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