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Downtown Temple,NH

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Reach the Beach - Masters Division (Men's) - UPDATED

UPDATED with runner profiles

Tomorrow our team (Mine Falls Milers) heads up to Cannon Mt for the start of the 11th annual Reach the Beach Relay. Last year we won the Mens Masters division with a narrow victory over The Free Radicals. They return again this year along with 33 other teams, all looking to knock us to the curb. Not so fast guys, we've returned and we've reloaded with 4 new members this year.

2009 Mine Falls Milers:
  1. Frank Pilhofer - Last years fastest runner, stealth trainer, claims to be German.
  2. Bill Newsham - Member of GBTC, lives in Ma. and we still let him on the team. He must be fast. Part of the van 1 6'6" club.
  3. Mark Wimmer - For the first time ever Mark didn't get the hardest leg. That just means he's not the fastest anymore. Doubles as a weatherman, says it won't rain. Also part of the van 1 6'6" club.
  4. Earl Thomas - We had to go all the way to Rhode Island to get our newest runner. We hope he has short legs since his freakishly tall van mates will occupy most of the van space.
  5. Tom Varick- Normally part of GDTC (the evil running empire across the mighty Merrimack), Tom leaves his colors behind in the Derry area (ba da bump, get it?) and joined our team without meeting us (which was key to getting him to sign on).
  6. Mike Wade - The true architect behind the team, our captain who's responsible for signing on the new guys (so we know who to blame if they suck!), part of the van 1 6'6" club.
  7. Steve Wolfe - Allowed to run in spite of his weak ass attempt of a blog, winner of the "I run closest to my predicted time" 3 years running.
  8. Denis Tranchemontagne - Runner up in the fastest runner from 2008, once called Mr. 5k, still can't spell or pronounce his name, makes great cookies!
  9. Brad Pechacek - 2nd year MFM, still waiting for him to speak his 1st words, the only guy who hasn't given me crap about something (although he's in my van this year, that may change!)
  10. John Green - Pulled out of retirement for one more chance at the title (I think we got him when we told him the prize was a pack sack), referred to as The Snowman.
  11. Tim Burke - Got him to sign on early before he had a chance to know us. The new Mr. 5k, thinks 5 miles is a long run, has short legs so he's in van 2.
  12. Steve Tomasi - He knees no introduction, our own senior moment, he tri's hard all summer (I got a million of them!), the true anchor of the team
Looking forward to a competitive crawl to the finish!

11 teams return from 2008 (18 total teams ran in 2008, compared to 35 this year). 11 different states are represented in the masters division alone.

I believe there are over 400 teams signed up to run this year as this race continues to grow in size and popularity. The race actually sold out in March, believe it or not.

I've done 200 mile-24 hr relays in Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin and this is still my favorite race. It is also one of the hardest (course wise). You would think running from the mountains to the ocean would be all downhill. Ha! Guess again. It's nice to have a race like Reach the Beach in our own backyard.

Good luck to all the teams!

The competition:

Bib # Start Time Team Name Location State
326 7:30 AM Team Kate Pembroke MA
81 8:20 AM Carpe Beachem Hampton NH
215 8:40 AM Moose Tracks 2009 Litchfield NH
5 8:40 AM Running Revelers Rochester NH
342 9:20 AM Team Sufferfest Cos Cob CT
332 10:00 AM Team Motherhaus South Boston MA
273 10:20 AM Run Rest Repeat Sunapee NH
187 11:00 AM Krulik's Revenge Cambridge MA
234 11:00 AM One Track Minded Bedford NH
249 11:00 AM Plodding Buffaloes Bethlehem PA
64 11:20 AM Better on the way down Brooklyn NY
282 11:20 AM More Cowbell Rutland VT
246 11:20 AM Pimp my Stride Charlotte NC
403 11:20 AM WDH Barrington NH
340 11:20 AM Team Solid Cambridge MA
111 11:40 AM Dead Last Ducks Fairfield CT
219 12:00 PM Muddy Bisquits Duxbury MA
360 12:00 PM Kicking Asphalt Granby CT
222 12:20 PM Night Crawlers Sudbury MA
300 12:40 PM Sons of Beaches Each Greenwich RI
95 1:00 PM Commotion to the Ocean North Andover MA
132 1:20 PM Fellowship of the Bubblewrap Somerville MA
266 1:20 PM Old School West Hartford CT
194 1:20 PM Liquid Carb Road Racers North Reading MA
264 2:00 PM River Runners Class IV Exeter NH
352 2:20 PM The Chronic Waltham MA
77 2:20 PM Bushwacker Wells ME
30 2:40 PM Rank and Vile Ipswich MA
191 2:40 PM Lehigh Alumni Buffalo Soldiers Convert Station NJ
123 2:40 PM ERC - The Beach or Bust Glen Ridge NJ
11 3:00 PM Haverford College Honor Goats Rockport MA
75 3:00 PM Broomcorn's Uncle Winchester MA
163 3:30 PM Hey Bud!!! Moscow ID
8 3:30 PM Mine Falls Milers Nashua NH
3 3:30 PM The Free Radicals Portsmouth NH