Reliving the Bangers' Biggest Year Yet
The Bangers really arrived in 2015 -- on the local running scene, and across a lot of finish lines (and lines for free beers). We brunched, scavenged, caroled, marathon-relayed, and bar-crawled, and set new records for the weekly runs. Here's a (non-comprehensive, and please forgive omissions) recap:
In the spring marathon season, many bangers ran Boston, including Em Grover, Mark Zurlo, Jackie, Crain, and Patrick McMahon. Seth Wolfman ran the Big Sur International Marathon, and Jon Marcus ran the London Marathon.
Laura Duffy set her 10K PR and finished in the top 10 percent of the James Joyce Ramble 10K. Linda Liao for a new personal record at the Harpoon 5-Miler. Liam McNamara came storming onto the scene by finishing second in his division at the Piggy Trot 3.7-miler in Osterville.
Jenna Castro finished third overall among women and first in her division\ at the Shepherd Lake 5K in her native New Jersey.
Tess Harvey completed the insanely difficult Seven Sisters Trail Race in Holyoke, a brutal 12-mile trail that is so difficult that takes many runners longer to complete the 12 miles than it takes them to run a 26.2-mile road marathon. And Freddie Rodriguez set his 5K PR at the Cambridge Spring Classic 5K.
Heather Rennie ran an incredible race at the Maine Coast Marathon, good for the Bangers' first ever maximum 13-point Grand Prix performance (set a PR at a marathon or longer and finish in the top 10 percent of a division).
Libby Merrill ran her first half at Boston's Run to Remember, joining fellow Bangers Jon Marcus, Em Grover, Elyse Archila, and Mark Nascarella in that race.
At the Vermont City Marathon and Relay in Burlington, Vermont, the two-Bangers relay team of Patrick Rooney and Nick Stahl combined to drop the hammer on an insane 2:54 marathon, highlighted by Rooney putting in a half-marathon PR of 1:22 in the first leg. As a team, they were 14/871 overall in the two-person relay, and 8/108 among teams comprised of two males.
Heather Rennie ran the Black Bear Marathon in Maine, then bounced back six days later to run the 26X1 relay; she became the first Banger to run two marathons in 2015. Laura Duffy completed her first triathlon at the Summer Solstice Sprint. Erin Desrochers made her debut into the Grand Prix with a 5K PR at the Fairhaven Father's Day 5K.
Elyse Archila,Justin Voldman, Mark Zurlo, Em Grover, Jackie Crain, and Nick Stahl all endured a downpour to run the BAA 10K. Crain put in a PAR there and again at the Worcester Firefighters 6K.
Heather Rennie set her 5K PR on July 4th at the Red, White & Blue 5K, Mark Zurlo and Em Grover both set their 10K PRs on July 4th by crossing the 50-yard line at the Finish at the 50 10K at Gillette Stadium. Jen Mitton ran the Firecracker 5K on July 4th. And Em Grover continued her weekly racing streak with the Kennebec River Rail Trail Half Marathon.
The Bangers' 26X1 team rocked it at Tufts. The team's top female was Kylee Drugan-Eppich, who ran a scorching 5:24 and was the only Banger in the top 25 percent of her division. Top three females were Kylee, Meghan Burns, and Sarah Kruyer. Top guys were Matt Ouellette (5:10!), Jeremy Shaw, and Nick Stahl. Libby Merrill, Emily Legere, Jackie Crain, and Mark Zurlo set their mile PRs. Declan Healy and Caitlin Shannon each also ran their fastest miles ever.
At the Pineland Farms Trail Challenge in Maine, Lauren Desautels ran the 25K. Also in Maine, Jon Marcus ran the Beach to Beacon and the Belfast Bug Run 5K.
By August 27, the Wednesday night runs reached 40 people. Three weeks later, we exceeded even that.
Elyse Archila rocked the Boston Sprint Tri. Declan Healy ran his 5K PR at the Malden Irish-American 5K, and his personal longest race at the VERT Fellsfest (and is now in training for the 2016 Boston Marathon). Tess Harvey ran her first ULTRA at the TARC Fall Classic 50K. Ashley Logsdon PR'd at the Run to the Rock Half Marathon in Plymouth. Matt Oullette ran the Mount Greylock race, yes, up Mt. Greylock.
At the Bangers' own 5K, the Best 5K In the Universe: Aaron McCall ran his first race ever, so that's a Personal Longest; Alex Bothner and Jackie Crain ran their fastest ever 5Ks; Jon Marcus and Lisa Yarussi won their divisions; Kylee Drugan-Eppich was the second overall female; Rachel Wilkinson was the third overall female; Patrick Rooney finished fourth overall; and Andrew Malkin ran the race as miles 17-20 of a 20-mile training run to get ready for theChicago Marathon. The Bangers won among all teams.
Melody Malbin and Evelyn Wang each ran their first half marathon at the Manchester Half-Marathon by the Sea! Meghan Burns, Steven Brown, and Alexa Fee ran the challenging Apple Harvest Ramble 10-Miler in Harvard. And Seth Wolfman took fifth place overall and second in his division at the 5-miler.
