Smooth Sailing for Slinskey, Yankee Homecoming Races

Race winner Michael Slinskey photo Don Allison

It was picture perfect. On a beautiful summer evening in the equally beautiful summer town of Newburyport, the Yankee Homecoming once again lived up to its billing as a New England classic race. Hundreds of runners in both the three mile and later the 10-mile, enjoyed a new course through the bucolic seaside town, running along the ocean for several miles before winding through a state park and upscale neighborhoods, and then the traditional finish in the high school stadium.

A non-championship race this year, the 10-mile still boasted a strong field. Rhode Island ace Glen Guillmette took the field past one mile in 4:58, but a strong posse was tailing him. After two miles, things sorted to a front pack of five, including Guillmette, Whirlaway strongman Nivhaldo Filho, Chris Wehrman, David Hinga, and former winner Mike Slinskey from New York.

Chris Whermand (left) and Glen Guillmette finish 2nd & 3rd overall. photo Don Allison

At mile five, which passed in 25:27, Slinskey decided he had had enough and made a move to break things up. Within a half-mile, Mike was 50 yards clear of the field and headed for home. It was a time trial the rest of the way, as Slinskey's only company was the pace car and a pair of top three mile finishers (Dave Dunham and Dan Verrington) getting a little extra exercise on their bikes. Slinskey crossed the finish line in 50:51, just about one full minute ahead of Wherman, who captured second, eight seconds up on Guillmette.

Asked if he was surprised to collect such an easy win, Slinskey said "Yes, I thought more (runners) would go with me when I made the move at five miles. We had just run a 5:12, and wanted to just speed it up a little. I ran a 4:58, 5:05, then 4:57." That was more speed than anyone else was ready to offer on this day. Slinskey intimated his training "has been sporadic" lately, saying he has not felt good in recent training runs at all. "I go out to run six-minute pace and it ends up being 6:50," said the blond New Yorker. We all should feel so poorly. His goal for the fall is the Hartford Marathon, in which he hopes to clock a sub-2:20 and Olympic Trials qualifier.

Female race winner Kelley Keane photo Don Allison

On the women's side, it was a runaway victory for Kelley Keane. She was one of fewer than 50 runners to better the magic one-hour barrier, clocking 57:52. In second place former winner Julie Peterson in 1:00:35, while in third, just six seconds back of Peterson, was the seemingly ageless Gillian Horovitz.

In the three-mile race, 23-year-old Matthew Ely sprung a fast 14:37, 11 seconds ahead of Dunham. Simonetta Piergentilli aced the women's field in 17:15.

Race director Jon Pearson took a lot of heat in 1998 for a race time change, resulting in his dropping a bid for the USATF 10-mile championship this year. The event was run like clockwork this time around however, proving that this gem of a race is much more than just a club championship. This race is a summer tradition, a great pre-fall test of mid-range long distance fitness, run on the kind of route only a New England seaside town could offer.