Best foot forward
May the year 2002 bring us all peace,
contentment, and good health. And if we can't
assure any of that, at least we can furnish
plenty of opportunities for racewalking.
Our schedule for 2002 includes Year Four of
the popular 5-kilometer races in Danehy Park in
Cambridge, MA., held the second Sunday of the
month from April through October. The races are
judged but no one is disqualified; the judges
offer encouragement and useful advice.
Also in store is our annual Grand Prix
competition. Participants are ranked by their
times in their best four designated events, as
measured against age-graded tables. We have
expanded the number of races and opened the
eligibility to all walkers who live in New
England. The list of races is as follows:
| Jan. 13 |
Brown University |
1 mile |
| Jan. 20 |
Harvard University |
3k |
| March 24 |
Reggie Lewis Center |
3k |
| April 21 |
Westerly, RI |
Clamdigger 8k |
| May or June |
Ninigret Park, RI |
15k |
| July |
Bay State Games |
3k |
| July |
Springfield MA |
5k |
| Aug. 8-11 |
Orono Maine |
5k and 20k |
| date undetermined |
Cambridge MA |
one hour |
| Oct 6 |
Worcester or Cambridge MA |
National 5k |
| October |
Conn. |
10k |
You may also use one non-New England national
championship race as a Grand Prix scoring race.
New year's resolutions
What are our racewalking goals and hopes
for the year? As always, the query brings a
variety of sentiments from club members and
friends.
***
Tom Knatt
My Achilles tendons were sore for several days
after that mile running race [following the
one-mile racewalk at the MIT track meet in
December]. Now, I am nursing a sore calf from a
leap in table tennis. Iguess remaining healthy
seems like a priority. I also want to finish 4
races in the Grand Prix and hold a race in France
for anybody who will show up!
***
Bill Harriman
My goals for 2001 were to stay healthy for a
full season, do all the Grand Prix races, and
make the ladders in the 5, 10 and 20k. I was
fortunate enough to achieve all those goals and I
would be happy to duplicate that in 2002.
***
Maryanne Torrellas
American records that I used to think I could
produce at will...are dusty memories, I believe
all erased by faster fleeter feet of youth.
Master's records once in my grasp seem now
more than an arm's length away. What gets me out
of bed to fight the wind and rain, what rallies
me when the body screams stop? What gives rise to
that satisfied notion of going just a little
faster than yesterday when I'm many minutes off
my pr?.... If I look around I find the answer in
the smiles, the hugs, the true connection with
the ones who toe the starting line. The
camaraderie brings me back even if I'm pudgy and
slow.
This year I have a dream to walk in a race
with my cousin Peter Timmons, with whom I was a
kidney donor last year. He has struggled
balancing all his medications and is finally on
his way to getting back in shape. I do not really
know if he will walk in a race as this man was in
the Olympic Trials ranked in the top 5 and was
one heck of an athlete. Can he bear to walk
12-minute miles? Before surgery I held onto this
notion of our recovering well, being healthy and
able to walk in a race together. It was Peter who
taught me how to racewalk, the bond is strong,
and I would like to honor that by walking side by
side...so that is my goal - no particular time,
or distance, just circumstance.
***
Joanne Harriman
To make the 20k ladder for the first time and
try to get faster at all the distances. ("Gee,"
says husband Bill, "the rest of us are slowing
down.")
***
Ken Mattsson
I'm looking to get healthy enough that I can
actually start training, 'participate' in a race
by June, and actually compete in a race by the
fall. Oh yeah, and get a job!
***
Richard Ruquist
To break 30 minutes at Danehy Park.
***
Joe Light
2002 goals: Do at least 4 Grand Prix events for
first time in 3 years. To compete in the indoor
season with no dq's. Modest goals, but
realistic.
