24th (or so) Christmas Eve 7.9M
Sterling to Worcester, MA
December 24, 1998
Most of
what is being written about the 24th (or so) Christmas Eve Run
from Sterling to Worcester is being copied from last year's write-up in CMS Online. In the
way of updates, the total number of finishers - 63 - was an all-time high.
Maybe, just maybe, this is the way it should
be. A race with no entry fee, no entry forms and (gasp) no T-shirts. However, all runners
and volunteers were treated to a free post-race buffet at O'Connor's
Restaurant in Worcester and were eligible for random draw prizes of gift
certificates to O'Connors - the best Irish restaurant in the central part of Massachusetts
- and merchandise courtesy of Polar Beverages and Reebok. |
Peter Blomquist, 1st Place |
The history of the run extends back to the mid-70's when the Coggins and
Sands families of the Burncoat Street area of Worcester began a family run when members
would return home for the holidays. Those whose running "career" extends back
into time for at least two decades may remember the course as being originally closer to
ten miles in length, finishing at the former Slattery's Spa on Burncoat Street in
Worcester.
Due to the lack of any kind of facilities at the old finish, Stu Thurston (yes, the Stu
of Stu's 30K fame) got involved in
1988 and moved the finish line to its current location at O'Connor's.
Over a dozen of those who ran this year's race, including first-place finisher Peter
Blomquist, actually started at O'Connor's about an hour before the race, ran the
course in reverse to the start at the Town Common in Sterling, and then ran back to
O'Connor's. Race-time (12:00 noon) conditions were nearly identical to last year's -
temperature in the 30's and clear skies - with one major difference. A year ago, fourteen
inches of snow fell the day previous to the race, making conditions treacherous in spots.
This year, the roads were clear and dry.
1 47:43 Peter Blomquist 40-49M Worcester, MA CMS
2 48:23 Neil Leibowitz 30-39M Natick, MA
3 51:26 Dan Lacey 30-39M Holliston, MA
4 51:58 Barbara McManus 30-39F Worcester, MA CMS
5 53:16 Vin Ricciardi 40-49M Bolton, MA CMS
6 53:43 Dave Mingori 30-39M Millbury, MA CMS
7 54:09 Dan Wagner 40-49M Sterling, MA CMS
8 54:46 Joanne Lachapelle 40-49F Worcester, MA CMS
9 54:53 Peter Orni 50-59M Fitchburg, MA CMS/NMC
10 55:02 Jerry DeZutter 30-39M Worcester, MA CMS
11 55:06 Mel Shemluck 50-59M Brighton, MA CMS
12 55:06 Ron Senosk 50-59M Shrewsbury, MA CMS
13 55:10 Carolyn Finch 40-49F Lunenburg, MA NMC
14 55:10 Fred Tousignant 40-49M Fitchburg, MA NMC/CMS
15 55:25 Lisa Wiita 30-39F Fitchburg, MA NMC
16 55:26 Ken Lemerise 40-49M Charlton, MA CMS
17 55:27 Bob Tanski 30-39M Worcester, MA CMS
18 55:34 Bill Ferrara 50-59M Milford, MA CMS
19 56:16 Art French 60-69M Shrewsbury, MA NMC
20 56:54 Mark Chanaki 30-39M Princeton, MA CMS
21 56:55 Jerry Grove 50-59M Grafton, MA CMS
22 57:47 Lisa Mentzer 30-39F Millbury, MA CMS
23 57:47 John Grenier 40-49M Leicester, MA CMS
24 58:22 Gary Pedigo 40-49M Rutland, MA CMS
25 58:54 Dylan Carson 20-29M Williamsburg, MA
26 59:07 Dick Hunt 50-59M Auburn, MA CMS
27 59:10 Otto Lies 60-69M Holden, MA CMS
28 59:18 Dick Karvonen 50-59M Winchendon, MA CMS
29 59:25 Larry Gentile 50-59M Worcester, MA CMS/NMC
30 60:04 Eddie Gallivan 60-69M Worcester, MA CMS/NMC
31 60:33 Kris Gleason 30-39F Leominster, MA CMS/NMC
32 60:34 Jerry Lembcke 50-59M Worcester, MA CMS
33 60:35 Frank Gorham 40-49M Leominster, MA NMC/CMS
34 60:36 Ken Deary 40-49M Dudley, MA CMS
35 61:11 Deb Fontaine 40-49F Leominster, MA NMC
36 61:12 Marc Pilon 30-39M Fitchburg, MA NMC/CMS
37 61:13 Mark Fontaine 40-49M Leominster, MA NMC
38 61:42 Karl Tuomivaara 60-69M Paxton, MA CMS
39 61:45 Mark Lorden 40-49M Brookline, NH GCS
40 62:02 Will Foley 30-39M Worcester, MA
41 62:43 Derek Rose 20-29M Manchester, NH
42 62:44 Jim McDermott 30-39M Fitchburg, MA
43 62:44 Don Drewniak 50-59M Princeton, MA CMS
44 63:32 Bill Murray 60-69M Lunenburg, MA CMS/NMC
45 63:44 Tom Murray 40-49M Harvard, MA CMS/NMC
46 63:57 Marty Michelson 50-59M Taunton, MA GNBTC
47 63:57 Bruce Gobi 40-49M Charlton, MA
48 64:12 Jerry Valente 40-49M Englewood, NJ
49 64:24 Don Slovenkai 40-49M Leominster, MA
50 64:26 Paul Shanahan 40-49M Lunenburg, MA GCS
51 64:49 Stu Thurston 60-69M Boylston, MA CMS
52 65:06 Emily Lowkes 20-29F Brookline, MA
53 65:06 Brad Labine 30-39M Warren, RI RIRR
54 66:35 Glenn Kershaw 50-59M West Boylston, MA
55 66:38 Diana Kershaw 20-29F West Boylston, MA
56 68:29 Andy Sharry 20-29M Spencer, MA CMS
57 68:30 Kelly Lorden 20-29F Worcester, MA
58 68:32 Jane Curtin 20-29F Worcester, MA
59 68:34 Kristen Ludy 20-29F Worcester, MA
60 69:56 John Bogdasarian 50-59M Fitchburg, MA NMC/CMS
61 70:03 John Matheson 50-59M Jefferson, MA CMS
62 70:04 Frank Moryl 50-59M Westminster, MA
63 72:47 Jim McKiernan 60-69M Shrewsbury, MA CMS
64 102:37 Ed Sato 70-79M Worcester, MA CMS/NMC
Timing & scoring by CMS: Alice Eriksen (Boylston); Eha
Karvonen (Winchendon); Jan McNamara (Princeton); Rich Ovian (Worcester); Roger Steele
(Fiskdale).
(64f - clear; low to mid-30's; net elevation increase)
December 30 1998 barry