BHZ Pre-Game Race Day on Super Sunday brought no Polar Vortex (just departed), nor did it bring tropical breezes, BUT at 30˚ with no wind and a cloud cover for the 9:30 am start hard by the Barrel House Z Brewery in S. Weymouth, it did offer prime racing conditions…and for the many just looking for a fun time while hedging the latter day calorie count, optimal conditions to gear up in Patriots regalia.
Photo: Generational Team Spirit! photo by MickFoto/NERunner
This second pre-Patriots Super Bowl appearance featured the same course as the first friendly and fast edition, now USATF certified (MA18011JK).
Both course records were crushed.
We had called former Bentley NCAA D2 All American and 2018 Providence Marathon winner Caitlin Fahey, 27, as the women’s pre-race favorite, but we weren’t expecting defending men’s champion Patrick Bugbee, 35, of the mighty Cambridge Sports Union to be relegated to 6th!
“I’m getting smoked,” yelled Bugbee at the Holly Hill turnaround. In the lead was the BAA’s Andy Gardiner, 53 (yes 53!) with former Brandeis ace Mike Stone, 31, of E. Falmouth, on his heels.
Photo: Any Gardiner closely pursued by Mike Stone. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
In third—and the first to be wearing a Patriot’s jersey—was the pride of the Norwell Marathon Sports store in Norwell, Dan Joyce, 27.
Gardiner, USATF’s pick as the top 50+ runner in the country, arrived back at the brewery in 16:07 to take down Bugbee’s previous CR of 16:35.
Stone also cracked the previous course best in 16:15. “It was a good joust,” offered Gardiner, a native of the UK with dual citizenship. “He put up a really good race.”
The women’s race was a runaway as S. Weymouth resident Fahey, 27, clipped along at a 5:51 pace to crack the top 10 (9th) overall while chopping the women’s CR of 19:35 down to 18:08.
Photo: Caitlin Fahey crushing the women’s CR. Photo by MickFoto/NERunner
Five-time US Olympic Marathon trialist Mimi Fallon, 53, reprised her silver medal performance from a year ago in a new W50 record of 19:40. While Fallon is a past champion of the NER Pub Series women’s division, Whirlaway’s Heather Spinney, 31, was 7th in 2018 and the bronze medalist here in 20:05.
Post-race featured great craic, BHZ liquid elixir, numerous awards and a costume contest highlighted (in our humble opinion) by the woman in Patriots gear (natch) but with an “old school” leather helmet.
Come on down and join the merriment on June 23 when (over the same course) the BHZ 5K will be stop No. 3 on the 2019 NER Pub Series.
Photo: In a row, Whirlaway’s Paul Hammond (3rd M50), Heather Spinney (3rd woman) and Dave Wessman (1st M60). Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner
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