Hall of Fame

In the year 2000 the Club inducted the first four members into its own Hall of Fame. The honor was bestowed on four exceptional athletes who had amassed truly impressive records in road racing and/or track and field competition. Each year since then the award has been presented to other members with exceptional credentials, typically three or four each year. Nominations for candidates to the Hall of Fame can be made by any member of the Club. Nominees must have been members of the Club for at least two years and reached the age of 70. Nominations with supporting material should be sent to the Chairman of the Hall-of-Fame Committee;

Dr. Philip Pierce

79 Waites Landiing Road

Falmouth, ME 04105

 New England 65+ Runners Club Luncheon on 9/26/22

 Bob Kennedy Inducted into NE 65+ Runners Club Hall of Fame In addition to his new position as Club President, Bob Kennedy was also this year's inductee to the NE 65 Plus Runners Club Hall of Fame. Jan Holmquist reminded us of just a few of Bob’s numerous accomplishments and contributions to the running community. These include 215 Marathons, 36 Ultras, sub 4-hour Marathons in 48 states, and 35 triathlons, including an 8th place finish in the 2008 Half Ironman World Championship. 

     A leader in the running community, Bob has USATF certified over 150 race courses and both founded and served as race director for five different marathons along with many smaller races, including our upcoming Jerry’s Run For All Ages in November. As a fundraiser, Bob has collected over $70,000 for charities including The St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Dana Farber, The American Liver Foundation, The Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, and others. 

 New England 65+ Runners Club Luncheon on 11/08/21

 Faye Lowery (2020)

Faye Lowery has raced hundreds of road races over the years, from 5Ks through 50Ks. In 2004, she won the Maine Track Club’s 50K in 5:05:34 and set a National American Masters Road Record. Also in 2004, at the age of 60, She placed first in her age group (60-64) in the Boston Marathon. She has set many state age group records in New Hampshire, several of which still stand. For example, at the 29th Annual Clarence DeMar Marathon in 2006, Faye placed first in the 60-69  division at age 63, breaking the marathon state record as well as the  state age group record. She was a member of the Rochester Runners Club for many years. She was endorsed by the 30 members of the New England Runners Hal of Fame.

Carol Weeks (2021)

Carol Weeks has been running for more the 40 years and has consistently won most of the races she has run in. She typically runs races in Maine, from 5Ks to 10 milers. She has won her age group in the Beach to Beacon 10K and the Falmouth Seven Mile Road Race. She runs age graded in the high seventies, and on September 4, 2021, ran the Randall’s Run/Walk at an age graded percentage of 79.3, the highest age graded performance in the field of runners that day. She was unanimously endorsed by the thirty voting members of the New England 65+ Hall of Fame.

Bill Reilly (2021)

Bill Reilly is an outstanding runner from Maine and was inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 2016. He also has been a cross country coach at Fryeburg Academy for the past 31 years. He has provided coaching services to the Maine Track Club since 2014. With the New England 65+ Runners Club, he has been a member of the NE-65Plus 2017 winning  team 70-74 Cross Country National USATF Team Champions and the 2018 Lone Gull 10K 70-74 National USATF Team Champions. At age 64, He ran the Hangover Classic 10K in Salisbury, Massachusetts in 2012 with a 40:00 WAVE 86.49%. This performance  and accompanying age grading placed him well within the National Level of Age Graded runners. He was unanimously endorsed by the New England 65+ Hall of Fame voting members.

Phil Pierce presented Newton Baker, with his wife Diane, the 2019 Hall of Fame award.

Before being given the award, Zeke Zucker spoke about why Newton was truly deserving of this award:

NEWTON BAKER - By the Numbers

1. 6-Day & 10-Day Races

2. 2-Day Races

3. 3-Day Races

5. VT-100's & RD Leaf Peepers Half

20. Yrs. on VCM Youth Cte.

25. Consecutive National 24-Hour - but not this year

25. Yrs. Coaching running at Elementary, Jr. High & Senior High Levels

29. Races 100 miles or longer

42. 24-Hour Races

178. Ultra's

225. Marathons

3,100. Miles across U.S. in 2015

Back to One: The gentleman we are inducting today. He is a quintessential,Dedicated, all-around Runner, Mentor and Race Director. I can't think of anyone more deserving of membership in our very own HOF. Newton Baker, you are simply amazing

Phil Pierce presented Newton Baker, with his wife Diane, the 2019 Hall of Fame award.

Before being given the award, Zeke Zucker spoke about why Newton was truly deserving of this award:

NEWTON BAKER - By the Numbers

1. 6-Day & 10-Day Races

2. 2-Day Races

3. 3-Day Races

5. VT-100's & RD Leaf Peepers Half

20. Yrs. on VCM Youth Cte.

25. Consecutive National 24-Hour - but not this year

25. Yrs. Coaching running at Elementary, Jr. High & Senior High Levels

29. Races 100 miles or longer

42. 24-Hour Races

178. Ultra's

225. Marathons

3,100. Miles across U.S. in 2015

Back to One: The gentleman we are inducting today. He is a quintessential,Dedicated, all-around Runner, Mentor and Race Director. I can't think of anyone more deserving of membership in our very own HOF. Newton Baker, you are simply amazing

Mike Brooks was presented the 2018 Hall Of Fame award by Phil Pierce.

