This year's race included the men's, Paul Low, and women's, Nikki Kimball, course record holders as well as several past winners and veteran trail runners from across New-England. Prior to the race start, I warmed up with Keith Schmitt, a former winner and owner to one of the faster times recorded in this race. Having known both Keith and his brother Leigh for several years, we agreed before the start to work together to run a sub-2 hour race. A mark achieved by very few people and one, which I had only accomplished once in four years. 

The start of the race takes you straight uphill climbing Bare Mountain, a rocky and technical trail that will send your heart rate through the roof and make your legs feel like two bags of cement. There is a breathtaking view from the top. However your excitement will be short lived as you make your way back into the forest and begin to negotiate the next six miles of rocks, gullies, downed trees and what seems to be an endless number of steep ups and downs. The halfway point to the turnaround, as some like to call it, is a run across the observation deck of the Summit House on top of Mt. Holyoke, a welcomed break for your legs before making the final descent to the 6-mile turnaround. 

Your reward for all that hard work once you get there? Turn around and run all the way back! 

The highlight of my race this year was having Keith's wife and children waiting at mile six to cheer us on. We reached the turnaround together running 3rd and 4th in approximately 56 minutes, a sub 2 hour pace and about 2 minutes behind the second place runner, Ben Nephew of Canton, MA. The benefit of front running this race is that you get to see all of your competition on the way back. This can also be intimidating, as the person in 5th place this year was Nikki and from the looks of things setting the course record at Merrimack River 10 miler the day before hadn't slowed her down a bit. When Keith and I reached the 10-mile point in the race, we agreed to run down the last hill together and finish in a tie for third place. As things worked out, I managed a personal best time of 1:56:33 and had a great time running the race. My previous best was the 2001 race when I ran 1:56:51 and finished 5th. Nikki would hold onto 5th place and lower her own course record with a new time of 2 hours 8 seconds. 

Paul Low had a commanding lead by the halfway point and would continue on to easily win in an impressive time of 1:45:27, the second fastest time in the race history. Greater Boston Track Club runner Benjamin Nephew would finish second overall in a time of 1:52:57. Now I don't keep the records for this race but I would be willing to bet that CMS now holds the fastest combined three times by an open racing team, which just happens to also be co-ed, for the 7 Sisters Trail Race. Full results for this race can be found at www.7sisterstrailrace.com