25 years ago Sept 1995 – I raced twice during this month and the results were pretty disappointing. On 09/10/95 I raced the World Mountain running championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. This would be my worst performance in a mountain race ever. I ended up placing 46th in 57:19 over the 7.45 mile course. I never found a rhythm on this very technical course that was constantly either steep up or steeper down. I took no solace that I was the top USA finisher. Two weeks later I headed to Keene NH for the Clarence Demar marathon. Dan Verrington, Byrne Decker and I went in 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 halfway that we wouldn’t qualify (1:10:45 for the faster first 13.1 miles), 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 5th 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
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