On October 1, 2018, Mike Brooks was inducted into the 65 Plus Runners Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he was unanimously elected by the 29 voting members of the Hall for induction. Mike has run the 135 Mile Badwater Race and also climbed Mount Whitney for another 22 miles. He has run the 24 hour, the 72 hour, the Six Day and the Ten Day Transcendence Race in New York City. He has finished a marathon in all fifty states six times!. He has run 101 ultra marathons, 413 marathons, and over 1200 races in the pat 22 years. He has written a book titled "Badwater and Beyond: A Thousand Races, Places, and Faces", published just this year, 2018. Mike has raised many thousands of dollars for Camp Sunshine in Maine and several other charities. He is a great and unique addition to the New England 65 Plus Running Fall of Fame.

2015

Zeke Zucker

Zeke's running accomplishments alone would qualify him dor the HOF, but there is much more to his story than just the awesome running side of it. He has been a race director, coodrdinator of elite runners, member if various race committees, pre-race briefer, awards announcer, coach and motivational speaker. We're familiar with his work for the NE 65+ Board of Directors.

The information that follows is a brief summary of the highlights of Zeke's running career:

Has held the JFK 50 Mile 60-69 Course record since 2004.

Note: The JFK is the largest participatory Ultra in the country, with over 1,400 runners.

In April of 2009, set the National 65-69 record for the 100 Mile endurance run.

The record still stands.

Holds the 60-69 record at the Vermont 100 Mile.

Has run the Vermont 100 six times, most recently in 2010.

Winner of the Vermont 50 Mile or 50 Kilometer Trail Run 60's Division four times.

In 2004, placed 5th in the 60-64 age Division at the Boston Marathon.

In 2007, at the age of 63, ran the 55.4 mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa, finishing in 8 hrs. 49 min., placing     in the top 16% in the field of 12,600 runners.

Has completed 14 one hundred mile races, including Leadville, Co, Wasatch, UT, and the Western States 100,CA,       where he broke 24 hours.

In qualifying for Boston, ran the Shires of Vermont Marathon in May 2013, finishing in 3:46:55, 38 minutes better than his required qualifying time. Ran his 8th Boston Marathon in April.

Has completed 53 Marathons and 51 Ultra Marathons.

Jan Holmquist

According to Jan ""Getting old is fun when you're a runner, you look forward to being at the bottom of a new age group."

Jan is currently the President of the New England 65 Plus Runners Club and a member of the Board of Directors for USAFT New England.

Jan is reluctant to talk about her running accomplishments, but we did find the following stats in a Runners World article:

Lifetime PRs:

Mile: 6:01 (age 50)

5K: 19:54 (50)

10K: 41:18 (59)

10 Mile: 1:09:30 (61)

Half Marathon: 1:33:48 (61)

PRs Since Turning 70: 5K: 22:16 (U.S. 70-74 record)  10K: 45:45 (U.S. 70-74 record)  10 Mile: 1:21:40

Half Marathon: 1:44:33 (pending U.S. 70-74 record)

For more info on Jan's running achievements, check out this Runners Worlds article.

2014

 Phil Pierce and Wendy Burbank

Phil Pierce

Phil started running in 1983 at age 42 to lose weight. Phil started his running adventure by running and walking between telephone poles on his street. After three months he was able to run one mile non-stop. Phil ran his first race in 1983, a 2 miler at Togus VA.

Phil joined the Central Maine Striders and the Maine Track Club in 1983. After a couple of years Phil discovered that the longer the distance the more competitive he was. In 1984 Phil ran his first Marathon, 1985 fisrt 50 miler, 1987 first 100 mile endurance run in New York. Phil won his first and only race in October of 2000 at the age of 59, the Maine Track Club 50 Miler in Brunswick Maine, in 7:24:05 at an 8:52 pace.

Phil has been running for over 30 years and enjoys the camaraderie and frienship of runners all over New England. In 1983, Phil ran his first ever team race with the New England 65 Plus Runners Club in the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham, Masssachusetts. This race was the USATF 10K National Masters Championship. Phil along with Bill Boria, Bill Spencer, and Jerry LeVasseur placed first in the club championship for the 70 to 79 year age group.

According to Phil "My life consists of my family, work, running/racing, and not much else."

Wendy Burbank 

Wendy has been a member of the New England 65 Plus Runners Club for a number of years. Wendy started her running career at age 42 and has averaged a race a week since. Wendy first ran the Boston Marathon at age 49 and has now run 12 times. The last being at age 62. In 1995 at age 52, she won the 50-59 age division with a time of 3:2919. At age 60, Wendy won the 60-69 age division in the Ocean State Marathon with a time of 3:38. Wendy completed the Hockomock Swamp Rat series of 20 toughest races. She ran both the Clarence DeMar and Bristol Marathons six days apart. Was has run the One America Indianapolis 500 1/2 Mararthon three times finishing 2nd in her age division twice and this year finishing 1st in the 70+ division.

Wendy also set course records for 70 in this year's Market Square Day 10K as well as the Blessing of the Fleet 10 miler in which she surpassed the prior record by 15 minutes.