***
Charlie Mansbach
My log shows that I took part in 13 races last
year, with less than distinguished results. The
highlights were:
| 1. |
a race that no one saw (at least no one
outside of Rio Maior,Portugal). |
| 2. |
a race that no one else entered (call me
the N.E. outdoor one-mile champion) |
| 3. |
a race that no one judged (10 miles of
high spirits in Narragansett) |
| 4. |
a race that no one measured (the Long
Clamdigger of '01). |
So my goal is just to keep on walking in 2002.
Hey, if I can't produce good results, at least I
can collect good stories.
Membership renewal time
If the date atop your mailing label for this
issue does not say "2002" or later, your New
England Walkers dues are due. The payments
support races, clinics, mailings and other NEW
activities throughout the region. At $6 a year,
it's still the best deal around. Please send your
check to Justin Kuo, 39 Oakland Road, Brookline,
MA 02445. Members may also renew membership or
sign-up online by visiting our web page at: http://newalkers.tripod.com
***
Following is from Steve Vaitones, managing
director of the USA Track & Field New England
office:
Time to renew your USATF membership for 2002!
USATF membership is good for the calendar year,
and you get a different number each year. The
membership is good for any event around the
country requiring membership. Most track meets
require it, as do our championship walks at all
levels.
New England association (administering and
running programs in the states of Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) is one
of only a handful of the 57 local associations
nationwide to have a full-time office to work for
you and serve as a resource.
NEW member Justin Kuo is the USATF-NE
racewalking chairman and webmaster, and Steve
Vaitones is the full-time managing director.
Membership turnaround time has been cut to
just about 2 weeks over the past year. Benefits
include a national newsletter (2 or 3 times a
year), member bumpersticker, discounts on
publications (National Masters News, Track &
Field News, and New England Runner, to name a
few) and products, supplemental accident
insurance when competing at meets, and a new
batch of benefits to be announced shortly.
Plus, you support the sport and local programs
by joining the organization, there are some entry
fee discounts for club entry, and there are
benefits to the club based on how many USATF
members a club has.
You'll get a renewal form from both the
national office and the New England newsletter
that will go out in January, but it's easiest to
take care of it right away by using the form in
this issue. Adult membership fee is $20 for the
year. Youth fee (age 18 and under) is $15. Check
the local website www.usatfne.org,
as well as the national website, www.usatf.org
Winter workouts
Ken Mattsson is conducting racewalking
sessions at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Cambridge
Rindge & Latin High School indoor track in
Cambridge, MA in conjunction with the Cambridge
Sports Union. The fee is $1 per session. For
information, call Ken at 617-576-9331.
Springfield racewalkers train at Forest Park
at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and on Blake Track at
Springfield College at 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
For information, contact Bob Beaudet at
413-525-3542
2002 race calendar
As always, our listing of racewalking events
is not engraved in stone. Some races are added
during the season, others are changed or
canceled. It's always best to verify the time,
date and location with the race director before
setting out.
January
13 - 1 Mile, Dartmouth Relays, Hanover,
NH, 9 a.m. 13 - 1 Mile, Brown University,
Providence, USATF-NE Masters track meet.
401-863-1041.
20 - 3K, 9:30 a.m, Greater Boston Track
Club Invitational, Harvard University track,
Allston, MA. 617-282-5537.
27 - 1 Mile, 10:45 a.m. The "Give Track
a Try" Track Meet, hosted by Somerville
Roadrunners at the (new) Tufts University Indoor
Track facility, Medford MA. "Really low key in
all events, being held to encourage participation
by all types of runners and walkers," reports
Steve Vaitones. "No excuse not to give this one a
try! Would also be a good opportunity for novice
judges." Contact USATF-NE, (617) 566-7600.
February
10 - 12th annual Connecticut
Racewalkers Indoor Mall 3K, 9:30 a.m., Milford,
CT. An event unique in the world, and everyone
who does this race raves about it. Contact Gus
Davis, (203) 795-6441, who urges New England
Walkers participation and even a team entry.
17 -3K, USATF New England
Championships, 12:20 p.m. Harvard University.
