15 Years ago

15 Years ago = Sept. 1998 - I was still recovering from SI issues (got a cortisone shot in Mid-August) but raced “okay” in the three races I did during this month.  I kicked off the month with a rarely run distance (25k) at the Gloucester Labor Day race.  The race was part of the USATF NE grand prix and Craig Fram and I were locked in a battle throughout the race.  We went back and forth the entire 25k with Craig taking a 1 second victory in the last 100m of the race.  I finished in 2^nd in 1:24:33.

 

Gloucester 25k

    1  M3039 CRAIG FRAM            39 M PLAISTOW NH           1:24:32  5:27

    2  M3039 DAVE DUNHAM         34 M BRADFORD MA          1:24:33   5:27

    3  M3039 MIKE O'BRIEN          38 M DURHAM NH              1:25:44  5:32

    4  M4049 JIM MILLER              40 M ESSEX JCT. VT           1:26:10  5:33

    5  M3039 NIVALDO FILHO        38 M CAMBRIDGE MA        1:26:32  5:35

    6  M0129 ERIC BEAUCHESNE    28 M CHELMSFORD MA      1:26:35  5:35

    7  M0129 JESSE DARLEY          25 M WATERTOWN MA       1:26:38   5:35

    8  M4049 JOHN BARBOUR        44 M ROCKPORT MA           1:26:44  5:35

    9  M3039 JOHN NOLAND          35 M KINGSTON MA            1:27:27  5:38

   10 M3039 DAN VERRINGTON     36 M BRADFORD MA           1:27:44  5:39

 

Two weeks later I was on the Island of Reunion , off the coast of Madagascar , for the World Mountain running championships.  The race was LONG (18km!), way longer than the advertised distance which made for an interested final few miles.  There were also a couple of very narrow sections on the course, one of which was at 2k and caused a huge pileup of bodies!  I stayed out of trouble but had close to my worst worlds ever.  I finished 34^th (2^nd US) in 1:34:04.  The only good I took out of it was that I beat multi-time world champion Marco DeGasperi by a second.  The final race of the month was the always fast (but certified) Eliot festival 5km.  I went out with the lead pack of 10 through the mile (4:41), down to 7 of us by 2 miles (9:28) and still a group of 5 with ½ mile to go.  I ended up having the least effective kick and took 5^th in 14:46.  Chris Teague won in 14:37 in a field of just over 800.

 

    1   CHRIS TEAGUE       29 M N CHELMSFORD MA  14:37 4:43

    2   AL BERNIER                       24 M DURHAM NH                       14:40 4:44

    3   GUY STEARNS                   39 M NEW CASTLE NH                 14:43 4:45

    4   MIKE O'BRIEN                    38 M DURHAM NH                       14:46 4:45

    5   DAVE DUNHAM                  34 M BRADFORD MA                    14:46 4:46

    6   NIVALDO FILHO                 38 M CAMBRIDGE MA                   14:54 4:48

    7   KEVIN WAY                       29 M WATERBORO ME                 14:58 4:50

    8   DAN VERRINGTON              36 M BRADFORD MA                    15:01 4:50

    9   DERECK TREADWELL 23 M MILFORD ME                    15:05 4:52

   10  TODD COFFIN                    37 M FREEPORT ME                     15:05 4:52

   11  PAUL HAMMOND      38 M LEXINGTON MA                 15:14 4:54

   12  TERRY MCNATT                 33 M NEEDHAM MA                     15:17 4:55

   13  ERIC BEAUCHESNE              28 M N CHELMSFORD MA              15:19 4:56

   14  SHELDON YOUNG               25 M JAY ME                              15:20 4:56

   15  JOHN BARBOUR       44 M ROCKPORT MA                   15:20 4:57

 

Left to right: Stearns, O’Brien, Bernier, Filho, Teague (obscured), and me (#844)