Wendy is a great representative for the sport of running and goes out of her way to offer assistance to those new to road racing. Her frequent participation in road raced helps to ensure the 70+ and 80+ categories continue to be added by race directors.

2013

Chuck Keating

Chuck ran his first Boston Marathon in 1969 in a time of 3:01, and he was hooked. He returned to Boston in 1970 to run a 2:40 and again in 1971 to run his personal best, 2:32 and 31st place overall. He was a young man in his twenties in those races, but he retured to the scene when he was 49 to run a 2:49 and at 52 with a 2:52 time. Beginning in 1992 Chuck ran with the 50 Plus team for the Boston Running Club, and for three straight years that team was ranked number one in the country as it won numerous national championships in both road racing and cross country. Chuck was ranked number one on that team, averaging 17:20 for 5Ks and sub 35 times for 10K's. In 1992 the team set a world age group record for the 1600 meter four-man relay, running a combined time of 19:50 with Chuck contributing a 5:02 for his leg. In 2001,still a team player, Chuck ran with the 50 Plus team of the Wolfpit's Running Club. That team won its age group for the Winnipesaukee Relay, the Reach The Beach Relay and the National Masters Championship in Rochester, NY. The following April Chuck ran Boston again at the age of 61 turning in a 3:24 time. In his seventies he has won national events including the 10K at the Masters Track Meet in Sacramento in 2011, and the 10K Masters XC Championship in Seattle in 2012. In a series of mega races in the southeast this year he won his age group in the Gate River 15K in Jacksonville, FL, the Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa, FL, and the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA. His win in the Peachtree Race was in a field of 400 runners in the 70-75 age group. Chuck's running career, the times and events of the period in which it occurred is portrayed in his five-part article "My Forty Year Journey" in our NE 65 Plus Runners Club Newsletter, beginning in the Spring of 2008. 

Frank Hurt

At the age of 68 Frank began competitive running following the suggestion of John Howe, a member of our club. With a national ranking a few times around 81%, he didn't understand how this was possible, as others had run longer, farther and faster. When he asked about this he was told that he had distinguished himself in two kinds of competition: mountain/trail running and short distance road racing. Well, between 2009 and 2012 he won the USATF Mountain/Trail New England Series (best 5 out of 6 events) in each of those years. In the 70-75 age group he was first at Mt. Wachusett for six years. At the Mount Washington Road Race, which he first ran in 2005 and every year since, except for 2008 when he was injured, he earned one first place, one 4th, two 5th and a 9th and 10th in the 60+ age division. His personal best for that race set in 2009 was 1:58:38. Frank has continued to excel in mountain and trail races in recent years, taking first place, for example, in the USATF NE Trail Championship in Northfield, MA with a 120- ft. climb and descent. He took first place in 2009 and 2011 at the Mount Cranmore race, again with climb and descent legs and a 2nd place in 2012. He has joined the flatlanders at the USATF 5K Championship in Syracuse, NY, takiing first place in 2012, 3rd place in 2010 and 6th in 2009. His personal records are 47:59 for 10K (2006 in Hanover, NH), 38:38 for 5 miles (2007, Concord, NH) and  38:55 for a 5-mile Beach Run (2009, Ogunquit, ME). When the snow falls Frank competes in cross county skiing. "Running Times" included him in their Honorable Mention category for 2011, and yet when he was nominated for this Club's Hall of Fame in 2013, he was incredulous. A modest man indeed. 

2012

Bill Borla, Torrington, Connecticut

Bill has been identified as the Outstanding Runner in CT by the New England Runner Magazine and by the Running Times. In Running Times Bill placed in the top three several times. At age 65 Bill set the American record for the 5K in New Milford, CT in 18:12. He ran on several relay record setting teams, including the Lake Winnipesaukee and the 200-mile Reach the Beach Relay Team. He has won numerous national championships in track, road and cross country, running on National Teams with John Dugdale and Jerry LeVasseur. At the Stockade-athon Bill was age graded (91.59) second to Ed Whitlock several times. At the Beach-to-Beacon he set the 65-69 age group record in 39:15. Bill has won every 5K and 10K at the National Senior Games since he was 59, for a total of six national games He placed third in the 5K and in 10K at the World Masters Athletics in Puerto Rico.

Bill Borla, Torrington, Connecticut 

Tom Butterfield,  Windsor, Connecticut 

Tom Butterfield is both an outstanding track coach and an outstanding runner. His coaching record over 50 years tells the story : 1195 wins, 331 losses and 2 ties. Along the way Tom and his athletes won 28 city titles, the Hartford Invitational 10 times, and the Greater Hartford Invitational 22 times. The list includes 37 league titles and 16 state championships. 560 of his athletes made all conference, 232 made all state, 55 made all New England, 16 made all American, 28 set state records and 7 set New England records. Tom has recently been recognized nationally by the National High School Coaches Association. He was also named recently as the Coach of the Year in outdoor track.

