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The Seventy-Eighth Running of the
MANCHESTER
Souvenir Program
November 27, 2014
Cynthia
Wadsworth
Wins in ‘74
Cynthia
Wadsworth
Lorenzoni
MANCHESTER
Annual
RACE
Running ROAD
The 78th
2014 Official Souvenir Program Magazine
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2013 Road Race Highlights
Once again this year Hartford Courant sportswriter and columnist Lori Riley provides a capsule
summary of last year’s Manchester Road Race. She fills us in on some confusion regarding the
top female finisher, and how a mistake made by a former MRR champion on the male side might
have affected the outcome.
Honorary Chairperson & Race Officials
She was the first “official” female finisher at the Manchester Road Race. And the last Road Race
champion to go home empty-handed. Meet Cynthia Wasdworth Lorenzoni, this year’s Honorary
Chairperson. Also on this page you’ll find a course map and a rundown on “who does what” to
make the Road Race happen every Thanksgiving morning.
2014 Road Race Sponsors
As the costs of running the Manchester Road Race dramatically rise it’s more important than ever
that local and national companies continue to support the Manchester Road Race so that entry
costs remain family-friendly and local non-profits continue to receive a generous percentage of
the Race proceeds. Keep these folks in mind, and thank them with your patronage.
A High School Junior Makes Road Race History
Some say she followed in Julia Chase’s footsteps. But, in reality, she has made her own path
every step of the way. CT High School track star. Two-time MRR champion. Collegiate runner
on the national scene. Marathon champion. Running store proprietor. Running event director.
Trainer of Olympic athletes. Wife and mother. The Manchester Road Race was just the
beginning for Cynthia Wadsworth Lorenzoni.
“Thanksgiving in Manchester” Exhibition Opens
If you’re a fan of the Manchester Road Race, or just want to learn more about its history and the
people that made it the CT Thanksgiving tradition that it is today, you simply can’t miss the new
exhibition at MCC on Main, practically right on the Start/Finish line. Here’s a rundown on the
Dehn Gallery exhibit and some photos from the November 5th grand opening.
Looking Back: Art Dulong and Bob Lowe
Manchester Road Race archivist Rick Dyer takes his annual trip back to Races past. First stop is
1967 when a young runner from Holy Cross overcame a serious illness to take the title. Then back
even further to 1959 when a young Brown runner out-kicked a Road Race legend for the victory.
2013 Race Results By Division
Everyone wants to know who will be the Mens’ and Womens’ overall champion. But, trust us,
there’s just as much drama and competitive energy expended in determining who will fill the
Win, Place, and Show slots in each and every MRR division. Here’s how it went down last year.
Road Race Shorts
Some quick news tidbits about the Road Race and the great folks and organizations associated
with it by Souvenir Program Editor, Jerry O’Connor.
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2013 Road Race Highlights
Courtesy of the Hartford Courant
He finished minutes behind the first
place finisher Sam Chelanga
(below), but this was nine-time MRR
champion Amy Burfoot’s recordsetting fifty-first finish.
MANCHESTER — There's a fine line
between aggressive and dumb. Course record
holder Aaron Braun discovered that last
Thanksgiving at the Manchester Road Race and
admitted as much.
“I ran dumb,” the 2012 MRR champion said.
“No better way to put it. I wanted to run aggressive, which I did last year and it paid off. This
year, as soon as I saw that first mile split, I was
like, 'I shot myself in the foot.'”
Braun, who tied the course record (21:19.37)
at the 4.748-mile race two years ago, ran the first
mile a little too fast in 2013, in 4 minutes, 13
seconds. And then Sam Chelanga of Kenya
passed him on the way up the Highland Street
hill, ran aggressively the rest of the way, and won
the 77th annual Thanksgiving Day Race in 21:31.
Braun, of Englewood, CO, finished second in
21:40 and Tyler Pennel of Blowing Rock, NC,
was third (22:03). Glastonbury's Donn Cabral, an
Olympic steeplechaser who now lives in Clinton,
NJ, was fourth (22:07) and 2009 champion and
2012 runner-up Haron Lagat of Kenya was
seventh (22:17).
There were 15,000 runners and walkers out
on the streets of Manchester on a sunny but
chilly and windy day. Nine-time winner Amby
Burfoot of Mystic ran his fifty-first consecutive
Manchester Road Race, breaking the streak of 50
run by the late Charley “Doc” Robbins.
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by Lori Riley
Chelanga, who moved from Oregon to
Hanover, NH, this year with his wife and baby
son, had never run at Manchester before but had
the advantage of both a coach (Mark Coogan)
and a training partner (Ben True), who had.
“I heard stories about the hill,” said
Chelanga, 27, who won the 2009 NCAA cross
country championship while at Liberty
University. “So when I hit the hill, for whatever
reason, I felt not so bad. I found myself in the
lead. My coach, Mark Coogan, told me, 'The hill
is the big thing. It's going to decide who's going
to win or who is
Aaron Braun finishes second.
going to be in the
lead.' “I had heard
some really good
things about
Manchester,” he
said. “It seems like
everybody has run
this Race. They
told me a lot of
stories and I was
like, 'Man, I want a
crack at it.' “The
crowds — that's
like something you
see in Boston or
New York. That
kept me going.”
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There was a bit of confusion initially
about the women's winner of the 2013
Manchester Road Race.
Alice Kamunya, who came to the U.S.
from Kenya just three months earlier, was
the female winner of the 4.748-mile Race
in 25 minutes, 7 seconds. But she was not
entered as an elite athlete so there was
some uncertainty as to who she was for a
while as she approached the finish line.
Road Race organizers allow two
people from countries other than the U.S.
to enter as elite athletes, up to 30 total elite
athletes. Dave Prindiville, the Race's elite
athlete coordinator, already had two
runners from Kenya —Chelanga (who
won) and 2009 champion and two-time
runner-up Lagat. When Kamunya wanted
an elite entry, Prindiville had to say no. But
she could enter online. So wearing bib No.
12402, Kamunya, 22, won in her
Manchester debut.
“It was very nice but it was very cold,”
she said. At the Race, Kamunya, who won
an 8K in Virginia Nov. 16 in 24:53, wanted
to line up with the elite runners. Initially,
organizers said no because she didn't have
an elite number but Road Race president
Tris Carta allowed her to move up front.
“You see what happened, she won the
Race,” her coach, Paul Mbugua, said.
Kamunya, who trains in Schenectady,
NY, went out fast. “They went out pretty
quick,” said Olympic marathoner Desiree
Davila, who finished fifth (25:56) in her
Manchester debut. “I was five minutes [at
the first mile] and I was behind a bunch of
people. I can't go any faster than that. I
need like 20 more miles. It was a good
effort for me.”
