Hills are our Friends

Elevation Map photo Dave Camire

Derry, NH -- I had heard the horror stories from last year's Boston Prep 16 Miler -- black ice, folks being carted off to the hospital from falling, antenna hill, yadda, yadda, yadda. The temptation to check it out for myself was just too great. So there I was standing in the Derry Boys and Girls Club staring at an elevation map that resembled the results of a Bill Clinton lie detector test. I then glance over to the bathroom line and see mountain man Dave Dunham standing there. Yikes, is this some kind of omen!

First lets talk a little about truth in advertising. On the race's webpage the course was described as "Moderately!! Difficult." Yep, that's how the folks from the Greater Derry Track Club describe the Boston Prep 16 Miler. I was soon to find out that calling this race moderately difficult is like calling the Mount Washington Road Race rolling.

Race Start

Considering that this is January 24 in Derry, New Hampshire you would expect to be wearing several layers of clothing. Not today! Temperatures almost reached sixty degrees making this not only hilly, but hot!

As expected, the men's race came down to a battle between Dunham and Nashua, NH ace Dave Beauley. At their last meeting on November 7 at the Weekend Before Hunting Season Trail Race in Sandown, NH, Beauley bested Dunham by one second. Today it would be Dunham's turn as he finished ahead of Beauley by 40 seconds. Both runners bested the old course record.

The women's division came down to a battle between Dana Parrot of Derby, CT and Katherine Griffiths of Cambridge, MA. Griffins took the lead early. It wasn't until the latter stages of the race that Parrot was able to over take the lead. "I just wanted to come here to run seven minute pace. So I was excited when I passed the first place women [Griffinths] between mile 11 and 12," said Parrot. Auburn, New Hampshire's Peg Donovan, who was the course record holder and a former winner of the Mount Washington Road Race, would also pass Griffiths in the late stages of the race. "This was my longest run since the {Hartford] marathon," Parrot added. Both Parrot's and Donovan's times bested the old course record.

Dana Parrot photo Dave Camire

John Dowling of Warner, NH captured the men's masters division (1:39:27) while Peg Donovan won the women's masters division (1:58:11). The senior's division was captured by Mark Wigler (1:45:22) of Hubbardston, MA and Wendy Burbank (1:58:11) of Boxford, MA. The veterans were led by Dedham, MA resident Jane Goodman (3:24:25) and Blackstone, MA resident Harry Carter (2:00:15). The amazing seventy-seven year old Carleton Mendell won the over 70 division in 2:43:40.

I couldn't help wonder how such a difficult race has become so popular. Chelmsford's Will Mason was more than willing to supply me with the answer, "It's because runners are stupid." Well next January 23 make sure to look for me in Derry, NH. I'll be the stupid guy staring at the elevation map.