Tom holds or held the following state, New England and National records in track:  Age 71: Set national records in 2000 meter steeplechase.  Age 65-69: New England steeplechase 2000 meter record;  Age 70-79: New England steeplechase 2000 meter record;  Age 65-69: New England long jump and triple jump record:  Age 60-69: New England 110 meter hurdle record;  Age 75-79; state records in 2000 meter, steeplechase, 800 meter, one and two miles.  Age 60-75: Set 56 age group course records and 38 times was Masters All American.

Geoffrey Etherington, Killingworth, Connecticut

Geoff has been running national class times, and currently, at age 83, is running age graded times in the high 80s and low 90s (90.9 at the Clinton Blue Fish 5K in 24:35). His age graded performance times are in the high 80s and low 90s (90.09 at Clinton Blue Fish 5K in 24.35). His age graded performances over the past 10 years have been consistently in the 80s. He has been named by New England Runner Magazine as the top performer in his age groups for Connecticut and is listed in Running Times Magazine as one of the top three performers in the country. At the present time Geoff may be the best 80-year old runner in the NE65+ Running Club. In the February/March 2012 issue of Running Times Geoff was listed as Number One in the country (M80-84) for his performance at the Stratton Farm 20K in 1:48:41.

Lou Peters, Methuen, Massachusetts

Lou has been running for nearly 60 years and this year received Honorable Mention in the Running Times February / March issue identifying national class runners (M85-89). To date, Lou has been the only New England runner to complete the Pub Series as an 80-year old.  In 2011 Lou won the Mount Washington Road Race (M85-89) in 3:19:32. He won the Run for All Ages 5K in 2011 in 37:59. Over the years Lou has run more than 1700 races and worn out hundreds of pairs of running shoes. He was a founder of the New England 65 Plus Runners Club and still serves on the Board of Directors. In 2005 he received the Reverend Joseph Shea Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions to the Club. 

2011

Dennis Branham, Providence, RI

Now 80 years old, Dennis has continued to run well throughout the last several years. At age 79, he ran a 24:38 5 K, and at age 80 a 25:31 at the CVS Downtown in Providence. He followed up this finish with a 25:46 at the Run For All Ages, breaking Bill Tribou's record of 26:57 set in 2002. His 5 K times were age graded at 82.83 %.

At the age of 79, Dennis competed in the USATF Masters Indoor Championship in Boston, running14:11:96 for the 3000 and 7:11:47 for the mile. He followed this up after turning 80 at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California where he ran the 400 meters in 1:31:77, the 800 meters in 3:16:71 (second to Earl Fee in these) and running the 1500 in 6:51:49 and the 5000 in 24:40:50. With the exception of the 400 meters, these were all age graded in the National Category.

In 2010, Dennis was nationally ranked on the roads and in 2011 was the top Rhode Island 80+ runner as ranked by New England Runner. Dennis was world ranked third in 2010 in the 800 meters, fourth in the 5000 meters and fifth in the 1500 meters.

Dennis began running in high school, continued while serving in the US Air Force and still trains regularly with the Providence Ronald McDonald Club Runners. He also assists in indoor and outdoor track meets at Brown University. 

Joe Cordero, Islip Terrace, NY 

Joe won the steeplechase at the Outdoor National Track & Field Championships five years in a row, from 2004 through 2008.  At Orlando, Florida in 2001, he set the national age group record (60-64) with a time of 8:09 for the 2000 meter steeplechase.  In 2002, in Orono, Maine he set the age 64 individual record at 8:26.  From age 61 to 70 Joe participated in several National 4 x 800 relays.  In 1999, he ran the 4 x 400 relay that set the national record for age 60 with a time of 4:15 for the indoor trials.  At age 70 he won the 1500 meter, the steeplechase, and participated in the winning of the 4 x 400 and the 4 x 800 relays at the 2008 Outdoor Nationals.  All told, Joe accumulated seven national steeplechase titles, one 1500 meter title, two cross country titles, two indoor titles (1 mile & 3000 meters in 2008), two steeplechase records at nationals, and two international titles (steeplechase and 5000 meter at Clairmont, Florida in August, 2008) for the WMA Regional Championship for North America and Central America.  His age- graded scores over the past 10 years for a wide range of races have ranged from 74.01% to 85.60%, all national caliber performances. 

Bob Hall, Sudbury, MA 

Bob's race credentials are rather more modest than his fellow inductees this year. He has typically run about 7 or 8 races a year since turning 65. In the more challenging and better known races he has won the Applefest Half Marathon 7 times, setting individual age records in six of them. He has won his division in the Mt. Washington Road Race six times, the last at age 81 that was good for a national championship in a time of 2:34.. He also took second place on that one hill 6 times and third place once. He won his division in the New Bedford Half Marathon once - when Joe Fernandez didn't run -- and the Falmouth Road Race at age 69, the one time he ran it after turning 65. His times for the 3.4 miles in the Corporate Challenge in Boston at ages 64-68 were remarkably constant 25:08 - 25:30, as were his times in the Sudbury July Fourth Road Race, his favorite race, over a 3.75-mile course at ages 63-69: 25:30 - 26:58. Bob won his division in that race all 22 times he ran it except for the first two, which were only a year or two after he took up the sport. He has been the director of the race for the last 8 years. He has only eight marathons to his credit and only two second place medals, one in the Ocean State Marathon and one in the Boston Peace Marathon. His best marathon time was his first at age 56 when he ran a 3:17 in the Ocean State Marathon. His best 5K times came in a race that has not survived, the Pilgrim Brewery 5K on Thanksgiving in Stow, MA where he ran 21:00 and 21:35 at ages 66 and 68.