Davila liked the Race, although the
distance was a little short for her and she
joked about doing another lap. “It was
awesome,” she said. “Great crowds. The
course is really fun. Challenging. Shakes
things up. I would definitely come back.
Get a less windy day and run a little
quicker.” England's Charlotte Browning
finished second (25:14) and Beverly
Ramos of Puerto Rico third (25:16).
Among local runners in the 77th
edition of the Manchester Road Race, Eric
Blake, 34, of West Hartford was 24th in
23:46. Blake, a track coach at Central
Connecticut, had won his third Mount
Washington Road Race the previous June.
For a full list of 2013 Race Division
Winners see our roundup on page 27.
Sam
Chelanga
Alice
Kumunya
Beverly
Ramos
Charlotte
Browning
5
Donn
Cabral
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Honorary Road Race Chairperson
Manchester Road Race Committee
Executive Officers
Development Committee
Cynthia Wadsworth Lorenzoni
Cynthia Wadsworth was only 16 years old and a junior at
Farmington High School when she entered the Manchester
Road Race in 1974 – the first year that women were offically
allowed to compete. And she surprised a lot of people when
she out-ran about 40 other women who had entered, and
nearly 400 of the male entrants in a field of 600.
But Cynthia was no ordinary high school athlete. She
was a long-distance running superstar who went undefeated
in winning three consecutive State open championships.
Along the way she set a national high school record in the
two-mile run. She went on to be a track star at Michigan
State, and captain of the cross-country and track teams. (But
she came back home for Thanksgiving in her freshman year
and won the Road Race for a second time in 1976!)
After college Cynthia became a marathon runner and
won back-to-back championships at the Marine Corps
Marathon and had great performances at the Boston and
Houston Marathons. She now operates a running store in
Virginia, is the Race Director for the Charlottesville
Women’s Four Miler and coaches an Olympic development
running team.
Welcome back to Manchester, Cynthia!
Road Race Route
Race Director
Assistants
Finish Line Coordinator
Asst. Finish Line Coord.
Finish Line Manager
Treasurer
Elite Coordinator
Communications
Marshall of Course
Results
Medical Director
Medical Officers
Starter
Protocol Officers
Awards
Housing
Announcer
Press Officer
Registration
Bands
Blood Bank
Sports & Fitness Expo
Security Officer
Archivist
Water Distribution
Legal Advisor
Bus Shuttle
Photographer
Webmasters
Social Media
Tris Carta, President
Dave Prindiville
Irene Smith
Jack Leonard, Secretary
Dave Prindiville
Jim Balcome
Tris Carta
Thayer Redman
Peter Grose
Jeff Heidtman
Jack Leonard
Jerry O’Connor
Drew Crandall
Jim Balcome
Wes Sargent
Thayer Redman
Irene Smith
Liz Wilson-Thornton
Tom Galvin
Craig Lappen
Dave Prindiville
Raymond Carta
Paul Gibson
Dick Phelps
Marc Montminy, Chief of Police
Ken Larson
James A. Castellone, M.D.
Mike Makulis
Josh Beaulieu
Bob Moran
Joe Camposeo
Molly Devanney
Kevin Noridge
Jack Leonard
Peter Boucher
Steve Penny
Tom Kelly
Kristine Pelletier
Christina Baldwin
Jeffery Ettinger, M.D.
Sarah Jones
Kevin Kehoe
Rick Dyer
Vincent L. Diana, Jr.
Stephen Penny
Richard Claing
John Long
Ken Larson
Kristine Pelletier
Dani Kennedy
General Committee
Rick Watson
Dave Holmes
Martine Bernais
Ed Wilson
Tom Macary
Leon Rivers
Dave Smith
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Robert Dunphy
Leo Diana
Kim Jenack
Stan Wojcoski
Doug Flamino
Jeff Gentilcore
Clarence Silvia
Pat Bourne
Ed Hayes
Bob St. Pierre
Doug Norwood
Joe Mullarkey
BEARS of Manchester
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The Manchester Road Race
Principal Sponsors
Contributing Sponsors
Media Sponsors
CT
Media
Supporting & Promotional Sponsors
Peracchio & Saunders
DMD PC
ARBORS
OF HOP BROOK
Retirement Community
CA TE
CHEV OLET
Manchester, CT
Other Supporters
Strano Bakery
Shady Glen
Town of Manchester
SBM Foundation
Manchester Wines & Liquors Manchester Police Department
Michael’s Jewelers
Park Hill Joyce Flower Shop
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High School Junior Made Road Race History 40 Years Ago
by Rick Dyer
It happened on November 28, 1974,
about 29 minutes after the starter's gun
was fired. Cynthia Wadsworth ran across
the Main Street finish line, and the
Manchester Road Race changed forever.
Women were officially allowed to
compete in the Race for the first time
that Thanksgiving Day. It was 13 years
after Julia Chase attracted international
attention when she was denied entry due
to her gender and ran the Manchester
course in protest.
Chase cracked the glass ceiling in
1961. Wadsworth, a 16-year-old junior
from Farmington High School, tore it
down in 1974. She placed 238th in a
field of more than 600 runners that
morning with a time of 29:10. The State
high school cross country champion
beat about 40 other women who were in
the field, and became the first registered
female runner to finish the Road Race.
“I still have the finish card from the
Race,” she said recently. Now 56 years
old and known as Cynthia Lorenzoni,
she lives in Charlottesville, Virginia,
where she owns the state's oldest
running specialty store with her
husband, Mark.
The Manchester Road Race will
remember Lorenzoni's history-making
run this November. She has been
selected as the Honorary Chairperson of
this year's event.
“Cynthia played an important role in
the history of our road race, and in the
effort to achieve equity for female
runners,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President
of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “She is also a great athlete who
has made many contributions to the
sport of distance running over the years.
We are very pleased to welcome her
back to Manchester, as our Honorary
Chairperson, on the 40th anniversary of
her first place finish here.”
Although Lorenzoni's performance
at the 1974 MRR earned her a special
place in the event's history, it didn't earn
her a prize. There wasn't an awards
division for the women, and Manches-
ter's top female finisher went back to
Farmington empty-handed. “I
remember being there and not feeling
really accepted,” she said. “But it really
didn't bother me.”
Two of her older siblings, Beth and
Jim, were also runners, and they
inspired Cynthia to take up the sport.
