9th Annual Groton Town Forest Trail Races

W. Groton, MA, October 22, 2006

Records Fall at Groton Town Forest Races

by Paul Funch, RD

Unlike last year when the races followed 16 inches of rain, this year’s weather was some of the finest New England has to offer in the fall. It was a beautiful day to be out in Groton’s Town Forest, and 202 runners took advantage of it.

Winner of the 9.5 mile race was 29-year old Greg Hammett of Chesterfield, NH. Greg’s time of 57:36 bested his winning time of last year by 2:32, but it still found him 24 seconds shy of the course record set by David Hinga in 1999. Leigh Schmitt of Conway, NH set a new 30-39 age group record with his second place finish of 59:24. Jean Barry of Lynn, MA set a new 60-69 age group record of 1:48:22, taking almost 10 minutes off the previous record.

In the 3.4 mile race, in a sizzling time of 19:38, 44-year old Rich Marion of Templeton, MA was the winner and is the new course record holder, besting John LaChance’s 2004 time by 1:21. With a time of 31:43, 7-year old Taryn Manna of Shirley, MA bested her own 5-9 age group record by 3:29.