In addition to his director's role in the Sudbury July Fourth Road Race Bob has also been the leader for 13 years of the Concord Runners, an informal "group" that has grown from a founding 8 or 9 men in 1978 to an equally informal group of more than 120 men and women. He has also served as president of the New England 65 Plus Runners Club and is currently its web master. 

Douglas H. MacGregor, Lebanon, NH 

Doug was probably the top New England runner during the 1987-1997 decade. He set many 50-59 age-group road-race records which still stand today. He was running 10 Ks in the low to mid 30s while in his 50s. At age 61, he was named by New England Runner the NH Veteran Male Runner of the year. At age 65 Doug was hit by a fast moving vehicle while running in Chicago. He suffered four broken ribs, a punctured lung; twisted vertebrae, was knocked unconscious, and spent 2 days in the hospital. Following this incident, he ran fewer races and ran slower, but still won races in his age group, although no longer consistently placing first. When he turned 70 years old, he began consistently placing first in his age group and ran more races than he had from age 65-69, about 10 a year. Doug considered the following races his best races:

1. Winning age group (50-59) Old Reliable National Championship 10 K Road Race in Raleigh, NC in  33:52, November 12, 1989.

2. Winning the 50-59 age group National Masters 8-K Cross Country Championship in Franklin Park , November 20, 1993 with a time of 28:27.

3. Helping the Greater Lowell Road Runners win the National Masters Cross Country Team Title in 1991.

His lifetime PRs in the 50s age group were:5 K = 16:10; 8 K = 28:28; 10 K = 33:27; 10 miles = 55:28;

half marathon = 1:15:27. 

2010

Polly Kenniston, Scarborough, ME

Even though Polly does not race far from home most of the time, she is a national class runner with age graded times in the mid 80's (see below) She holds six 70 age-group Maine Corporate Track records for distances of 200 meters to 5K.Though not a frequent marathoner she has had notable finishes in recent years, including 2nd place in the 65-69 division at the Marine Corps Marathon in 2006 in a time of 4:41 and a first place in the 70+ division at the Sugarloaf Marathon in 2009 with a time of 4:39. Polly has run all 12 of the Beach to Beacon 10K races. In the last three, still going very strong, she has had two second places (55:20 in 2008, 56:04 in 2009) and a first place in 2010 in 58:17. Her age-graded times (shown in parentheses) in 2008 were 57:27 (81.52) for 10K; 1:24:20 (83:17) for 10 miles; 27:22 (83.74) for 5K and 44:00 (83:58) for 5 miles. In 2009 Polly ran a 10K in 57:20 (83:23), 5 miles in 44:31 (85,62) and a 5K in 27:22 (84.96). Clearly all national class! In 2007 Polly received the Tim Smith Award from the Maine Corporate Track Association as female athlete of the season, an award given to runners who compete in 800 meters, 1600 meters, 2 miles and 5K races.In 2009 Polly was voted the Female Athlete of the Year in the 70-79 age group by the Maine Track Club. She is still hungry for more records and to best her times at some distances. I wouldn't bet against her. 

2009

Jerry LeVasseur, Brunswick, ME

Jerry, our Club president shown here with Phil Pierce, HOF Committee chairman started racing at age 42 and reports his best times were at age 48. For 5K then it was 17:07; for 10 K, 35:27. But let's skip to his later years, after 60 when he ran a 19:25 5K, a 39:13 10K, 32:41 5 mile and a 5:37 mile. After 65 he turned in a 20:57 5K, a 36:43 5 Mile, a 46:09 10K and a 6:13 Mile. He didn't slow much after 70 when he did a 6:41 mile and a 23:10 5K. So is he fast or not? Let's go to his medals chest which is filled with world and national championship awards, including 5 gold and 2 silver in the International Senior Games when he was 57, 1 gold and 3 bronze in the World Masters when he was in the 60-69 period, and 16 individual and 34 team/relay medals in the National Masters XC and Track competitions. He has been the National Champion in the steeplechase and 8K cross country, and in senior summer and winter games he has won 7 medals and many placing ribbons. He contributed to a world record in the 4x1600 in the 60-69 age group. At age 70 he won 9 National medals, including National Champion in the triple jump and helped set a national and world record in the 4x800, not to mention 7 Corporate Track age group records from the long jump to the 5K. And here is an interesting statistic: he has averaged 41 age group wins per year with a high of 75 in 2008 at the age of 71. He is a racing fiend! But he has been more than a runner, serving for example on a number of Boards, including those of the Maine and Connecticut Senior Games and as an inveterate organizer of teams that have enviable records in many races, not the least being the Lake Winnipesaukee Relay for 12 years and Wolfpit Road Runners Club's six National Cross Country championships. Jerry has been a volunteer track and XC coach at Bowdoin College since 2004 and is now the head cross country JV coach. Enough said! 

