Records Rocked at NER Pub Series Stop No. 3 at the Barrel House Z Brewery
Hope everyone had a great time at the Barrel House Z Brewery following Pub Series stop No. 3.
Despite somewhat warmish temperatures, the event was a barnburner with Men, Women and age-group records set.
Brazilian Valdir De Oliveira took the checkered flag in a sprint over defending champion Zach Prescott after Pub Series leader Luke O’Connor led most of the race.
Pub leader Luke O’Connor in front at halfway with 6’6 Zach Prescott and Brazilian Valdir De Oliveira. Austin Scott is trailing. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
De Oliveira, 33, who has a half marathon best of 1:04:12 from 2012, clocked 15:41. Prescott, 22, was just a tick behind in 15:42. Add O’Connor at 15:48 and the top-3 were all under Prescott’s previous mark of 16:02.
HFC Strider Meg Jacobs, a Spanish teacher, interpreted De Oliveira’s Portuguese, relaying that he thought it was a difficult race because of the good competition.
Prescott once again juggled three 16oz. pounders for the crowd. As an undergraduate at BU, Prescott set the world mile juggling record of 4:43.2, dutifully recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records.
WPI graduate Austin Scott (who ran against O’Connor when he was at Tufts) pulled in 4th at 16:06, followed by The People’s Champion, TJ Unger, setting the M40 record of 16:18.
Doyle’s women’s champion Christina Campbell was back to her winning ways. The HFC ace cleared the women’s field to win by 20 seconds in 18:38, her 6-flat pace well ahead of the previous standard of 19:23.
Leslie O’Dell looking swell, Whirlaway’s Ken Warren, well…Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
Marshfield RR Kim Ionta, 56, followed in 18:58 (6:07 pace and also under the previous CR) while also erasing Holly Madden’s W50 mark of 19:27 set last year.
New Hampshire’s Leslie O’Dell, 43, followed in 19:37 to clip 4-seconds from her W40 mark of a year ago. Tracksmith Hare’s Rita Donahue, 24 (3rd on the Pub Series leaderboard) ran 19:41 with HFC’s Mimi Fallon, 54, rounding out the top-5 in 19:56.
In a race just as tight as the Open Men, SRR’s Greg Picklesimer, 52, just clipped CSU’s Kevin Delaney, 50, for M50 supremacy with both runners timed in 17:51. Pickle was later seen profiling and styling with his vintage Datsun Z in front of BHZ.
Lisa from BHZ in Pickle’s vintage Datsun Z. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
In other earth shattering news, M60 titan Dave Wessman of TIR was decisioned by newbie Peter Danzell—20:15 to 20:28—but still tops the M60 division over Danzell by a solitary point.
Also kudos to Fred “Mountain Goat” Ross, 70, who made a 42nd straight summit of Mt. Washington a week before driving from Vernon, VT to retain his M70 lead in the Series with a swashbuckling time of 24:55.
Chris Ionta made his long awaited Pub Series debut. Prior to Yuki Kawauchi winning the 2018 Boston Marathon, he alighted in Marshfield on New Year’s Day when it was 1˚ out.
Toeing the line at the 37th Marshfield Road Runners New Year’s Day Marathon (newly USATF certified and sanctioned) Yuki almost froze but still negative split the hilly course to set a world record 76th sub-2:20:00 marathon. (Ed. note: This remains our most popular web article with 3,194 unique views – see it HERE)
The aforementioned Chris Ionta drove the pickup truck protecting Yuki’s flank on his epic journey. Chris now has the unenviable task of convincing wife Kim (behind Campbell by 1-point in the standings) that no matter what happens at the next Pub Series race, she should not miss the 16th and final Common Fence Point 5M (Pub stop No. 5) for a free entry to Falmouth (Geesh, add in the hotel $, etc. and there’s no such thing as a free ride). Plus, CFP RD John Santillois a Pub Series loyalist and regularly makes the drive from RI (as does women’s W60 leader Marge Bellisle).
When you’re in the hunt, you can’t afford to miss a race. Case in point: HFC’s Stephen Curley. In 2nd just 4-points behind O’Connor, Curls had to miss BHZ and fell like a rock into a tie for 11th.
Chris Ionta sitting high & dry in his pickup truck as Yuki Kawauchi braves brutal conditions. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
A Program Reminder:At Pub Series stop No. 4, the Narragansett Summer Running Festival 5K/10K on July 13 (website HERE,) those just looking to be counted for attending can run the 5K, those looking for points have to run the 10K.
See you there! Women’s Standings Men’s Standings