Claren Demar marathon - times two

Twenty years ago today (09-24-1995):  Dan Verrington, Byrne Decker and I went to the Clarence Demar marathon with our goal being a “B” standard Olympic trails time of under 2:22.  Conditions were good, and after a 2 mile warm-up we headed out “strong to 6 miles with Dan, Byrne, and Mike O’Brien”.  Byrne fell off at the pace and O’Brien fell back at 10.  Dan and I knew at ½ way that we wouldn’t qualify (1:10:45), so we slowed to 6-minute pace.  Byrne went by at 17 and was 10 seconds ahead by 20 miles.  We caught him soon after when he stopped in the woods, Dan also stopped to change out of racing flats, and then I stopped to do the same.  I caught back up to Dan at 23 and we ran together to the finish.  It seemed like neither one of us wanted to push for a win and just before the line I eased back and Dan crossed the line a step ahead of me for the win with both of us timed in 2:30:25.

 

Byrne took 5^th place in 2:34.  None of us qualified for the 1996 trials.  Dan ran a 2:21:10 at Vermont in 1996, which was after the trails.  Byrne would come close in a few years later running a 2:22:53.

 

1   2:30:25 Dan Verrington 33M Bradford, MA

2   2:30:25 Dave Dunham   31M Bradford, MA

3   2:33:40 David Herr        30M Canaan, VT

4   2:33:48 George Adams  25M New Milford, CT

5   2:33:56 Cathy O’Brien    28F Durham, NH

6   2:34:16 Byrne Decker    28M Londonderry, NH

 

Five years later = 15 years ago today (09/24/2000) – Back at the Clarence Demar Marathon in Keene NH, this time my goal was run as “slowly” as possible and get the win.  I was starting a three week stretch of racing a marathon, marathon, and 100k and the marathons were more of a tune-up for the big race.  I won in 2:29:11.

 

1   2:29:11 Dave Dunham 36M Bradford, MA

2   2:37:09 Alden Hall       30M Washington, DC

3   2:39:27 Jeff Day          30M Olmstead, OH

4   2:40;21 Eric Beauchesne 30M Chelmsford, MA

5   2:24:02 George Adams 30M Keene, NH