All five winners of this season's previous 10K races toed the starting line for a Snowstorm Classic Showdown at the Forest Park Corral. The gunslingers included Jamie Jee of the North Medford Club, who won the February 2nd race in 36:28; Brian Nelson of Connecticut, the January 5th winner in 37:05; David Raucci, Troy Trailblazers' junior sensation who won the January 19th race in 35:34; Harrier Steve Byrne, who won the initial race on December 8th in 37:24; and GSH teammate Carlos Rivera, the December 22nd winner in 34:02.
     Mr. Winter continued his disappearing act as sunny skies pushed the temperature past 50 degrees.
     At the sound of the starters pistol the runners shot up the challenging early hill with Carlos Rivera and David Raucci attempting to drop the other gunfighters early. As the singlet and short clad combatants raced around the perimeter of Forest Park, Jee and Nelson chased the leaders, with super senior Bill Dixon in hot pursuit and everyone else ducking for cover. Only two were left standing as they reentered the Park past the 5K mark, and Rivera had a drop on the gutsy youngster. The lead lengthened over the final kilometers and Mr. Rivera notched his 15th Snowstorm Classic victory in 34:34. As the smoke cleared, Raucci crossed the line in 35:14 followed by Jee in 35:37 and Nelson in 25:54, with Steve Byrne, winged by the torrid early pace, struggling home in 39:17.
     The gunfire helped senior Bill Dixon of the Greater Lowell Roadrunners race an outstanding 36:05, a new record for 54 year old men, snapping the 37:10 mark set by Roland Cormier seven years ago when he was competing for the Boston Running Club. The 36:05 is also the fastest time ever run by a senior (over 50) runner, edging Harrier Bob Willis' 36:10 run last year as a 50 year old.
     Two masters outclassed the women's field with Sidney Letendre (41:29) of the Central Mass Striders just edging Carolyn Webber (41:42). Demantra Constantine was 3rd in 42:30, while SMACer Sue Grant took senior honors in a very respectable 52:24. Letendre's official winning time is a new record for 47 year olds, breaking the old standard of 43:01 set eight years ago by teammate Mary Ryczek.
     This year's remarkable Snowstorm Classic season concludes next Saturday on the 5K course. Will the missing snow finally arrive? Or will this season go down in the Harrier history books as the first ever snowless Snowstorm Classics?

 1  34:34  Carlos     Rivera       27M  GSH
 2  35:14  David      Raucci       15M  TT
 3  35:37  Jamie      Jee          22M  NMC
 4  35:54  Brian      Nelson       21M  ---
 5  36:05  Bill       Dixon        54M  GLRR
 6  36:56  Jason      Reed         23M  GSH
 7  37:10  Steve      O'Neil       50M  CMS
 8  37:56  Joe        Raucci       16M  TT
 9  38:41  John       Bigos        48M  GSH
10  39:12  Frank      Rucki        52M  CMS
11  39:17  Steve      Byrne        34M  GSH
12  40:05  Rich       Clark        48M  SMAC
13  40:14  George     Baquis       46M  GSH
14  40:29  Bob        Austin       46M  SMAC
15  40:43  Teddy      Adams        41M  ---
16  40:51  Gary       Crowley      40M  GSH
17  40:57  Daniel     Smith        18M  ---
18  41:06  Paul       Banks        38M  HTC
19  41:10  Jon        Harris       20M  ---
20  41:29  Sidney     Letendre     47F  CMS
21  41:42  Carolyn    Webber       41F  ---
22  41:53  Wayne      Stocker      47M  GSH
23  42:00  Paul       Guilmette    38M  ---
24  42:30  Demantra   Constantine  31F  ---
25  42:37  Jim        Halton       54M  GSH
26  42:37  Bill       Rowe         40M  GSH
27  42:57  Mike       Adams        39M  ---
28  44:02  Keith      Fecteau      42M  GSH
29  44:21  Tom        Regnier      41M  GSH
30  44:35  Tim        Londo        36M  GSH
31  44:54  Mike       Butler       29M  ---
32  45:18  Tom        Whelan       43M  GSH
33  45:22  Neal       Lamberton    53M  GSH
34  45:33  Tom        DeLuca       46M  GSH
35  45:35  Mark       Lynch        43M  ---
36  45:52  Mark       Dean         49M  SMAC
37  46:20  Dave       Martula      56M  SMAC
38  46:31  William    O'Neill      44M  GSH
39  46:36  Paul       Tinker       21M  ---
40  46:37  Chris      Conz         25M  ---
41  46:51  John       Pashko       50M  GSH
42  47:01  Mike       LaPlante     41M  ---
43  47:26  Don        Grant        59M  SMAC
44  47:32  Bob        Massaro      58M  EORC
45  47:54  Bob        Bourdeau     55M  ---
46  47:57  Rick       Wiernasz     49M  EORC
47  48:05  Starr      Hockenberry  25F  ---
48  48:06  Bruce      Rockwell     58M  GSH
49  48:26  Tim        Metoxen      56M  ---
50  48:32  Erv        Landry       62M  GSH
51  48:45  Jim        Sullivan     37M  GSH
52  49:21  Matt       Dufresne     35M  GSH
53  49:22  Mark       Manganaro    38M  GSH
54  49:26  Dennis     Mahoney      47M  SCS
55  49:27  Steve      Sheffield    51M  ---
56  49:34  Doug       Bielefeld    42M  GSH
57  49:53  Clive      Woakes       54M  GSH
58  49:53  Don        Grindle      46M  GSH
59  49:59  Rich       Nahlovsky    51M  GSH
60  50:03  Mary       Gubala       36F  GSH
61  50:05  Lauran     Thompson     35F  ---
62  50:15  Scott      Puzzo        26M  ---
63  51:08  Laura      Hurley       20F  ---
64  51:42  Rich       White        46M  ---
65  52:24  Sue        Grant        54F  SMAC
66  52:29  Ed         Dwyer        36M  GSH
67  52:32  Kim        Freedman     41F  ---
68  52:41  Ellen      Bellicchi    51F  GSH
69  53:36  Amy        Bottke       33F  ---
70  54:01  Chris      Kotowicz     22M  ---
71  54:56  Chris      Park         30M  ---
72  55:37  Ray        Wenninger    53M  SMAC
73  57:33  Bill       Milkiewicz   47M  GSH
74  57:51  Debbie     Debiasio     43F  ---
75  58:02  Kelly      Sullivan     36F  GSH
76  58:04  Dick       Osgood       64M  GSH
77  62:15  Mikki      Mitchell     37F  GSH
78  64:25  Jim        Willemain    50M  GSH
79  65:52  Steve      Katz         49M  ---
80  66:23  Mike       Passmore     53M  GSH
81  69:54  Kim        Tremble      30F  EORC
82  69:54  Katherine  Lee          35F  NYRRC
83  78:18  Bruce      Kurtz        64M  SMAC