Christmas Eve 7.9M

Sterling to Worcester, MA, December 24, 1999

Results courtesy of the Central Mass Striders.

Most of what is being written about the 25th (or so) Christmas Eve Run from Sterling to Worcester is being copied from the Cool Running write-ups of the past two years. In the way of updates, the total number of finishers - 107 - was an all-time high, easily surpassing last year's total of 63. Most in attendance said they heard about the run "on the internet." As has been the case for all 25 years of its existence, no printed race flyers were put into circulation.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the way it should be. A race with no entry fee, no entry forms and (gasp) no T-shirts. However, all runners and volunteers were treated to a free post-race buffet at O'Connor's Restaurant in Worcester and were eligible for random draw prizes of gift certificates to O'Connors - the best Irish restaurant in the central part of Massachusetts - and merchandise courtesy of Polar Beverages and Reebok.

The history of the run extends back to the mid-70's when the Coggins and Sands families of the Burncoat Street area of Worcester began a family run when members would return home for the holidays. Those whose running "career" extends back into time for at least two decades may remember the course as being originally closer to ten miles in length, finishing at the former Slattery's Spa on Burncoat Street in Worcester.

Due to the lack of any kind of facilities at the old finish, Stu Thurston (yes, the Stu of Stu's 30K fame) got involved in 1988 and moved the finish line to its current location at O'Connor's.

As has become a tradition with the run, a fair number of the participants actually started at O'Connor's about an hour before the race, ran the course in reverse to the start at the Town Common in Sterling, and then ran back to O'Connor's. Race-time (12:00 noon) conditions were nearly identical to last year's - temperature in the 30's, clear skies and dry roads.

A word or two about the timing and scoring: it was done Fresh Pond/Fred Brown, Sr. fashion. There was no registration of any sort prior to the run. Runners were responsible for supplying name, age and town to race officials after they crossed the finish line. This accounts for some of the misspellings - sorry - and the larger than normal number of URO's.

