Strong Family Chicken Run Results & Photos

IMG_0254It looks like spring is finally starting to show itself and runners everywhere are celebrating. Nowhere was this more evident than at the 2nd Annual Strong Family Chicken Run where close to 400 runners, walkers and kids participated. Once again the race enjoyed the support of volunteers from CERTS, the Police Cadets, and the many friends of Strong Farm.

Local Vernon runners led the way with Brian Nelson winning the overall race in 17:09 and with Jillian Ellefson the first female to cross the finish line in 23:18.  Michael Ingram of Manchester and Zoltan Rigo of Berlin were the second and third place finishers and Lauren Hurst of West Simsbury and Erica Lebaron of Tolland the second and third female finishers.

Complete results can be found here.

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Lyme Road Race Results & Photos

IMG_0140April 11, 2015 marked the first time that a timed road race took place in the Town of Lyme and over 200 runners and walkers came out to celebrate the occasion. On possibly the perfect day for a run, they made their way down country roads past farms and historic homes and on to the finish line at Ashlawn Farm. Ashlawn Farm; scenic dairy farm turned coffee roaster was the ideal location to stage the event. The two loop course was slightly rolling and got high reviews from all participants.

Results

First to cross the finish line was Kevin Turko of West Hartford in 16:37, followed by Brian Whitney of Groton and Bruce Christenson of Bolton. Heidi Decosta of Niantic was the first female finisher in 20:36, followed by local runner Winnie Edmed of Lyme and Melanie Champion of Meridian. All six received $50 gift certificates from Soundview runner.

Thank You

IMG_0633Thanks to Hildie Heck and Michael Secord, race organizers, Chip and Carol Dahlke, owners of Ashlawn Farm  who generously offered to host the event, and the members of the 169 Society who came out in force and made this a real special day.

For complete results click Here. For pictures check out our Flickr Page!

Cupid Made Me Do It! Race Report & Results

IMG_0485Why would people go out in mid-February with the thermometer at minus 5 to run 2 miles through howling winds over ice and snow? The answer is simple: Cupid made them do it.  The third running of the Cupid Made Me Do It Urban Challenge in Willimantic went off on schedule and 105 dedicated runners and walkers braved conditions to cross the finish line. They came in all shapes, sizes, and ages from throughout the state to test their mettle. They represented all eight Connecticut counties and parts of Massachusetts. The award for traveling  the farthest went to Erin Gionet from Stratham, New Hampshire.  Hester Maisfehlt of Chester was the youngest finisher at age 5 who crossed the finish line just ahead of her dad William. And the most senior finisher was Thomas McIntosh, Jr; 77 and going strong. As usual, the members of the 169 Society were well represented, with 35+ members making the most noise cheering on their fellow competitors.

 

IMG_0445After the race, most participants continued to celebrate Valentine’s Day by taking part in Willimantic’s Chocolate Festival. If you missed out on this year’s event, don’t worry, plans are already underway for next year’s Cupid Made Me Do It, which will be held on February 13, 2016. Online registration will open tomorrow (Monday, February 16) and anyone registering between now and the end of February can do so for $19 or a $6 discount, and be guaranteed of a T-Shirt.  Hope to see you next year.

Results

The overall winner was Charlie Grillo from Cromwell in a blistering 5:46 pace, followed by Steven Pellerin from Dayville and Edward Guimant from Vernon. The top three female finishers Lauren Stanley from Stafford Springs with a 6:59 pace, followed by Breanna Cubilla of Norwich and Shannon Kievman of Manchester.  Awards were presented to the top three finishers in eight age groups with the age group winners receiving gourmet cupcakes from A Cupcake For Later.  Complete results can be found here.

Pictures

Check out more photos from the race at the FirstMile Flickr Page!

King of Pain 2015 Race Report & Results

King of Pain 2015 SureshOn Saturday, January 31, the third running of the revived “King of Pain” took place in East Glastonbury, and, as in the previous two years, it proved to be the coldest day of the year. This annual test of will is called the King of Pain because of the many daunting hills. When runners get to the top of Belltown and turn around for the descent, the CT River Valley and the City of Hartford at their feet, they feel a sense of accomplishment that is quickly dashed with the realization that there are still 6 miles to go. Add in temperatures below 5 degrees and howling winds and this truly is “Ten Miles of Tough” But, in spite of these many challenges, 48 runners and one relay team had the grit and fortitude to tough it out.

