| A field of more than 200 runners is expected to turn out Saturday morning April 3 to
test themselves over the rugged 10-mile trail along the Merrimack River. The race has become a spring tradition, kicking off the trail racing season in
New England. The trail is in excellent shape despite the 8" of snow the region received last week. Warm temperatures this week have left the trail
mostly clear with only a few muddy spots and very little ice or snow. As of this writing some of the favorites for
the overall win include Paul Low (Amherst, MA), Ben Nephew (Foxboro, MA) and Richard Bolt (Manchester, NH). Low (CMS) and Nephew (CMS) finished 1st
and 2nd last year with only 10 seconds separating them at the finish. Their times were the 4th and 7th fastest times
ever run on the course. Low ran an excellent double last weekend with a 4th place finish at the Holyoke 10k (31:08) followed by a 1:12 at
New Bedford on Sunday. Low has shown his strength with a recent 2nd place finish at the USSSA national snowshoe championships. Nephew ran
1:11 at New Bedford last week and was 11th at the Snowshoe Nationals. Bolt (CMS) was the runner-up to Nephew in 2002, and has been
recovering from an ankle injury. He finished 12th at the snowshoe nationals and last weekend was runner-up at the Merrimack River 3.3m
Snowshoe race.
Kelli Lusk (Amherst, MA) is the favorite on the women's side. Lusk (CMS) was the runner-up last year in the 7th fastest time. She
finished 5th at the snowshoe nationals and also did the Holyoke/New Bedford double last weekend. She took 4th in the 10k in 38:30
and came back to run a 1:25 in the half-marathon.
The Masters competition will feature Ken Clark who was 5th overall last year with the 5th
fastest 40+ time. Clark may be challenged by three time overall winner Dave Dunham (Bradford, MA). Dunham (CMS) turns 40 on race day and despite being
hampered by a hamstring injury over the winter hopes to run under 65 minutes. He currently holds five of the top ten times on the course and last week
won the Merrimack River 3.3m snowshoe race.
Ted Ridout is currently the favorite in the 50+ category. He holds the 9the fastest time. The 60+ has Peter
Watson and John Parker entered. Watson finished 3rd last year in the 5th fastest time. Parker was close behind in 4th
with the 6th fastest time. The famous Richard "wrong way" Busa will be contesting the 70+ age group. Busa successfully navigated the course
last year in 10-minute miles.
Scott Spence and Glenn Swanbon are two of the top multi finishers expected to compete. Spence will be competing
in his 12th River, having only missed in 1993. He has finished as high as (2nd - 1992) and recently placed 5th
(2001). Swanbon will be competing in his 10th River having only missed in 1992 and 2001. He has finished as high as 17th (1993).
All proceeds from the $5 pre-entry and $10 post-entry (with an additional $7 for a t-shirt) are donated to the
Chamberas Scholarship fund. |
