Wachusett mountain - top times

 I've updated the Wachusett mountain records.  Top 20 overall and top 10 in each age group.  The spreadsheets can be found at:

10k records 10k records

Climb records Climb records

Records set in 2024:

Climb records - Samuel Alexander (overall) record. Richard Larsen 70+ record.  Kasie Enman 40+ record.

10k records - Kasie Enman 40+ record (missed the overall CR by 2 seconds).

Another old course record survives

Nipmuck Trail Marathon – 40th running in 2023. My CR is now 32 years old. Here are the top ten times run at Nipmuck. 1991 was a fast year with three of the top 9 times coming from that year. I recall tucking behind Fargo and Turner for the first 13 miles (out & back south) then gaining some ground on the northern section of the course.

I stopped momentarily at 19+ miles at the turn to pick up a fuel-belt with de-fizzed coke to get me through the last part. The incredible Ben Nephew barely missed the top 10 with his 3:12:08 win in 2009.

1. 3:01:51 Dave Dunham (27) 1991

2. 3:02:45 Kevin McGovern (37) 1995

3. 3:07:05 Rich Fargo (29) 1988

4. 3:07:26 Jim Garcia (35) 1994

5. 3:09:47 Rich Fargo (30) 1989

6. 3:10:27 Rich Fargo (28) 1987

7. 3:10:45 Keith Turner (31) 1991

8. 3:11:17 Gary Burdick (39) 1994

9. 3:11:44 Rich Fargo (32) 1991

10. 3:11:57 Leigh Schmitt (28) 2001

Old course record - makes it another year

Stark Mountain hill climb – 25th running in 2023. My CR is now 16 years old. This is the toughest mile race I’ve ever done. It took me 23:51 to climb up with a gain of over 2,000’. This race featured an “open course” meaning you could navigate from the start (base of the mountain) to the finish (summit) any way you wanted. I mapped out my route and it came out to somewhere between 1.5 and 1.7 miles. When I asked the previous winner where he planned on running he noted “follow me and find out”. I did not but kept thinking he would pop out of the woods in front of me at any moment (he did not), I won by over 2 minutes.

April course records (over 20 years and still out there)

April Course Records

I had a couple of old CRs hold up for another year…

Name

Date

Years old

Time

Dist

Location

St

Type

Day's old

Today

Last held

Race still?

Course same?

Notes

Red shoe barn

04/14/96

26.03

0:24:12

5.00

Dover

NH

Road

9500

04/18/22

04/16/22

Yes

Yes

39th in 22

Chicago Lakefront 50k

04/07/01

21.04

2:57:36

31.07

Chicago

IL

Road

7681

04/18/22

03/26/22

Yes

Yes

22nd in 22

Very old course record

 I keep track of all the course records I’ve held and especially the remaining ones that I have in races that are still held over the same course I set the record on.  At the beginning of the month my CR (actually a tie with Larry Sayers) at the Freezer Five has now reached 30 years.  Larry and I tied after racing hard the first 4 miles then deciding it wasn’t worth ‘pushing it’ over the last mile for a win.  It was my first race as a member of the Central Mass Striders (Larry was a member and also a friend since I’d raced him when he was at Keene State and I was at U-Lowell).

