The Claddagh Run - Dream-like on account of that frosting

"We are still smiling over what an awesome time we had running with over 700 other crazy people in the snow and the wind, then celebrating with them at The Claddagh. We ate and drank and so enjoyed the Irish music of The Gobshites! Truthfully, we did not want the afternoon to end; to have to venture back outside into what we knew was developing into a good ole Northeaster".
-- Bette

Tewksbury's Pamela Morgan enjoying the late winter snow. photo Ted Tyler

In the course of a month we run dozens of times; in a year hundreds of times and in a lifetime thousands of times. From all those many journeys what makes certain runs so memorable? This year's Claddagh Run was one of those memories; an adventure that will be as brilliant a decade from now as it is today.

Where Have You Gone Dickie Albert?
The phone calls and emails began early Friday morning. The first one to arrive asked, "I was wondering if there is any talk of postponing Sunday's race due to the snowstorm?" The inquiries continued throughout the morning, "I wanted to check in to see if the race will be held Sunday 'rain or shine'".

Any race director worth their weight in snow will tell you to never cancel a race based on a forecast that is two days away. This is New England and the weather changes at the drop of a shamrock. Claddagh race director Jay Karamourtopoulos knows this and did the smart thing; he waited until Saturday morning to decide. By then the dire forecast was downgraded to a dusting for the Merrimack Valley - race on! Sure enough at about 10:00 AM the first snow flakes started to fly and to paraphrase James Taylor, by race start Lawrence seemed dream-like on account of that frosting (see: race photos).

Memories are Made of These
Falling snow and a challenging 4-Mile run usually adds up to a memorable race experience. For the 748 runners (see: complete results) who decided to run because of the weather, that's exactly what they got. The race started on Essex Street in the heart of downtown Lawrence. By the time the lead pack of Mario Fraioli, Jim Johnson and Dave Dechellis made the turn onto Broadway at about a half-mile, they were in the midst of a full fledged white out. Within two miles at "The Hill" it was a two man race between Fraioli and Johnson.

The finish was one of the closest in race history with Fraioli (21:36) of Worcester, MA outkicking Johnson (21:37) of Salem, NH in the last 20 meters and winning by a mere second. The women's race wasn't as suspenseful as Kingston, NH resident Alton Lamond (27:48) out lasted Middleton, MA resident Linda Quimby (28:43) for the win.

Party on Dude
The after race party in the spacious Claddagh Pub is one of the best post race celebrations anywhere. The food is delicious and warm, everyone got a pint and the Gobshites, the best Irish band on the planet, were fantastic!. This is one race where participants stick around long after the last runner has crossed the finishing mats.

The Claddagh pub is quite the place. It serves as the end of the running season in the Merrimack Valley by hosting the famed Mill Cities Relay in December. The pub also helps usher in a new running year playing host to the Wild Rover Series. The pub also hosts numerous other running events throughout the year such as the Vietnam Memorial Race, the Tip Race and the Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Run. The Claddagh has become the epicenter of racing in the Merrimack Valley.

Time to Run Your Hynes Off
The 2009 Wild Rover Series concludes next Sunday, March 8, with the traditional Hynes 5 Mile Road Race. As always, race director Sean Donnelly has a good time planned for all. Online entry is still open and race day registration will be accepted. For more information, please see: www.hynesroadrace.com.