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Millennium Mile opens 2004 grand prix series
Sunday, November 23,
2003, Nashua Telegraph
By SKIP CLEAVER
TJCleaver@aol.com
The Millennium
Mile’s fifth edition heads an impressive list of eight races rcently selected
for the 2004 New Hampshire Grand Prix running series.
The Mile will blast down Mammoth Road in Londonderry on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. Yes,
the 2004 Grand Prix actually begins in 2003. This will be the first time this
event – or any event less than 5 kilometers – has been included in the NHGP.
What a great combination – the Grand Prix and the Millennium Mile.
In only five years the Mile has become a classic. It is a magnet for elite
runners, offering exciting racing and unbelievably fast times. Last year the
Millennium Mile College Scholarship Fund was established with Manchester’s
Ashley Vance winning the first ever award. Vance, now a freshman at UNH, is
competing in cross country and track.
The field has grown to hundreds of runners, but with the inclusion of the Mile
into the grand prix series, it won’t be surprising to see close to 1,000
runners of all ages toe the line near Londonderry High School. Championship
computer timing will insure accurate times for all, which will be extremely
important for the grand prix.
The Millennium Mile was hatched in 1999 when everyone was concerned about Y2K.
As was the goal in the first four, many runners will likely break four minutes
in the Mammoth rush, a net downhill of about 100 feet. Also new is the
Corporate/Club challenge division. Even with elite runners, the race is a family
friendly race, open to all.
Runners of all ages and abilities are invited to run. It is only $8 for adults,
and $1 for kids. The Mortimer family and friends were hoping to build this into
a key New Hampshire race and tradition, and they have. The official post race
party at Wippersnappers will likely add to that tradition.
For more information on this unique event call 219-8855, check out the web site
at www.millenniummile.com
or e-mail mortimjo@bc.edu.
Running the show, literally
One of the most interesting aspects of this race is the organization. Three
familiar elite athletes serve as organizers and directors.
John Mortimer, now a distance coach at Boston College, will head the organizers.
Pinkerton legends Matt Downin and his brother Andy will join him. All have a
reasonable shot at U.S. Olympic team spots, which would be a fantastic advance
for the state.
Each has had tremendous success on the national and international scene. As in
years past, they will bring many elite runner-friends to Londonderry for the
Millennium Mile, making it an exciting event. The only things separating these
three are their favorite shoes and current residences: Matt runs for New Balance
and lives in Chula Vista, Calif.; Andy for Nike and Madison, Wis.; and Mortimer
prefers Adidas while running for the Boston Athletic Association.
Who can forget the classic duals between Mortimer and Matt Downin, great friends
and rivals all through high school and college, when they pushed each other to
records and victories locally and nationally.
Their high school rivalry culminated in a 1-2 finish in the National Footlocker
High School Championships in 1995.
In college they rarely competed head to head – Mortimer was a seven-time
All-American at Michigan and Matt Downin was a four-time All-American at the
University of Wisconsin, a national cross-country champion.
Andy Downin won the national 1500-meter title in 2001 after a solid Georgetown
University career where he was named All-American seven times. Andy shares the
Millennium Mile record of 3 minutes and 51 seconds. Matt is one second back, and
Mortimer ran 3:59.
All three will run the Olympic Trials. Andy will likely try to make the team
with his specialty, the 1500. Matt reportedly will compete for a spot at 10,000
meters, though he qualified for the men’s Olympic Marathon trials in his
marathon debut – first American in the ING New York Marathon. Mortimer
specializes in the steeplechase.
USATF announces its 2004 schedule
The New England Office of the USATF announced that Bedford’s Memorial 12K has
been selected for the 2004 New England Grand Prix – the only New Hampshire
race to make the list of seven.
Only three of the seven have been carried over from last year.
Last year’s New Hampshire race, the Loins Sizzler 20K, also in Bedford, has
been dropped.
Whirlaway, a running store that sponsors a team of the same name, turned heads
in the 2003 Grand Prix. It tied with the BAA for the men’s open team title,
won both masters’ titles and finishing second in the women’s open.
Seana Carmen of Amherst, Mass. was the women’s champion, while Dave Hinga of
Worcester took the men’s title. The following local runners were Iron Runners,
participating in all seven events: Lisa Zappalla, Derry; Stan Vancelette,
Amherst; Tom Doody, Pelham; Michael Thatcher, Gate City; Miae Jacobs, Atkinson.
The 2004 USATF-NE Grand Prix schedule: March 21, New Bedford Half Marathon, New
Bedford, Mass. (also National Championship); May 22, Bedford Memorial 12K,
Bedford; June 13, Rhody Run 5K, Lincoln, R.I.; June 27, Whirlaway 10K, Methuen,
Mass.; July 28, Stowe Classic 8 Miler, Stowe, Vt.; Oct. 3, Ollie Road Race/McCourt
Classic 5 Miler, South Boston; Oct. 26, Cape Cod Marathon, Falmouth, Mass.
Casinghino, Carbonneau finish 1-2
Mary Casinghino, 16-year-old speedster from Manchester, edged Londonderry’s
Jen Carbonneau by 20 minutes and 36 seconds to 20:48 at the first Operation
Uplink 5K in Manchester.
Rachel Lozeau of Nashua zipped to first place in the 17-under division (21:42).
And Molly Zahr of Bedford won the 18-29 title with 21:25. Eric Morse of Berlin,
Vt., sped to the men’s victory in 15:37.
Jeff Litchfield was second master (18:43) and was 12th overall. Greater Derry
teammate Don DuPaul won the senior title in 20:00. Proceeds from the race will
be used to buy phone and e-mail time for service women and men on active duty.
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