John Dugdale, Ridgefield, Connecticut 

John has had an extremely illustrious career in road running that began when he was 41 years old and continued until he was forced to stop for a while following a heart attack he suffered at age 69. A look at his records up until that time leaves no doubt that he was a runner of the highest caliber. Runners World ranked him in the top 3 runners age 45-49, and the New York Road Runners Club gave him a special award for having run 20 miles at sub-6-mile pace at age 49. His race times at age 50, good enough to win every race he ran, are enough to justify his inclusion in our Hall of Fame. Witness: Midas Mile in Middletown, CT, 4:26; 3 Mile Lightfoot Summer Series, Norwalk, 14:59 (course record); Five Mile Summer Series, 25:44; I-95 Moose Run 10K, Danbury, 32:02; Utica Boilermaker 15K, 48:49; Blessing of the Fleet 10 Miles, Narragansett, 52:21; Ridgefield Half Marathon, 1:11:25, Maine Coast Marathon, 2:36:47 and Marine Corps Marathon, 2:38, among others. He won the Falmouth Road Race that same year and then drove for 3.5 hours to win the Sunset 10K in Shelton, CT. Looking at another slice of his running career in his late sixties he was very much a force individually and as a team member at the National Masters Championships. At age 66 he won the 5K race in 21:31and helped his Wolfpit RC team to a first place finish. In Boston he ran a 40:51 10K, again helping his team to a first place finish in the 60-69 age division. In the following three years the story was the same, 1st place in 8K and 5K races on teams that each year placed first in the 60-69 division. John remains an active force in the Wolfpit Running Club in Ridgefield CT, as past president and longtime secretary/treasurer. For the past 20 years he has been co-director of the Ridgefield Pamby Half Marathon. 

Carrie Parsi, Gloucester, MA 

For 30 years Carrie has been assembling a phenomenal record in road and cross country racing, impossible to summarize in this short space. A few highlights must include 24 marathons, 14 in Boston, and wins in her division in a least 4. She holds 11 individual age records in the Apple Fest Half Marathon dating back to 1989. She has shown her strength at that distance with first-place finishes at the New Bedford Half where she holds several records. She has run the Mt. Washington Road Race 14 times, still holds therecord for the 60-64 division and 9 single-age records. And the lady has not run out of gas. Note these first place times in recent races: In 2007 and 2008 at ages 68 and 69 she ran the Mt. Wachusett 4.3 miles in 45:10 and 46:12; the Lone Gull 10k in 52:10 and 51:55; Run the Goose 7K in 36:55. In 2009 she turned in a 3:02:46 at Stu's 30K for first place in the 70+ division, where she had set a course record in 1994 at age 55. She has impressive XC credentials with wins at 10K and 6K distances in the nationals in 1996 and 2005, respectively. She has been a member of the Liberty Athletic Club for 29 years and has helped the 65-69 track team set a world record in the 4X800. At age 58she won the 3000 meters in a time of 12:15:71. Carrie was ranked third nationally in the 55-59 age group, and more recently was voted the New England Woman Runners of the Year for the 70+ division. And all that is just a piece of the story. 

David Sonstroem, Storrs, CT 

Another Connecticut Yankee who has won his division nearly every race he has run, 44 times just since turning 65. His marathon record is truly amazing. At the Hartford he won all six times he ran it, 4 since turning 65, at the Vermont city six of the seven times he ran. In the Mystic Places Marathon he won both times he ran, running a 3:28:30 when he was 70. That time was the second fastest by an American 70 and older. In the Fairfield Half Marathon he won his division five of the six times he ran it, everyone since turning 65. In the Iron Horse Half Marathon in Simsbury, CT he won again the three times he ran it. In the fall of 2009 he ran the Niantic Bay Half Marathon for the first time and set a course record for the 70-79 division with a time of 1:44:01. In the New Haven 20K his record is seven out of eight, wins of course. In the Montville Masters 10K he is eight for eight, and in the Manchester 4.48 Mile Road Race he has won four times. He ran a 6:42 in the Willimantic Boom Box Mile in 2009, his second win in that race in as many tries. He has received many accolades: New England Runner's top runner in the 70-79 age group in 2007, the second fastest marathon runner in the US in 2006 and twelfth in the world. There is no sign that any of these win strings are likely to end very soon. 

2008

George Bisson, Hooksett, New Hampshire

George has been a stalwart in our club since 2001, serving on the Board of Directors and on the Run For All Ages Race Committee. One thing that makes him so fast is his desire to beat Bill Spencer one of these years. At age 65 he was getting close, finishing second to Bill's 36:36 with a 36:49 in the Red Barn Five Miler in Dover, NH. At age 64 he had run the Homecoming Newburyport 10 Miler in 1:14:51, a 7:30 pace. In 2005 at age 69 he ran the High Street Mile in Newburyport in 6:15:00. A few more samples of his prowess on the road: In 2000 he ran the East End 5 Mile run in Lowell in 34:51, a 6:58 pace. At age 71 he ran the Mill City 5K in Lowell, MA on September 2nd in 23:02, a 7:25 pace and the Kerouac 5K, also in Lowell, in 22:23, a 7:13 pace. Not confined to the road, George went 3.5 miles cross country in Andover finishing in 8:03, an 8:01 pace 

