Western Mass Distance Project

Hey runners! And walkers. And friends. And family. Join us Sunday morning in Stanley Park, Westfield, MA at 10AM for a community fun run – Run For Boston.

In the wake of these events let’s do what we do best; run. We will be running/walking laps of the Stanley Park Athletic Fields to support those in the eastern part of the state during these tragic times. Donations are open and anything we collect will be donated to The One Fund Boston. This event will not be timed, so bring your own watch! Also we welcome snacks and water! We’re working on music. Parking available at the WSU commuter lot.

So come hang out! Run, walk, dance, sit, whatever you want! We hope to see you there! More details to come…

Visit the event’s Facebook page for the most up to date information

Repeat (verb): to do. make, or perform again.

New Bedford, MA – The concept of a Grand Prix originated in French racing, meaning “The Grand Prize”. The idea of a Grand Prix is to accumulate points, or status, in a series of competitions for an ultimate “prize”. The Wolves from Western Massachusetts, particularly Kevin Johnson, have picked up on this idea as the 2013 Grand Prix continues.

The second installment of the 2013 USA Track & Field New England Grand Prix Championship Road Series transpired on the windy streets of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The harriers of New England were served 13.1 miles of southeastern Massachusetts asphalt on the sunny mid March day in the Baystate. The front of the race took its time in figuring each other out as last years winner, Mathew Pellitier, braved the wind and fulfilled his maillot jaune duties. It was not long before the pack was stirred and the New Kids on the Block would take their hand at the is “Half” distance, lead out by Sean Duncan and Kevin Johnson.

Matty P would not go down without a fight, but as the waves settled it would yet again be the Peoples Champion, Kevin Johnson, who was first to shore in his second Grand Prix victory of the 2013 season. The Powder Blue fought its way to the finish, seeking the dominance of the 10-Mile campaign, however the Unicorns of the Boston Athletic Association would not let the young Westerners run away too easily. The Golden singlets slid their hooves into the weak openings allowed by the Wolfpack, but once the dust settled it would be the Blue again, proving the 117 year old club would need to bring stronger resources to the starting line to take down the start-up from the Western side of the Commonwealth.

The Lady Wolves would go on to claim their second top 10 finish in the Grand Prix, led again by their fearless leader, Sarah Romain, in 1:23:42. Sarah was followed shortly by fellow Lady Wolves, Anne Paredes, in 1:25:09, and Madeline Weber, in 1:30:28, to round out the scoring Pack.

In the poetic flow of the previous installment, the second Chapter of this beautiful racing series reads quite nicely. Make your justifications, find your reasons, but at the end of the day it is all part of the Process, and… Well. Never mind.

AMERICA – In the final weekend leading up to the start of the 2013 Grand Prix series, the WMDP took it’s showcase on the road, covering a geographic area of 423,760 square miles. As WMDP’s beat reporter, to cover all these races, I had to drive the WolfMobile a total of 2,361 miles just to travel from race to race.

Starting in the Motherland, Troy French and Jacob Brewer, took first and second, respectively, in their final tune of for the Jones 10 Miler at the Springfield Snowstorm Classic 5k.

At the USATF-NE indoor championships at Harvard, Sean Duncan took 3rd in the 5000m with a time of 14:47.  He was shortly followed by Pack-mate Jason Ayr, whose 14:55 was good for 5th.

Further to the West, David Johnson won the Madison Winter Fest Frosty 5k handily, with a time of 15:44.

And finally, with the Wolfpack always trying to expand the definition of Western Mass, Sarah Romain finished 10th in the Austin Half Marathon, navigating the hilly course and cold temperatures in an impressive 1:25:09.

Northeastern New England – Two Wolves put in solid performances over the weekend. On Saturday, John Messer to the WMDP Blue indoors and claimed first in the 3000m at the Dartmouth Indoor Classic with a time of 8:41.48. Not to be out down, WMDP’s Matt Peabody braved the elements and grabbed 7th at the Mid-Winter 10-mile classic in Cape Elizabeth, ME with a time of 58:01.

There is no hibernation for these wolves as they continue to respect the process and brave the elements all season long.