The Great Stew Chase 15K

I missed the start, heard the starting gun go off from around the corner. Guess I was too casual on the warm up over to the race, one and a half miles away. Krissy had my number waiting for me at the start. She could barely pin the number on my shirt as the race of 200 scattered off. I told her not to worry, my official time should get picked up. I looked over at the start and saw no timing mat. Crap! It is all about gun time today. I got on my way with no panic and caught the race a few minutes later. 

I moved through the race, trying to be casual about it and settled into a low 8 minute pace effort by 3 miles. The weather was in the mid-30 with plenty of sunshine. A bit of a breeze from the west. I backed off in the hills of Centennial Drive and out toward Rt. 1. On the way back, I was not feeling to great but managed to keep in the 8's for pace. The last few miles were just flat effort-wise. I came into the finish with a personal time of 1:19:29 (8:32 pace) and clock time of 1:20:49 (8:41 pace) meaning I missed the start by 1 minute 20 seconds. I managed to place 3rd in the age group. 

I changed into some dry clothes and sat down inside the Knights of Columbus for the Vegetarian Stew, Water and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. I caught up with some folks and cheered on all age group winners who were snagging winter hats. At the end of the day, managed to cover 11 miles that gave me a touch over 30 for the week. Photo creds to Shannon Cram. 

 

The Great Stew Chase 15K Results - Lynn, MA - February 4, 2024 

The Great Stew Chase 15K

Race Director Roget Perham brought the The Great Stew Chase 15K out of the Knights of Columbus back for the first time since 2020. I missed that one but ran 59 and a half minutes in 2019. It was good to be back. A reported 150 were registered for the 10AM start. The weather was great too being in the high 40's and dry pavement. I used the event as a long run but wanted some discomfort without wrecking myself. The weekly mileage and anaerobic work just has not been there to support any oxygen debt. I was really undecided on a time but planned on feeling it out one mile at a time. In the end, I wound up averaging 8:16's and this is how I got there breaking each 5K down.

The opening 5K had splits around 7:56, a bit quicker than I wanted but adjusted for the middle of the race. I kept my place after 1.5 miles as it thinned out. The next 5K introduced the hills in Centennial Park, Peabody, so I was cool with backing off, averaged around 8:30's. Two folks caught me on the big hill approaching the turn around before Rt. 1. The last 5K, got back to 8:10's but it felt like I was pushing harder. I had a few folks coming back on the rolling hills before reaching Rt. 129. I managed to catch three people with a mile to go and closed in with a 7:33-ish paced last half mile. 1:16:59 overall time, 8:16 pace average per mile. We'll take it. I collected myself and headed into the KofC dining room for a bowl of Stew and Cookies to reward my humble effort. 

Results: https://results.raceroster.com/v2/en-US/results/fbn5gx3hqtykruuu/results?subEvent&fbclid=IwAR1kRf1dPPaNpVlmOioJ7r4BGT6xM3h1qYzy_l6ctyWiFLlQTfldwTlWhzU#tab_awards

44th Annual Great Stew Chase, Lynn

I ran over to the Knights of Columbus to sign up for the Great Stew Chase 15K which was only $25 that morning. I saw my dad driving over through Wyoma Square so I knew he was coming to watch the race. I timed my warm up over to the race so that I could sign up, change into the racing clothes and Adidas flats and head to the starting line. Martin Tighe and I talked the day before about hitting miles in the 6:20’s. Thus the 6:28 mile to start off with was just what I needed. The weather was perfect for late January: high 40’s. Martin was about five seconds ahead. His gap on me got bigger. I was in a good mix, behind Nakri Dao, EJ and three Mystic Runners heading into Centennial Drive in Peabody. Ryan Hayes scooted by and into that pack.

I was jealous that they were having all the fun, working together. I had to hustle to rejoin them up the big hill leading up toward Rt. 1. I trailed them at the turn around by a few seconds. I worked the downhill and area leaving Centennial Park. I caught up to EJ only because he stopped to rip a pebble out of his shoe. We shared a good chuckle about it. He tagged along while I was moving in on the guys ahead. I managed to catch them all but Martin with a half mile to go. I did yell ahead to Martin so he would know that I was charging in. I caught him on Rt. 129 with 400m to go. I finished up in 11^th place with a chip time of 59:15.5, 6:22 pace per mile., a few strides ahead of Martin. It was a few minutes slower than last year but I was pretty good with the effort here to finish strong. 