20-minute time limit for starting final lap.
Contact USATF-NE, (617) 566-7600
18 - 27th annual Presidents Day
3.7-miler, 2 p.m., D.W. Field Park, Brockton, MA.
One of our most cherished traditions. Group meal
to follow at nearby restaurant. Justin Kuo, (617)
731-9889.
March
24 - USATF National Masters 3K, 1p.m.,
Reggie Lewis Track, Boston. Grand Prix event.
USATF-NE office, 617-566-7600.
April
14- 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.).
21 - Clamdigger five-miler, Town Beach,
Westerly, RI. Grand Prix event. A traditional
favorite for New England Walkers. Joe Light,
401-596-3173
May
12 -5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
Late in month - Great Bear 5K. Pollard
School, Needham, MA, 3:20 p.m. An unjudged walk
as part of a daylong series of road races.
781-444-8499.
Late in month or early in June - 15K,
Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI. Stay tuned.
June
Early in month - Massachusetts Senior
Games, 1500-meter and 5K racewalks for ages 50
and above. Springfield. 413-788-2457.
9 -5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
July
4 - Dedham 5-miler, Dedham, MA. An
unjudged walking division as part of the town's
holiday road race.
14 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
13 or 20 -Bay State Games 3K. Part of
the track and field portion of the statewide
athletics festival. 781-932-6555.
20 or 27 - Eastern Masters 5K
championship, Springfield College. USATF-NE
office, 617-566-7600.
26 - Blessing of the Fleet 10-miler,
Narragansett, RI. Not judged, not really a
racewalk. But great fun.
August
11? (perhaps to be rescheduled to avoid
conflict) - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30 a.m.
(See April listing)
8-11 - National Masters Outdoor Track
& Field Championships, Orono, Maine. 5K and
20K racewalks. USATF-NE office, 617-566-7600.
September
8 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing)
Sometime this month - Regional one-hour
championship. Many details to come.
October
6 -- National Junior 5K championships,
plus New England 5K championships, hosted by the
New England Association. Location and other
details to follow.
? - Connecticut 10K championship.
Racewalking down memory lane
Since we're in the midst of the indoor season,
Steve Vaitones offers this flashback from the
North Medford Club Newsletter, 1966:
"National Champion Paul Schell again wins
NEAAU 10 Mile Indoor Title," reported by Fred
Brown.February 5th, 1966. 3rd Annual YMCA 10 Mile
walk - 124 laps on an indoor track. We had 4
checkers, all women, & it was too much for
them or anyone else to handle. I am sure of the
position on the 1st six but they didn't all walk
the same number of laps. After that we settled
for a good workout. With the amount of snow
around here an outdoor walk is out of the
question. The 1st six got medals & the
remainder a smaller medal. No one was unhappy as
they all understood that we just didn't have
officials enough. We had no judge but only one
fellow needed judging. I tried to have it changed
to a 5 miler in two heats, but the YMCA director
vetoed the idea."
| 1. |
Paul Schell |
NMC |
84:15 |
| 2. |
Shaul Ladany |
NYPC |
85:30 |
| 3. |
Ray Vaguener |
NMC |
86:50 |
| 4. |
Geo Life |
Canada |
93:57 |
| 5. |
Steve Rebman |
NMC |
99:18 |
| 6. |
Lennie Holmes |
NMC |
99:25 |
| 7. |
Bob McVeigh |
BAA |
102:06 |
26 finishers!
Notes from Steve Vaitones: Truly the
man who held racewalking together for decades,
the late Fred Brown of the North Medford Club was
not concerned with things like complete sentences
and grammar and told it the way it was in
results. The NMC newsletter was probably the best
source of local results at the time, given that
the great-great-grandfather of Runners World, The
Long Distance Log, covered the entire country in
just 16 to 24 half-size pages.
