101st Boston Marathon 1997 CMS Wins Women's Masters Championship
In both the February/March and April/May issues of the CMS newsletter, requests were made for members to let CMS know if they were entered in this year's Boston Marathon. The requests were made so that CMS could enter as many teams as possible and to facilitate the printing of results in this issue. Only 28 did so. Subsequent to the race, only a few more bothered to submit results. As was previously indicated, the newsletter staff cannot be expected to pour through the results of 8,000+ finishers in order to post the results of club members. Therefore, if you notified us before the fact that you were you entered and you finished, or you notified us after the fact that you had finished, you should find your results on this page. If you couldn't be bothered to let us know, sorry!
Marge Bellisle (Warren, RI) - 2:57:39 - and Terri Martland (Newport, RI) - 2:59:32 - placed 1-2 among all competiting New England female masters and 7th and 10th overall in the female masters' division. Marge and Terri combined with JoAnn Shields (Millbury) to give CMS the female masters' team championship. A team of Steve O'Neil (Springfield), Mark Hines (Enfield, CT) and Roger Hunter (Shrewsbury) placed 3rd in the men's masters' division. CMS did not field any female open teams. If, however, the female masters' team had competed in the open division, it would have placed 3rd out of 23 finishing teams. The only CMS men's open team failed to have the requisite three finishers needed to score.
The CMS all-time Boston Marathon team record - 6:56:57 in 1991 - remains intact. Some general observations about this year's running of the Boston Marathon. The fastest time run by a Massachusetts runner, 2:28:43, was recorded by a master, John Barbour of the Greater Lowell Road Runners. Only one other master from the Bay State broke 2:40:00, and that was a 2:39:31. The best men's open time was 2:33:35. On the women's side, only three women from the state went under 3:00:00, with the fastest of those times being 2:55:36. Among female masters from Massachusetts, the best time was 3:16 :32. Out of all of New England, the fastest time was 2:26:06 by Glen Guillemette of Rhode Island. It would seem that among New England runners, at least, a prediction made in 1977 by the one-time Bible of New England running, Yankee Runner, has become a reality: "Boston is irreversibly on its way to becoming the world's biggest marathon Fun-Run."
Female Masters
1. Central Mass Striders 9:39:22
- Marge Bellisle Warren, RI 2:57:39
- Terri Marland Newport, RI 2:59:31
- JoAnn Shields Millbury 3:42:12 (10 finishing teams)
Men's Open
1. Boston Athletic Association 7:46:33 45. Central Mass Striders "B" 9:29:33
- Robert Wolfe Harvard 2:57:56
- Ed Coleman Worcester 3:13:22 Joe Quinn Leominster 3:18:15
- David Krom Worcester 3:19:24
- Bob Tanski Worcester 3:19:56
Central Mass Striders "A" DNF
- Brad Fors Ashby 2:46:17
- Huff Furr Turners Falls 3:00:15
(67 finishing teams)
Men's Masters
1. Greater Lowell Road Runners 7:51:53 3. Central Mass Striders "C" 8:35:46
- Steve O'Neil Springfield 2:44:46
- Mark Hines Enfield, CT 2:47:06
- Roger Hunter Shrewsbury 3:03:54
- Dick Vanden Berg Douglas 3:06:08
- Marc Saucier Littleton 3:25:21
30. Central Mass Striders "E" 9:57:01
- Bob Brady Worcester 3:10:44
- Rick Conroy Arlington 3:22:10
- George Paradis Oakham 3:24:07
- Nick Popiak Thompson, CT 3:25:25
52. Central Mass Striders "50+" 11:04:46
- Eddie Gallivan Worcester 3:35:26
- Ray Boutotte Pepperell 3:40:48
- Ray Lussier Grafton 3:48:32
- Peter Cotter Jefferson 4:21:01
- Jim Wicka Worcester 4:30:33
(59 finishing teams)
Also . . .
- Marion Larson Leominster 3:22:06
- Dan Gullage Orange 3:23:34
- Wayne Smith Townsend 3:40:37