Lennox wins race, Herbert top woman

The Westport Parks and Recreation department sponsored the second race of the 2010 Road Runners season last Saturday with a 3.05-mile run which started and finished at Longshore Club Park. Prior to the start of this race a special tribute was held by race officials and participants honoring the memory of long time Road Runner competitor Charles Lucas of Westport who past away suddenly in a tragic boating accident the previous week. Lucas is fondly remembered as having a generous spirit and a very positive "can do" attitude. He was described by one of the participants as being "a kind man with a very big heart." He was a strong advocate and supporter of not only the Road Runners Program, but of the Staples High School cross country and track and field teams as well.

Daniel Lennox of Bedford, N.Y. won his first-ever race as he led a near-record 171 runners with a time of 16:58. Lennox's time, however, was well off the course record of 14:48 set by Bruce Merrill (17:43) of Stamford in 1978. Tom Parise of Suffield and Steven Marsalese (18:14) of Rye Brooke, N.Y. placed second and third. Liz Herbert (18:52) of Darien won the women's division and was in sixth place overall. Amy Fredericks (19:21) of Norwalk in ninth-place and Catherine Galin (20:30) of Westport took second and third, respectively in the women's division and placed ninth and 21st, overall.

Westport-Weston residents who finished in the top ten were David Allen, fourth in 18:27, Paul Greenberg, fifth in 18:39, Roger Baxley, seventh in 18:53, and Jack Hennessey, 10th in 19:24.

This week's point winners in the Grand Prix scoring system are as follows: Men's Junior Division; Jack Hennessey, 3 points, Spencer Brown, 2 points, and John Sand, 1 point. Men's Open Division; Tom Parise, 3 points, Ian Moye, 2 points, and Rob Parise, 1 point. Men's Sub-Masters Division; Daniel Lennox, 3 points, Vincent Dejana, 2 points, and David Menoni, 1 point. Men's Masters Division; Steven Marsalese, 3 points, David Allen, 2 points, and Paul Greenberg, 1 point. Men's Grand Masters Division; Alan Dias, 3 points, Roland Lochoff, 2 points, and Joe Von Ehr, 1 point. Men's Veterans Division; Steve Sylvestro, 3 points, Ramsay Merriss, 2 points, and Martin Herbstman, 1 point. Men's Grand Veterans Division; Bob Laufer, 3 points, Bob Dittemer, 2 points, and Jim Stevens, 1 point. Women's Junior Division; Kylie Gould, 3 points, Judy Feng, 2 points, and Georgia Kursten, 1 point. Women's Open Division; Kelly Bird, 3 points, and Christine Curbas, 2 points. Women's Sub-Masters Division; Catherine Galin, 3 points, Kristin Simonsen, 2 points, and Meghan Halky, 1 point. Women's Masters Division; Liz Herbert, 3 points, Amy Fredericks, 2 points, and, Dee Dee Scanlin, 1 point. Women's Grand Masters Division; Deidre O'Farrelly, 3 points, Ronnie Behringer, 2 points, and Maj-Britt Hagsted, 1 point. Women's Veterans Division; Carol Kane, 3 points, and Rita LaBar, 2 points. Women's Grand Veterans Division; Norma Minkowitz, 3 points.

Grand Prix Division point leaders after two races are as follows: Junior Men; Jack Hennessey, 6 points. Open Men; Tom Parise, 6 points. Sub-Masters Men; Vincent Dejana, 5 points. Masters Men; David Allen, 4 points. Grand Masters Men; Randy Brophy and Alan Dias, 3 points. Veteran Men; Ramsey Merriss and Steve Sylvestro, 5 points. Grand Veteran Men; Bob Laufer, 6 points. Overall Men; Tom Parise, 18 points. Junior Women; Judy Feng, 5 points. Open Women; Emily Lamont and Kelly Bird, 3 points. Sub-Masters Women; Lyn McCabe and Catherine Galin, 3 points. Masters Women; Liz Herbert, 6 points. Grand Masters Women; Deidre O'Farrelly, 5 points.

Veteran Women; Carol Kane, 6 points. Grand Veteran Women; Norma Minkowitz, 6 points. Overall Women; Liz Herbert, 20 points.

This week's gift certificate and prize winners were Daniel Brill, Steve Landowne, Marilyn Pozzuto, Portia Schultz, Laura Battisti, Joe Gelb and Daniel Landy whose place stick numbers were drawn at the post-race prize lottery. This week's award tee-shirt winners were Daniel Lennox, Steven Marsalese, David Allen, Amy Fredericks, Catherine Galin and Kelly Bird.

The next scheduled race will be held tomorrow at 8 a.m. with a 3.8-mile run starting at Longshore Club Park. The runners will start at the Longshore Marina Parking Lot and run out the Exit Road, turning right on South Compo Road, right on Compo Beach Road, right on the Compo Beach Entrance Road and follow the perimeter roads of the beach, out the Compo Beach Exit Road, straight on Soundview Drive, left on South Compo Road, left on the Longshore Entrance Road, straight toward the Recreation Office Parking Lot, left at the first tee of the golf course and past the entrance of the Longshore Inn Restaurant, right at the pool and tennis court parking lot, and finish in front of the Pavilion next to the tennis courts. The record for the 3.8 mile race of 19:06 was set by Dave Peterson of Fairfield in 1981. The women's record of 22:45 was set by Mary Dolan-Zengo of Wilton in 1997.

All interested persons are invited to participate. Applications for and information about the Road Runners Program are available at the Recreation Offices at Longshore Club Park, at the start of each Saturday's race, or at the Program's website located at: westportroadrunners.org. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Pavilion located next to the Tennis Courts and Pool area. The fee for the program is $30 for Westport residents and $50 for non-residents. In addition, participants have the option of paying a weekly fee of $5 (resident) or $8 (non-resident) per race fee instead of the program fee. All participants are reminded to park in the Marina or Gravel Parking Lots not the Tennis and Pool Parking Lot. Co-sponsors of this year's Road Runners Program include: Pequot Runners, Running Times Magazine, Village Bagels, Runner Roost, Sherpa Training, Road I.D. and Matt Greene of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.

Complete results of Saturday's 3.05 mile race are at westportroadrunners.org.