Lorenzoni was the student manager of
Farmington High’s boys' cross country
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team, and ran track, during her freshman
year. After the season ended, Lee
Chisholm, the Farmington coach, told
Lorenzoni that the Connecticut
Interscholastic Athletic Conference was
going to establish a high school girls'
cross country division. Chisholm asked
her if she wanted to compete. She
agreed, and the former team manager
quickly became his star athlete.
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Lorenzoni won every cross country
race that she ran in high school,
including three consecutive state open
championships. On the track, she
captured state titles in the mile during
her junior year, and in the mile and two
mile events as a senior. Lorenzoni also
set a national high school record for the
two mile run in 1976.
After being recruited by several
colleges, Lorenzoni accepted a partial
athletic scholarship to Michigan State
University. As a freshman, she helped
the Spartans finish fourth at the 1976
women's national cross country
championship meet. She ran in the Road
Race for the
second time
that November.
“I was in good
shape,” she
recalled. Lorenzoni toured the
loop in 27:30
and placed
160th out of
927 entrants.
She was the
Race's first
female finisher
once again. But
once again,
there were no
awards for the
women.
Amby Burfoot, the 1976 champion,
decided to do something about that. He
gave the portable television set that he
received as the first place prize to
Lorenzoni at the awards ceremony.
During his remarks, Burfoot reminded
Race officials that the Boston Marathon
had been giving prizes to the top women
competitors there since 1972. He urged
Manchester's sponsors to do likewise.
The Road Race established a separate
women's championship division with
awards the following year.
“I remember thinking 'this is really
exciting',” Lorenzoni recalled recently.
“Amby was such a big name in the
sport. I really appreciated it.” Lorenzoni
also laughed when she recalled her
struggle to carry the bulky TV set onto
the plane for the flight back to Michigan
several days later.
(Left) Cynthia Wadsworth wins the two-mile run during the State Girls Open track meet
setting a new Fedration record of 11:03.3. (Above) Cynthia breaks her own State record in
winning her third straight State Open Cross Country championship. (Below) 1976 MRR
winner Amby Burfoot makes a strong statement for women runner equality while Cynthia is
delighted with the portable TV prize he just gave her.
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1133
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Cynthia excelled as a member
of the Michigan State track and
cross country teams. In 1979
her teamates at MSU included
two other women who finished
first in the Manchester Road
Race. In the bottom row are
1977 winner Lisa Berry
(second from left), 1981 winner
Sue Richardson (third from
left),and Cynthia ‘74 & ‘76
(second from right).
Although she experienced problems
with hamstring injuries and plantar
fasciitis, the Farmington native had a
successful collegiate career running for
the Spartans. She was a standout cross
country and 10,000 meter performer
and served as captain of the cross
country and track teams. She also met
Mark Lorenzoni during her senior year
at Michigan State.
The couple married after graduation
and moved to Charlottesville, where
they have owned the Ragged Mountain
Running Store since 1982. Cynthia and
Mark have four children: Alec, 29;
Audrey, 27; Adrian, 25; and Annie, 17.
All of the kids work with their parents at
the family business. Alec was the head
distance coach at nearby Albemarie
High School, a position his brother
Adrian now holds.
Lorenzoni became a marathon
runner in the early 1980s and ran the
26.2-mile race seven times in three
years. She was the women's champion
at the Marine Corps Marathon in 1981
and 1982, and placed 13th at the
memorable 1982 (“Duel in the Sun”)
Boston Marathon. Lorenzoni recorded
her fastest time for the event---2:38--when she finished sixth at the 1983
Houston Marathon. Lorenzoni also
competed in the first women's U.S.
Olympic Marathon trials in 1984.
The Marines honored Lorenzoni's
back-to-back championships several
years ago by inducting her into the
Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame.
Although she is not running
competitively at present, Lorenzoni ran
the Boston Marathon in 2009 and 2010,
and currently logs 30-35 miles of road
work each week “for maintenance.” She
remains as involved with the sport as
she was 40 years ago---perhaps even
more so.
In addition to operating the running
store with Mark and the children,
Lorenzoni serves as the race director
for the Charlottesville Women's FourMiler, a charity run that benefits breast
cancer research and treatment that she
helped establish in September 1983.
The event has earned more than $2
million for the University of Virginia
Breast Care Center since its inception.
Cynthia and Mark sponsor a number
of community running programs and
events. They also coach the Ragged
Mountain Running Team, a postcollegiate Olympic development squad.
One of their top runners is Charlotte
Browning, an elite 1500 meters
competitor from Great Britain.
Browning, who also works part-time at
the Lorenzonis' store, was the runner-up
at last year's MRR. “She was looking
for races to run,” Cynthia said. “I told
her: 'go up and run in Manchester, it's a
great Race.'”
Lorenzoni hasn't competed in
Manchester since 1976, although she
did return as a spectator one
Thanksgiving when Mark entered the
race. She'd like to run here again. “I do
love that course,” she said. “I had a
great time both times that I raced there.”
When she returns to Manchester this
Thanksgiving, Cynthia Wadsworth
Lorenzoni will undoubtedly notice
some changes from 40 years ago. There
will be 15,000 runners at the starting
line. Approximately half of them will
be women. And after the Race, the top
male and female finishers will receive
identical prizes.
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Cynthia and husband Mark pose with their family
at a recent gathering. All four of their children work
in the family business, the Ragged Mountain
Running Shop in Charlottesville, VA. Though she
no longer runs competitively, Cynthia coaches
Olympic hopefuls and logs 30 - 35 miles of road
work each week.
MRR Photographer John Long Wins McCluskey Award
The Manchester Sports
Hall of Fame presented the
“Joe McCluskey Award” to
former Hartford Courant
photographer John Long at
its annual dinner on Saturday, November 8th.
The award is named
after the late Joe McCluskey, a Manchester
native and Olympic bronze
medalist who won the
Manchester Road Race four
times. It is presented annually by the Manchester
Sports Hall of Fame to an
individual who has made outstanding
contributions at the Town's yearly
Thanksgiving Day Road Race.
Long has chronicled the Race with
his camera for more than four decades,
often perched on Thanksgiving morning
in a bucket truck above the Main Street
start/finish line. He was an award-
winning photographer
at the Courant for 35
years. After retiring
from the newspaper,
he has served as the
M anches ter Road
Race Committee's
official photographer
since 2006.
In 2011, Long coauthored a book about
the history of the
M anches ter Ro ad
Race. The book contains more than 200
photographs that he
took at the Race over the years. His
photos also appear annually in this
publication, and his work provided a
large percentage of the images in the
current Dehn Gallery exhibition of
Road Race history.
