Long Road to Boston

If this was a real blog, and I had gone to Boston, I could have blogged all weekend. But I didn't go, so I'm just going to recap.

You've got to love Boston. Over 110 years of tradition, some of the best athletes in the world, the only marathon in the world other than the Olympics or the World Championships that you need to qualify to get into...Boston is the ultimate. Just qualifying to stand on the starting line in Hopkinton is, for many, the pinnacle of their running careers.

Not the Gunkers, though. They were out for blood.

Both Anne Gullickson and FOG ("Friend of Gunks") Conni Grace figured to have a shot at a coveted crystal bowl in the womens' masters category, which went ten deep. Connie came oh-so-close, running 3:02:20 for 12th, less than 2 minutes from scoring a bowl. Anne ran brilliantly as well, clocking 3:05:12 for 16th master.

"El Fredo," Fred Stewart, also had designs on some crystal. Following Rich Edwards' win last year in the 60-69 age group, Freddy decided to take his shot, running 1:31:16 through the half, at which point he was third in the group. He held that spot--the final bowl position for 60-69ers--through 35K, but was passed late and wound up a tantalizing fourth, running an excellent 3:09:58, just 2:30 from the hardware.

Kevin Roach ran a beautiful 3:02:50, flirting with a sub-3:00 following a 1:29:54 opening half. Mark Mulpeter, who trained with Kevin and the rest of the Gunkers all winter, ran a very evenly-paced 3:18:54, a huge PR. FOG Wayne McDaniel ran a very solid 2:57, and the husband-and-wife team of FOGs, Alan Ruben and Gordon Bakoulis, ran solid races as well (2:47 and 3:15, respectively).

Kingston Classic

Mendy Taylor gained some revenge for some early-season defeats and made C-Boy look silly at the Kingston Classic, scoring a 50-second beat-down en route to a seventh-place finish (and first American!) in the area's premier road race. On a warm day that generally saw slower times than last year (Kiplagat's course record notwithstanding), Mendy improved on last year's auspicious debut by 80 seconds, running 37:39 and winning her age group (30-39).

Chris Blough, the group's newest racer, ran a strong 34:58 for 18th overall, the fastest time on the day among active Gunkers. C-Boy ran a solid 38:29 for 36th place, eighth in the 40-49 age group. Jim Juliano was 11th in the same group, and Brian Nagle placed 7th among 50-59 year olds with a 41:20. Gavin Gullickson, son of Gunks star Anne Gullickson, placed third among 14-19 year olds, running 41:12. He's only 14!!!

Some other results from "friends of the Gunks":
Abidi Bouzza 14th 34:32
John McGovern 24th (3rd master) 36:14
Mike Halsted 28th (5th master) 36:58
Robert Muller 33rd (7th 40-49) 38:01
Marisa Hansen (Female masters winner) 38:49
Connie Seigh (3rd 30-39) 40:31
Barbara Sessa (4th 40-49) 41:07
Myron Baker (8th 50-59) 41:27

Full results at http://www.kingstonclassic.com/.

Race Around Briggs

Steve Schallenkamp scored his second age-group win in eight days at the Race Around Briggs on April 6, the second race in the ORC Grand Prix. Steve placed eighth overall, taking a commanding lead in the Grand Prix points standings, a title he won in 2006 and 2007.

Sometime-Gunkers (and full-time MHRRC runners, but we like to claim them for our own) Wayne McDaniel and Connie Grace place fifth and tenth, respectively, with Connie taking the women's title and a new course record, a result that surprised absolutely no one.

The Onteora Running Club took the team title in a close race over The Mid-Hudson Road Runners. We need to get a team together for that race next year!

Full results are at http://www.racearoundbriggs.com/.

The next ORC Grand Prix race is the Trolley Run 5K (May 10, Kingston).

Blough, Taylor win Lowe's 5K

The local spring racing season opened in late March with the first race of the Onteora Grand Prix, the Lowe's 5K in Highland, and the Shawangunk Runners showed that their winter of training had paid off, sweeping the top places. Chris Blough, a new member of the Gunks, won the race in 16:58, a solid opening-season time on a cold, windy day. Mendy Taylor took the women's overall title with a startling 18:24, notching a nearly 90-second margin of victory. You guys rule!

Steve Schallenkamp won the 50-59 age group, placing seventh overall in 18:13. Brian Nagle took second in the same group. Chris Peone was second among 40-49 men, outkicking Mendy for eighth overall. Next time, Chrissy, pick on someone your own age. Jon and Tomi Stern also turned in nice performances, with Tomi placing third overall for women. Longtime "Friends of the Gunks" Abidi Bouzza and John McGovern placed third and fourth overall, respectively.

Full results can be found at http://www.onteorarunners.org/results/lowes2008.htm.

Summer Solstice Run

The 2008 Solstice Run will be on Wednesday, June 18, at 6:30 pm at Minnewaska State Park. The beautiful, challenging 15K course is one of the best trail runs in the Hudson Valley, and the race is a fundraiser for the Lou Gross Memorial Fund, a cause near and dear to our hearts. The race application is available now.

Previous Solstice Run results: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Pfalz Point Trail Challenge

Application available soon.

Previous Pfalz Point results: 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

After the Leaves Have Fallen 20K

Application available soon.

Previous ATL results: 2007

Summer Trail Series

The famous Shawangunk Summer Series of trail runs is back for 2008. Races are as follows:

1. July 7: Undercliff/Overcliff, Trapps Bridge (4.7 miles)
2. July 14: Lou's Run, Spring Farm trailhead (4.0 miles)
3. July 21: Patterson's Pellet, Minnewaska State Park (3.0 miles)
4. July 28: Blueberry Run, Minnewaska State Park (4.0 miles)
5. August 4: Awards and fun run/relay, New Paltz Rail Trail

You can download an application here.

Previous Summer Series results:
Undercliff/Overcliff: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Lou's Run: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Patterson's Pellet: 2007 2006 2005 2004
Blueberry Run: 2007 2006 2005 2004

Coaches

Beth Glace
Beth, the club's head coach, has led the Gunkers for the past several years. She is the Sports Nutritionist and a Research Associate at Lenox Hill Hospital’s Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma where she has been practicing for the past 15 years. She has published various articles on sports and exercise science. Many team members have run PRs under Beth's tutelage.

Mike Barnow
Mike is our newest coach, having started to work with us this spring. Mike is the founder and longtime coach of the famed Westchester Track Club. He has coached nine Olympians and forty US National Qualifiers through the WTC, and he served as the head coach for the Somalian Olympic team for the 1984 Olympics. He has thirty years of coaching experience at the high school, college, open, and elite levels. Mike is one of the top coaches in the US today, and we're thrilled to have him working with us.

Rosendale Plains Run

The famous Rosendale Plains Run, a 4.4-mile loop through scenic Rosendale and Tillson, will take place on August 9th. Gunker Chris Peone is back to serve as race director once again. The application is available here.

Previous Results: 2007 2006 2005