CMS grand
prix history – There have been 236 races in the USATF NE grand
prix from 1985-2018.
CMS men’s open racing team has won 100
times! During that time CMS men have
also taken 51 individual victories. The
seven race series features races from 5km to the marathon with each of the
chosen races being designated as the New England Road Running championships at
that particular distance.
5km
-CMS has won the team championship ten times (most recently 2011), the BAA has
won eleven times and GLRR has won four times. CMS holds the team record with an
impressive 1:13:47 from 1995 for an average of 14:45 (4:45 pace) per scoring
team member. CMS, GLRR and BRC are the only three teams to have run under 1:15
(average 15:00 for 5 runners) more than once. CMS has done it ten times, GLRR
four, and BRC twice. I’m discounting the two years the race was held in Hollis on
the downhill course although no teams broke 1:15 in 2014, BAA did run 1:12:01
over the aided course.
In 1986 CMS placed all five scoring members in the top
six overall and took seven of the top nine places. The last time CMS took the
team title was 2011 when they finished six seconds ahead of Team RUN and 11
seconds ahead of BAA in a tight battle.
CMS runners have been the individual winners six times.
The last time a CMS runner took the title was in 1999 when Dan Hoarte won in
14:39. Killian Lonergan won in 1998 in 14:58. Eric Morse won in 1993 in 14:29
and also won over 3.2 miles (see story below) in 1991 running 14:56, and took
the title in 1990 running 14:24. Dave Dunham won in 1992 in 14:36, and Rick
Doiron was NE champ in 1986 despite finishing second to CMS teammate Mike
Dodge. Dodge was ineligible to compete having not completed a 30 day waiting period.
In addition, current CMS member Dave Dunham (GLRR at the time) also took home
the individual title in 1987 with a 14:09, and in 1989, running 14:24. Current CMS member Nate Jenkins (GLRR at the
time) won in 2007 in 14:50.
6k – This very
unusual distance was only contested twice (2008 & 2011) at the Medical
Center in Nashua NH. CMS and BAA both
one once. No CMS individuals took open
titles although current CMS member Dan Vassallo was the winner in 2011 while
representing Adidas NE.
5m - Only six teams
have ever won the 5m team championships.
CMS has taken the title 12 times, BAA
has won 14 times, WRT, BRC, GLRR, and WMPD won once. In the Masters WRT has won 13 times, CMS 8 times, GLRR 6 times, and TVFR 3 times. The senior team age group has been won by
GLRR 7 times, CMS 6 times, and WRT 5 times,
CSU & BRC 4 times, and BAA once. CMS
owns the fastest time and the only sub-2 hours with a 1:59:54 in 1992. That is an amazing average of 23:59 for five
runners! CMS owns 9 of the top 13 team
times run. In 1996 CMS took the top 6
spots. Eric Morse ran 24:45 that year
for 6th place and failed to score for the team.
CMS runners have been USATF (or then NEAC) New England
champions at five miles or 8km six times.
Mark Donahue won in 1989 and 1990.
Larry Sayers won in 1991, Dave Dunham in 1993, Mike Nahom in 1995, and
Scott Bagley in 1996.
10km - CMS
has won the 10km team championship sixteen times including an impressive 12
times in a row from 1989-2000. The BAA & Whirlaway have the next most wins
with five and three respectively. CMS last two wins were 2013 and 2011 (after a
long drought). In 2013 they put five in
the top 27. Nate Jenkins and Dan
Vassallo led the way finishing in 3rd and 4th place respectively. Greg Putnam was the final team member to
score placing 27th in 32:58. The 43 year old Putnam was second in the master’s
field, trailing only Binney Mitchel by three seconds. Nike Boston holds the team record with an
impressive 2:28:03 from 1988. CMS best team time was 2:29:04 in 1989 for an
average of 29:49 per scoring team member. That year Scott Clark failed to score
for the team despite running 30:28 (4:55 pace).
In 1990 CMS ran a split squad with half the members CMS-A
and the other half CMS-B. Apparently this was allowed at that time (leave it to
Don Drewniak to find a way). Amazingly CMS took the top two spots CMS-A winning
in 2:33:34 and CMS-B running 2:37:33. The B-squad included overall race winner
Mike Platt who noted “I was actually on the "B" team in 1990. I have
no idea why, I routinely broke 30 minutes for 10K and was having a breakthrough
year… it was fun to win from the "B" team and having Geoff Smith
congratulate me and ask me who I was”.