The standard tracks were 11 or 12 laps per
mile "way" back then, either wood or dirt. This
was likely a suspended wooden track at the Y,
though the story does not say which one. There
was nothing like the spacious 200 meter ovals
we've become used to. Who would have thought that
there would be such a crowd for any 10 miler, let
alone indoors. Anyone want to go retro and
recreate this one this winter?
The Danehy Top Ten
Bill Harriman, overseer of our popular monthly
5K series, offers this report:
Well, it took a while but I've finally
finished compiling the entire Danehy Park
database, listing all the competitors who have
ever raced at Danehy. The three years have seen
19 races and a total of 53 walkers, 26 men and 27
women. The top ten performers in each division
are:
| Men |
| 1. |
26:06 |
Brian Savilonis |
| 2. |
27:01 |
Rich McElvery |
| 3. |
27:02 |
Steve Vaitones |
| 4. |
27:44 |
Bill Harriman |
| 5. |
27:48 |
Bob Ullman |
| 6. |
28:18 |
John Costello |
| 7. |
28:57 |
Stan Sosnowski |
| 8. |
28:59 |
Tom Knatt |
|
|
28:59 |
Richard Ruquist |
| 10. |
29:28 |
Hassan Kouchaoui |
| Women |
| 1. |
23:02 |
Joanne Dow |
| 2. |
27:21 |
Marcia Gutsche |
| 3. |
31:21 |
Holly Wenninger |
| 4. |
31:53 |
Mary Flanagan |
| 5. |
33:52 |
Itzi Garcia |
| 6. |
33:59 |
Meg Savilonis |
| 7. |
34:13 |
Jeanne Shepardson |
| 8. |
34:16 |
Pat Godfrey |
| 9. |
34:39 |
Pamela Hoss |
| 10. |
35:06 |
Joanne Harriman |
The Ironman Award goes to the amazing Justin
Kuo, who walked in 15 of the 19 races as well as
helping me with the judging in most of them.
Justin usually does his 5k solo after the main
race is over.
End of an era
For the 13th consecutive year, we played host
to the National One-Hour and Two-Hour Racewalking
Championships on Oct. 7 at Worcester Polytechnic
Institute. A strong turnout of walkers and a
dedicated group of volunteers made the event a
ringing success.
We won't, however, get a chance to repeat our
succcess for a 14th straight time. Last month,
the USA Track & Field national convention
awarded the 2002 race to the Long Island
association, evidently on the strength of its
offer of prize money.
But we still will be hosting a national event.
The convention awarded the USATF 5K Junior
Championship to the New England Association for
Sunday, October 6. We will conduct this race on a
track and will add all age groups and Junior,
Open and Masters divisions. Location and other
details have yet to be worked out; if you would
like to be involved in the planning, please
contact Justin Kuo at (617) 731-9889.
Following are the results of our
One-Hour/Two-Hour finale.
| Men's Two Hour |
| 1 |
Sean Albert (27) |
Chula Vista, CA |
27031 |
| 2 |
Curt Clausen (33) |
Chula Vista, CA |
26396 |
| 3 |
Al Heppner,(27 |
) Chula Vista, CA |
25878 |
| 4 |
John Nunn (23) |
Chula Vista, CA |
23762 |
| 5 |
Bill Vayo (37) |
White Plains, NY |
22893 |
Judges: Mary Helen Baldwin, Harry Brooks,
Diana Gladden, Gary Westerfield, Maryanne
Torrellas (chief).
