and the other winning his age group.

Exeter Snowshoe Hullabaloo
Exeter, NH, February 21, 2015
1 JIM JOHNSON   37 M MADISON  NH CMS  29:03  7:16
7 SAM WOOD      28 M LACONIA  NH CMS  35:25  8:52

Bradford Valentine Race
Bradford, MA, February 28, 2015
1  Dan Vassallo    26:32  5:19 PEABODY MA
4  Dan Verrington 31:12  6:15 BRADFORD MA 1st 50+

Kingman Farm Moonlight Snowshoe
Madbury, NH, February 28, 2015
1 30:21  Jim Johnson  CMS 37 Madison NH
*** Off course while running in 2nd & 3rd Place
28:43 41:19 Chris Mahoney  CMS  37 M Westford MA       
28:49 41:21 Eric Narcisi      CMS 35 M North Andover MA

Stu's 30K
Clinton, MA, March 1, 2015
1 SCOTT LESLIE    RUTLAND  MA  33  1:47:17.5   5:45/M
5 ARTHUR BESSE TEMPLETON  MA 42  1:56:52.4 6:16/M 1st 40+