The Super 5k, Sunday, February 6, 2005

Continuing with tradition, the Super 5K in Lowell, MA, drew a solid crowd of 215 runners.  This event was born on Super Bowl Sunday, 2002 and call it a fortuitous omen, but every time the Super 5K has been run on the same day the New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl, the Pats have won! 

This is not a popular event for Team Gloucester due to the drive, but it is run on a fairly flat course and provides a great opportunity to run a fast time early in the season.  Dave Geary and Wes Lassen were the only two from T.G. who were able to rub the sleepies from their eyes and make the 1 PM start.

The conditions were perfect, sunny and in the low 40's, and the crowd wasn't like it had been in the past.  The starting horn went off at 1 PM sharp, and so did the lead group of about 10 runners and in typical 5K fashion, Wes Lassen was along for the ride.  The pack thinned out within the first half mile and the race really began.  Lassen lead the T.G. contingent with a 5:40 first mile (the lead group of 5 went through in about 5:20) and Geary was running a smart race of his own, logging a 6:10 opening mile. 

Lassen would have been in no mans' land for the entire race if it wasn't for GLRR member Mark Coddaire who traded places with Lassen on several occasions.  The Woburn Street Hill is where Coddaire made his final push to distance himself from Lassen.  The race was won by Eric Beauchesne in 16:12, no big shocker there, and  Coddaire went on to finish in 17:44, while placing 6th and coming through as the first masters runner. 

Lassen finished shortly thereafter in 18:02 and logged a 7th place finish (2nd in his age group).  Geary had a great early season run of 20:06 and in doing so grabbed 19th place (3rd in the 30 to 39 age group).  Hopefully this race will prove as lucky for Geary and Lassen as it has for the Pats!!