Ramble Hydra Hip at 30
In addition to author James Joyce’s favorite fedora, the 30th unabridged edition of the James Joyce Ramble 10K wore a few new lids this year—that of the US Masters National Championship and stop No. 2 in the NER Pub Series. While the Pub Series was never mentioned during the USATF-oriented audio drone and agonizing results delay, its members did quite well, thank-you. Series leaders Jacob Barnett and Sara Donahue both placed 4th overall among men and women, the Series 1-2 Masters—Somerville RR Greg Picklesimer and Whirlaway’s Joe Navas—were 4-6 among the elite 40+ set, and the Nat’l title for women was contested by past Pub Queens Kara Haas and Mimi Fallon with third place going to 2012 Pub Series Masters champ and current 40+ leader Holly Madden. To top it off, the highest age-graded athlete on the day at 95.87% was none other than Pub Series Super Vet Jan Holmquist.
USATF once again came in late to a Pub designated race, but the malt & hops crowd more than held its own; and make no mistake, this was the upper level of elite age-group performers from around the country. Exhibit A: 2012 Pub Series 70-79 runner-up Phil Pierce, 71, of Falmouth, ME, ran 9-flat pace and placed 11th. Yikes!
We weren’t sure we’d be fans of the Masters race starting three minutes early, but after watching this unfold from the lead vehicle on a warm (upper 60s) and sun splashed day, we’re new fans of the format. A troika of gents took off quickly with Greater Springfield Harrier Kent Lemme 40-meters back and the rest of the best another 40m behind Lemme. The Syracuse TC’s Kevin Collins, New Balance Boston’s Erik Nedeau and the B.A.A.’s Chris Magill exchanged the lead before hitting the mile mark in downtown Dedham in 4:57. Collins and Magill had gone 1-2 at New Bedford but ‘Ned’ was a question mark. “I saw this guy with a big muscle carriage beside me and I was like, ‘Whoa, how long can he last at this pace?’” wondered Collins, the US Marathon Championship runner-up in 2003 with a best of 2:15:32. Nedeau was the 1500m bronze medalist at the 1995 IAAF Indoor World Championships, so the man can wheel.
“We were going too fast and I wasn’t feeling good the first two miles,” said Collins. “I was feeling the heat, but I figured those guys were too. I have to hand it to them for going out so confidently.” Amherst College coach Nedeau was the first to wilt; then, when two miles on Wampatuck St. was reached in 10:01, Magill soon followed. Collins turned it on through the hills of Noble and Greenough and at three miles had a 150m gap. Meanwhile, Lemme passed Nedeau and set his sights on Magill.
“I caught [Magill] on that last uphill on the school grounds, but I couldn’t see Collins,” noted Lemme. “When I did see him it seemed whenever I’d pick up some space, the terrain would change and he’d move ahead again. I couldn’t catch him.”
“The plan was to run hard the first 16 minutes and then run the next 16 minutes very aggressively, but I moved too soon in the middle miles,” admitted Collins, who held a 12-second lead over Lemme heading back through Dedham Center. “The last two miles were tough. I looked back a few times—a mistake I know—but I needed the confidence of knowing I had a solid lead. I was saving something for the last 200 meters. If someone caught me they’d have to muster a hell of a kick to get by.”
No one did as Collins, 42, of Liverpool, NY, won the US title in 32:48 with Lemme, 46, of Pittsfield, MA, 20 seconds back. Magill held on for third in 33:27 with SRR’s Picklesimer, 46, fourth in 33:38. “It was too hot and those guys went out too fast,” said Picklesimer. “I would never have survived that pace. Kent was the only one with my color bib (45-49 worn on the back of the singlet). I wanted to protect my place in the division so I tried to stay strong on the uphills and steady throughout.”
In the women’s 40+ tussle, Haas and Fallon went through the first mile in 5:50 and then settled into the low-6’s for the next three miles. Passing four miles in 24:02, Haas fashioned a gap but was never confident until approaching the finish. “We talked a bit, not much, we’ve trained together for so long. It’s nice to be running with someone you know so well,” commented Haas, who broke the tape in 37:51 with Fallon 21 seconds back and Madden third in 40:36. “Mimi is in really good shape right now. If this was Falmouth she would have won. My one advantage is my finishing kick but I wasn’t confident I’d win until the very end.”
