2009 Smuttynose Half Marathon & RockFest was a blast!! Big news coming…….
What can we say? – LOCO runners ROCK!! Here at LOCO we’re used to putting on great running events but the 2009 Smuttynose Half Marathon & RockFest on October 4th was truly a standout. We were blown away by registrations during the weeks leading up to the race and finally closed the field just shy of 1,400. We knew to expect an enthusiastic crowd and were not disappointed. Race day began overcast and cool but turned out to be fantastic for pacing through the 13.1 mile course. Runners were treated to 5 acoustic music performers out on the course and a rock show at the finish.
Speaking of finish - the course record was blown out of the water as Dan Vassalio of Reading, Mass., won with a 1:08:42 time - more than six minutes better than the record Justin Montgomery set a year ago. Abbey Gosling, a 23-year-old from Meredith and former distance standout at Quinnipiac, finished in 1:24.28 and good for 12th overall. But there was equally compelling action going on behind those stars as waves of runners, on a sea of cheering spectators, lapped the shore of the Atlantic as they crossed the line, phew!
Speaking of lapping – finishers were treated to a smorgasbord of food & drink. Of course, the taps were flowing in the beer garden (thanks to our sponsor Smuttynose Brewing!) and pizza, hot soup, BearNaked granola were enjoyed by all. And the biggest hit of the day? – Klondike Bars!! – as we went through hundreds of ‘em. There’s nothing like a little chocolate covered ice cream to replace blood sugar after a half marathon – makes you want to dance!
Speaking of dance – the always hopping Spectras provided musical entertainment after the race. The band wended its way through favorites from the 60’s, 70’s and (big hair!) 80’s and were enjoyed by “kids” of all ages. They were, as they say, big news.
Speaking of big news – there are plans afoot to add a
Posted by Arlon, one of the LOCO Guys
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