Mile Splits 

1                     6:28

2                     6:22

3                     6:16

4                     6:18

5                     6:36

6                     6:05

7                     6:12

8                     6:15

9                     6:00

.46       5:52

44th Annual 15K Great Stew Chase

Sunday, January 28, 2018 - Lynn, MA.

Place No.  Name     Ag S Div/Tot  Div   S City             St Chiptime  Pace  Guntime   Pace    

===== ==== =================== == = ======== ===== = ================ 

11  304 James Pawlicki      43 M   1/21   M4044 M Lynn   MA   59:14.5  6:22   59:14.5  6:22

Great Stew Chase 15K

I ran 57:24.7 today at the Great Stew Chase 15K in Lynn. The pace breaks down to 6:10 per mile. This placed me 12^th overall, a second in front of Central Mass teammate, Nick Taormina. He and I ran together for many of the miles today. Both of us have the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day.

With Nick beyond mile 6
Photo by KrissyK

I had a solid pack to run with in the middle miles where the elevation fluctuated. David Corbett, Nick, John Page, Kevin Hill, & Brandan Ring were in a mix on Farm Road hitting the hill up around the parking lot and back down. David Corbett broke all of us and smoked the last four miles. Nick and I chased but it was futile.

The weather was decent for a January day with some wind but it seemed to benefit us some in the closing miles. I was about 8 seconds better than last year. I am happy with the effort, got just about every second out of the legs as possible. It was good to catch up with some faces that I have not seen in a while.

John Page, David Corbett, myself, Brenden Ring, Nick Taormina after 3 miles
Photo by KrissyK

43rd Annual Great Stew Chase 15K, Lynn, MA 2017 results

KrissyK photos

42nd Annual Great Stew Chase 15K

This out and back course is the 3rd oldest 15K in the country. Krissy dropped me off at the Knights of Columbus to drop off my bag and slide an unheard of, scant $20 bill for 15 kilometers over the table with a paper application. Thank you Roger Perham, race director, for keeping it simple. Simple prizes, nice warm bowl of Stew, a dinner roll, and cookie follow in a warm dinning room of the K of C. Plenty of volunteers from various running clubs such as the North Shore Striders and Wicked Running Club help out. Roger was sure to give all credit after the race.

I ran a short warm up over to the start with teammate Nakri Dao. The weather was perfect, sunny, mid to high 30's and getting warmer. The race went off right on time, at 10 o'clock. Wicked Running Club's Dan Chruniak, took the lead and never relented his 5:45 pace. I counted nine spots before my placing 800 meters into the race. Mile one clocked out in the low 6's. Perfect. That was the goal. The other was not to blow up and drag ass over the last three miles. Familiar faces, Dan and Kat Vassallo were running toward the race with reserved low fives. Then I saw David Dunham after mile two taking pictures and supporting us on. He mentioned that Dan Verrington was 10 ticks back. I was expecting Dan to catch up but he never did. I recognized my father driving toward me and the race before mile 3. He gave me the unplanned thumbs up and a smile. Pretty cool. Krissy was down the road taking pictures. The hills started and Alex Morris from Somerville caught me heading to Farm Rd. He charged up the hill and I backed off. Joe Shairs was roadside. I told him that he should be out there leading the race. He is a prior winner, taking out Paul Hammond in the process in his first race with CMS many moons ago.

Up the hill past Krissy. Dan Verrington not far behind.
Photo by KrissyKSmugMug

I saw some familiar faces at the turn around and heading toward the race behind me. I charged along and focused now on the last third of the race. Two guys were ahead and I wanted to catch them. Plus I figured the focus would help keep Danny Francis Verrington behind me. It worked as I caught one of the runners just before 7 miles. I caught up with Alex from Somerville after 8 miles. I did not pass him until the downhill charge into mile 9. Third man in, Scott Foley from Atkinson, NH, got into the fray with them letting me charge up to the final straight away. Alex came from a second behind to blow our doors away in the last 50 meters. I crossed the line getting 9th place and 57:32, 6:11 pace, similar to last year. My last three miles were clocked at 6:00, 6:00, 5:54 for the fastest collective three of the day which was good.