Heather Rennie ran the Westport Half Marathon. Linda Liao and Kylee Drugan-Eppich both ran the Falmouth Road Race. Alexa Fee did both the Newton 10K and the Mayflower Brewing Half Marathon.
Dave Terwilliger became the first ever Ironman Banger after completing his first Ironman at Lake Placid.
Banger Jen Daley completed the Battlefrog 8K obstacle course. Jess O'Neill makes her Grand Prix debut with the New Durham 5K in Dover, New Hampshire. And Natalie Copley did the Six03 10K in New Hampshire (get it?). Also in New Hampshire, Banger Sarah Kruyer ran the Cranmore Hill Climb: not one, but two laps up, down, and around the ski area.
At Sasquatch, Jon Marcus, Declan Healy, and Seth Wolfman put up course PRs and everybody danced.
Melody Malbin and Sarah Kruyer both ran the Marathon Sports 5-Miler. Alex Bothner ran the Boilermaker 15k, which at about 16,000 runners is the biggest race of its distance in the country. Matt Ouellette and Tess Harvey continued their insane pursuit of the Mountain Goat series by running seven miles straight up Loon Mountain.
Twelve Bangers ran the Newton 10K: Peter Dennis, Maddi Hoppy, Caitlin Shannon, Amanda Pinkston, Michael Beal, Natalie Copley, Declan Healy, Freddie Rodriguez, Nick Stahl, Seth Wolfman, Em Grover, and birthday boy Mark Zurlo.
Sarah Kruyer running the definitely-not-flat Wachusett Mountain 10K. Mark Zurlo and Em Grover both ran the Newport. Justin Voldman ran and Seth Wolfman PR'd at the Covered Bridges Half Marathon. And both Jaclyn Crain and Maggie Ginn ran the Cambridge Freedom 5K.
Freddie Rodriguez ran the Boston AIDS Run 5k, Alex Bothner finished the inaugural Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon in the top 10 percent of her division. And Tess Harvey and Matt Ouellette continued their Mountain Goat series by running the Ascutney Mountain Challenge in Vermont, which features 2,300 feet of gain over just 3.7 miles of race.
In fall marathons, Andrew Malkin and Alison Lynch both ran the Chicago Marathon. Jerry Shaw ran an incredible 3:25 at the Mount Desert Island Marathon. Sarah Kruyer ran her first marathon at the Cape Cod Marathon. Mark Zurlo and Patrick McMahon both ran the Marine Corps Marathon. And Em Grover and Alexa Fee ran the New York City Marathon, with a PR for Grover.
Jenna Castro, Maggie Ginn, Patrick Rooney, Em Grover, Evelyn Wang, Jackie Crain, Linda Liao, Jen Mitton, and Alex Bothner all ran the BAA Half Marathon, where the Bangers also staffed a water table.
Jackie Crain, Lisa Kopac, Elyse Archila, Andrew Malkin, Jen Mitton, Maggie Ginn, Seth Wolfman, and Alex Bothner all ran the OAKtoberfest 5k, with a PR for Kopac and a first among all teams.
Declan Healy ran and PR'd the Paddys Road Race three-miler. Laura Duffy ran her half-marathon PR at a sub-8 pace, at Cape Cod. Alexa Fee ran the Halloween Half.
Patrick Rooney and Kylee Drugan-Eppich won the mixed team relay and came in second for the relay overall at the Newburyport Half Marathon, where a bunch of Bangers including Declan Healy, Jen Daley, Meaghan Reddy, Aaron McCall, Allison Lorenc, Giselle Boulay, and Hannah Useem ran their first half marathons. Jackie Crain and Seth Wolfman ran Newburyport, too.
Awesome races by both Jerry Shaw and Tess Harvey in the Jack London 10K trail race in Nashua, where Shaw placed first and Harvey third in their respective age groups. Evelyn Wang ran the Stache Half Marathon for a PR. Jen Daley ran the Spartan Sprint at Fenway for a PR.
Em Grover and Jenna Castro both ran the Boston River Run 5K. Maddi Hoppy ran her longest race to date at the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton. Erik Hinrichson ran the Valencia Half Marathon. Jen Daley finished the Spartan Beast South Carolina -- 12 miles of obstacles.
Evelyn Wang completed her fourth half marathon of the fall at the Howling Wolf Half. Rachel Wilkinson ran her first half marathon at the Santa Hustle in Portland and finished fourth female overall.
Kara Clark became Grand Prix participant No. 78 at the Slattery's Turkey Trot in Fitchburg. Jerry Shaw ran the Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving for the 16th consecutive year and PR'd it by almost a minute.
Fastest Bangers out of more 30 at the Winter Classic were Bobby McDonough (eighth overall out of 3,201), and Rachel Wilkinson (22/1836 for women).
That's a lot of running. Let's double it in 2016.