Long is a member of the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame, and was
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twice named as the Connecticut
Photographer of the Year. He received
the Joseph Sprague Award, the highest
honor given by the National Press
Photographer's Association, in 2007.
“John's spectacular photos have
recorded some of the Race's most
memorable moments and have helped
to capture its rich history,” said Dr. Tris
Carta, President of the Manchester
Road Race Committee. “We are very
pleased and grateful that the
Manchester Sports Hall of Fame is
honoring him this year with the
McCluskey Award.”
Long is a graduate of Catholic
University, and taught at East Catholic
High School before joining the Courant.
He lives in Manchester with his wife,
Mary. A long-time resident of the Town,
he started attending the Manchester
Road Race with his father when he was
four years old.
Dehn Gallery Exhibition Highlights Road Race History
An exhibit highlighting the 78-year
history of the Manchester Road Race
opened on November 5th with a gala
ribbon cutting ceremony, just a few feet
away from the event's starting line.
The exhibit, titled “Thanksgiving in
Manchester: A History of the
Manchester Road Race,” is on display in
the Dehn Gallery of the Manchester
Community College Arts and Education
Center (MCC on Main) at 903 Main
Street in Manchester and will run until
November 29th. It features panel
displays, photographs, and artifacts
from the annual Thanksgiving Day run,
which began in 1927 with 12 runners,
and now features 15,000+ entrants.
The exhibit was commissioned by
the Manchester Road Race Committee
and was designed by Manchester native
Harrison “Whitey” Jenkins, owner of
Jenkins Design. Artifacts related to the
Race have been loaned by the
Manchester Historical Society and
provided by other donors.
Artifacts on display include medals
and trophies won by Joe McCluskey, an
Olympic bronze medalist who won the
Race four times; the gym uniform worn
by Julia Chase Brand when she toppled
the gender barrier at the Road Race in
1961; and a racing singlet that belonged
to Dr. Charlie Robbins, a two-time
champion who often competed barefoot.
The exhibit also features a video of
Race photographs taken by retired
Hartford Courant photographer John
Long, who covered the Road Race for
35 years has served as the Race's official
photographer since 2006.
“We have tried to capture the history
and tradition of the Road Race, and its
tremendous significance in terms of
Manchester's community spirit and civic
pride,” said Jack Leonard, a member of
the Race's executive committee who
coordinated the project.
The Dehn Gallery is open to the
public Tuesday thru Saturday from 11
a.m. until 8 p.m. and will be open on
Thanksgiving morning. Admission to
the exhibition is free.
Whitey Jenkins and the MRR’s Jim Balcome and Jack Leonard look pleased with the new
exhibit, as do MRR President Tris Carta and Julia Chase Brand. (Below) Julia smiles as she
looks at the tunic she wore in 1961 and a scissors-toting Carta gets an MHS track team escort.
Scaffolding in place for some work on the MCC building greeted opening day visitors who
watched Tris Carta cut the ribbon. (Below) Race Director Jim Balcome entertains Town
Director Steve Gates and Mayor Jay Moran with some Road Race history. One aspect of that
history : The Thornton family’s pilgrim costumes that started a Road Race tradition.
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“Streaking” at the Manchester Road Race
Don’t be alarmed by the headline.
We’re not talking about running the
Thanksgiving Day Classic sans
clothing. (We’ve occasionally had
balmy weather on Turkey Day, but CT’s
late November temperatures usually
inspire us to layer up rather than shed
our outerwear!)
No, we’re simply referring to multiyear streaks of finishes by Manchester
Road Race participants.
With all the excitement of nine-time
Road Race champion Amby Burfoot’s
record-beaking fifty-first consecutive
finish last year, the buzz has been “How
many will he run?” and “Who might be
in a position to someday catch him?”
To perpetuate this excitement,
extend the hoopla, build the drama and
ensure more notoriety for the Manchester Road Race’s long and storied
history (hey, that’s what we do!), the
Manchester Road Race Committee is
establishing a program to record and
recognize the longevity records of its
perennial participants. The Race plans
to recognize male runners who have
competed in the Race a total of 50
times, and female athletes who have run
for a total of 40 years. (Road Race
officials established separate eligibility
criteria for men and women runners
because female runners were not
officially allowed to compete in the
Manchester Road Race until 1974.)
“We want to honor the achievements
and loyalty of the men and women who
have participated in our Road Race on a
long-time basis, and who have done so
much to contribute to the success of our
event,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of
the Manchester Road Race Committee.
Carta said that the Race is in the process
of establishing a longevity record data
base. The Race is interested in hearing
from men who have competed in the
race 45 times, or more, and women who
have run in the Race 35 times, or more.
The first “streak” to be registered
and honored is that of former East
Catholic and Holy Cross running star
Dennis McCormack who hopes to make
his 50th consecutive finish in this year's
Race. (See the story below.)
Runners who meet the qualifications for Road Race longevity regis-
tration can now go to the Race website,
www.ManchesterRoadRace.com, and
register their longevity record. (A word
of warning, MRR officials have a pretty
good data base of results, and they'll be
checking your figures. Make sure you
let them know if you ran in previous
years under a different name.)
Oh, and one more thing. Amby,
here's some advice. Don't look over
your shoulder. They might be gaining
on you!
McCormack to Run in 50th Straight Manchester Road Race
Dennis McCormack, a standout long
distance runner at East Catholic High
School and the College of the Holy
Cross, will run in the Manchester Road
Race for the 50th straight year this
Thanksgiving Day.
The 63-year-old McCormack first
ran in the event as a high school
freshman in 1965. He wore black
converse basketball sneakers.
McCormack has finished the Road Race
every year since then, even in 1988
when he hobbled around the loop with a
fractured leg.
A resident of West Hartford and a
Hartford-based attorney, McCormack
was captain of the cross country team at
Holy Cross. He placed among the top
25 runners at the MRR four times.
McCormack says that his best---and
most memorable---finish was in 1971,
when a blanket of snow and slush
covered the course on Thanksgiving
Day just before Race time. “The 1971
Race was the most memorable, not just
because of the snow, but also for the
thrill of finally being with the leaders,”
he said. McCormack recalls waging “a
desperate sprint” down Main Street to
earn a fourth place finish that morning
in 25:10.
As he approaches the half century
mark, the former Holy Cross athlete
hopes to extend his personal longevity
streak. “Main Street in Manchester,
Connecticut is the only place I ever
want to be on Thanksgiving morning,”
McCormack said.
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dentistry and have undergone further surgical training.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is universally recognized as
one of the nine specialties of dentistry. All oral and
maxillofacial surgeons must obtain a degree in dentistry
before being allowed to begin residency in oral and
maxillofacial surgery.