After the race, everyone gathered for a light potluck and to share war stories. This year’s King and Queen of Pain were crowned (overall winners).  Suresh Jatti took the men’s crown at 1:09:46 and King of Pain 2015 Mary-AlexMary-Alex Zickefoose the woman’s at 1:18:03. Rounding out the top three were Jorge Kulgis (1:11:12) and Bruce Christensen (1:12:07), and Carina Halloran (1:24:24) and Yuly Susaya (1:31:20). The winner of the relay division was Three’s Company (Meredith Nash, Christine Korper, and Jon Bemhaun)

Thanks to the Glastonbury River Runners and race director Mike Keenan for putting on this free and fun event.

King of Pain 2015 Results

BIB TIME LAST NAME FIRST NAME GEN TOWN
227 1:09:46 JATTI SURESH M GLASTONBURY
224 1:11:12 KULGIS JORGE M WETHERSFIELD
242 1:12:07 CHRISTENSEN BRUCE M BOLTON
206 1:14:13 RICE KEVIN M MANCHESTER
219 1:16:39 MACDONALD KEVIN M NORWICH
245 1:18:03 ZICKEFOOSE MARY-ALEX F ANDOVER
212 1:23:52 PHILLIPS GORDON M EAST HADDAM
228 1:24:04 MCNEALEY BRIAN M BERLIN
213 1:24:10 LEE MIKE M MANCHESTER
209 1:24:24 FRITCH JUSTIN M TORRINGTON
221 1:24:24 HALLORAN CARINA F SOUTHINGTON
226 1:27:23 SERIGNESE BRIAN M GLASTONBURY
223 1:30:51 FORD DAVID M SUFFIELD
237 1:31:13 FROMETH MIKE M EAST HARTFORD
239 1:31:20 SUSAYA YULY F HARTFORD
225 1:31:44 RILHARDS GARY M EAST HARTFORD
214 1:31:55 FLYMN MARK M FARMINGTON
231 1:33:05 KANAITIS JEN F ANDOVER
207 1:33:54 SELIGMANN JAMIE F SAN DIEGO
244 1:34:36 ALCEDO GLADYS M WALLINGFORD
241 1:34:58 PRADO GIORELLY F HARTFORD
234 1:35:40 KING CATHY F MANCHESTER
203 1:35:48 BRADLEY LEE M NEWINGTON
249 1:36:22 HODSEN WANDA F
243 1:36:35 CARRIE COY F HEBRON
222 1:37:23 PABILONIA KELLY F TOLLAND
238 1:39:32 DENNCY ERIC M GLASTONBURY
217 1:39:36 O’HARA PATRICK M MYSTIC
246 1:39:49 WRIGHT BEKKIE F EAST HARTFORD
247 1:39:49 PULIQUIN JOSEPH M EAST HARTFORD
233 1:40:23 BIELENDA MITCH M S. WINDSOR
236 1:42:05 ZEVIN DAVE M GLASTONBURY
235 1:42:35 HOLCOMB BRYAN M TOLLAND
201 1:43:13 CONDON SHERRI F MIDDLETOWN
218 1:43:54 LEE YVONNE F MIDDLETOWN
210 1:46:12 BUSRO MICHELLE F WETHERSFIELD
202 1:46:52 IVAN JACKIE F MIDDLETOWN
204 1:46:52 Winaker Laura F Portland
232 1:47:06 SAVAGE KEVIN F S.GLASTONBURY
215 1:47:23 LOWRY LORI F GLASTONURY
211 1:49:27 PHILLIPS MICHELLE F EAST HADDAM
248 1:49:55 OSMOND ADAM M FARMINGTON
205 1:51:50 Ochterski Joe M Middlefield
216 1:53:09 CURRAN SIOBHAN F BROKKLYN
240 1:53:40 ALVARADO LUIS M HARTFORD
208 1:53:54 VON SCHMIDT LAURIE F NEW HARTFORD
229 1:53:54 CICCARILLO AMY F NEW BRITAIN
230 2:01:37 ZBROZEK RICH M BERLIN
220 2:01:43 FLEISHER ADAM M GLASTONURY

Santa Made Me Do It Race Results & Photos

IMG_0012The first Santa Made Me Do It 5K was held on Saturday, December 6th in Bethlehem, CT under challenging conditions.  But the cold and the rain didn’t stop the 130 runners who braved the weather, and tackled the rolling hills and beautiful countryside surrounding the town center. All were upbeat and enthusiastic, many decked out in seasonal attire. There were running Santas, snow princesses, elves, reindeer, and about a hundred tutus.

The day started with a kid’s fun run and then moved on to the 5K race. The first finisher was James McKirdy from New Britain followed by Ian McDonald from Haddam Neck  and Paul Baldini from North Haven. The first female finisher was Christy Piepmeier from Amston, followed by Sophia Rickevicius from Watertown and Hildie Heck from Lyme.

