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Female 1st Place

Jackie Baumgartner is on her way to first place female as she runs through downtown Putnam during the Deary road race. Photo courtesy of Ron Coderre.

 

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Down to the Wire

Second from left is the overall men’s race winner Andrew Springer of Westerly, RI with a time of 24:04— Springer beat out 3-time Deary defending champion, Will Sanders (3rd from left) by 17 seconds—Will’s time, 25:21, Third place overall was Scott Leslie (5th from left) with a time of 26:14. Courtesy photo.

 

 

 

Deary Race celebrates anniversary 

in spectacular  fashion

By Ron P. Coderre

It seems impossible but the Deary Memorial Road Race, which benefits cancer programs at Day Kimball Hospital, celebrated its 25th anniversary with more than 250 runners participating in the event Aug. 9. It raised $55,000. This year there were 286 runners, 400 walkers and 150 cyclists.

The original race started by a pair of avid long distance runners, Martin Fey and Jimi Gothreau, was organized in memory of a young 23 year old Putnam resident Kathy Deary who lost a valiant battle to cancer.  Today her memory is still alive while the race has morphed into a family memory following the deaths of her brother Tommy and her mother and father Tom and Teddy Deary. Gothreau said in the 25 years the race has been run, it's raised more than $1.3 million.

From the original race through 25 years of growth the event has grown in numbers, stature and financial resources for cancer survivors.  Thanks to the patriarch of the race, Kathy’s dad the late Thomas Deary Jr., the mantra of the race has been, “We keep the money local to help our friends and neighbors.”  The slogan has evidently been effective as more than $1 million have been raced through the long and illustrious history of the event.

The 5-mile run, which attracts runners from throughout the northeast, has two dimensions.  There is the TAC-certified race that brings some very serious runners to Putnam in a quest for the money prizes offered to the top male and female finishers.  And then there’s the run for the recreational runner and those individuals who struggle through the 5 miles in memory of loved ones or in support of cancer programs.  

This mélange of runners is what makes the race very special and unique.  There’s been talk recently of changing to a 5K (3.1 miles) format, however organizers should think seriously before changing the format.  It’s special in whom it memorializes and very special in its presentation.

Battle for the Top Spot

Three runners from the tri-state region proved to be too much for the remainder of the field as they bolted from the starting line and literally left the rest of the field in the dust.  From the time the starter’s pistol signaled the beginning of the race, Andrew Springer of Westerly, R.I., William Sanders of Wethersfield and Scott Leslie of Rutland, Mass., separated from the pack.

Up Kennedy Drive and through the center of Olde Towne Putnam the trio with Ledyard’s Jeff Wadecki in their rear view mirror was waging its own battle for the top spot.  Under the P&W Railroad trestle and up the incline of South Main and Grove streets the pace remained intense.  Rounding on to Killingly Avenue near the Grove Street Cemetery, the 23-year-old Springer began to separate from Sanders, while Leslie and Wadecki faded slightly.  From that point on it was only a matter of a few minutes before Springer would break the tape in 25:04 a full 17 seconds ahead of Sanders who posted a 25:21.  Leslie finished in 26:14 and Wadecki in 27:09.

Baumgartner Wins In A Breeze

As the top five male runners breezed through Olde Towne Putnam at about the halfway mark of the Deary Memorial Race much to the surprise of most observers the next runner was a female.

Jackie Baumgartner, 30, eased her way to victory.  Baumgartner, who finished in a time of 30:33, looked like she could easily be in competition with the male leaders.  She was in sixth place overall at the midway point of the race and held her position to the finish.

Local female favorite Linda Spooner, rallied by the cheers of her family and the cowbells being rung by her daughters situated near Victoria Station, could easily have won the race had it not been for the presence of Baumgartner.  Spooner, the 39-year old who lives in nearby Sturbridge, was clocked in 32:15, which placed her 10th in the overall field

The third-place female finisher was 12-year-old Woodstock resident Kathleen Boshka who posted a remarkable time of 34:43 and a first-place finish in the 2-12-age group. 

The legendary Scott Deslongchamps was the first Putnam finisher to break the tape.  He posted a time of 30:50, which placed him 9th among all the finishers.  The ageless Wayne Jolley of Brooklyn finished 11th in a time of 33:28 and first in the 60-69 age group.

Running Shorts: 

Norwich attorney Jeff Low, who lives in Pomfret, won the 50-59 age group in a time of 34:21…Eric Bonnette of Philadelphia and a cousin of the Deary family finished 39th.  In previous years he was usually a competitor in the Top Five…Local physicians Joe Botta (40th), Marc Cerrone (56th) and Kevin Reagan (92nd) represented the Day Kimball Hospital medical community…Gene Michael Deary, Kathy Deary’s beloved brother and his son, Gene ran the race.  Son finished 43rd and father 80th…Putnam High School basketball coach Shawn Deary finished 67th…The Graham family, adult children of Dr. and Mrs. John Graham, finished as a pack.  The order, Kevin, Andrew, Daniel, Colleen and John all finished with a time of 40:21…The affable Dan Goyette of Putnam Ford finished 79th in a time of 40:25…Matt Deasulnier, president of Gerardi Insurance in Putnam, broke to Top 100 with a 98th place finish…Father David Choquette, pastor of St. Mary and Most Holy Trinity churches, posted a time of 42:34…Laurence Hale of Pomfret, who’s attempting a running comeback, posted a respectable time of 44:36…Former Putnam High School and Nichols College quarterback Nick Perron and his new bride Jess finished in tandem in a time of 46:03…Sheila Frost, organizer of the O’Putnam 5K, ran a nice race with a time of 47:41…Noted local theatre producer Laura Crosetti finished in a time of 52:20…Steve DelPapa an avid supporter of the Regional Community YMCA, posted an unforgettable time of 53:53…Lindsay Lussier, the star of 85 Main, finished in less than one hour…State Representative Mae Flexer also comfortably cracked the one-hour barrier…Lisa Faucher, Chris Southam and Elizabeth Buzalski all had very courageous runs…Valerie Carr of Pomfret Center won the female 40-49 age group…Congratulation to all the organizers, volunteers and the Putnam Police, Fire and EMT  Departments for a job well done in making this a great Putnam event!

 

 

 with a time of 26:14.