It was a near perfect fall morning. The temperature was a brisk 34 degrees at the start but the sun quickly warmed the runners and the streets. For the most part there was a light breeze that did pick up from miles two to four and again at miles eight and nine of the second loop along the river. The race had a different twist this year with both the Half Marathon and the Marathon starting at the same time. Race officials did a good job with keeping the marathon runners to the left side of the road and the Half Marathoners to the right. We all ran together for about the first three miles before the marathoners headed out to Tyngsboro and we took a right crossing the Merrimack River and then running along side it. Plenty of water stops with well-marked splits.

I thought I was pretty well rested going into this race but I really felt the series of short steep hills on the second loop splits, I lost focus and slipped into a melancholy pace until a group of six or seven runners passed me by. I snapped back into the race and picked up my pace running the last four miles in 28 minutes. I missed my goal of a sub 7 pace by 40 seconds but now feel confident that given the right day and the right course I can do it.

Place Div/Tot  Div   Time     Pace  Name                   Ag S Race# City/state
    1   1/73   M2029 1:10:08   5:21 Matt Pimentel          23 M  2489 Andover MA
    2   1/137  M3039 1:13:36   5:37 James St. Pierre       35 M  2317 Dracut MA
    3   2/73   M2029 1:13:42   5:38 Hunter Bennett-Daggett 20 M  1924 Framingham MA
    4   1/169  M4049 1:15:15   5:45 Mike Cooney            44 M  2516 Chelmsford MA
    5   2/137  M3039 1:16:35   5:51 Richard Hanson         30 M  2246 Lewisville TX
    6   3/137  M3039 1:16:54   5:52 Frank White            32 M  2127 Medford MA
    7   4/137  M3039 1:16:58   5:53 Thomas Young           30 M  2477 Boston MA
    8   2/169  M4049 1:17:11   5:54 Jeff Hunt              42 M  2560 Concord MA
    9   3/73   M2029 1:17:22   5:55 James Rice             23 M  2073 Providence RI
   10   5/137  M3039 1:18:28   6:00 Luiz Silva             39 M  2606 Lowell MA
   31  15/137  M3039 1:26:42   6:37 Raymond Boutotte       35 M  2292 Lancaster MA
   60   4/87   M5059 1:32:21   7:03 Martin Auty            56 M  1709 Medway MA
   89  23/169  M4049 1:35:53   7:19 Edward Coleman         44 M  1524 Auburn MA
  193  50/169  M4049 1:42:24   7:49 Thomas Spinelli        40 M  2591 Leominster MA
  235  22/87   M5059 1:45:08   8:02 Jim Hehir              50 M  1986 Worcester MA
  467  48/87   M5059 1:56:20   8:53 Bill McGee             50 M  2565 Holden MA