This was one of the best fields of
national-class competitors we've ever had for the
two-hour. The top four finishers are based at the
Olympic Training Center and were on their way to
the Pan American Racewalk Cup in Ecuador later in
the month. Albert was impressively strong
throughout the race in holding off two-time
Olympian Clausen.
| Men's One Hour |
| 1 |
Adam Staier (17) |
Farmington, ME |
12440 |
| 2 |
Reynaldo A Carrazana (43) |
Ravena, NY |
11763 |
| 3 |
Robert H Keating (54) |
Nashua, NH |
11669 |
| 4 |
Leon J Jasionowski (57) |
Shelby Twp., MI |
11560 |
| 5 |
John Chasse (18) |
Readfield, ME |
11411 |
| 6 |
Richard M McElvery (44) |
Hollis, NH |
10950 |
| 7 |
Joseph R Trapani (15) |
Lake Grove, NY |
10885 |
| 8 |
Shawn L Frederick (48) |
Palisades, NY |
10752 |
| 9 |
Paul R. Johnson (64) |
Fort Smith, AR |
10673 |
| 10 |
Joe W. Light (54) |
Westerly, RI |
10604 |
| 11 |
Stanley C. Sosnowski (51) |
West Kingston, RI |
10435 |
| 12 |
Vladimir Telnov (28) |
Rocky Hill, CT |
10381 |
| 13 |
Bob E Barrett (67) |
Smallwood, NY |
10290 |
| 14 |
Bill Harriman (54) |
Tewksbury, MA |
10237 |
| 15 |
John D. Costello (46) |
Sherborn, MA |
10225 |
| 16 |
James J McGrath (64) |
Medford, NY |
10128 |
| 17 |
Daniel L Pendergast (19) |
Gorham, ME |
10124 |
| 18 |
Robert N Ullman (52) |
Nashua, NH |
10078 |
| 19 |
Thomas Knatt (61) |
Concord, MA |
10016 |
| 20 |
Wilson Crone (41) |
Troy, NY |
9793 |
| 21 |
Stephen C. McCullough (40) |
Rocky Hill, CT |
9757 |
| 22 |
Mark R. Dennet (16) |
Winthrop, ME |
9755 |
| 23 |
Aaron J Whitten (15) |
Farmington, ME |
9691 |
| 24 |
Jack Starr (73) |
Newark, DE |
9548 |
| 25 |
Yuri J. Kuo (16) |
Brookline, MA |
8912 |
| 26 |
Bernie Finch (61) |
Pepin, WI |
8831 |
| 27 |
Bill J. McCann (72) |
Longmeadow, MA |
8718 |
| 28 |
Louis J. Free (71) |
Uncasville, CT |
8499 |
| 29 |
Edward J Gawinski (74) |
Wilmington, DE |
8270 |
| 30 |
Thomas P Fitzgerald (60) |
Niskayuna, NY |
7721 |
| 31 |
Richard V Huie (66) |
Branford, CT |
7544 |
| 32 |
David P Baldwin (58) |
Harrington, ME |
DQ |
| 33 |
George Curti (65) |
Cranston, RI |
DQ |
| 34 |
Gus S. Longo (58) |
Methuen, MA |
DQ |
Judges: Mary Helen Baldwin, Harry Brooks,
Diana Gladden, Gary Westerfield, Maryanne
Torrellas (chief).
One of our largest men's fields ever, and a
third masters win for Carrazana.
For the first time, the men's one hour began
while the two-hour racers were still on the
track. The start worked smoothly, with the
one-hour competitors lining up in the outside
lanes and taking off precisely as the two-hour
clock hit 60 minutes. The only straggler was John
Costello ("For some reason, I was thinking 10:30,
not 10"), who was still walking across the
infield with his gear in his arms when the gun
went off. John quickly donned his shoes, left his
shirt and number on the ground and jumped onto
the track. "The naked guy is Number 10,"
lap-counting chief Wendy Glick helpfully
announced. Race- director-of-all-trades Justin
Kuo affixed the numbers to John's singlet and
handed it to him as John completed the first lap.