Another impressive performance was the “sweep” in 1995 at Bridge of
Flowers (a notoriously slow course) where CMS took 2nd through 7th
place. The overall winner was not a
USATF NE runner, so CMS had the top 6 USATF NE finishers.
CMS runners have been the individual winners eight times.
The last time a CMS runner took the title was in 2000 when 40 year old Mark
Donahue ran 30:24 at Market Square. Eric Morse won in 1999 at Market Square
running 30:25 and Killian Lonergan won in 1998 at Market Square in 30:44.
Darrin Shearer placed 2nd overall but took the New England title in Salem
running 31:25 in 1997. Dave Dunham also placed second in taking the NE title at
Bridge of Flowers in 1996 running 31:42. Rod Ellsworth and Mike Platt both won
in Winthrop (1994 & 1990) running 30:12 and 29:50 respectively. Rick Doiron
won in 1989 in Nashua NH with a fine 29:11. Only the BAA (four), GLRR (four), The
Heartbreakers (two), and Team RUN (two) have more than one individual
titlist. Current CMS member Nate Jenkins
won twice (2005 & 2004) while representing GLRR.
12k – The 12k
distance (7.45 miles) was part of the Grand Prix 9 times between 1999 and
2012. CMS was team champs six times with
BAA, GBTC, and Adidas NE all taking home the title once. CMS runners won three times with Eric Morse
(1999), Mark Donahue (2000) and Justin Fyffe (2010) topping the field. In addition, current CMS member Nate Jenkins
won while representing GLRR (2007).
8m – The Stowe
8 mile hosted the championship 8 times between 2001 and 2011. CMS was the open team champions just once
(2001). The BAA won the other 7
times. CMS had no individual champions
although current team member Nate Jenkins won in 2005 & 2006 while running
for GLRR.
15km - (9.3
mile) distance has rarely been contested in the Grand Prix. The distance was part of the GP from
1985-1991, then not included again until 2014.
In 1985 there were two 15k’s, the Butternut 15k (Great Barrington, MA)
and the NEAC Women’s 15k in Wellesley.
In 1986 the Tewksbury “Run your turkey off” hosted. In 1987 the selected race was the City of
Worcester 15k. For the years 1988-1990
the Wilton 15k played host and in 1991 Douglas Vending/Juice Bowl (Webster, MA)
did. The 15k returned to the scene in
2014 when the Green Mountain Athletic Alliance hosted the championship in
Burlington VT. None of the races are
currently contested. For the first time
in the history of the Grand Prix a race was cancelled and not replaced. The “Boston Tune-up” 15k in Upton was
selected in 2017 but not held due to a snowstorm. The race was again selected in 2018 when it
was successfully contested. The CMS open
team has won five times with GLRR, WMDP and WRT both taking one victory. CMS has the team record with a 3:57:42 from
1987 which works out to five guys running 47:32 (5:06 pace). GLRR has four wins in the master’s category
and the CR of 4:20:07 (5:35 pace). CMS
has two wins and the BAA and GMAA have one win.
Senior teams were not contested in the “early” years. The BAA has two team victories in the 50+ and
GSH and GMAA have one. CMS individuals
have been crowned New England champion three times. Wayne Jacob (47:13) 1985, Eric Morse (45:48)
1990, and Rick Doiron (46:31) 1991.
10 mile - CMS has won the team championship 11 times; BAA 9
times, GBTC has won twice and WMDP once.
The team record, held by CMS, is 4:13:21 set in 1992. That is an
impressive average of 50:40 for five runners. CMS put six runners in the top 10
that year. Wayne Jacob finished in 10th place in 51:30 and failed to score for
the team! The last time CMS took the title was in 1998 (note: The 10 mile was
not part of the Grand Prix from 2000-2006).
CMS runners have been the individual winner three times.
Scott Bagley won in 1988 and 1991 running 49:55 and 49:36. Craig Fram (who ran
for CMS for a few years in the mid-90’s) was the New England champion in 1996
running 49:57, he finished third overall but the other runners were not USATF
New England athletes. Additionally, Dave Dunham (CMS 1992-present) won while
representing then arch rivals GLRR in 1991 (49:36).
