Liberty Athletic Club race report: weekend of April 26-27, 2025

              A week ago we were saying, “What a weekend of running and racing that was!”  This week we’re saying, “What a weekend of running and racing that was!”

It’s not often that big-race weekends come back to back, but the James Joyce Ramble frequently falls six days after Boston, and since becoming the USATF Masters 10K championships a decade ago it’s not an unusual occurrence, sort of like two planets lining up in the night sky.

The Ramble was the big event, numbers- and club-wise, but there were other important results on Sunday, so let’s throw the mike over to our London correspondent . . . Yes, the London Marathon is big-big-big, and for all its thousands of participants there was room for a pair of Liberty runners with widely different goals, each one achieved.  Amanda Perri deferred from last year and had to wait for months and build up all over again, with lots of long-run help from (and providing long-run help to) Jennifer Stewart.  Amanda’s PR from 2023 was a solid 3:32 but she was aiming considerably higher – those long runs paid off, as she ran a consistent 7:15/mile pace throughout to finish in 3:09:53 (half splits 1:34:29/1:35:24).  Meanwhile, Jess Moran as looking to collect her fourth ‘marathon majors’ star, which she did in 5:56:22.  Congratulations to both, and for Amanda, this represents a major step forward in her running development, setting the table for new goals at other distances.

Returning to Massachusetts we have former local and now Provincetown denizen Joan Butterton, whom we know is drawn to trails, taking on the Cape Cod Trail Races 20K.  Joan’s 2:36:19 was good for 21st overall, 9th women, and (of course) first 60+.

Now, on to Dedham and the US Masters 10K championship.  This was SO MUCH FUN to watch at the finish, as Liberty runners finished in bunches looking like blue clouds.  Fourteen runners entered and 14 finished strongly in the USATF race plus three in the Open 10K.  Liberty fielded complete scoring teams in the 40s. 50s, and 60s divisions – many received medals, everyone counted.  Individual and team results by age group:

Individual (USATF):

·       45-49: Maria Rojas Duran (6th, 63:30)

·       50-54: Orlee Berlove (17th, 53:56)

·       55-59: Mimi Fallon (5th, 43:34); Melanie MacFarlane (11th, 53:39)

·       60-64: Mary Cass (2nd, 43:34); Lauren Leslie (3rd 46:49); Viki Bok (5th, 47:20); Judy Jungels (6th, 47:26); Joanne Hill (12th,52:27); Shadi Reeder (16th, 59:53)

·       65-69: Julie Menosky (2nd, 47:43); Jackie Shakar (3rd, 47:47; Anne Shreffler 6th, 51:24); Brenda King (12th, 62:22)

Open 10K:  Jolie Jaycobs (9th overall/4th 20-39, 43:10); Catherine Xie (10th overall/5th 20-39, 43:24); Ashley Robbins (23rd 20-39, 52:30)

USATF Teams:

·       40+: 4th of 4, 2:55:16 (Hill-Reeder-King; Rojas Duran)

·       50+: 4th of 6, 2:22:59 (Fallon-Menosky-Shreffler; MacFarlane-Berlove)

·       60+: 2nd of 5, 2:17:57 (Cass-Leslie-Bok; Jungels-Shakar)

Medals (nice ones too) to members of top-3 teams and individual age groups . . . Extra thanks to Jolie, Catherine & Ashley (plus Paige who couldn’t make it) for running the Open race – no teams or medals, but you supported the 40+ runners, added more blue to the swarming finish, and gave us even more reasons to cheer . . . Jan Holmquist did it again, knocking 2:25 from the US 80-84 record with her 52:45 . . . your coach ran better than expected, winning the 70s in 40:14 . . . finally, as well as Julie ran to place 2nd in the 65-69s, she actually won the Ramble outright in 1994 & 1995, as did Judy Copley in 1989, probably pocketing a bit of prize $, hmm?  Such great history!

Upcoming Liberty club events:  Track racing in May, 26 x 1-mile relay in June, USATF-New England road mile in July.