Healthsource 5K - a New Hampshire Jewel

Leslie Lehane sprints to the finish photo Dave Camire

For more information, please see Results & Photos.

by Dave Camire

Manchester, NH - After experiencing this year's Healthsource 5K, it's easy to understand why Manchester, New Hampshire was selected as one of the best cities in the northeast in which to live.

With 6998 official entries, Healthsource has become New Hampshire's largest event and one of New England's largest. The surprising thing about this event is that it doesn't have the big city hassles sometimes associated with mega races. Parking is easy, registration lines move smoothly and efficiently, and there are no large porta potty lines. Although it ranks as one of the largest races in the region, it still maintains its small town charm.

When questioned about the race's success, director Tim Dean is quick to point to the volunteers. He also praises his race committee, which includes Applefest Half-Marathon director Dave Sargent and Bob Teschek of Granite State Timing Services, as being the best in the business. Dean also admits that some of the reasons for the success of the event are a "mystery" to him.

To Dave LeBrode, race director of the Bobby Bell Road Race, the race's success is not mysterious at all - "They do a superb job on this race. The organization is well done from the t-shirt to the reasonable race entry."

Bobby Bell Director Dave LaBrode photo Dave Camire

While many of the race participants are there to represent their companies, some come for other reasons. Female race winner Leslie Lehane came up from Boston because her sister, Lisa Brady, lives in nearby Newmarket. Lehane, who is a running coach at Boston University, owns a personal best of 15:45 for the distance. Lehane, who recently set an American record in the steeplechase at a meet in Long Island, New York, had little trouble navigating the obstacle free course in 16:05.

On the men's side, Jared Segera of Campellsville, KY was just seconds off the course record with an outstanding 14:18. Kentucky, known for its thoroughbreds, may soon also become known as a hotbed of running as second place (Julius Rotich, 14:36) and third place (James Birir, 14:38) finishers also hail for Campellsville. Fourth place went to crowd favorite, and last year's winner, John Mortimer of Londonderry, NH.

Also in attendance was running legend Frank Shorter. The 1972 Olympic Gold medal winner paced race director Dean through the race along with several other runners. After the race, Shorter demonstrated why he is truly an ambassador of the sport as he shook hands, posed for photographs and talked running with just about anyone who wanted to talk with him. At one point, an older gentleman worked his way through the crowd excited about meeting Shorter. When he reached Shorter, he commented about how he saw him on television. Shorter reply, "Oh, you saw the interview on the news."

"No," the man replied, "I'm talking about 1972 at the Olympics." Shorter's win is an image that is etched into the mind of any distance runner over the age of 40.

Tim Dean & Frank Shorter photo Kevin Molloy

Four years later Shorter returned to the Olympic marathon only to be stunned by an unknown East German runner named Waldemar Cierpinski. Recent uncovered evidence proves that many of the East German athletes had used performance enhancing drugs. Included in this group is Cierpinski. If Cierpinski is found guilty of drug use it could mean a second gold medal for Shorter. Shorter feels that performance enhancing drugs have unfortunately become "the price of entry." "If the IOC does the right thing [stronger drug testing], then at least my son won't have to worry," says Shorter.

As long as Tim Dean and his team continue to execute a well run event with outstanding competition and legendary runners like Shorter, there's no telling how many runners will show next year. No one knows if Manchester will be selected as the best place to live next year, but Healthsource is building a great case for it being selected the best place to race.