PLYMOUTH, MA…
One of the draws of the Old Sandwich Road Race (OSRR) is the history of and along the course. Now in its third year, the race itself is making some history as Kenyan Moninda Marube won the Men’s Half Marathon in course record time of 1:08:13. In the process, he collected the largest winner’s purse in the history of the race, a winner-take-all $3,000.
“It may have been a cold and damp day, but Moninda torched the course,” said Steven V. Dubin, OSRR communications director. “Besides setting the course record, Moninda brought an electricity to the event that inspired the other runners.”
Maxwell Basset of New Hampshire was one of those runners. The 16-year-old finished first in the OSRR 10k, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the race. In fact, the top five finishers in the 10k were all 18 years of age or younger, the youngest being Collyn Brenner, a Plymouth resident and the 14-year-old son of OSRR Race Director Craig Valentine Brenner.
“I could not be more proud of my son for his efforts,” said Brenner. “The day before the race, we took Moninda for a drive of the course. My son’s a very good runner but I have no doubt that being around one of the elite Kenyan runners pushed him just a little more.”
The OSRR winners were as follows:
Half Marathon:
- Men’s – Moninda Marube, 1:08:13
- Women’s – Kailin Collins, 1:20:21
Marube received $3,000 for his first overall finish. Collins received $1500. All Half Marathon participants received finisher medals.
10k:
- Men’s – Maxwell Basset, 36:10
- Women’s – Alison Foley, 47:14
5K:
- Men’s – Andrew Sorensen, 19:30
- Women’s – Emily Manion, 22:29
While many local residents participate in the OSRR, the race continues to draw runners from other parts of the country and world. Based on Marube’s post-race comments, those numbers are likely to increase for the 2013 OSRR.
“Moninda said he was going to return next year and bring some of his friends from Kenya,” said Brenner.
Originally a trail used by the Wampanoag Native American tribe, Old Sandwich Road later became the nation’s first true public road and a stagecoach route to ferry passengers and mail back and forth between the Massachusetts towns of Plymouth and Sandwich. Today, the road remains pretty much as the Pilgrims left it–a wide, scenic, dirt road bordered by beautiful tall pine trees and towering oaks. It offers perfect views for runners and a dirt road surface that’s far kinder to the body than asphalt or cement.
The Old Sandwich Road Race includes two days of races. Saturday, June 2, featured the Kids Classic and the OSRR 5k. Sunday’s main events included the OSRR Half Marathon, which took place on Old Sandwich Road, and the OSRR 10k, beginning at Plimouth Plantation. All races ended at Plymouth South High School.
A portion of the profits from the Old Sandwich Road Race go to The Home for Little Wanderer’s Baird Center School in Plymouth. The Baird Center School is a year-round residential and day school treatment program for youth aged 10-18 with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, educational and psychiatric issues.
If you would like more information on the Old Sandwich Road Race, please visit www.oldsandwichroadrace.com. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring next year’s race, please contact Steven V. Dubin, (781) 582-1061 or info@oldsandwichroadrace.com.
You can visit the Old Sandwich Road Race Web site at http://www.oldsandwichroadrace.com. Selected by Runner’s World, as “one of the five races not to miss in 2010”, The Old Sandwich Road Race also has pages on Facebook and Twitter.
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