Merrimack River (No) Snowshoe Race, Sunday, January 4, 2004
We would have rather been on snowshoes, but who can resist a trail race? Especially when it's on trails we like.
With that in mind, a strong Team Gloucester contingent headed up to Andover for the first annual Merrimack River (No) Snowshoe Race.
With several of us feeling a bit beaten up, there was some question as to how competitively we would run, or so the pre-race talking went. Everyone involved knew that as soon as the "Cayuga" was yelled, it was every man for himself, and skullduggeric tricks were a near certainty.
Showing an early season promise of good things to come, Matt Curran finished 4th in 19:38, squeezing under 6 minute pace on the icy trails. (Hey Matt, identify yourself as Team Gloucester next time!).
However, it was Bob Gillis who was truly triumphant on the trails, lurking behind Rick Ciolino over the final mile before sprinting by him at the finish. Gillis finished 8th in 20:57, while Rick "I need to learn better penmanship" Clolino was 9th in 21:00.
Steve Whittey was 11th in 21:45, followed by Dave Geary in 22:24. Jenn Lassen, after having entirely too much fun over the last 3 days, was the final Team Gloucester finisher, coming in 14th in 22:40.
In team scoring, Team Gloucester finished second behind the Central Mass Striders with 28 points. (Had Curran been counted as a Team Gloucester member, the total would have been 21, but CMS would still have won with 10 points.)
Click Here for results and "official" article by Dave Dunham.