We have offices in both Manchester and Vernon and
look forward to providing you with high quality service.
Please call for an appointment. Our offices are clean,
friendly and ensure your privacy and are HIPPA compliant.
Top Dentists, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 &14 Connecticut Magazine
Diplomates, American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Call either of our convenient locations
for an appointment:
945 Main St., # 310, Manchester, CT 06040
860 647-9926
520 Hartford Turnpike, Unit H, Vernon, CT 06066
860 872-8575
20
Runners Parade on Main Street in Manchester
Civic groups across the nation have embraced the
Art Parade concept as a way of fostering civic pride.
Chicago and West Hartford have their cow parade.
There are painted pigs in Lexington, NC, sheep in
Pittsfield, MA, and pelicans in Pensacola, FL. But
when Manchester’s Imagine Main Street was looking
for ways to liven up Downtown Manchester they drew
their inspiration from the Town’s signature sporting
event that starts and ends right in their backyard, and
created the Runners Art Parade.
Twelve sculpted running figures were fiberglass
cast, then sponsored by various local groups and
businesses and creatively painted by local artists. The
colorfully decorated “runners’ were then strategically
placed along a mile strip of Manchester’s Main Street
in early Spring and will remain until the Fall.
(Left) Manchester Mayor Jay Moran seems to be
having a difficult time telling the real nine-time Road
Race champion Amby Burfoot from his sculpted
counterpart on Main Street.
Lux Bond Green Creates Road Race Charm
Lux Bond & Green jewelers, the official timekeeper for
the Manchester Road Race, has created the official Manchester Road Race sterling silver charm and pin and is
offering it to Road Race participants and fans for $110.
Every purchaser will receive complimentary engraving of
initials, date and finishing time making it a wonderful and
attractive memento of your Manchester Road Race run, or
the perfect gift for your favorite runner. Best of all. Lux
Bond & Green will donate 20% of the sales proceeds on
the charm to the Manchester Road Race.
The charm or pin features the official Road Race logo
in blue and red enamel on a beige background. If a
bracelet, key ring or chain is purchased with the charm or
pin, an additional 10% will be donated to the Road Race.
Details can be found on the Road Race web site,
ManchesterRoadRace.com, or on the Lux Bond & Green
site, LBGreen.com.
21
LISTEN
to the
Manchester Road Race
LIVE
Fine Print ad
on the radio on
WDRC
pre-Race coverage starting at 6 a.m. on WDRC-FM and AM,
Race coverage on WDRC-AM at 10 a.m.
broadcasting from the
Road Race Media Center at
Carter Chevrolet
22
Looking Back: Art Dulong in 1967
by Rick Dyer
Art Dulong, a 19-year-old
sophomore from the College of the
Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, battled
Amby Burfoot for three miles over raindrenched streets before pulling away to
a 23:15.5 victory at the 1967 Manchester Road Race.
Dulong, who had won the IC4A
Cross Country Championship in record
time a few weeks earlier at Van
Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, beat
Burfoot to the tape here by 35 yards.
Burfoot, from Wesleyan University,
finished second in 23:19. He was
followed across the line by two-time
champion Ralph Buschmann (23:44)
and former Central Connecticut State
College star Jim Keefe (23:49).
Hartford Courant sportswriter
Gordon Smith reported that Dulong ran
“with gusto” that Thanksgiving in “a
steady, cold down pour.” But the Holy
Cross All-American was not as hardy as
he appeared. And he was battling more
than just the lousy weather and the
tough competition he encountered on
the Race course that morning.
“One week after the IC4A meet, on
the day of the NCAA meet, I was in the
Holy Cross infirmary, feeling very
sick,” Dulong recently recalled. “I was
diagnosed with mono.”
Dulong initially refused to accept
that he was suffering with
mononucleosis. He continued training,
despite the recommendations of both
his physician, and Tom Duffy, the Holy
Cross track coach. “I ran the
Manchester Road Race as a test to
prove to them that I could still run and
was not sick,” he said. “On that day, I
ran well and felt okay. But it turns out
that I definitely had mono. I stopped
running within a week and got
progressively sicker.”
The illness affected Dulong's liver
and kidney functions and kept him off
the track during the entire spring season
of 1968. “The lengthy illness---along
with my own hardheadedness---caused
me to have no chance to be ready for the
Olympic trials in 1968,” he said.
Dulong bounced back in spectacular
fashion. A year later, at the 1969 New
England Collegiate Outdoor Track &
Field Championship, he won the mile
and three-mile titles. The two races
were held within an hour of each other.
While still in college, he won the
American Amateur Athletic Union
national championship in the 20kilometer run twice, and also was the
AAU indoor three-mile run champion.
The All-American runner set nine
indoor and outdoor track records at
Holy Cross, including a mark of 8:33.2
for two miles. He also represented the
United States at indoor track meets in
Germany and Russia, as well as at the
San Silvestre Road Race on New Year's
Eve in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
23
21
Although Dulong never ran in
Manchester after 1967, he made a total
of three appearances here. He finished
eighth as a high school junior at the
1964 Road Race, and was fifth in 1966.
Dulong and Buschmann were both
members of the Spartan Athletic Club in
Massachusetts. It was Buschmann, the
winner here in 1964 and 1966, who told
Dulong about the Silk City Race.
Dulong is the youngest runner to win
the MRR overall championship since
1928, when the Race was opened to all
comers. John McCluskey, an 18-yearold high school senior won the Town's
first Thanksgiving Day Road Race in
1927, but the 12-runner field that year
was limited to local schoolboys.
Injuries and professional
commitments curtailed Art Dulong's
athletic career after he graduated from
college. He was a high school teacher,
principal and track coach in
Massachusetts for 40 years. His
Lexington High School track teams
won several state championships and he
was honored as the national high school
track coach of the year. He is a member
of the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame
and the Massachusetts Coaches
Association Hall of Fame.
Dulong, 66, currently serves as the
Assistant Director of the Massachusetts
Secondary School Administrators'
Association.
He lives in
Reading, MA
with his wife
Karen. They
have two
adult children, Kristin
and Tom, and
four grandchildren.
You have questions...
How do I become a
Road Race Sponsor?
How do I advertise in the
Road Race Program?
We have answers!
Email Jerry O’Connor at
[email protected]
A simple email will get you all the details about
Manchester Road Race sponsorship and Program
advertising for the 2015 Race. It’s fast. Easy. And
surprisingly affordable. The promotional and publicity
benefits to your business will far outweigh your
sponsorship investment. You’ll become a member of the
MRR Team, bringing affordable family fun to our
participants, spectators and viewers, and much needed
funding for worthy local non-profits.
