MONROE, Conn. — Rain shifted the Newtown Savings Bank Mile Down the Pike to the Fawn Hollow Elementary School campus on Sunday and 119 reported finishers braved the weather for the event. The course went around the Chalk Hill School building and the Jockey Hollow Middle School parking lot before runners headed to the finish line at Fawn Hollow.
While the venue had changed, the last name of the top finisher remained the same. Leo McHugh, older sibling of last year’s race winner Jasper McHugh, won the race as the brothers crossed the finish line together in a time of 5:09. Last year, Jasper’s winning time was 4:41.
The McHughs, who hail from New York City, have trained together in recent years. Jasper, 14, started running when he was in second grade and his older brother, 16-year-old Leo, began running in high school as a way to stay in shape for other sports.
Justin Goncalves, 15, finished in third and was Monroe’s fastest participant with a time of 5:59. The top female was Monroe 13-year-old Aubrey Van Rensburg, 16th overall in a time of 7:18.
“It felt good. It cooled you off a little bit,” Van Rensburg said.
“When you’re running, you get cooled down by the rain,” echoed 9-year-old Ryan Cowan, 11th overall in a time of 6:49.
Monroe’s Steven Rice, 41, came in fourth in 6:03. Sandy Hook’s Paul Freitas, 40, came in fifth in 6:08.
These runners followed: 6. Brian Place, 37, East Hampton, 6:29; 7. Claudio Goncalves, 44, Monroe 6:38; 8. Dan Germain, 64, Newtown, 6:41; 9. Derek Favret, 36, Monroe, 6:41; 10. Sean Buell, 43, Sandy Hook, 6:46; 11. Cowan; 12. Christian Heller, 14, New York, 6:53; 13. Denis McHugh, 61, New York, 7:03.
Monroe Sun Founder/Editor Bill Bittar, 54, was 14th overall and won the 50-59 age category in a time of 7:04.
Seth Abbey, 52, Fairfield, rounded out the top 15 in a time of 7:15.
The changed course from the downhill Monroe Turnpike parade route to the mostly flat grounds, along with wet conditions, were not about to yield any course record-setting times, but participants certainly made the most of it.
“Downhill you can pick up speed, but you don’t want to trip over your own feet,” said Monroe’s Melissa Mitri, 41, an avid runner who did the course along with son Nicholas, 9, adding that runners don’t have to change their natural form on flat ground.
The mother-son tandem both finished in 8:44, giving Melissa third place in the 40-49 female grouping. She noted that the race, sponsored by Newtown Savings Bank, was very well organized.
For complete race results, including category winners, click on this link.
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