With over 30 Wicked runners participating, the 2008 Wicked Half-Marathon earned the distinction of being the race with the largest contingent of Wicked runners to date. Blessed with a reprieve from the dire predictions of driving rain and nasty weather conditions, WRC runners most definitely made their presence known in many ways:
Three from Wicked placed among the top ten finishers: Jen Toomey (4th–1st female), Dave Dixon (5th) and Steve Nickerson (9th).
Two females placed in the top three finishers’ category: Jen Toomey (1st) and Annie Rose Willis (3rd)
Several of our members received age specific awards: Tim Short (3rd), Dave Dixon (1st), Beth Clancy (2nd), Deb Touchette (3rd), and Steve Nickerson (1st).
With five female runners registered in the “Athena” category, Wicked swept four of those five spots: Maria Ramirez, Amber Woolfenden, Melanie McKinnon, and Tricia Pini.
Special Recognition to WRC members who contributed to the American Diabetes Association and thus became members of Team Jules: Tim Clarke (finished 3rd overall in this category), Rachel Hunt, and Mara Mendelsohn. Tim Clarke also contributed to the Plummer Home fund.
Special thanks go out to the following:
Jen and Mike Toomey for setting up a hospitality tent for all WRC runners and members of the running clinic. It was great to have a place where we could leave our bags safely, gather together both before and after the race, enjoy a massage, and have our very own refreshment area. Thanks, Jen and Mike!
The Saltonstall Water Stop WRC Crew: Melissa Jaynes, Debbie Seiberg, Bob Grant, Kathey Moskal, Annalisa DiPalma, Ruth Brediger, Joe Ferlazzo, Sue Keezler, and the “ever vivacious” Sarah Calland. Seeing your faces and hearing your cheers certainly gave me a “lift” heading into Marblehead and certainly “lifted me higher” heading back down Lafayette Street as I prepared to tackle those last couple miles. Hey Sarah, were you a cheerleader in high school?
Doug Bollen, Beth O’Grady, and Colin Maclay who traversed the race route both by vehicle and by bike to provide that extra “push” to get us where we needed to go.
And what did the runners themselves have to say about the race?????
1:30:30 Tim Short
“I ran along side Rich Tomlins and I’m pretty sure he told me we were only going to do 8:00 minute miles today. I think we were a little off our game plan! Great job today, Rich. Looking forward to tearing it up at the Chicago Marathon with you.”
1:31:18 Annie Rose Willis
“This was my second half marathon, and it was a PR for me. I was proud to be the 3rd female overall! I am happy to be a part of Wicked, and couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support. I especially thank Mike and Jen for all of their awesome training. Congrats Jen :)”
1:33:58 Danny Chick
“My fastest 1/2 thanks to Rich Tomlins & Tim Short. At the start they told me it was going to be a nice 8:00 pace. I thought great, a good training run, well I fell for that one . They went out and did a 6:55 pace. I said to them during the run, hey this is the fastest 8:00 pace I ever did. Thank you to Rich & Tim for allowing me to draft.”
1:37:42 Danny Leadvaro
“It was a good day for me. Great seeing everybody.”
1:40:42 Steve Touchette
“At mile 11 I was thinking I wasn’t going to make it. Where is Billy Shea when I need him and why am I still wearing my hat? Thanks to Beth Clancy for coming to my rescue and talking me in from mile 11.”
1:40:42 Beth Clancy
“This was my first 1/2 marathon in years and I really liked the course. It is my prep for the BAA 1/2 in two weeks. I was running with a friend of mine and said “Hey, if we can keep Billy Prentiss in our site, we are running really good!” Not realizing he was hurt! What a trooper! He just keeps running. Anyway, I enjoyed my last few miles with Steve Touchette. The Wicked Running Club is the best! I have thoroughly enjoyed my last few month running the the club.”
1:42:50 John Paul Bosse
“Thanks a lot to Steve Touchette for the pep talk while we were running around Marblehead Neck! It felt good to finally beat Billy Prentiss, only to realize later that he ran injured!”
1:45:41 Billy Shea
“Tim (Clarke), if you’re going to run with me, you’ll have to stop that incessant chatter!!! It’s so distracting.” “Chicago, ready or not (NOT), here I come.”
1:46:31 Tim Clarke
“I tried to pull away from Billy Shea and he came back and crushed me.”
1:47:02 Amber Maclone
“I ran approx 1:47:02 but they left me off the results! thats my quote. lol. Just kidding. i ran with a few of my running buddies from the Toomey clinic, Becky, Kate and Nicky. They kept me entertained the entire run and made it a really fun experience. It was the longest I’ve ever run and my first half marathon so it was a big accomplishment for me.
