USATF New England 1 Mile Road Championships

I signed up my first road mile in decades. This was the USATF New England Road 1 Mile Championship in Hopkinton, MA. It was first run last year in 2024 and seemed a popular event over the Marathon Championship in terms of participation from the USATF members.

The cool part was that my race would be contested among Men's Masters/Seniors age grouping 40 through 59. The race course was a quarter of a mile away looking like an out and back with some elevation changes. The turn around at half way was an easy turn around an island, not a single cone. 

My goal was to run a 7 minute mile so get to 3:30 at the half. I ran about 87 seconds at the ¼ mile and clocked about 3:28 at the turn around which had a little climb to reach. I was spent on the return. I passed only one runner to the finish running a chip time of 7:07 or gun time of 7:10. I finished 98th out of 104 runners. Pretty humbling experience. 

The race was simple but out of my comfort zone. I ran a few more miles after the race after checking in on the Notch mates on how they fared. I checked out some trails behind the school before watching the men’s open, women’s masters and then women’s open races which was fun to watch as a spectator roadside.

40-59 Men's Masters Results

Video of my finish

Miles Over the Moon 4 mile

Krissy and I headed over to the Miles Over the Moon 4 mile in Salem. This is a Friday night race with a 7:30PM start. I wanted to chill out and save some legs for Sunday’s road mile. Splits were as follows: 8:51, 9:01, 9:21, 9:17. It was controlled throughout the course but still had the heart rate climb each mile to a high of 160 bpm average for the last mile. 

I ran some miles with friend, Al Amore Jr up until a half mile to go. I saw my first Salem State College XC/Track Coach, Steven Zcarnecki on Osgood Street. I gave him a hug as he jumped out when I acknowledged him. Great to see him. Popsicle’s awaited the runners at the finish line. Krissy’s must have handed out hundreds and even mine, grape flavor! 

Full results

Place	Name	Group	Place/Group	Chip Pace	Chip Time	Gun Time
177	James Pawlicki	Male 50-59	16/29	9:15 min/mile	37:04	37:20

 

St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K

Hit up the St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K on a cooler than usual Thursday, last of June. The previous three days were hot and humid. This was also part of the Notch race series for the year. Krissy and I parked near the draw bridge on the boulevard so within a quarter mile of the bib pickup and start line at the end of Stage Fort Park. The 5K course would finish 3/4 of a mile away in front of the meat of the Fiesta Festival and Carnival.

I filtered into the start, 20 rows already deep of kids and baby joggers. Despite the traffic of 1500 runners, I got over the start line mat and down the Boulevard without running over any wheel or two legged barrier. Huge crowd of locals, Gloucestonians(?) awaited at Festival Central. John Gillis, Nick Taormina yelled for me among the crowd. My heart warmed with pride to be healthy and able to run low 7:30 for the opening mile. 

The hills over Gorton’s and the mini industrial park grounded me into a low 8 min second mile. However, the legs rallied back to the finish line, seeing the previous crowds 3 deep was fascinating, felt different from my race here 20 years ago. 24:11 at the finish (chip time). Job done! 261st out of 1506 - healthy crowd for a road race on the North Shore. 11th old man in my age group. Not dead yet….

2025 St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K race results

Spring Classic 5K Cambridge

Cool (high 30’s) and cloudy ruled the air in Cambridge for the Spring Classic 5K. The course is flat thus in theory, fast. I ran this course back when it was a New England Grand Prix 5K Championship a decade ago. Team Notch was set up in the tent area. The quad was loaded with tents, probably over 40 made up of running clubs or local Cambridge companies. Cases of Castle Island piled under each tent.

Bib pickup was seamless and plenty of port-o-johns ready. I ran a 12 minute warm up and got into the start line 30 rows deep within a huge field (2.5K runners). After the start line pistol went off, the start was crowded for the first three turns all within the first .3 miles before reaching Mass Ave. I reached the mile at 7:27. I slowed during the second mile to a 7:53 but was well under the 8:00 minute per mile pace goal for the day. My right quad, the strong one, was burning in a good way.

The last mile slowed again to an 8:02 before opening up a bit for the last .17 at 7:10 pace. I crossed the finish line in 24:35 per my watch, measured 3.17 miles and 7:45 pace. The unofficial time had me at 23:34, 7:55 pace. My average heart rate was only 140 bpm for the event, well under the 160+ per race since getting back into it in February. Am I seeing fitness improve with my 18 miles run per week? I headed out for cool down out to the Charles River and a lap around the MIT track where I spent many workouts and races in the late 90’s early 2000’s.