I bounced into a cool down with Tara Paulin, Dan Chruniak, Dan Verrington, and Jason Matuelwicz for 2 miles  before diving into the Stew. If I can drop one more name, I met Michelle Bociek at my table who knows several CMS gents and is a former winner of the Bay State Marathon (1993, 3:02:46). I got a Stew Chase gym bag for the 2nd place age group placing before running home to cap out around 13 miles for Super Bowl Sunday. Looking ahead, I have the Boston Marathon in my line of sight. I am hopeful for a 3 hour race. We'll see how the New Bedford Half Marathon goes.

42nd Annual 15K Great Stew Chase, Lynn, MA February 7, 2016 results
Great Stew Chase 15K photos by KrissyK

Stew Chase after six miles
Photo by KrissyKSmugMug

Great Stew Chase

Unlaced into the finish at the Great Stew Chase 15K in Lynn
Photo by KrissyK

I placed third (54:27, 5:51 pace) on Sunday at the Great Stew Chase 15K in Lynn. It was not easy as I had a front row seat watching CMS masters and teammates - Jason Porter and Dave Dunham take command in the second half of the race. Jason broke up a pack of six around mile 4 to chase solo leader, Daniel Croteau (NBTC). Jason got the lead somewhere around the "turn-around" while Dave and Somerville Road Runner, Ryan Kerrigan matched his move as they passed Daniel. I trailed a few strides and noted that my downhill prowess was failing. Dave Corbett was beside at this point and looking good. I had to work hard to keep Dave Dunham and Ryan close. I trailed both by four seconds when we left Centennial Park (6.5 miles). I felt my laces loosen up on my right shoe. I did not want to look down, maintaining denial that it was happening. For the record, the shoe was double tied with loops tucked in before race start. I was not about to stop and and take care of it, however, I worried. I lost focus and ground to Dave who was really holding tough and trying to catch Jason. I got past Ryan who stayed in my hip pocket and no doubt laughing at my laces whipping about. Dave and Jason never let up over the last two miles. I barely held Ryan off at the end where Krissy and my dad were. I just then looked down at the laces. Just one loop came untied, the other fine which saved everything from unraveling except my race. Still, this was a hard effort. It was fun to have the pack early on. These guys will be hitting the Amherst 10 mile race hard so the efforts on this course will pay off.

Full results on coolrunning
Stew Chase 15K photos by KrissyK

Next up....Great Stew Chase 15K

With anticipation of racing the DH Jones 10 miler in Amherst, MA next month and the New Bedford Half Marathon in March, I signed up for the 35th Annual Great Stew Chase 15K in Lynn, MA on Sunday. It is also Super Bowl Sunday. I have to go back and see what I have run at the Stew Chase in the past. The current course is not all that old, maybe in existence since 2002? The old course was more scenic as it ventured into Swampscott and maybe as far as Marblehead. Rumor had it that those towns had enough of road races, traffic control, and mile markers spray painted on the side of the street.

Above is a picture from a decade ago. The ageless John Barbour battling it out with a recent MIT grad and GBTC teamate, Jesse Darley. They tied that day with a 5:25 per mile clip. You don't see ties too often. I was way back, likely enjoying the scenery of the Swampscott harbour on the no doubt, cold February day. Another teammate of mine, Jim Reardon was right behind me. I recall that Jim PR'd in some indoor meets that winter. Jim and Jesse left New England for Wisconsin within a few years for career opportunities. I would be remiss to not mention current CMS teammate, Joe Shairs was third that day. He won this race in 2005, maybe his first race in a CMS uniform.

So if your looking for an honest 15K, good competition, beef or vegetarian stew, roll, and a chocolate chip cookie, do it.

Here is a run down of my history from what I could find on coolrunning.com.

1996 - Pawlicki, James 55:33 15th

1999 - 5th JAMES PAWLICKI 5:40 52:43

2001 - 8th JAMES PAWLICKI 52:08 5:36 (Personal Record and one second in front of t'mate Ben Nephew)

2003 (new and current course) - 20th JIM PAWLICKI 57:49 6:13

2007 - 10th JAMES PAWLICKI 54:59 5:54

2008 - 11th James Pawlicki 54:33 5:52