Old Course records - Stu's 30k

 With no official Stu’s 30km race this year, my course record from 1997 is guaranteed to last another year. I set the record 24 years ago but the course changed in 1996 (the start was moved from Tahanto HS to Clinton HS).  The course remained the same with many challenging hills, just the point at which the start and finish were placed changed.  1997 was also note worthy as it was the biggest field in the races (now) 42 year history with 993 covering the 18.6 miles.  Personally I think the new course might be a bit easier with some of the tougher hills earlier in the race than the old course, however the last hill out of Clinton in the final mile might make me rethink that!  Of the top 15 times since the new version of the course all were set in 1996 & 1997 with the exception of Patrick Moulton (2007) and Ruben Sanca (2017 & 2018).  That makes sense as 1997 was the last year that Stu’s hosted the USATF NE championships which definitely impacts the quality of the field.   I had good luck at this race over the years picking up 5 wins.  This one in 1997 was by a scant 3 seconds but was not my closest finish, I’d also won in 3/10 of a second in 1992.  From my training log on that day:  03-09-97 - 1.4 warm-up with Byrne (Decker), Craig (Fram) etc...felt ok but foot sore (I’d later find out that I was running on a stress fracture that would completely break requiring surgery and a screw to hold it together) and it was freezing out there.  Some wind on the course and splits were totally inaccurate (there was a running joke back in the day that CMS had a code to figure out your “real” splits…the course was certified but the mile marks were nowhere near where they belonged).  Pack of about 20 through 10k.  Rich Marion out front throwing all kinds of random sprints at the pack.  Jose Moreira (BAA) bolted at 7m.  We went after him and caught him at 15k with Byrne pushing.  Down to 8 in the lead group by 10 miles.  (Andy) Spaulding made a big move at 13 and pulled away.  Craig, Byrne, Eric (Morse), and I pushed hard to close.  Dropped Morse and Byrne after 16, around 17 Craig and Spaulding pulled away (I fell back and was pretty sure I was running for third place at this point).  I pushed hard on the climb out of Clinton (1.5 miles to go) and took the lead with 1/2 mile to go.  Spaulding went back by me and I tucked behind him until I saw the line.  Kicked with all I had and took the win in the last 200 meters.

Feb course records still out there

 February course records - I have two course records set in February that have survived the test of time. My record for the Fudgesicle series 5k reached 30 years during the month. On 02-09-91 I set the CR of 14:57. That year I won a series race in the 14’s, 15’s 16’s, and 17’s. It was a fun test to see if I had range, and the luck needed to win at each of those times.

 

My other existing course record is a bit weaker, but also hit a milestone this year. My 24:31 at the 1996 Bradford Valentines race reached 25 years. I’ve only run Bradford 5 times (and one of those was the 6km version). The 1997 race was a tie with Craig Fram. Our plan was to run the loop twice as a hard workout. The goal was to run 26:00 for the first five and 52:00 for the total ten miles. We passed the first loop (the race) in 25:54 and slowed a bit in the second loop running it (not counting the time from the finish to the start) in another 26:31 for a total of 52:25. That has got to be a course record for the “Bradford Valentines 10 mile”.

Old course records

 Course records still out there -   

Due to the virtual aspect of racing so far this year no one was able to challenge my course record at the Sterling MA Freezer Five.  I first ran the Freezer five in 1992 and Larry Sayers and I raced it pretty hard but decided to tie, so we share the CR of 24-flat which has now held up for 29 years.

 

Name	Date	Years old	Time	Dist	Location	St	Type
Freezer Five	01/01/92	29.03	0:24:00	5.00	Sterling	MA	Road

 

Old course records

 

October Course Records still out there: I have two October course records on races still held (and still held on the same course).  They all held up again for another year. 

Stark Mountain is a very interesting 1 mile race.  It is an “open course” from the base of the lift line to the summit of Stark Mountain.  Runners can ascend via any route they want.  I chose a mix of trail and the lift line and set the CR in 2007 “running” a 23:50.  That is by far my slowest mile raced.  The race was not held this year but is planning on a return in 2021.

Back in 1991 I set the course record at the Nipmuck Marathon which was at that time held in June, so my record is now a little over 29 years old.  I ran 3:01:54 for the tough double out and back course.  I didn’t move into the lead until the final “back” section but was able to pull away for a substantial winning margin. At the time I felt that the effort was about 30 minutes slower than what I could have run had it been a road race.  The 37^th annual running of the race is virtual and they hope to return in 2021.  

Old records stay for another year

Course records still out there:

My 04/07/2001 course record at the Chicago Lakefront 50k held up for another year, with the race being cancelled for 2020 like so many other races this year. Now at 19 years and with no prize money it is unlikely that any of the fast guys will go to Chicago.  Maybe it’ll be a US championship some year and that will get someone in under my 2:57:36 (5:43 pace).

