Chamberas Secrets

A CRAZY fast field for  the Thomas Chamberas 6K USATF race at Carlisle's Great Brook state park this weekend.

This one's an annual staple in the E Streeter repetoire, in great part due to the fact that it helps raise money for a great cause, the fight against cystic fibrosis.  This year's race raised more than $10,000.

For more about the disease as well as the courageous lad for whom the race is named, visihttp://thomasxc.wordpress.com/

 

For this year's outing, the E Streeters represented, but could barely crack the elite field atop the pack, save for Scott Spence, he of the inhuman mileage of late.

As anyone who's ever run this race knows, it wouldn't be a Chamberas 6K without Mike Mahone's introductions and dulcet tones setting the stage.

Another event being held at the same time at the state park made for a course change, and unfortunately made for an extremely congested start.  Maybe that's what kept us from cracking the top 10.

Not many pics along the course to share, too busy watching for roots and rocks.  But here's a few finish line shots, including this one, which proves that Kris Pisarik crossed the tape before his daughter Beth, who EVERYONE knows was just taking it easy on her old man.  Plus, she rocks the headband better than dad, too.

Mike Cassidy didn't have a lot to say on his way in.  He's still steaming about my course description of that one hill at the one-mile mark.  We like to call it spaghetti hill, because it winds you up the course in six installments as opposed to going straight up.

Post-race, Krispy and Beth look none the worse for the wear.

And finally, two legends.  One of them can sing, the other, not so much.  You figure out which is which. 

This race also serves annually as a send-off for E Streeter extraordinaire Andrew Cook, who headed back to Holy Cross the following day.  It's always his summer running swan song with the group runs, and he went out in style, with a more than decent finish.  Good luck at the Cross, bud, make sure you keep logging the miles!