Lynn Woods handicap a unique event

LYNN – Runners in the Lynn Woods 5.5-Mile Handicap race had three challenges awaiting them on Wednesday.They had to think about the runners ahead of them … they had to think about the runners behind them … and they had to think about the possibility of rain.In the Handicap, runners were given a start time based on previous performance in the Woods summer cross country races.?We tell people when they can start,” race scorer Joe Abelon said on Tuesday, the night before the race. “The theory is, everybody will finish together.”While that wasn?t the case on Wednesday, runners appreciated the chance to tackle a challenging course with support from each other.?We ran (and saw) a lot of runners I don?t usually get to see on the trail,” said Erin Sheehan of Lynn, who ran the Handicap for the first time. “They were very encouraging.”The course presented a medley of hills to the runners, including Steel Tower Hill, AKA Mt. Gilead, 272 feet at the summit.?A couple (big) hills got your attention,” said Susan Collins of Rowley, who finished sixth in the women?s division in her first Handicap. “It was very hot, which made it a little more challenging. It?s a fun concept.”The race concluded with a route around the Wyoma Little League ballfield. A row of trophies awaited the top finishers among men and women, and a spirit of camaraderie awaited everyone who raced through the final line of cones.?I?m glad we finished,” said Kimberly Mathews of Lynn, who ran with her sister Katherine Mathews of Lynn (both for the first time) and Sheehan, their niece. “It?s still challenging. You know what you?re getting into. Everyone on the course was very nice.”The rain held off during the race, but it started falling afterward, during the awards presentation. At least it offered a cooldown.?I?d do it again,” Katherine Mathews said. “No matter how hard it was. I?d do it again.”The top finishers for the Handicap are as follows:Top 10 men: Al Catalano of Newbury (first overall), Peter Tremblay of Danvers (second overall), Sean McCarthy of Lynn (third overall), Eric Gjerde of Essex (fourth overall), Patrick Phalan of Lynn (fifth among men/sixth overall), Jeff Cook of Melrose (sixth among men/seventh overall), Brian O?Keefe of Lynn (seventh, men/eighth overall), James Burke of Lynn (eighth, men/ninth overall), Mike Hale of Danvers (ninth, men/10th overall) and Zach Seibold of Cambridge (10th, men/12th overall).Top 10 women: Dina Komarova of Lynn (fifth overall), Sara Lamothe of Lynn (11th overall), Jennie Murack of Swampscott (14th overall), Julie Rosenberger, Beverly (23rd overall), Mara Mendelsohn, Swampscott (24th overall), Susan Collins of Rowley (26th overall), Cynthia Hastings of Winthrop (32nd overall), Ashley Deacetis, Saugus (33rd), Marie Duignan, Salem (36th) and Christine Scuzzarella, Lynn (39th).There were two other races in the Woods last night.In the Goat Path/Steel Tower race, the top three finishers were David Quinn, John Hogan and Andrew Bobbitt, all of Lynn. The top three female finishers were Courtney Ekstrom (4th overall) and Kelly Ekstrom (5th overall), both of Lynn; and Laurie Callaghan of Beverly, sixth overall.In the 2.3-mile Left on Goat Path race, Abigail Callahan and Lydia Calderon, both of Lynn, were the top two finishers.