In the Open race, Kenyan natives Amos Sang in 29:25 and Chemtai Rionotukei in 33:45 ruled the roost. Where had we heard the name Amos Sang before? Oh right, the NCAA 10,000m champion for D2 powerhouse Abilene Christian. “That is right,” laughed Sang. “In Texas, so I like this warm weather today, it is very nice.” Sang, 24, is living in Springfield right now and just started running four months ago following a stress fracture. With 28:20 10K speed, there’s no doubt he led start to finish, but was there anything that surprised him on the day? “The hills!” exclaimed Sang. “When I got to the school area I was shocked with the hills.”
The B.A.A.’s Brian Harvey, the 2011 champion, finished second in 31:03 with Tadesse Girma placing third in 32:04. Former Providence College ace Heather Cappello was the women’s runner-up in 34:09 (9th overall) with the SRR’s Larissa Park third in 35:35.
The Ramble has a storied history and subsequently only one age-group record fell on the day. Irishman Michael Sullivan retains his Veteran’s record from 1990, but his 70-79 mark of 45:22 set in 2000 was eclipsed by two runners. First to the record book was Milford, MI’s Doug Goodhue, 71, of the Ann Arbor TC followed by New England titan Bill Borla, 73, of Torrington, CT and the NE-65+ Club. Goodhue logged in at 43:42 with Borla at 44:44.
At the end of the day, there’d been one heck of an athletic contest, one heck of a beautiful day on the sprawling grounds of the Endicott Estate replete with sun and suds (courtesy of the Harpoon truck). Hopefully, the Ramble will host the USATF 10K Masters Championship for some years to come. “Everything went great,” opined race founder and director for three decades, Martin Hanley. “Well, we had a Joyce trivia quiz we didn’t get to, and a great band that didn’t get on until quite late, so everything went great except for the awards, and they were excruciatingly slow. Damn, always a glitch.” —Bob Fitzgerald
30th Annual James Joyce Ramble 10K/USATF National Masters Championship/NER Pub Series Stop No. 2, Dedham, April 28
1,950 Finishers – Timing by: Granite State Race Services – USATF Certified: MA01010RN – *Under USATF Age-Group guideline- Event Records: Stephen Kiogora, 28:45, 2001; Martha Komu, 32:54, 2001. Masters: Simon Karori, 29:54, 2001; Judi St. Hilaire, 34:21, 2001. Seniors: Craig Fram, 33:38, 2011; Diane LeGare, 38:25, 2003. Veterans: Michael Sullvan, 37:18, 1990; Kathryn Martin, 41:56, 2013. 70+: Doug Goodhue, 43:42, 2013. 80+: Carlton Mendell, 1:04:05, 2002. Weather: bright sun, high 60s. NOTE:US Masters 10K went off 3-minutes before larger race. Results are merged below.