My CR from the Red’s Shoe Barn 5m reached the 24 year mark (04-14-1996) this year, again with the race cancelled for 2020. On that day back in 1996 I ran a 24:12.01 over the rolling course. I got out well in a pack with Dan Verrington, Mike O’Brien, Eric Morse, and Byrne Decker. Dan stuck the longest and I didn’t get clear of him until the final mile. I got my win with Dan running a solid 24:37 followed by O’Brien (24:47), Morse (24:57) and Decker (25:09). I’m not sure what the old CR was at the time but the race was already in its 15^th year so there were probably some sub- 25 times run prior to my time. In the last 14 years there have only been four runners under 26 minutes. There must have been some decent prize money back in the day since there have been some quick times run.

Here are the top times since 1996:

1996 Dave Dunham       24:12.01

1997 Craig Fram            24:13

2006 Patrick Moulton      24:17

1999 Chris Teague         24:26

1998 Mike O’Brien          24:28

1997 Mike O’Brien          24:33

1997 Eric Morse             24:36

1996 Dan Verrington      24:37

1999 Dave Dunham       24:41

1996 Mike O’Brien          24:47

2002 David Hinga          24:48

1997 Byrne Decker        24:51

1999 Mike O’Brien          24:52

1996 Eric Morse 24:57

1999 Tom Anderson       24:59

Mhy course record at the Fudgcicle 5k

I have a couple of old course records that survived this month. Both of these are pretty solid times that have stood up for a long time.  The Fudge-cicle 5k is a classic and one of my favorites.  The Fudge 5k course is a little long and the weather can be a factor, so maybe that has helped my course record to last 29 years!



Back on 02-09-1991 it was a nice 40 degree day I set the still standing course record at the Fudge-cicle 5k race in Tewksbury, MA. My 14:57 took down Buddy Bostick’s CR from the previous year (15:31). I don’t think anyone else has ever gone under Buddy’s time. On the day I set the course record Mike Woodman ran an excellent 15:41 placing 2nd.  I’m pretty sure that Woody’s time is still the third fastest ever run trailing only my time and Buddy Bostick’s. Teammate Art Demers ran a 16:06 that day to place third a solid time that on most days would have won.



This series is a classic, and according to the Greater Lowell Road Runners “Founded in 1976 after Pat (Fudge) complained to Ben (Fudge) that the ride into Cambridge, MA to organize the Fresh Pond Races was too long, Ben started another series in the town he lived – Tewksbury. The 5K race runs every Saturday morning at 8:00 AM from Tewksbury High School during the months of January and February”. This race is a throw-back to the days when racing was all about the RACE. A $1 entry fee is “suggested” and the GLRR note: “This is a no frills run – no on-line entry, no water stops – just pure runnin’. “



I looked back through all of the results that were posted on Coolrunning (before the site was removed) and was not just surprised at how few have ever gone under 16 but also how rare it is to break 17 minutes.  Richard Bolt was the last runner to run sub-16 and he did that twice in 2006 running a 15:46 and a 15:44. Looking back through the years that were available I came up with the list below of the fastest time run each year.  Typically, if you break 17 minutes you are running pretty fast. 



1997     16:51    Sean Donnelly

1998     16:52    Mick Grant

1999     ??        

2000     ??        

2001     17:42    Don Fay

2002     17:19    Ryan Gough

2003     17:34    Joe Shairs

2004     18:32    Bob Kearns

2005     17:50    Bob Kearns

2006     15:44    Richard Bolt

2007     17:40    Dave Dechellis

2008     16:56    Dan Verrington

2009     16:24    Jim Johnson

2010     17:35    Mike Quintal

2011     16:57    Matthew Germaine

2012     16:55    Chris Healey

2013     16:50    Stephen Gendron

2014     15:50    Ryan Gough

2015     18:00    Will Swenson

2016     17:43    Will Swenson

2017     17:40    Will Swenson

2018     ??

