Sun, Suds, Super Heroes & Speedsters at Spring Classic

Just six days removed from the absolute worst rain and wind storm experienced at the Boston Marathon (yes, worse than the remnants of a Nor’easter in 2007), the Spring Classic 5K in Central Square, Cambridge welcomed over 3,000 sun worshipping, suds sipping race day participants with bright sun and (dare we say) warmish temperatures that tickled 60˚F. (Photo of Team Award winners Wonder Woman & Her Super Hero Friends by FitzFoto/NERunner)

 

There were 1,959 female finishers and 1,486 male counterparts with a cadre of team tents set up in the quad across from University Park a few blocks from the host Asgard Irish Pub & Restaurant.

 

Wonder Woman (Carol Chaoui, Bib #1) and Her Superhero Friends (all 98 of them) won the coveted top team award worth a big honking trophy and, this year, a bottle of Dom Perignon courtesy of RD Paul Vincent Clark.

Among all the team costumes and frivolity this course is a certified (MA13042JK) speedburner and drew past BU Track Co-Captains Michelle Sumner, 24, of the B.A.A. and Paul Gennaro, 23, of the Mohegan Striders. (Photo: Men’s winner Paul Gennaro, center in red, at the outset. Photo by FitzFoto/NERunner)

 

Gennaro, out of New London, CT, was visiting his girlfriend while reconnecting with the Classic.

 

“I ran 16-flat here two years ago and I finished second so the goal today was to crack 16 and see what happens.”

 

Gennaro has a 5K best of 14:29 and had no problem with cracking 16 as he took the lead with a 5:05 opening mile and reached the finish in 15:10 to place well ahead of runner-up Eric Xiao, 23, of Boston, in 16:03.

 

“Being out front let me run my own race so that was okay. I’m getting ready for outdoor track season so I wanted the last mile to be the fastest and I ran that in 4:47.”

Women’s winner Sumner (Pictured above, Photo by MickFoto/NERunner) had previously run the Winter Classic and wanted a good speed workout before the upcoming B.A.A. 10K. She led wire to wire at a 5:48 pace to post up in 18:12, exactly one minute ahead of runner-up Emily Ferenczi, 37, of Boston.

 

“My best is 16:53 so hopefully I’ll get in shape to get back to that and hopefully better it, that’s my goal.”

Brooklyn Brewing supplied the post-race respite with an abundancy that matched a post-race crowd that wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere…until the GobShites took to the stage at the Asgard.

—Bob F.                    Next up, the Summer Classic

 

Top 10 Men & Women

 

Place	Male Finisher	Age	Gun Time	Diff
1	Paul Gennaro	23	15:10	+:00 / +:00
2	Eric Xiao	23	16:03	+:53 / +:53
3	Dustin Weigl	26	16:08	+:05 / +:58
4	Sean Edelman	28	16:40	+:32 / + 1:30
5	Ian Christen	22	16:45	+:05 / + 1:35
6	Dan Wilbanks	23	16:52	+:07 / + 1:42
7	Victor Velazquez	27	17:20	+:28 / + 2:10
8	James Rice	34	17:25	+:04 / + 2:14
9	Lucas Barton	22	17:26	+:01 / + 2:15
10	Whit Hall	32	17:39	+:14 / + 2:29
Place	Female Finisher	Age	Gun Time	Diff
1	Michelle Sumner	24	18:12	+:00 / +:00
2	Emily Ferenczi	37	19:12	+:57 / +:57
3	Alexa Sharp	39	19:30	+:19 / + 1:16
4	Anna Corrigan	24	19:40	+:11 / + 1:27
5	Molly Sords	24	19:42	+:00 / + 1:27
6	Moriah Trenk	24	19:46	+:03 / + 1:30
7	Gabrielle Sjourn	22	20:09	+:19 / + 1:49
8	Lyndsey Pere	23	20:06	+:03 / + 1:52
9	Karina Thornton	22	20:15	+:07 / + 1:59
10	Sophia Spring	29	20:43	+:17 / + 2:16