IMG_0054The 169ers were out in force. The club, whose mission is to complete a timed road race in each of Connecticut’s 169 towns, was its usual boisterous self, cheering on every runner with gusto.   A special cheer was reserved for Laurie Von Schmidt who completed her 100th town.

Complete results can be found at Cool Running here.

Check out race photos on Flickr.

 

The Devil Made Me Do It – 2014 Race Report & Results

IMG_0361On a crisp fall morning in Glastonbury, Vikings, cavemen, Sponge Bob, Waldo, and various other characters assembled for the third running of the Devil Made Me Do It. The race went off without a hitch, but soon had a Devilish twist. Early in the race, due to inattentive staff and a poorly placed directional sign, runners turned right instead of going straight, cutting out a 1.3 mile loop. The end result; the two races were 2.0 and 5.3 miles in length. First Mile Race Management apologizes for this embarrassing mishap, appreciates everyone’s understanding, and has taken steps to insure that it doesn’t happen again.

Results

Regardless of the odd distances, people still ran competitive races. In the long race, Linda Spooner from Sturbridge, MA successfully defended her 2013 win, followed by the Faust sisters, Amanda, Brianna, and Christina, from Macungie, PA. Among the men, John Paggioli came in first, followed by Ken Clark and Todd Busha. In the shorter race, Michael Hansen and Damon Bauer were the top two and Karen Houle and Jennifer Pawloski the top two women.

Participants and spectators alike seemed to have a great time in spite of the glitch and, as several pointed out, everyone who ran got a PR at this distance. Complete results can be found here.

Pictures

Check out more photos from the race at the FirstMile Flickr Page!

Stamford Stand up for Youth 5k

Stamford Standup Finish LineAfter a week of rain and cold, overcast days, the sun came out and the temperatures rose to a balmy 65 in time for the first “Stamford Stand Up For Youth 5K” Over 100 runners and walkers came out to support RF Youth Boxing, a local non-profit whose mission is to mentor at risk teens by directing them in the discipline of boxing.

Everyone enjoyed the course, which made its way along the shore in downtown Stamford and through Kosciuszko Park, as well as the post race party. Plans are now underway for the 2015 edition.

For race results click here.

Union Strides for Scholars Race Results & Report

Bigelow 1The sky was overcast, the temperature was cool, and the leaves were at their peak color in Bigelow Hollow State Park when the gun went off to start the first annual “Strides For Scholars” 5K. The course began on Bigelow Pond Rd for a half a mile before veering off road on trails that led to Breakneck Pond where they turned around and returned to the finish line. In all, 130 runners and walkers took on the challenge.

Having a huge presence at the race were many members of the 169 Society, whose mission is the run a timed road race in each of Connecticut’s 169 towns. Member Tom Walsh hit his 100th town and, as is the custom, ran in the traditional tutu.

Awards

The overall winner for the men was Bruce Christensen and for the women, Hildie Heck. Rounding out the top three for the men were John Minervino and Ken Clark. For the women, it was Laura Rutkowski and Katie Ouelette.  Click here for Race Results and Awards.

Bigelow 2Union School Association Scholarship Foundation

This event was put on by the Union School Association Scholarship Foundation as a way to gain some visibility and to help fund their annual scholarship to selected Union School graduates. Several dozen of their members attended to volunteer or to run or both.  See more information on the Scholarship Foundation here.

Photos

Check out photos from the event on the First Mile Flickr page.

After the race, people hung around for post-race snacks, fellowship, and to talk
about next year.Bigelow 3

Hartland Harvest Run: Race Results & Report

IMG_0206The 2014 edition of the Hartland Harvest Run went off with much fanfare on a beautiful October morning; perfect for racing. The race had been run for a couple of years by members of the Bethaney Lutheran Church to aid a local family in need. It went into hiatus for a couple of years but came back to life this year to much success. Once again the Bethany Lutheran Church hosted the race that drew over 100 runners who all enjoyed a run through the rolling countryside as the Fall foliage was peaking. As runners assembled at the starting line, they were welcomed by Pastor Roger Viksnes who started things off with a prayer. Then the runners were off, including Pastor Roger who ended up in 19th place.

Awards

First across the finish line was Bruce Christopher who ran a fast 19:15, followed by John Miervino and Paul Baldini in almost a dead heat at 19:57. The first female to finish was Kathleen Shaw, 5th overall, in 21:32, followed by Joan Makowski and Francis Armentano. The award for the most enthusiastic went to all of the members of the 169 Society who really made this an event. Click here for Race Results and Awards.

Pictures

Check out photos from the event on the First Mile Flickr page.

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped make this a successful event. Everyone had a great time, a donation was made to the East Hartland Fuel Bank, and already, the groundwork has been laid for the 2015 race.