2019     ??

2020    16:19   Patrick Caron

Old course record lives on

Old course record - makes it another year



I keep track of all of my course records that still exist.  There aren’t many left.  I lost a lot of them to either the course being changed, or the race being no longer held.  Of course, I also lost many to guys running fasters!  My course record at the Bradford Valentines 5 mile held up for another year.  The record is now 24 years old.  I ran 24:32 on 02/10/1996.



It was a bit windy that day but the temperature in the 40’s made for a decent (decent for February) day for racing.  CMS teammates Dan Verrington and Gary Gardner (U-Mass Lowell head track coach) joined me at the front.  Dan dropped off near “Ski Bradford” and I managed to drop Gary soon after and went on to a 31 second victory.   Gary took second in 25:03 with Dan third in 25:18.



Only 12 people have ever gone Sub 26 at the Bradford Valentine’s race.  I’ve listed them all below.  Although I lead the list, Dan has an impressive 4 times in the top 10 and three fast wins (he has a few other wins but not under 26 minutes).  David Hinga also has 3 times in the top 14, all of which were winning times, and Craig Fram has the masters course record (25:50) and another sub 26 (25:54) which was done as a 10 mile workout (we ran the second loop in 26:30 including the time from the finish line back to the start!).



Rank     Time     Name                Place     Cat       Year

1          24:32    Dave Dunham    1          M31      1996

2          25:01    Casey Moulton   1          M2029   2004

3          25:03    Gary Gardner    2          M24      1996

4          25:18    Dan Verrington 3          M33      1996

5          25:22    Nate Jenkins      1          M2029   2009

6          25:27    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   2000

7          25:28    David Hinga       1          M2029   2005

8          25:37    Frank Corrigan   2          M2029   2009

9          25:38    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   1999

10         25:44    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   1998

11         25:44    Dan Vassallo      1          M2029   2011

12         25:45    David Hinga       1          M3039   2006

13         25:50    Craig Fram        2          M4049   2000

14         25:50    David Hinga       1          M3039   2007

15         25:52    Ken Pliska         1          M3039   2002

16        25:53     Pat Fullerton      1         M29       2018   

17         25:54    Dave Dunham    1          M32      1997

18         25:54    Craig Fram        2          M38      1997

19         25:58    E Beauchesne   2          M2029   1999

Another Old race (and old CR) lost

Sad to read that the Londonderry Old Home day race folded.  It was one of the oldest races in NH and my course record had held up for the last 28 years (14:44 in 1991).  The race with “Boogie” it it’s title moved to the OHD weekend so there will be a race just not the old-school one.

https://patch.com/new-hampshire/londonderry/5k-brewfest-added-londonderry-old-home-days

Course records I hold on races still being held (and on the same course I set the record):

Name	Date	Years old	Time	Dist	Location	St
Fudge Series	02/09/91	28.53	0:14:57	3.11	Tewksbury	MA
Nipmuck	06/02/91	28.22	3:01:54	26.22	Ashford	CT
Old Home day	08/17/91	28.01	0:14:44	3.11	Londonderry	NH
Freezer Five	01/01/92	27.64	0:24:00	5.00	Sterling	MA
Valentines	02/10/96	23.53	0:24:31	5.00	Bradford	MA
Red shoe barn	04/14/96	23.35	0:24:12	5.00	Dover	NH
Stu's 30k	03/09/97	22.45	1:39:15	18.60	Clinton	MA
Chicago Lakefront 50k	04/07/01	18.37	2:57:36	31.07	Chicago	IL
Stark Mountain	10/06/07	11.87	0:23:50	1.00	Fayston	VT
Bay of Fundy	06/25/17	2.14	3:53:31	32.50	Lubec	ME
PAWS on the trail	11/11/17	1.76	0:14:00	2.22	Reading	MA

April Course Records

My April course records have both held up another year.  I keep track of any course records I have for races that are still held and the course is still the same as when I raced it.

