| Runners in the Nifty Fifty, the New England 50 mile and 50 Km championships, enjoyed the warmest weather in the eight-year history of the race Sunday, as temperatures that reached well into the 60s made for comfortable shorts and singlet weather all day long. | |
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Kevin McGovern (CMS), the course record holder, was the first across the line this year in the 50-mile, leading wire-to-wire. He crossed the line in 6:07:32, well off of is CR time of 5:27:19, but a fine effort nonetheless. Hoping for a sub six-hour time, McGovern was on pace until the final five miles, when he was brought to a standstill by a sudden onset of nausea. "That cost me the six-hour," he said after the race. "I had 80 minutes to run the last 10 miles (to break six hours), but having to stop put me over." Harry Lepp recorded his sixth Nifty finish, placing second in a time of 6:15. |
| Kevin McGovern and Peter Brook match strides early in the race | |
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On the women's side, it was yet another victory for Daniele Cherniak, currently the top female distance runner in the USA. Aiming for an unprecedented fifth Nifty Fifty Mile Championship, she reached the marathon mark in 3:20, then covered the remaining 24 miles in 3:08, faster than anyone in the race. Her final time of 6:28:12, 7:45 per mile, is the fastest 50-mile time by an American woman in 1999. She finished third overall in the race as well, and now has the five fastest women's time in race history. Clearly, Daniele owns the Nifty Fifty! |
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50-mile winners Kevin McGovern and Daniele Cherniak |
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| In the accompanying 50-km race, the competition was considerably tighter. Peter Brook, running in his first ever ultra, seized the lead early on, setting out an aggressive 6:30 per mile pace. He maintained the lead until well past the halfway mark, when Bill Nawn overtook him. Brook made a late race charge, but fell a few minutes short, as Nawn set a new course record of 3:41:46 in capturing the 50-km title. Brook was second in 3:47:25, just ahead of third place finisher Charles Cellar. Asked about his first ultra run after the race, Brook just shook his head and commented, "It's a whole 'nother league." | |
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The women's 50-km followed a script similar to the men's, as Jen Stanton, from Sencea Falls, New York, carved out a big early lead, only to see it dissipate in the second half. Shawna Walega, from New Hampshire, a recent convert to long distance running, looked strong right to the finish, clocking an impressive 4:28:08, slicing a nearly a half-hour from the course record time. Shawna ran her first ever marathon last month at Baystate, so clearly has a bright future in the long distance events. Janet Jordan ran a steady race for second place in the 50-km, while Diane MacNamara finished fast to capture third. |
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Shawna Walega, winner of the women's 50-km |
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| Several others completed their first ever ultras, including 76-year-old Joe Familo, who clocked 9:25:00 in the 50-km to become the oldest finisher in Nifty Fifty history. All in all it was a great day, as runners and volunteers enjoyed the scenic rural course in Coventry and the unusual spring-like weather. | |