Men (Overall): 1. Amos Sang, MA-KEN, 29:25; 2. Brian Harvey, 31:03; 3. Tadesse Girma, MA-ETH, 32:04; 5. Jacob Barnett, 32:23; 6. Kevin Collins, NY, 32:48; 7. Mike Quintal, 33:07; 8. Kent Lemme, 33:08; 9. TJ Unger, 33:18; 10. Chris Magill, 33:27; 11. Greg Picklesimer, 33:38; 12. Mark Hixson, CT, 33:50; 13. Joe Navas, 33:55; 14. Greg Putnam, 34:12; 15. Francis Burdett, 34:15; 16. Erik Nedeau, 34:25; 17. Joe Noonan, 34:28; 18. Dave Dunham, 34:30; 19. Lee Danforth, 34:33; 20. Brian Pilcher, CA, 34:36. (19-under): 1. Kevin McNeil, 40:16; 2. Brian Coakley, 42:18; 3. Justin Skelly, 42:14. Masters: 1. Kevin Collins (45) NY, *32:48; 2. Kent Lemme (43) *33:08; 3. Chris Magill (40) *33:27; 4. Greg Picklesimer (46) *33:38; 5. Mark Hixson (48) CT, *33:50; 6. Joe Navas (42) *33:55; 7. Greg Putnam, 34:12; 8. Francis Burdett (48) *34:15; 9. Erik Nedeau, 34:25; 10. Joe Noonan (45) *34:28. Seniors: 1. Brian Pilcher (56) CA, *34:36; 2. Mike Cooney (51) *34:51; 3. John Noland (50) *35:03; 4. Pete Bottomley (51) ME, *35:09; 5. Mark Reeder (53) *35:42; 6. Paul Doe (53) *35:45; 7. Norm Larson (57) VT, *35:49; 8. John Barbour (59) *36:40; 9. Paul Hammond, 36:42; Joe Carroll, 36:49. Veterans: 1. Pete Mullin (62) TX, *39:06; 2. Kirk Larson, GA, 40:01; 3. Wayne Alukonis, 40:08; 4. Tim McMullen, NY, 40:25; 5. Gordon McFarland (65) *40:32; 6. Jerry Learned, GA, 41:28; 7. Jan Frisby (69) CO, *41:32; 8. Wally Hayes, MI, 42:08. (70-79): 1. Doug Goodhue (71) *43:42 (CR: old record 45:22, Michael Sullivan, 2000); 2. Bill Borla (73) CT, *44:44; 3. Lawson Noyes (71) ME, 45:44; 4. Bill Riley (76) *46:35; 4. George Tooker, 47:33; 5. Chuck Keating, FL, 48:27; 6. Dave Pember, 48:42; 7. Bill Spencer (77) NH, *50:28; 8. Denny LeBlanc, NH, 51:13. Women (Overall): 1. Chemtai Rionotukei, MI-KEN, 33:45; 2. Heather Cappello, 34:09; 3. Larissa Park, 35:35; 4. Sara Donahue, 37:02; 5. Kara Haas, 37:51; 6. Mimi Fallon, 38:12; 7. Nora Sullivan, 38:54; 8. Sumner Fletcher, 40:01; 9. Jacquelyn Jackman, RI, 40:18; 10. Holly Madden, 40:36; 11. Ginger Reiner, 40:39; 12. Sarah Phillips, 40:42; 13. Liz Blair, 41:01; 14. Lorraine Jasper, PA, 41:16; 15. Michelle O’Connor, DC, 41:17; 16. Katie Klum, 41:31; 17. Lisa Kaplan, 41:37; 18. Mary Swan, PA, 41:39; 19. Melissa Senall, NY, 41:42; 20. Kathryn Martin, NY, 41:56. (19-under): 1. Katie Bradley, 47:55; 2. Melinda Edie, 50:00; 3. Ellie Gozigian, 50:33. Masters: 1. Kara Haas, 37:51; 2. Mimi Fallon (47) *38:12; 3. Holly Madden, 40:36; 4. Lisa Kaplan, 41:37; 5. Melissa Senall, NY, 41:42; 6. Jennifer Rapaport, 42:08; 7. Jill Trotter, 42:11; 8. Trish Bourne, 42:18. Seniors: 1. Lorraine Jasper (51) PA, *41:16; 2. Mary Swan, PA, 41:39; 3. Jacqueline Shakar, 43:22; 4. Liane Pancoast (55) *43:37; 5. Marge Bellisle, RI, 44:43; 6. Brenda Egizi, 45:00. Veterans (60-64): 1. Kathryn Martin (61) NY, *41:56 (CR: old record 42:28, Jan Holmquist, 2006); 2. Edie Stevenson (63) CO, *43:29; 3. Victoria Crisp (60) TN, *43:53; 4. Linda Jennings (60), *44:34; 5. Coreen Steinbach (62), NY, *46:42. Veterans (65-69): 1. Jan Holmquist (68) *46:06; 2. Patty Foltz (65) VT, *50:12; 3. Sue Gustafson (66) *50:57. (70-79): 1. Regina Wright, 1:03:21.