We are quick out of the gate this year in announcing NER Pub Series Awards Night at Doyle’s because, 1) we dropped in after Mayor’s Cup at Franklin Park this past Sunday (Oct. 22)…and 2) we wanted to solidify a date that would accommodate those publicans flying out for Club XC Nationals, so the date is…
Hump Day, Wednesday, Dec. 6 starting at 6:30 pm. If you’ve run at least 5 of the 6 races come on down! Also, if you’re due a jacket make an effort to show up and pick it up.
We’ll mail out jackets but during the Holidays it’s a sporadic effort (and it’s expensive).
Click Here: Maori All Blacks Store
Paddy’s Grand Finale
Newton North HS coach and defending Paddy’s champion Shawn Wallace, 36, could have run the table this year if not for his former Tiger athlete, Justin Keefe, 23. (Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner)
Despite texts back and forth Coach and his former pupil didn’t realize they were both running Pub Series race numero uno (An Ras Mor 5K) until a few days before. Keefe won in 15:03 with Wallace 3rd in 15:36.
Wallace then ran the Series’ table until Paddy’s, when he let Keefe know about the $100 bounty, shillelagh and day’s drinking privileges if he could beat John Mortimer’s record of 14:24 set over a decade ago. The same awards held true for Kathy Fleming’s time of 16:24, set exactly a decade ago.
On the warmest and most humid day yet for Paddy’s, Mort’s record would hold fast as Keefe broke the tape on Border St. in 14:48 (4:56 pace) with Wallace right behind in 15:07.
Defending Pub champion TJ Unger arrived next in 15:27 to break a three-way tie for 3rd in the Series with HFC teammate Lee Danforth (7th) and CSU’s Patrick Bugbee (6th). Series silver medalist Chris Klucznik of SRR placed 4th in 15:29.
Congrats to overall women’s winner Amanda Watters of the B.A.A. who solidified her suds and hops golden goblet with a 6th place finish in 18:54. (Photo by MickFoto/NERunner)
AWOL for the previous outing in RI, former Nebraska Wesleyan ace Hayley Sutter laid down a sub-6 pace to win in 17:21, but ends up 4th overall in the Series. Music Fest 5K winner Kristin Shaw of the B.A.A. (5th-18:50) edged out a Series slugfest with HFC’s Dana Deingenis (7th-18:55) to claim Series Silver with Double D bagging bronze.
While Watters’ flagging fitness resulted in a women’s Series tie last year (disgraceful) hubby Mike McGrane kept it in the family at Paddy’s by edging CSU’s Kevin Delaney, 16:45 to 17:01 to tie for 40+ supremacy.
That was the only tie at the end of the 6-race scrum. Age groupers seizing the reins included Masters ace Eileen Cakouris of HFC, dominant Seniors Greg Picklesimer of SRR and Mary McNulty of HFC (who won by a solitary point over Liberty’s Vikki Bok, but after suffering a concussion and running her only race at Paddy’s in 6-weeks).
The Vets division was ruled by Greater Lowell’s John Barbour and Warren, RI’s Marge Bellisle, with Dave Pember finally clinching the Pub Series 70+ title with world beating counterpart Jan Holmquist doing likewise. Barbour and Holmquist were so cocky they ran the Nat’l Masters 5K at Franklin Park the same day (that, and they knew it was mathematically impossible for them to lose their division).
And of course a tip of the hat to 80+ wunderkind Larry Cole of the Cape Cod AC who brings a great deal of joie de vivre to every Pub event. See you at Doyle’s. Larry will be there!
Women’s Final Standings
Final Men’s Standing