1:47: 03 Becky Fiore
“I ran the half 20 minutes faster than I did last year. My time was 1:47 and I truly enjoyed the race (except for the last mile) because I had a wonderful group of gals to run with! Thanks Amber, Nicole and Kate for helping me run my fastest half marathon and thanks Maria for picking my butt up to make sure I got to the race!
1:48:24 Alison Phelan
“Felt good. Great to see everyone out there. I think my injury is not an issue anymore!”
1:51:16 Deb Touchette
“Liz wanted me to run faster so we could pass people on the way in. I wanted to jog in but she wanted me to speed race in! A woman in front of us heard our little family argument and said to Liz, ‘Leave your mother alone.’ Liz told her to mind her own business, that we always acted like that!”
1:51:17 Liz Touchette
“While running through the Neck, I discovered I was talking to Dave Patterson, that new Wicked ‘mystery’ runner. What a great guy! He joined at the Frosty Four and said he’s going to become more active in the Club.”
1:55:20 Fred Bollen
“Another Wicked runner passed me at mile 11 and I almost ‘wiped out’ trying and failing to keep up. Well organized race.”
2:00:02 John McDonough
“It was great to see Melissa and all the other Wicked supporters at the Wicked support station.”
2:03:27 Chip Bott
“Given my limited training schedule this summer, I was quite pleased with my time. Congrats to all who finished. What a great showing for the Club.”
2:07:10 Mara Mendelsohn
“This was my first half marathon and my goal was to finish under 2:10, so I was very excited about the time. Kerry’s pep talk the last 1/10th of a mile gave me the added push to ‘finish strong.’ Next year I am going for under 2:00!!”
2:10:46 Shari Hewson
“You definitely got it right about the weather! I thought I was dreaming when I woke up and did NOT hear rain! What a great race, great time with great people. My time was 2:10:46 - this was my fourth half marathon and my time was a PR by 26 minutes. Certainly a testament as to what the Wicked Running Club and the Toomey Clinic has done for my running! I ran the entire time with Angel Krimm (I am pretty sure she is also a Wicked member or soon will be!) and we had a great time. The brunch hosted by Jacqueline Washburn after the race was a great finish to an awesome morning!
2:15:21 Shannon O’Donnell
“It was worth every moment of training…however I could NEVER have done it without the encouragement and support of all my ‘Wicked’ friends. THANK YOU, WICKED RUNNING CLUB!”
2:16:43 Darla Johnson
“It was great to talk with so many Wicked members after the race about their accomplishments and share their excitement. I’m glad the rain held off, but from mile 11 to the finish, I was a hurting camper, and could not wait to finish.
2:26:09 Melanie McKinnon
“Even though it wasn’t close to my best time I was happy with it since I have a broken toe and haven’t been training in the past 4 weeks due to my injury.”
2:33:33 Marie Gesnaldo
“The Neck was tough. Ann Sousa carried me to there. She’s been an inspiration. Thank you, Annie. And I like Steve, but Deb wears the shorts…..” 
2:39:14 Tricia Pini
“I was heading out on the causeway when the front twenty-five runners were already making their way back on the opposite side of the road. Suddenly I was face-to-face with Tim Short who shouted, ‘Eat up those hills, Ava!’ (I’m Tricia … but Ava’s close enough). Those hills were tasty!”
2:41:06 Michele Campbell
“This was my first half marathon and it was wonderful. I ran with some friends from the B&S Training group and some strangers and it was a great group toward the back of the pack. The BEST part was the Wicked Running Club volunteers who loudly cheered me through the beginning, and most importantly toward the end. What an awesome experience!”
DNF John Mahoney
“Salem Wicked Half Marathon was my first DNF (did not finish)
ever! It seemed like the further I ran the worse I felt. I am blaming
this on having a cold and taking antihistamines for the 6 days before
the race. I am very grateful to all my Wicked friends who checked on
me during and after the race. Thank you! Now I am looking forward to
the great races we have yet to run this year and to running the Wicked
Half next year! BTW-That Steve Touchette IS getting to be too fast. I guess I will have to start doing the speed clinics again soon! BTW - that Steve Touchette *IS* getting to be too fast. I guess I will have to start doing the speed clinics again soon!”
Wicked way to go, everybody. It’s evident from reading all your comments that a common theme throughout is the importance of the Club in peoples’ lives. What a great thing!
Finally, thanks to B &S Fitness for putting on the race as well as Tache Realty and all the other sponsors who recognize the importance of running in our community.
A special report from Karen Giroux, roving reporter for WRC, on her and fellow Wicked