This was another first for us; we've always had
water stations, so why not a shirt station?
| Women's One Hour |
| 1 |
Joanne D Dow (37) |
Manchester, NH |
12891 |
| 2 |
Cheryl Rellinger (35) |
Cohoes, NY |
1152 |
| 3 |
Victoria S. Herazo (42) |
Las Vegas, NV |
11477 |
| 4 |
Marcia A Gutsche (40) |
Newton, MA |
11362 |
| 5 |
Mallory K Delaney (16) |
Farmingdale, NY |
10148 |
| 6 |
Moneta A Roberts (42) |
Mobile, AL |
10127 |
| 7 |
Jasmine Brooks (16) |
Peru, ME |
9916 |
| 8 |
Ann T Percival (43) |
New Britain, CT |
9619 |
| 9 |
Holly Wenninger (37) |
Malden, MA |
9345 |
| 10 |
Ginger M Armstrong (39) |
Taftville, CT |
9239 |
| 11 |
Joanne M Harriman (58) |
Tewksbury, MA |
9146 |
| 12 |
Madelyn M O'Brien (15) |
Winthrop, ME |
9097 |
| 13 |
Patricia L Godfrey (55) |
Winthrop, MA |
8675 |
| 14 |
Eileen Druckenmiller (39) |
Emmaus, PA |
8660 |
| 15 |
Nadya E Dimitrov (51) |
Smithtown, NY |
8614 |
| 16 |
Annie Montgomery (54) |
Concord, MA |
8455 |
| 17 |
Sheila S. Sosnowski (50) |
Mystic, CT |
8420 |
| 18 |
Jessica Compton (18) |
Farmington, ME |
7822 |
| 19 |
Mary Helen Baldwin (52) |
Harrington, ME |
7376 |
Judges: Dave Baldwin, Tom Knatt, Diana
Gladden, Gary Westerfield, Maryanne Torrellas,
Harry Brooks (chief).
A spectacular performance by Dow against the
formadible Rellinger and many-time champion
Herazo. Strong race also by Gutsche (who was
dubbed "local hero" in Ohio Racewalker.)
End of the season
New England Walkers 10K, Dec. 9 - After a week
of balmy temperatures, the first snowfall of the
late autumn greeted our year-ending road race,
potluck meal and club meeting in Concord, MA. But
the roads turned clear by noon, we abandoned
ourcontingency plan of multiple loops around a
nearby block, and off we went on the traditional
course. There was no time to install the trusty
course-marking signs, but host Tom Knatt gave
everyone a briefing with his road map beforehand,
and Bob Keating drove from one crucial turning
point to another to make sure no one drifted off
into the wilds of Acton.
| 1. |
Joe Light (M54) |
Westerly RI |
58:44 |
| 2. |
Bob Ullman (M53) |
Nashua NH |
1:03:03 |
| 3. |
Dick Ruquist (M64) |
Cambridge MA |
1:03:24 |
| 4. |
Thomas Knatt (M61) |
Concord MA |
1:06:46 |
| 5. |
Charlie Mansbach (M57) |
Newton MA |
1:06:47 |
| 6. |
Justin Kuo (M47) |
Brookline MA |
1:09:49 |
| 7. |
Bill Harriman (M54) |
Tewksbury MA |
1:17:59 |
| 8. |
Joanne Harriman (M58) |
Tewksbury MA |
1:18:38 |
| 9. |
Chris Luck (M45) |
Manchester NH |
1:19:09 |
Not the most scintilating of times, and at
least one walker complained of feeling the
effects of excessive Christmas partying the night
before. But the good old Boston Globe published
the full results and even mentioned Joe's victory
in the highly visible Page 2 Sports Log. "It
probably went out on the international wire,
too," Joe remarked. "I bet bin Laden is reading
about it in his cave." And an equally wry Nancy
K. Mansbach observed, "You go to someone's house
for lunch and it winds up in the paper?" Phone
any time
For up-to-the-minute information on race
schedules, clinics and other events, call the New
England Walkers hotline at: 781-433-7142
The New England Walkers
Send material to:
Charlie Mansbach
25 Larkspur Road
Newton, MA 02468
E-mail address: mansba@nws.globe.com
or cmnsbch@cs.com
For membership information, contact
Justin
Kuo at 617-731-9889