24
Looking Back: Lowe Beats Kelley in 1959
Bob Lowe had a definite plan in
mind when he came to Manchester the
first time in 1959 to run against Johnny
Kelley and 113 other athletes at the
Thanksgiving Day Road Race. Kelley,
an Olympian with four prior Silk City
victories to his credit, was the pre-Race
favorite. But Lowe, a distance star at
Brown University, believed he could
beat the perennial champion with a little
bit of patience, and a lot of speed.
“My strategy was to stay right off his
shoulder,” Lowe, 75, said during a
recent interview. “When I came around
to Main Street, I turned it on then.”
Kelley took the lead that morning at the
one mile marker and held it for the next
three miles. Lowe shadowed Kelley
onto Main Street and then surged past
him with a burst of speed approximately
a quarter mile from the finish line. The
Brown junior hit the tape with a time of
24:18. Kelley was second in 24:23.
Lowe was raised in New Jersey,
where he won the state high school
cross country championship twice. He
also won the state championship in the
mile during his senior year. Track &
Field Magazine ranked him as the
nation's top schoolboy miler that year.
At Brown, Lowe set seven
individual records. He won the IC4A
outdoor titles in the three mile run and
the 3000 meter steeplechase during his
junior year. The races were held only 20
minutes apart. When he attempted to
repeat the arduous double at the IC4A
Championship the following year,
Lowe won the three mile race again, but
finished second in the steeplechase.
This time, there was just a 10-minute
interval between the two races.
Lowe also placed second at the 1959
IC4A Cross Country Championship,
and won the event in 1960.
Although he didn't enter until the
morning of the Race, Lowe returned to
Manchester in 1960 to defend his
championship. Familiar with the course,
and in great shape after his highly
successful collegiate cross country
Brown’s Bob Lowe surprised the field in
1959, but won again in 1960 when he was
just one second off the course record.
season, Lowe pulled away from the
field during the final two miles. He ran
the course 18 seconds faster than he had
the year before to win in 24:00. Jim
Keefe of Central Connecticut State
College was second in 24:16.
Lowe's time that Thanksgiving was
a second shy of the course record of
23:59 that Kelley set in 1957. (Kelley
did not compete at the 1960 MRR). “I
felt good throughout the Race,” Lowe
recalled. “When I finished and heard
that I was one second off [Kelley's
record], I wished I had gone faster.”
Lowe has not run in Manchester
since winning his back-to-back
championships. After graduating from
Brown in 1961, he pursued a career in
investment banking in New York City.
He competed for a while after college
with the New York City Athletic Club.
(One of the coaches there was Joe
McCluskey, a Manchester native and
Olympic bronze medalist who won the
MRR four times.) Lowe finished fifth at
the 1962 National A.A.U. Cross
Country Championship. He stopped
running competitively for a while in
1967, but returned to the sport as a
masters' competitor in 1984.
Lowe won the national championship for the 45-49 age division in
the two mile in 1985. In 1987, at the age
25
of 49, he placed third in the 10,000
meters at the World Veterans' Games in
Melbourne, Australia. A knee injury
which required three operations forced
him to end his competitive racing career
in the late 1980's.
Now retired and living in the Cape
Cod town of North Truro, Massachusetts, the former champion stays in
shape these days by playing tennis, and
serving as the leader of a local hiking
group. Although he hasn't run here since
1960, Lowe follows the Race results
each year, and has some vivid memories
of his Thanksgiving Day experiences in
Manchester.
“The fans in Manchester were very
enthusiastic, and I remember them
shouting encouragement all around the
course,” Lowe said. “They made me
feel at home.”
26
2013 Race Results By Division
MALE 19 to 29
1
21:32
Sam Chelanga
2
21:40
Aaron Braun
3
22:03
Tyler Pennel
MALE 30 to 39
1
22:18
Haron Lagat
2
22:36
Ben Bruce
3
22:52
Elijah Muturi Karanja
MALE 13 and Under
1
27:19
Brendan Murray
2
27:21
Matthew Remigino
3
28:53
Matthew Farrell
MALE 14 to 18
1
24:55
Colin Sauter
2
25:36
Joe Doyle
3
26:02
Zachary Magin
MALE 40 to 44
1
25:02
Erik Nedeau
2
25:18
Joseph Ekuom
3
26:18
Bryce Lindamood
MALE 45 to 49
1
25:22
Kent Lemme
2
25:24
Mark Hixson
3
25:40
Binney Mitchell
MALE 50 to 54
1
25:55
Chris Chisolm
2
26:23
Spyros Barres
3
28:41
Michael Cobb
MALE 55 to 59
1
28:30
Ned Kennedy
2
28:39
Kevin McCusker
3
30:14
Miro Baldyga
MALE 60 to 64
1
29:16
Bob McCusker
2
31:06
Jack McShane
3
32:42
Michael McCusker
MALE 65 to 69
1
34:11
Joe Flynn
2
35:52
Dave Martula
3
36:26
Duke Hutchinson
MALE 70 to 74
1
33:50
Hal Bennett
2
38:10
Don Pond
3
39:32
George Walker
MALE 75 to 79
1
42:37
Wade Stockman
2
46:17
Bill Masterson
3
48:59
John Browne
MALE 80 to 84
1
51:21
Richard Goulet
2
1:12:13 Henry Neubert
3
1:16:23 Bill Rabinowitz
MALE 85 to 89
1
1:14:16 William Mangino
2
1:48:28 Ray Greene
MALE 90 and Over
1
1:15:51 Bill Tribou
FEMALE 19 to 29
1
25:08
Alice Kamunya
Schenectady NY
2
25:14
Charlotte Browning Charlottesville VA
3
25:16
Beverly Ramos
Trujillo Alto PR
FEMALE 30 to 39
1
25:26
Desiree Davila
Washington MI
2
25:45
Jessica Petersson Colorado Springs CO
3
28:32
Melissa Stellato
Windsor CT
FEMALE 13 and Under
1
34:24
Madison Cote
Avon CT
2
34:30
Jennifer Lee
Manchester CT
3
35:10
Lexi Ansaldi
Manchester CT
FEMALE 14 to 18
1
30:33
Michelle Grieco
Kensington CT
2
31:05
Lauren Hodge
Middletown CT
3
31:33
Alyssa Coulter
Storrs CT
FEMALE 40 to 44
1
27:13
Sheri Piers
Falmouth ME
2
28:20
Amy Bevilacqua
Wilton CT
3
29:56
Meredith Remigino West Hartford CT
FEMALE 45 to 49