20k -
one of the rarely contested distances in the history of the USATF New England
road running Grand Prix. In 1985 two
20k’s were run with one designated as the “Men’s master’s championship” and the
other being the overall championship held in Charlton and Springfield MA
respectively. In 1987 the race was held
in Marshfield over a hilly double-loop course.
In 1992 Pittsfield hosted the championships and in 2000, 2002, and 2003
the Bedford Lions (Bedford NH) hosted the 20k’s. After a long layoff the 20k distance was
contested in Acton in 2015 & 2016.
CMS was the team champion in 1992 and 2000, the BAA also
has two wins (2002 & 2015). GLRR won
in 1987, WRT in 2003, and GSH in 1985.
CMS holds the team record with a time of 5:29:37 which is an average of
1:05:55 for the five scoring members, or an average of 5:19 per mile.
CMS had an individual champion in 1992 when Dave Dunham
edged BRC’s Ed Sheehan by 9 seconds. Dunham
also won while wearing the green of GLRR in 1987.
25k – The 25k
(15.5 miles) has only been part of the GP three times (1985, 86, and 98). Information for the Cape Ann race is lacking
as most of the pre-internet materials were lost in a flooded basement. CMS took the title in 1998 with CMS teammates
Craig Fram and Dave Dunham battling to the finish. Fram took the title by one second and Dan
Verrington rounded out the scoring with a 8th place finish.
30k – CMS hosted
the 30k (18.6 miles) 11 times from 1985 to 1997 at the (now) Stu’s 30k. The course has remained the same since 1987
with the exception being the start/finish moved from Boylston to Clinton. CMS won the team title 10 (of 12 times) and
had 7 individual champions. Steve
O’Connell won in 1987, Scott Bagley in 1989, Byrne Decker in 1995, and Dan
Vassallo in 2013 (the only time the 30k was not hosted by CMS, this 30k was in
Nahant MA). Dave Dunham won three times
as a member of CMS (1992, 1993, 1997) and also won in 1988 while representing
GLRR.
Half-marathon
- Although the half-marathon is a staple of the Grand Prix series it was not
part of the series from 1985-1989. Since
1990 it has been part of the series every year except for 1992. CMS has won the open team title eleven times,
the most recent was 1999. BAA has also
taken home the top spot eleven times.
WMDP, GLRR, and RB have each won twice.
CMS runners have been victorious in the half-marathon championships five
times. Jack Dwyer won in 1999 (67:21),
Mike Nahom in 1998 (67:00), Dave Dunham twice 1996 & 1993 (66:48 &
65:02) and Mark Donahue 1991 with a 1:03:12.
CMS holds the championship record for individual and team with Donahue’s
63:12 and the 1990 teams combined time of 5:30:39. That is an average time of 1:06:08 for five runners that year
Charlie Breagy ran 1:08:34 and was a non-scoring member of the squad.
Marathon - CMS
has won the team championship 14 times (last time in 2018) with Whirlaway
winning seven times and GLRR taking the title six times. GMAA, CSU, and JWAC have each won once (I was
unable to find team results for 1991,92,93).
CMS holds the team record with an impressive 7:21:49 from
1996, which is an average time of 2:27:16 (5:37 pace). That year CMS put four
finishers in the top seven including a 1-2 finish by Craig Fram and Dave
Dunham. Probably the most impressive performance by CMS was the 1985
championships which were held in Worcester. CMS runners placed six in the top
nine and ten in the top 18.
CMS runners have been the individual winners eight times.
The last time a CMS took the title was 2018 when Scott Mindel won in 2:23:51.
Dan Vassallo won in 2:23:59 (2016) and 2:31:06 (2014). Patrick Rich won in 2011 in 2:28:54. There was a long gap after that with Craig
Fram taking the title in 1996 with a 2:23:52 at Cape Cod. Jim Garcia ran a
2:27:57 to win in 1994, Keith Matiskella ran 2:31:05 in 1993, and Reno Stirrat
ran 2:30:06 in 1989. GLRR and Whirlaway
are tied with the second most individual champions with five each.
