| This year's race had great weather - 43 degrees and cloudy with
little or no wind. Even the footing was great because of the severe drought
of 2001. 237 runners made this the largest crowd ever. Add in a couple
dozen spectators and that makes over 250 people celebrating Thanksgiving
with a running event. The men's race was won by Boston runner Ben Nephew
in 16:40. The women's race was a quite close with Jennie Bender of Johnson
winning by four seconds in 20:22 (she surged past the second place woman
as well as me and several other runners in the final uphill quarter mile).
Many dollars and pounds of food were donated to the Burlington Emergency
Food Shelf. Thanks to race directors Ralph Swenson and Neil Stout and other
volunteers for a great holiday, low key athletic event that benefits runners
as well as the community at large.
-- Steve Eustis
|