1
32:29
Amira Lerario
Manchester CT
2
33:30
Catherine Sikorski Norwich CT
3
33:31
Carol Pandiscia
East Hartford CT
FEMALE 50 to 54
1
32:37
Karen Smyers
Lincoln MA
2
32:48
Dani Kennedy
Bolton CT
3
34:29
Debra Fraser
Willington CT
FEMALE 55 to 59
1
33:42
Eliz.Remiigino-Knapp West Hartford CT
2
34:10
Kathy Manizza
Lebanon CT
3
34:36
Donna Smyers
Adamant VT
FEMALE 60 to 64
1
40:52
Karen Saunders
Manchester CT
2
40:59
Flo Dickie
Newington CT
3
41:59
Cynthia Lafave
Manchester CT
FEMALE 65 to 69
1
41:52
Barrie Robbins-Pianka Middletown CT
2
45:32
Susan Sheckley
Niantic CT
3
46:02
Sara Ringler
East Sandwich MA
FEMALE 70 to 74
1
38:39
Lynette Walker
Simsbury CT
2
39:31
Jo Marchetti
Newington CT
3
45:07
Linda Belzer
Avon CT
FEMALE 75 to 79
1
57:33
Joan Youngs
Tolland Ct
2
58:49
Mary Lou Wigley
West Simsbury CT
3
1:11:57
Geraldine Lyon
Columbia CT
FEMALE 80 to 84
1
55:33
Anny Stockman
Rensselear NY
2
1:24:47
Joan Bedard
Suffield CT
FEMALE 85 to 89
1
1:27:46
Sara Seger
West Suffield CT
2
1:39:23
Anneliese Monniere Pleasant Vly CT
West Lebanon NH
Englewood CO
Blowing Rock NC
Lubbock TX
Flagstaff AZ
Hebron KY
Cheshire CT
West Hartford CT
Glastonbury CT
Tolland CT
Glastonbury CT
West Hartford CT
Belchertown MA
Kingston NY
Hamden CT
Pittsfield MA
Simsbury CT
Burlington VT
Farmington CT
Mystic CT
West Hartford CT
Bolton CT
Rindge NH
Unionville CT
Simsbury CT
Durham CT
Buckland MA
Cantonville MD
Hadley MA
Watertown MA
Columbia CT
Enfield CT
Simsbury CT
Rensselear NY
Centerville MA
South Windsor CT
Newington CT
Newington CT
Farmington CT
Boynton Beach FL
New Britain CT
Granby CT
27
You See Numbers. We See Opportunities.
Igdalsky & Company
Certified Public Accountants
MRR Sports & Fitness
Expo Hours Expanded
Alan Igdalsky, CPA Hope Igdalsky, CPA
Serving Businesses and Individuals
860-643-8613
945 Main St., Ste. 301 Manchester, CT 06040
Kelman Landscape, LLC
Established
1986
RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL
FULLY INSURED
FREE ESTIMATES
MEMBER
CONNECTICUT
CT Lic. #565845
Bus Lic#B 2202
Sup. Lic. S 5083
500 West Center St. PO Box 234
Manchester, CT 06045
860-646-5617
The annual Manchester Road Race
Sports & Fitness Expo is set for Saturday,
Nov. 22nd from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at
Bennet Academy, 1151 Main Street in
Manchester. As in past years, the Expo will
feature informative exhibits manned by
sports, health and fitness professionals,
quality sports and fitness merchandise and
apparel for display and sale, drawings and
giveaways. Expo hours have been expanded
this year because this will be the only
session of in-person Road Race registration.
It’s also an opportunity for packet pick-up
and to purchase Road Race tee shirts,
apparel, and the 75th anniversary coffee
table book.
Good Luck Runners!
Established in 2005 Manchester, Connecticut
Pizza Pasta Salad Wings
860-645-8646
“After the Race, Meet me at the Mulb”
Two convenient locations in Manchester
840 East Middle Turnpike 649-4245
Open Sun.-Thurs. 7 a.m.- 10 p.m.,
Fri. & Sat. 7 a.m.- 11 p.m.
360 West Middle Turnpike 643-0511
Open Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m.- 9 p.m., Sun. 8:00 a.m.- 8 p.m.
981 Main Street Manchester, CT
28
Road Race “Shorts”
by Jerry O’Connor
Lia Hyundai Provides 2014 Pace Car
Road Race Patrons & Benefactors
This year’s Official Manchester Road Race Pace Car is a
sleek and fuel-efficient 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited
provided by Lia Hundai of Hartford. Lia Hyundai is a sponsor
of both the Manchester Road Race and the FoxCT telecast.
The Manchester Road Race is grateful for the continued
support of its volunteers, sponsors, and Program advertisers. But
another important financial resource for the Race is our Patron and
Benefactor Program that allows individuals or small businesses to
support the Race. This year we would like to offer a special “thank
you” to MRR Patron Dave Figley for his support, and Benefactor
Michael Callahan for his generous donation that helped
underwrite the current Dehn Gallery exhibition of Manchester
Road Race history.
Road Race Welcomes New Sponsors...
New Road Race sponsors for 2014 include USA Hauling
and Recycling and All American Waste at the Contributing
Sponsor level. USA Hauling & Recycling and All American
Waster are locally
owned and operated
companies specializing in roll off dumpster rentals for use in commercial or
residential projects, as well as garbage collection and
demolition services.
Michael Callahan. Kim Figley, Jackie Roy and Dave Figley of Pressure Seals in South Windsor
Little Manchester Road Race Expands
Due to its overwhelming
popularity, registration for the
Little Manchester Road Race was
increased this year. Still, however, advance online registrations
for the free event for kids 12 and
under were gone quickly. Once
again we wish to thank our
Presenting Sponsor, Henkel, for
their support of this marvelous event, along with co-sponsors
Fleet Feet Sports of West Hartford and Stop & Shop.
The Road Race Sports & Fitness Expo has a new
Presenting Sponsor this year: Integrated Rehabilitation
Services. Though new as a
s p o n s o r, I n t e g r a t e d
Rehabilitation has
supported the Road Race and participated in the Expo for
many years. Two other familiar MRR sponsors also increased
their investment with the Race this year. UPS Freight is
sponsoring the new King & Queen of the Hill Race feature,
and our Walkers’ Mall Sponsor, Arbors Retirement
Community, has also taken a Promotional Sponsorship. Other
new Promotional Sponsors include Charles Schwab in South
Windsor and West Hartford and Yuengling beer. On the media
side, our radio broadcast sponsor, WDRC, recently was
acquired by Connoisseur Media but will continue to provide
pre-Race and Race coverage.