The Red shoe barn 5 mile was held this weekend and my 24:12 (24:11.01) from 1996 survived another year.  The race has now been held 38 times and my record has held for 23 years.

The Chicago Lakefront 50k was held early this year (03/30/19) and my 2:57:36 from 2001 was 25 minutes faster than this years winning time.  This was the 20^th running of the Lakefront race and the 18^th year my record has survived.

Old course records still out there

Course records still out there.  So far this year three of my course records held up for another year.

On January 1^st the Freezer Five was held in Sterling MA for the 38^th time.  I set the course record (24:00) back in 1992, so the record is now 27 years old.  That was my first race as a member of the Central Mass Striders.

On February 16^th the 28^th annual Bradford Valentines race was held (in tough windy conditions).  My record of 24:31 set in 1996 is now 23 years old.

On February 23^rd the season finale of the Fudgesicle series 5k was held.  This race goes back to the early 1980s.  My record of 14:57 is now more than 10,000 days old (28 years).  I ran that time on 02/09/1991.

Old course records

Two of my old course records remained unbroken this month.

Stark Mountain hill climb – 20^th running in 2018.  My CR is now 11 years old.  This is the toughest mile race I’ve ever done.  It took me 23:51 to climb up with a gain of over 2,000’.

Nipmuck – 35^th running in 2018.  My CR is now 27 years old.  Here are the top times run at Nipmuck.

Old course records live on

Old Course records:

A couple of my old course records from April held up for another year.  The 37^th running of the Red Shoe Barn 5 mile was held mid-month and my 1996 course record of 24:12 reached its 22^nd year.  I’m amazed that this has held up so long.  I’d like to go back and run it, I haven’t been there for a couple of years and they always do a great job.  My other record is from the Chicago Lakefront 50k.  This year was the 19^th running of the race on the shores of Lake Michigan (equals windy).  My course record of 2:57:36 was thought to be the American Record at the time (which was the reason I went there and raced it) but I later learned that when they certified the course they “forgot” to add on the 50 meters BEYOND 50k that is needed to be certified. Needless to say, I was not happy.  Anyway, the CR still stands and is now 17 years old.

Fudgcicle Course record (1991)

Back on 02-09-1991 it was a nice 40 degree day I set the still standing course record at the Fudgesicle 5k race in Tewksbury, MA. My 14:57 took down Buddy Bostick’s CR from the previous year (15:31). I don’t think anyone else has ever gone under Buddy’s time. This series is a classic, according to the Greater Lowell Road Runners “Founded in 1976 after Pat (Fudge) complained to Ben (Fudge) that the ride into Cambridge, MA to organize the Fresh Pond Races was too long, Ben started another series in the town he lived – Tewksbury. The 5K race runs every Saturday morning at 8:00 AM from Tewksbury High School during the months of January and February”. This race is a throw-back to the days when racing was all about the RACE. A $1 entry fee is “suggested” and the GLRR note: “This is a no frills run – no on-line entry, no water stops – just pure runnin’. “

I looked back through all of the results that are posted on Coolrunning and was not just surprised at how few have ever gone under 16 but also how rare it is to break 17 minutes.  Richard Bolt was the last runner to run sub-16 and he did that twice in 2006 running a 15:46 and a 15:44.  On the day I set the course record Mike Woodman ran an excellent 15:41 placing 2nd.  I’m pretty sure that Woody’s time is still the third fastest ever run trailing only my time and Buddy Bostick’s former CR of 15:31.  Teammate Art Demers ran a 16:06 that day to place third a solid time that on most days would have won.

Looking back through the years that Coolrunning (and some old issues of the GLRR “Starting Lines”) I came up with the list below of the fastest time run each year.  Typically if you break 17 minutes you are running pretty fast.  I also listed all sub-16 minute times I could find.

