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Ekuom Takes First for Men, Currier Three-peats for Women
in the 32nd Annual Dunkin' Donuts Cape Cod Marathon;
New Balance 1- Habitat Team Captures the New Balance Marathon Relay
FALMOUTH, Mass. High winds and rain knocked out power in parts of Falmouth overnight Saturday, Oct. 24th. Cape Cod Marathon organizers were greeted by darkness and no power when they arrived at Race Headquarters at the Lawrence School early Sunday morning. The lighted ball caps that the marathon store was selling came in handy as the volunteers groped their way around the gym in preparation for the marathon. Luckily the winds stopped howling and the power came back on in time for the 8:30 start time, as approximately 1100 marathoners and 200 relay teams set off to the boom of the Falmouth Track Club cannon.
Once again disaster was avoided and the 32 Annual Cape Cod Marathon and 17th New Balance Marathon Relay were blessed with partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the 50's and light winds at start time. A few large puddles were the biggest impediments to an otherwise beautiful running day.
Leading the pack the entire race was Joseph Ekuom from High Falls, NY, formerly of Kenya, who finished first with a PR in 2:33:13 in what was only his second marathon appearance. Ekuom, 33, found the course to be "tough and the second half was very hilly" but he managed to beat the second place finisher by 6 minutes 8 seconds. Ekuom was pleased with his time but felt he would have done better if he had someone to push him during the second half of the race. He ran from mile 15 on alone with no challengers to contend with. Ekuom said "I liked the course but it was not easy."
Second place male finisher, Nicolas Karr, 22 also ran a PR in 2:39:05. Karr, who hales from Portland, OR but now lives in Allston, MA won his only other marathon, Crater Lake Marathon in Orgeon. Karr "didn't realize there would be so many hills."Using the Cape Cod Marathon as his qualifier, Karr plans on running Boston next spring.
Benjamin Ndaya, 33 from Chelmsford, MA was the third male finisher in 2:41:36.
The women's race was a lot tighter than the men's. Mary-Lynn Currier, from Canton, CT crossed the finish line 39 seconds ahead of Megan Malgeri, 28 from Burlington, VT to take first place with a time of 2:56:14. Currier, 45, won the Cape Cod Marathon on 1996 and again in 1997. She finished second in last years marathon. Currier ran a "nice steady pace the whole way". She ran neck and neck with third place finisher Laurie Cass until about mile 10 when Cass cramped up and had to slow her pace. Currier also experienced cramps in her calf muscle at Nobska Lighthouse, about 23 miles into the race. "I thought it was over," said Currier, "but I felt I had to keep going". Currier was not aware that second place finisher, Malgeri 28 from Burlington, VT was following close on her heals to finish in 2:25:53. This was Malgeri's first official marathon. She was pleased with her second place finish. Cass, 35 from Plymouth, MA came in third 3:05:19.
In the simultaneous New Balance Relay, the New Balance 1- Habitat Team running for CCAC , won the men's race in a time of 2:29:16. The women's winning relay team was Eliot Loungers Mimi's Masters who finished in 2:55:00, while the mixed relay champion was Team Chill from North Andover., which clocked a time of 2:48:14.
In the men's Master's race John Piggott, 44 from Williamsburg, VA took first (9th overall male) in 2:54:27, followed by Sadik Tokgoz, 41 from Boston, MA in 2:56:06 for second,(12 overall male) and Jamie Kreider, 41 from Newton, MA with 2:29:37 for third place (13th overall male).
The women's Master's race was won by Mary-Lynn Currier, 45, from Canton, CT, in a time of 2:56:14.(1st overall female). Second place was Julie Musselman, 43 from Shorewood, MN in 3:17:40, (6th overall female)and in third place Bridget Riordan, 43 from Madison, CT in 3:26:12 (11th overall female).
Top three in the men's senior division were John Shepherd, 53 from Essex, CT in 3:10:46, Stephen Grilli 52, from Narragansett, RI in 3:14:15 and Adrian Forde, 51 from Sudbury, MA in 3:19:24.
First women's senior was Mary Baldwin, 50, from Chelsea, MA who finished in 3:35:03. Second was Brigid Rodin, 50 from Andover, MA in 4:15:14. Third women's senior was Luanne Roy, 54, from Seymour, CT in 4:18:17.
In the men's veteran's division Neil LeBlanc, 61 from Athol, MA finished first in 3:30:01. Second male veteran was John Levreault, 60, from Oxford, MA in 3:43:54 . Third was Dave Kemp, 65, from Marlborough, MA in 3:46:48.
The first place women's veteran was Rosemary Rusin, 66 from Florence, VT in 4:37:35. Rosemary holds the record for the most Cape Cod Marathons runs, having completed 23. Second women's veteran was Holly J. Vogel 62, from Rochester, MA in 4:42:49. In third place was Barbara Wnek, 60, from Brentwood, MO in 5:38:21.
Top Cape and Island finisher for the men was Ian Clark , 21, from Eastham, MA in 2:51:16 who finished 6th overall. Top Cape and Island finisher for women was Reiko Sagioka from W. Falmouth, MA who ran in 3:39:28.
The Dunkin' Donuts Cape Cod Marathon is hosted by the Falmouth Track Club and supported by over 800 volunteers from the community. Dunkin' Donuts has been the major sponsor for the past 11 years. New Balance has sponsored the Marathon Relay for 3 years.
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