Pace Setter : September 2022

Labor Day 5K Race 2022

by Chris Bishop

Weather can play a pivotal part in races and it did in opposing ways at the Labor Day Race.  The forecast was for heavy rain and the radar map showed massive rainclouds blanketing our region and beyond leading many to stay away even though the race is one of the HMRRC Grand Prix events.  However, those people who dared the weather and came even though they knew they could be drenched bonded together in tight camaraderie giving the race an aura of friendship rather than competitiveness. There was a constant light drizzle that felt great in the warmth of the day and all seemed to enjoy it.  About an hour after the race, there were torrential downpours but the gods of running and rain spared those at the Labor Day event.

Much to Race Director John Parisella’s delight, the race went off without any glitches or downpours and had some incredible results.  Twins Jake and Maddie Washco age six ran with their parents and astonished onlookers with  Jake finishing in 29:38 running 9:35 minute miles and sister  Maddie running 11:33 minute miles.  Not to be outdone by youth, those 60 and over excelled.  David Glass age 76 came in 20^th overall with a time of 22:36 with the notation for his performance of “Under USATF Age-Group Guideline.”  He was smoking.  Other times  indicating that age was not a drawback were Russ Lauer 60, 22:07; Stephen Jones 68, 22:17; Rick Munson 65, 22:42; Erika Oesterle 71, 29:16, and Martha Degrazia 71, 29:39, and Jim Moore 82, 35:04.

Jake Washco receiving special medal for his exceptional performance

After the 5K there was a children's race around the park lake

Bill Meehan put extensive pictures of the race by Chris Bishop online.  In addition to the race itself pictures of the award winners are included.  Click here for photos, here for results, and here for prizes.

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Ed. Note: I asked Megan James, who other being the #1 female in the race, is also the head of ImmersionPT, if she would care to contribute a piece about the race, which she has done and her comments parallel those of mine.  Enjoy!

Race Recap: HMRRC Labor Day 5K

Megan James, PT DPT

60 degrees and a light rain – pretty close to prime racing conditions!  Despite having one of the smallest fields in its 35+ years running, HMRRC’s Labor Day 5K still drew a good crowd with some exciting results.  Having started my running career at age 8 in a very small road race in Berne, I have always held a special place in my heart for the races (and race directors, and volunteers) who keep showing up, no matter how big or small, fast or slow, hot or cold things turn out on race day. 

It’s easy enough to look at the race results and spot the top male & female runners and the age-group division awards … so I want to use this space to highlight a few runners from this race who may not have caught your attention in your results scan, but are well-deserving of recognition for their impressive performances:

• Dave Glass (76, Glenville): He finished in 22:36, which is a National-level age-graded performance of 84%, and is comparable to a male running 15:22 – wow!

• Jake Washco (6, Waterford): Jake placed 3^rd in the youngest age group for males with a time of 29:38, and was the youngest male finisher.  Maddie Washco (6, Waterford): Maddie placed 2^nd in the youngest age group for females with a time of 36:48, and was the youngest female finisher. 

• Alice Carpenter (72, Delmar) was the oldest female finisher, in a time of 38:38.  Jim Moore (82, Niskayuna) was the oldest male finisher, in a time of 35:04.  Both of these were age-graded performances around 60%.

What I love about running is being able to share it with others; our local running community is so well-connected, welcoming and supportive.  Running has allowed me countless opportunities to explore new locations, make new friends, build referral networks (I am a physical therapist and running coach, so I’m always on the lookout for good resourcesJ), and share the joys, challenges and adventure of lifelong (hopefully!) fitness, enjoyment of the sport, and health. 

Many thanks to John Parisella (race director), Naval Nuclear Laboratory (sponsor), and all of the volunteers, timing crew and spectators for making this race happen!