Lynn Woods runners face new challenges

LYNN – Whether it was a different uphill climb or a grueling upstairs climb, runners at the Lynn Woods summer cross country races on Wednesday faced some new tests.The “long” race, part of the Tour de Lynn Woods series, featured an upstairs component leading to Dungeon Rock.?Tonight, there was an additional challenge,” race director Bill Mullen said. “(People could) run or walk up steps to get up to Dungeon Rock. It?s a challenge for most.”Those who completed Tour No. 3 also faced a different route to the finish line than normal.?There is a little piece of trail at the finish that we never used before,” Mullen said. “Most runners are never aware of its existence. It?s uphill and downhill.?Right as you?re about to finish, 100 yards of the normal finish line, it?s a left-hand turn up yet another hill, down another hill and then the finish.”?Instead of going direct from the dam, they took a path parallel to the dam,” said race series founder Joe Abelon, who helps with scoring. “It?s hilly, a wooded area, high terrain down onto the open field. It?s the center of the outfield at the softball diamond, parallel to the woods and a U-turn. It?s a nice little finish.?I think people liked it. I?m sure it was a nice little change.”Runners on the “short” course, a 2.3-miler, were not exempt from twists and turns. They ran up and down Steel Tower Hill without taking the arduous yet familiar Goat Path.?The short race had a different feel,” Mullen said. “It didn?t have the steepness of the single-track goat trail. It was a very long, gradual uphill middle of the road, winding, and a left turn to Steel Tower. It?s a very long pull uphill and a primarily downhill finish. People are pretty tired after the uphill grind.”Over 300 people finished the four races on the menu: long, short, kids and peewee.?I got 314 between the junior race, short and long,” Mullen said. “It?s pretty close to the all-time record. One week, we had 321.”?Every week, we have newbies,” Abelon said. “We have a lot of new people.”He said that yesterday, he signed up “probably another 20″ newcomers for the races.?We have a lot of newbies, but I?m not sure how often they repeat,” he said. “We have 1,500 unique entries in our database.”In the Tour de Lynn Woods long race, Mark Dawson of Peabody was first (34:11), followed by Caleb Evanter, Marblehead (34:42) and Kinnon Church, Salem (35:07). Jim Pawlicki of Lynn was fourth (35:46) and the top female finisher was Kristen Field of Salem (42:41).In the Middle Road Steel Tower short race, Brendan Reen of Swampscott finished first (15:18); Nick Monaco, Saugus, second (15:22) and Noah Bitterman, Marblehead, third (15:26). Juan Imul was the top finisher from Lynn, taking seventh (16:03) and Sarah Bitterman of Marblehead was the top female finisher, taking sixth (15:49).In the 1.59-mile Kids Race, Luke Chase of Reading took first (11:00); Robert Bracey of Medford, second (11:41) and Kevin Kelsey of Beverly, third (12:07). Colleen Osbahr of Nahant took fifth (12:26). Samantha Anthony was the top Lynn finisher, taking 13th (14:51).In the Pee Wee 1K race, Brett O?Brien took first (3:06), followed by Sophian O?Brien (3:12) and Ashley Pimentel (3:17). All of them are from Lynn.