2006 Roxbury Race #32

The Roxbury Mile

The Mile

    The last day of September dawned foggy, as Roxbury's racing community tried to cram a whole week's worth of racing into that short strip of asphalt between the Roxbury Recreation Area on West Apple Lane and the finish line a mile away in front of the Booth Free School.

    Thirty-five people showed up ready to run the mile at 8:30, and a few others came early for the marathon, though it wouldn't start until 10am.

   Pat Dennen was off like a shot, and rocketed to his second win of the season, a mile in 4:45.  Half a minute behind him, Chris Deming edged Hans Put by less than a second to nab second place, both timed in 5:15.  Half a minute farther back, John Richers, Lou Denaro and Doug Lee finished spaced a second apart in 5:41, 5:42 and 5:43 to fill places four to 6.

    Ellen McCurtin won among the women on her first visit to Roxbury this year.  She was 11th over-all in 6:07.

    Tommy Vanderheiden, in his first race outside the stroller, edged his dad with a furious finish, to leave Brian Vanderheiden with his first last-place finish of the season.

Safety

    Safety is important to us, as we don't run on closed roads and generally like each other.  

    It is safest if we face traffic as much as safe and possible. (on the other hand, avoid the inside of sharp, blind curves.)  Also, it is much safer if we are all  on the same side of the road, instead of making traffic drive between runners. 

    Fossil has three rules of running:

1. Be safe

2. Have fun

3. It's sometimes fun to beat people.  Set goals you can realistically achieve.

    Be nice to the drivers.  For the most part, they like us, and they are proud to have us running in Roxbury.  Smile, and, if you wave, be sure you use all five fingers.

This week's pictures

     Up top today's winner, Mike "Torpedo" Ruospo hefts what appears to be a large branch.  Is he wielding a tree-shaped torpedo launcher, or is he using his super-human strength to clear debris from the road?

       Then we have Mo van Moffaert and her friend Carl Hunt, two weeks after a hundred-mile race, finishing today's race together.  Sharp eyes can spot people giving Jon first aid just on the other side of the truck.

    Down the side we have people trying to straighten the posts in the parking lot.  Then there are two Marks, Zerbe and LoSacco.  After that, we have the Fossil checking his time on a watch that matches his t-shirt, and then our new Shepaug Trail sign at the starting line.  Way at the bottom, notice the Dragon is back.  

    New pictures today are by Amanda and Collin's dad.  Thanks, Larry.

      The Roxbury Races are now listed on the Internet both on RunningInTheUSA and on HiTekRacing.com

Current points leaders

Created September 30, 2006.