I couldn’t find any results prior to 1982.  No results for 1983-1987, 92-96 and 99/00.

Best time each year:

Year         Best time                Name

1982     15:50               Tom Mixon

1988     16:19                Rick Bayko

1989     16:36                Bob Hall

1990     15:31               Buddy Bostick

1991     14:57               Dave Dunham

1997     16:51                 Sean Donnelly

1998     16:52                 Mick Grant

2001     17:42                 Don Fay

2002     17:19                 Ryan Gough

2003     17:34                 Joe Shairs

2004     18:32                 Bob Kearns

2005     17:50                 Bob Kearns

2006     15:44                Richard Bolt

2007     17:40                 Dave Dechellis

2008     16:56                 Dan Verrington

2009     16:24                 Jim Johnson

2010     17:35                 Mike Quintal

2011     16:57                 Matthew Germaine

2012     16:55                 Chris Healey

2013     16:50                 Stephen Gendron

2014     15:50                Ryan Gough

2015     18:00                 Will Swenson

2016     17:43                 Will Swenson

2017     17:40                 Will Swenson

2018     17:22                 Justin Daglish

All sub-16 times I could find:

02/09/1991             14:57       Dave Dunham

01/20/1990             15:31       Buddy Bostick

02/09/1991              15:41       Neil Wood

02/09/1991             15:41       Mike Woodman

01/14/2006             15:44       Richard Bolt

01/21/2006             15:46       Richard Bolt

01/08/1982             15:50       Tom Mixon

02/10/1990              15:57       Neil Wood

01/08/1982              15:59       Sean McCormack

01/19/1991             15:59       Dave Dunham

Old course record - makes it another year

I keep track of all of my course records that still exist.  There aren’t many left.  I lost a lot of them to either the course being changed or the race being no longer held.  Of course I also lost many to guys running fasters!  My course record at the Bradford Valentines 5 mile held up for another year.  The record is now 22 years old.  I ran 24:32 on 02/10/1996.

It was a bit windy that day but the temperature in the 40’s made for a decent (decent for February) day for racing.  CMS teammates Dan Verrington and Gary Gardner (U-Mass Lowell head track coach) joined me at the front.  Dan dropped off near “Ski Bradford” and I managed to drop Gary soon after and went on to a 29 second victory.   Gary took second in 25:01 with Dan third in 25:18.

Pat Fullerton won this year’s race with a sub-26 effort.  The last time anyone was under 26 was Dan Vassallo in 2011.  Sub 26 minute times at the Bradford Valentine’s race are listed below.  Although I lead the list, Dan has an impressive 4 times in the top 10 and 3 fast wins (he has a few other wins but not under 26 minutes).  David Hinga also has 3 times in the top 14, all of which were winning times, and Craig Fram has the masters course record (25:50) and another sub 26 (25:54) which was done as a 10 mile workout (we ran the second loop in 26:30 including the time from the finish line back to the start).

Rank     Time     Name                Place     Cat       Year

1          24:32    Dave Dunham    1          M31      1996

2          25:01    Casey Moulton   1          M2029   2004

3          25:03    Gary Gardner    2          M24      1996

4          25:18    Dan Verrington 3          M33      1996

5          25:22    Nate Jenkins      1          M2029   2009

6          25:27    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   2000

7          25:28    David Hinga       1          M2029   2005

8          25:37    Frank Corrigan   2          M2029   2009

9          25:38    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   1999

10         25:44    Dan Verrington 1          M3039   1998

11         25:44    Dan Vassallo      1          M2029   2011

12         25:45    David Hinga       1          M3039   2006

13         25:50    Craig Fram        2          M4049   2000

14         25:50    David Hinga       1          M3039   2007

15         25:52    Ken Pliska         1          M3039   2002

16        25:53     Pat Fullerton      1         M29       2018   

17         25:54    Dave Dunham    1          M32      1997

18         25:54    Craig Fram        2          M38      1997

19         25:58    E Beauchesne   2          M2029   1999