Spring Classic 5K race results March 30, 2025

Hibernian 5K

The Lynn Hibernian 5K race was on the radar. Krissy and I arrived an hour before the 11AM start with plenty of parking at Market Basket. The Racewire team was setting up the start and finish outside the Hibernian Club. It was sunny but windy with temps in the mid 30’s. Before getting to the start line, I ran a warm up less than .75 miles.

The race went off and I settled in letting the youngsters sprint out and about. A slight tail wind was behind us heading down Boston Street. I found it odd to stay on the right side of the road when we turned left at the VA Hospital. In the past, the race would run right against the traffic and hug the tangents on the counterclockwise direction of the course. Lynn native, Dennis Donahue would pass me around 1 mile (8:04). We crossed a few busy intersections like Myrtle Steet finding plenty of Lynn’s finest keeping the runners safe. Mile two slowed into some wind with an 8:25 mile just before reaching the left at Lynn Classical High School.

Keslar Ave rose up at the end for us to then turn left on Boston Street for the last of the climb past the Tower Hill Fire Station. From there on to the finish it can be fast if you have something left in the tank. I went back and forth with another competitor over the last 800m. My last mile was 8:12 with the last 0.11 was at 7:09 pace. I crossed the finish line in 35^th overall, 25:23 (8:10.2) mile pace. I gathered myself in a minute and headed back out to find Krissy and run her in for 34:51 being her quickest 5K this year.  

Lynn Hibernian 5K road race results March 23, 2025

Irish Clover 5 mile

The last of the Wild Rover Series (3 races, 3 weeks, 3 distances) was up in Dracut for the Irish Clover 5 mile. It was hosted at Owen & Ollie’s Restaurant.  A bright sun was shining with temps in the high 30’s with a light breeze. As per the previous two races, I started next to Stephen Martin about 10 rows back.

The relatively flat first mile went by in 8:05, indeed too fast. The course dropped down to the lowest elevation at 1.5 miles so a climb ensued into mile two which went by in 8:48. At 2.5 another climb put us beyond mile 3. I lost several places on the climbs. I was crawling up trying to not over do it as I am sure my HR was up to 170 already. The third mile passed by with the slowest of the day in 9:23. A decent drop after 3.6 miles but still losing a few spots as we ran past some farm-land and nice views of the Merrimack Valley. Mile 4 went by in 8:56 before a slight rally in the last mile (8:23) which rolled up and down into the finish.

I finished 143^rd and 8^th out of 34 in my 5 year age group. The chip time was 43:53 and gun was 44:01. All three of the races (3 mile, 4 mile, 5 mile) were raced in the mid-8:40’s. Not too bad considering I went into each of the first two races with just one run per week and two in this final week. I had a lot of fun within the series with Krissy who ran 64 minutes on the day capping off a decent running after a long lay-off for both of us. Each race had the Irish theme with a good vibe of folks, friends, challenging courses, beer, food and medals for all.

Up next if the legs are willing: Hibernian 5K in Lynn and the April Fools 4 mile.

4 Leaf Rover 4 mile

Race 2 out of 3 for the Wild Rover Series was hosted in Lawrence out of the Lawrence Elks. The 4 Leaf Rover (4 mile) was also part of the New England Runner Pub Series so there was extra competition within all age groups and the overall results showed that.

I had a tough week of training coming into the race with a sore knee and a single 2.8 mile run. The weather was in the mid 20’s but sunny. My warm up was from the Elks parking lot over to the start line .3 miles away. I started next to Stephen Martin as I did last week about 12 rows back from the line. I got out to a 8:37 flat first mile within the industrial park. The knee was not an issue. I was settled in upon approach of the residential neighborhood but preparing mentally for the climb starting at 1.25 miles.

The course profile showed that the last climb and high point would be around 2.6 miles. Mile 2 was paced out at 9:07. Everett McBride went by me with two water towers on the horizon at about 2.4 miles. He did a snowshoe race the day before. I remember those snowshoe days well but would not beat up the body too bad. 

Once beyond those two water towers, we were greeted with a decent down hill into mile three where I clocked an 8:56. It was nice to open the stride. The last mile was all flat taking us back into the industrial park. 

I got my best cadence there picking up the pace for the fastest mile of the day toward the finish line with an 8:18. I passed a few people but not before something in the knee got my attention forcing me to jump in pain on the approach of the finish line. I had to back off and regroup for the last 25 yards to the finish line.

I finished in 153^rd place, 13^th in the 5 yr age group, chip time of 34:52, gun time of 35:03. The pace for the 4 miles (8:44) was similar to the 3 mile last week. Krissy ran great, running 47:06. 

The final race of the series is next, adding 1 mile for the Irish Clover 5 mile in Dracut.

Wild Rover Series 2025

4 Leaf Rover 4 mile results March 2, 2025