  
 1    45:57 John Donovan      20-39M Worcester, MA
 2    46:39 Rich Ovian        40-49M Worcester, MA
 3    46:54 Bob Hodge         40-49M Clinton, MA
 4    47:31 Charlie Salmond   40-49M Fitchburg, MA
 5    47:34 Cedric Smith      20-29M Sterling, MA
 6    48:30 Mario Fraioli     00-19M Auburn, MA
 7    48:31 Sean McKeon       00-19M Millbury, MA
 8    48:37 Jerry Campbell    40-49M Hubbardston, MA
 9    48:56 Peter Bloomquist  40-49M Worcester, MA
 10   48:59 Ken Buron         00-19M Millbury, MA
 11   49:00 Steve Bayley      00-19M Sterling, MA
 12   50:08 Brent Leighton    20-39M Worcester, MA
 13   50:35 Bob Girouard      50-59M Fitchburg, MA
 14   51:02 Jim Imprescia     50-59M Leomingster, MA
 15   51:19 Dave Mingori      20-39M Millbury, MA
 16   51:42 Rich Granger      20-39M Fitchburg, MA
 17   52:23 Neal Leibowitz    20-39M S Windsor, CT
 18   52:37 Steve Penny       20-39M Gardner, MA
 19   53:44 Vin Riccardi      40-49M Bolton, MA
 20   54:03 Mark Forgione     20-39M Clinton, MA
 21   54:23 Ken Parker        40-49M Fitchburg, MA
 22   54:29 Ron Senosk        50-59M Sutton, MA
 23   54:35 Jason Reed        20-39M Dudley, MA
 24   54:43 Barbara McMannus  20-39F Worcester, MA
 25   54:59 Sean Doyle        20-39M Worcester, MA
 26   55:15 Bill Ferrara      50-59M Milford, MA
 27   55:38 Dan Lacey         20-39M Holliston, MA
 28   55:41 Peter Orni        50-59M Fitchburg, MA
 29   55:46 Mark Lies         20-39M Holden, MA
 30   55:56 Ken Lemerise      40-49M Charlton, MA
 31         URO
 32         URO
 33   56:28 Jerry DeZutter    20-39M Worcester, MA
 34   57:10 Dave Krom         40-49M Worcester, MA
 35   57:18 Kevin McGovern    40-49M Worcester, MA
 36   57:57 Art French        60-69M Shrewsbury, MA
 37   58:15 Bill Foley        20-39M Worcester, MA
 38   58:39 Stu Kravitz       40-49M Rochdale, MA
 39   58:41 Chris Powers      20-39M Holden, MA
 40   48:44 Peng-Yan Fan      20-39M Northboro, MA
 41   58:52 Joe Daly          20-39M Chicago, IL
 42   59:03 Paul Lambert      50-59M Leominster, MA
 43   59:10 Otto Lies         60-69M Holden, MA
 44   59:14 Darlene Murray    40-49F Sterling, MA
 45   60:06 Carol Robichaud   40-49F Leominster, MA
 46   60:34 Fred Tousignaut   40-49M Fitchburg, MA
 47   60:35 Jim Butterfield   40-49M Gardner, MA
 48   61:06 Meg Ryan          20-39F Worcester, MA
 49   61:08 Jim Convery       40-49M Worcester, MA
 50   61:37 Tom Head          20-39M Worcester, MA
 51         URO
 52   61:47 Lisa Mentzer      20-39F Millbury, MA
 53   61:48 Tony Troy         40-49M Oxford, MA
 54   61:49 Ken Deary         40-49M Dudley, MA
 55   61:49 Stu Thurston      50-59M Boylston, MA
 56   61:50 Kelly Lorden      20-39F Worcester, MA
 57         URO
 58         URO
 59   61:55 Carol Addy        20-39F Boylston, MA
 60   61:57 Gordon Saperia    40-49M W Boylston, MA
 61   61:58 Tim Downing       20-39M Worcester, MA
 62   62:11 Ray Lussier       70-79M Grafton, MA
 63         URO
 64   62:15 Ray Boutotte      50-59M Pepperell, MA
 65   62:17 Rob Bayley        40-49M Sterling, MA
 66   62:21 Cheryl Taylor     20-39F Worcester, MA
 67   62:22 Tim Cournoyer     20-39M Northbridge, MA
 68   62:36 Jerry Lembcke     50-59M Worcester, MA
 69   62:48 Gary Pedigo       40-49M Rutland, MA
 70   62:51 Jerry Valente     40-49M Sterling, MA
 71   63:07 Karl Tuomivaara   60-69M Paxton, MA
 72   63:38 Bill Dowd         20-39M Worcester, MA
 73         URO
 74   63:58 Marty Michelson   50-59M Taunton, MA
 75   64:11 Chris Avery       40-49M Sudbury, MA
 76   64:12 Mark Lorden       40-49M Brookline, NH
 77   64:20 Sue Lingner       20-39F Worcester, MA
 78   64:21 Tonya Spagnuolo   20-39F Grafton, MA
 79   74:38 Brian Gleason     40-49M Leominster, MA
 80   64:39 Karma Tousignant  20-39F Lunenburg, MA
 81   64:41 Mark Pilon        20-39M Lunenburg, MA
 82   64:42 Mark Fontaine     40-49M Leominster, MA
 83   64:57 Kevin Spagnuolo   20-39M Grafton, MA
 84   66:47 Patrick Fox       50-59M Sterling, MA
 85   66:49 Glen Kershaw      50-59M W Boylston, MA
 86   66:51 Diana Kershaw     20-39F W Boylston, MA
 87   67:06 Gary Savoie       20-39M Leominster, MA
 88   67:06 Jim McDermott     20-39M Fitchburg, MA
 89   67:15 Kevin Fallon      20-39M Worcester, MA
 90   67:36 Paul McDermott    60-69M Fitchburg, MA
 91   67:37 Kris Gleason      20-39F Leominster, MA
 92   67:39 Deb Fontaine      40-49F Leominster, MA
 93   68:01 Kathie Dilillo    40-49F Leominster, MA
 94   68:01 Mike Burke        50-59M Lancaster, MA
 95   69:07 Bill Haskell      50-59M Sterling, MA
 96   70:28 John Bogdasavian  50-59M Fitchburg, MA
 97   71:15 Cindylee Snell    20-39F Holden, MA
 98         URO
 99         URO
 100        URO
 101        URO
 102  72:13 Larry Gentile     50-59M Worcester, MA
 103  72:33 Jane Curtin       20-39F Worcester, MA
 104  72:34 Joy Collins       20-39F Worcester, MA
 105  74:15 Ken Robichaud     40-49M Brookline, NH
 106  80:27 Jack Sharry       50-59M Spencer, MA
 107  80:29 Andy Sharry       20-39M Worcester, MA