27th Annual MRR Blood Drive Scheduled
The Manchester Road Race Blood Drive, the largest in the
State, will be held on Friday, November 28th from 9:30 a.m.
to 3:15 p.m. at the Full
Gospel Interdenominational Church on
Main Street. Held in
conjunction with the Red
Cross and dedicated to
the memory of Raymond
Crothers, the MRR blood
drive has collected more
than 5,300 pints of blood
since its inception. Blood donors receive a free Manchester
Road Race tee shirt. Appointments are appreciated, please call
1-800-733-2767.
...and Salutes An Old One!
Despite pending changes in their
organization, long-time Road Race
sponsor Eastern Connecticut Health Network recently
renewed their commitment to Connecticut’s largest sporting
event and the communities it serves. ECHN will be a
Principal Sponsor of the Manchester Road Race through
2016 and, we hope, for much longer than that.
29
Good Luck to All Runners!
Road Race
Special!
$10 Off
your purchase of
$50 or more!
Exp.12/31/14
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223 Eastern Boulevard
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860-633-1194
GOOD LUCK RUNNERS!
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Alex S. Dziama
Robert J. Gerardi
Steven V. Prigionieri
Lisa A. Lavoie
LLC
30
Johnny Kelley Statue Dedicated
“King & Queen of the Hill” Introduced
A life-size bronze statue of late Boston Marathon winner
John Kelley and his dog, Brutus, was unveiled at a September
21 ceremony in Kelley's home town
of Mystic, CT. Kelley, the two-time
Olympian who won the Boston
Marathon in 1957 and six Manchester
Road Race titles died in 2011 at age 80.
The statue is located in the small
park at the corner of West Main and
Bank streets. “Johnny would run right
by there, almost every day with
Brutus,” said Jim Roy, who heads the
John Kelley Memorial Fund, the
nonprofit organization that raised
$87,000 for the statue, including a
donation from the Manchester Road Race. “We felt it was a
perfect reminder and wonderful tribute,” said Roy in a
statement announcing the ceremony. He said the statue, called
“Fast Friends,” perfectly captures Kelley's boyish spirit. He
also indicated that the memorial fund will continue to raise
money to establish scholarships in Kelley's name.
More information is available at www.johnkelley.org
Elite runners at the Manchester Road
Race will have more incentive this year
when they run up the course's challenging
Highland Street Hill.
The Race is sponsoring a “King and
Queen of the Hill” competition.
Additional prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to the first male
and female competitors to reach the top of the Highland
Street Hill, which stretches for approximately a mile and a
half and ends near the Race's two mile marker. In order to
qualify for the awards the runners must also complete the
Race among the top 10 finishers in the men and women's
open divisions.
“Other road races have done this with a lot of success,”
said Dave Prindiville, elite runner coordinator for the
Manchester Road Race Committee. “We believe the prizes
will generate enthusiasm among the elite athletes and make
the Race even more exciting for our spectators.”
Prindiville said that the top of the hill will be marked with
signage. Race officials will be posted there to record who will
reign as its “king” and “queen.”
Sponsoring the MRR's “King and
Queen of the Hill” competition this
year will be a company who knows
all about how to move things quickly: UPS Freight. UPS
Freight (www.ups.com/freight ) offers a full range of freight
services for heavyweight shipments as part of UPS’ broad
portfolio of domestic and international transportation and
logistics services.
Amby Burfoot Wins Gold Key Award
Nine-time Manchester Road Race champion Amby
Burfoot was honored recently with a Gold Key award from
the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance.
Burfoot, fresh off running the Boston
Marathon again and a 51st Manchester Road
Race received the award at the Alliance's 73rd
annual awards dinner. In his remarks to the
crowd of about 350 at the Aqua Turf in
Southington, Burfoot spoke of his high school
coach, John J. Kelley. "He was a mentor, and I
was a follower," Burfoot said. “He was the
smartest person I could ever meet. Everything
he taught somehow struck a core in me and I
kind of followed in his path. I only wish that John was here.
He passed away a few years ago, but he made all the
difference in my life.”
Burfoot also talked about his experiences this year at the
Boston Marathon, saying “it was for sure the greatest day in
the history of running.” Later, he called the Manchester Road
Race “one of the top road races in America.”
Charlie Robbins Club Luncheon Set
The Charlie Robbins Club
Luncheon will be graciously hosted
by the Arbors Retirement
Community at noon on Wednesday,
December 3rd. Manchester Road
Race participants 75 years and older
are eligible to attend this free event
which celebrates our senior Race entrants and the memory of
Dr. Charlie Robbins, who ran the Race 57 times before his
death in 2006.
Fleet Feet, Deena Kastor Offer MRR Training
Road Race sponsor Fleet Feet Sports in
West Hartford teamed up with Olympian
and two-time Road Race champion
Deena Kastor this year to introduce a
free 10-week training program for the
2014 Manchester Thanksgiving Day run.
With both beginning and advanced
levels, the program featured newsletters
with weekly workouts, Fleet Feetfacilitated non-coached meet-ups at their
Farmington Avenue store, and one
weekly night of speedwork at the
Newington High School track.
Shalene Flanagan Sets Marathon Mark
MRR’s 2006 Champion Shalene Flanagan ran this year's
Boston Marathon in 2:22:02, faster than any American
woman had ever run the storied Bean Town
course. It broke her personal record by more than
three minutes and it was five minutes faster than
her 2013 time. Still, against the fastest field in
Boston Marathon history, Flanagan's effort was
only good enough for seventh place. Defending
champ Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, who won in 2:18:57
breaking the course record, credited Flanagan's quick pace
with forcing her to run that fast.
31
When the boss asks that question (or you
ask it yourself!) make sure you do the
smart thing. Email Jerry O’Connor at
[email protected] and reserve
your ad space for next year so you won’t
forget and miss out again in 2015!
The Manchester Road Race Souvenir Program is published by the Manchester Road Race Committee, PO Box 211, Manchester, CT 06045.
Dulong photos courtesy of Art Dulong and Holy Cross college. Wadsworth Lorenzoni photos by Armand Hastian. All other photos in this publication
were provided by the Manchester Road Race or its sponsors, John Long, Jerry O’Connor, Jack leonard, the Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Courant, or
the estate of Earl Yost unless otherwise credited. All materials in this magazine remain the property of the Manchester Road Race and may not be used
without express permission. Copyright © Manchester Road Race Committee 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. on recycled paper.

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