Harry Carter, Blackstone Massachusetts 

We can begin by noting that in 1999 Harry was honored as a USATF Ironrunner, one of only 96 who finished all 7 races in the New England Grand Prix Series. More recently at age 68 Harry won his division in the Hyannis Half Marathon in 2005 finishing in 1:36:22, under USATF guidelines, of course. Also in 2005 he ran the Super 5K Road Race in the time of 20:10, a 6:30 pace, and finished ahead of Bill Spencer in the Rhody 5K; his time was 20:50, Bill's was 20:55. Notice how Bill is the benchmark against which we compare runners in that division. Also in 2005 Harry ran the Ollie 5-Mile Road Race in 34:54. In 2006, he won the 65-69 age division in the New Bedford Half Marathon with a time of 1:36:57, a 7:24 pace. In 2007 at the National Club Championship's Masters for Men Harry finished third in the 10K road race, in a time of 50:00 trailing Bill who finished first in this one with a time of 49:10. But Harry picked up some speed at the Walpole 10K to finish in 44:54, a 7:14 pace. The friendly rivalry with Bill continues. 

Bob Randall, Springvale, Maine 

Bob has contributed to running in many ways, as a cofounder of the Winners Circle Running Club, as founder of the Toys for Tots race in Merrimac, as official timer for Bay State Timing and most recently as Director at Large for the NE65+RC. He also races extremely well, having run the Boston Marathon 15 times. At age he ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2:58. He routinely turned in times of 17 and change in 5K races. In 2002 at age 65 he ran a 21:21 Portsmouth Harbor Trail 5K. In 2003 his time in the Mt. Washington Road Race was 1:51:13 and at the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine he was 2nd in the 65-69 division with a time of 45:02. In 2007 at age 70 he found 29th place in a field of 118 runners in the Presidential 5K in Kennebunkport, ME with a time of 23:50, a 7:41 pace. Also in 2007 he finished 2nd in the White Mountain Milers Half Marathon in North Conway with a time of 2:07:18, a 9:43 pace. And look at some times in 2008: 24:18 at the Pine Cove 5K in Cape Elizabeth, 24:11 at the York Hospital 5K in York ME. Still going very strong. 

2007

Dick Fedion, North Conway, New Hampshire 

Shown here with Fred Zuleger and Bob Hall, Dick is an ultra marathoner with credentials of the highest order. His ultra race history requires no embellishment with races at distances run by normal human beings. A few examples: When he was 60 years old he won his age division 7 times in New England marathons and was third overall in a 24-hour run, covering 105 miles in that time. When he was 62 he bested that record running 108 miles, 65 in the first 12 hours to set a national record at the time. He has won the New England 50-mile championship 6 times in the 50- and 60-year old divisions, not to mention the 100K National Championship when he was 63 In recent years he has developed a fondness for the Stone Cat 50-mile trail race in Topsfield, MA, placing first to finish in the allotted time at ages 69 and 70 and 57th overall of 195 finishers at age 72. He also has wins in the Disney Marathon, in the Holyoke and Fitchburg Marathons, the Sugarloaf Marathon (twice), not to mention the Clarence DeMar Marathon, and the New Hampshire and Mount Desert Marathons. There is a 2nd place in the 70+ division that snuck in there somehow for the Bay State Marathon in Lowell. We nearly forgot this runner from New Hampshire is a mountain runner -surprise! He was first in the 70+ division in the White Face Mountain race in New York and first on Mount Washington the same year. Enough said? 

Mary Harada, West Newbury, Massachusetts 

Mary began running for exercise when she was 33 years old. That was 1968 when there were not many women pounding the pavements. She began racing when she was 42, and in the years that followed this most versatile runner was a force to be reckoned with on the roads, cross country and on the track. She ran and medaled at all distances on the road, taking first or second place in virtually all local races and medaling over the years in the large races as well, such as the Bonnie Bell, where she took 4th in the 40-49 age group, 2nd in the 50-59 age group and 3rd in the 60-69 division. But it has been in track competition, indoor and outdoor, that she has truly excelled., especially in recent years as a "mature" woman old enough to be a member of our club. For example, in National Masters Indoor Track Meets between 2002 and 2006 she won at the 3K distance three times, took first and third place finishes in the 800 meter, and first and 2nd places in the mile. Her National Masters outdoor track performances in the same period include 3 wins at 5K, two second places at 1500 m, a 2nd place at 800 m and a first place at 400 m. Not content with just National acclaim Mary has traveled to South Africa, Great Britain, Australia, Puerto Rico, Spain, Austria, Canada and Barbados to compete in the International Masters Track competitions where she has garnered six bronze medals and four silver at various distances. Most notably, she set a World record for women 70-75 years old for the indoor mile in March, 2006 with a time of 7:12:59. In 2005 she had previously set American records for the outdoor mile and for the 3000m. In her medal collection she can also count 5 gold medals and one silver in National and New England Cross Country Championships in the last four years. In March of 2006 she was named Athlete of the Month by USATF New England and Track Athlete of the Year for the 70-74 age division by USATF. She is also the recipient of the Fred Brown Cup of the North Medford Club. 

Bill Riley, Centerville, Massachusetts 

Where shall we start? Let's begin with his illustrious triathlon career. Between the ages of 52 and 61 Bill competed in 10 triathlons, four of them the Hawaii Ironman Championships, where he won in his age group every time, setting a course record in 1989 when he was 53. In the National Championships between 1990 and 1997 he took 6 first places and 2 second places in his age group. In 1988 in the Bud Light Endurance Ironman his time of 10:14:51 was a world record for 50+ Triathletes. He was selected for the Triathlon All American Team 10 times from 1988-1997, and in 1991 he was USA Triathlon Master's Triathlete of the Year. Three triathlons at age 70 were all halves, all wins, and he was ranked number one in his age group for 2006 by USAT. Bill also has duathlon championships to his credit: 3 National Championships, a World Championship and a second place, first American finish in another World Championship.

On the roads he has completed more than 40 marathons, 21 Bostons, with a Boston PR of 2:50. At ages 60-64 his 5 Boston times averaged 3:06, with a 2:58 at age 61. In 1997, at age 61 he was selected Runner of the Year and ranked number 1 in his age group by the USATF. At age 65 he was again ranked number one in his age group and selected as Outstanding Athlete of the Year. He was number one yet again in 2006 at age 70 and Outstanding Runner of the Year. He ran 10 races that year and won all of them, setting an American course record in the Utica Boiler Maker 15K (1:03:25) and a course record at the Beach to Beacon 10K (40:51). He has won his age group in 9 straight Falmouth Road Races. His list of wins at substantially less than sub-seven minute paces goes on, and last year he took 18 minutes off the course record for 70-74 runners at the Mt. Washington Road Race with a time of 1:34:54.

Bill Spencer, Litchfield, New Hampshire 

Bill ran quite successfully in both high school and college but quit running a few years after college to pursue his career. His return at the age of 55 has yielded an illustrious record of wins and championships in track, cross county and road racing. His accomplishments for just the years since he turned 65 are more than enough to amaze. At 65 he ran in the National Masters Indoor Track Championships and placed second in the 3K (11:23), ranked 6th in the world. He placed third in the mile (5:40) which brought him a 4th place world ranking. He ran 15 road races that year at distances of one mile (5:28), 5K (19:44), 6K (24:59), 8K (33:06) and 12K (51:16). Those were all first or second places; the 8K and 12K are current New Hampshire 65 age records. His Millennium Mile time in Londonderry was no fluke; in the years that followed Bill notched a 5:34. , 5:32, 5:27 and 5:43 in that same race. At age 66 he ran 17 road races, finishing first or second in all of them. His 6K and 8K times are NH age-66 records. On the indoor track he was National Champion at 3K (11:26), ranked 10th in the world, and a bronze medalist in the mile, ranked third in the world. At the National Masters Outdoor Championship he was the silver medalist in the 5K (20:05). Some highlights in succeeding years: a 1:36:54 to win his age group in the Vancouver Half Marathon at age 67. His 5K, 6K, 8K and 12K races that same year are all NH age-67 records. This is beginning to sound like a broken record. Each year he has set new records for most of those distances. At the indoor Nationals when he was 68 he took the silver medal in the 3K (11:34) and the bronze in the mile (5:49). He ran on a 4 X 1600 relay team that broke the existing record that he had helped set a few years earlier. At 69 he ran 16 road races placing between first and third in most of them, and won the USATF indoor 3K championship in 11:40, the second fastest in the country that year. In the NH State Record Listing he shows up as #3 all time at 5K, #2 all time at 8K, #3 all time at 10K, #2 all time at 12K, #3 all time at 15K, #5 all time at 20K and # 1 all time at the half marathon. At the National Masters Indoor Track Championships at ages 61-64 he garnered two gold and one silver medal at 3K, as well as a gold in the mile. At age 62 he was also the National 5K Cross Country Champion in the 60-69 age group, and the year before he was the National Age group Champion for the 20K. In addition to all of his personal running feats Bill has also been coaching, successfully it should be noted, young girls, 11-12 years old to compete in the National Junior Cross Country Championships. He has served as president and in other capacities of the Gate City Striders, and he is the keeper of the New Hampshire State Records of running. Impeccable credentials! 

2006

Jim Lynch NH LDR, Track and Field

Barbara Jordan VT Track and Field 

Richard Busa MA LDR, Ultra Marathon

2005

Ed Sato MA LDR 

John Parker NH LDR, Track and field

Jim McLaughlin NH LDR 

Bill Engle NH LDR

2004

Jon Tobey VT LDR, Track and Field

Mary Haines CT LDR 

John DiComandrea MA LDR

Gerald Barney VT LDR, Ultra Marathoner

2003

Lloyd Slocum ME LDR 

Don Ross MA LDR

Ken Folsom NH LDR

2002

Bill Tribou CT LDR, Track and Field

Rev. John Noftle MA LDR

Robert Matteson VT LDR, Track and Field

Dr. Ray Cormier MA Track and Field

2001

Rev. Joe Shea NY Triathlete

Barbara Robinson NH LDR

Joe Fernandez MA LDR

2000

Louise Rossetti MA LDR 

Carlton Mendel ME LDR, Ultra Marathoner

George Conway MA Track and Field

Phil Campbell MA LDR