LYNN — The Barkley Marathons can often be described as, “The race that eats its young.” That race is a 100-plus mile test of endurance designed to push people beyond their limits. Since the race started in Tennessee, in 1986, there have only been 20 finishers of the 2,000 who have dared to enter the race.
The “Baby Barkley” is Lynn Woods’ version of this grueling race. The concept for the race was originally thought of by Bill Mullen, but for the last five years, Trial Master Jeff Hixon has enjoyed making the courses as tough as they could be. Always held on the Wednesday closest to the summer solstice, this 10-12 mile race needs as much daylight as possible.
This week, 19 runners lined up for a 6 p.m. start. They endured three loops — two short and one long — for a total of 10.7 miles, tearing out pages from books along the way that matched their bib numbers to prove they’ve completed the course correctly. Purposefully chosen to fit the theme of the race, this year’s titles included, “The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids,” by Helen Olsson, “Seven True Bear Stories,” by Joaquin Miller, and, “The Boy’s Book of Adventure,” by Michèle Lecreux and Célia Gallais.
First-place runner Matt Viega, of Lynn, said it was an excellent course.
“The short loops made you run faster than you should,” he said. “The long loop made you work hard.”
He completed the race in 1:20:28. Peabody’s Tommy Fogarty placed second with a time of 1:21:56, followed by John Strezpek, of Danvers, with a time of 1:21:56.
The top three women finishers were Woburn’s Jessica Snyder (1:31:41), Salem’s Deirdre Lowe (1:34:22), and Lynn’s Kimberly Zia (1:52:58).
The long course runners lined up at 6:30 p.m. and followed orange streamers. Hitting the Steel and Stone Towers for an elevation gain of 700 feet, the trails were mostly single track and technical. Hixon described the long course as a big loop of woods highlights. After climbing the first hill, runners took a left on Cornell Path, climbed up to Dungeon Rock, then ran down the rocky stairs leading to more single track.
This 4.9-mile course was led by Lynn’s Rafael Villatoro (37:03). The next two runners, Saugus’ Mark D’Amico and Somerville’s Giovanni Berlanda, each crossed the line at 40:49. The top three females were Lynn’s Charlotte Balentine (47:01), Wenham’s Sharon Adler (53:27), and Manchester’s Guilia Bussone (56:25).
Five minutes later, it was time for 2.9 miles on the short course, which had the largest field of the night. Fifty-eight runners followed yellow streamers, heading up Great Woods Road and turning onto Tracy trail before running to the finish line.
Christian Nunez, of Lynn, was first overall with a time of 20:20, followed by Saugus’ Thomas D’Amico and Peabody’s John Bettencourt, each of whom finished in 20:42. For the women, placing seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively, were Stoneham’s Michaela Gearin (22:40), Swampscott’s Anna Metaxatos (22:54), and Lynn’s Wilmarlyn Fernanadez (23:55).
The Kids Race was the usual out-and-back 1.59-mile course. The overall winner was Marblehead 10-year-old Isaac Goulter (13:07), followed by Salem 8-year-olds Simon Curcuru (15:41) and Boden Rouse (15:43). Niall Reardon and Erin Hickey-Reardon were the next two runners with times of 16:13 and 16:14, respectively. The next three females, placing 10th, 11th, and 12th, respectively, were Nora and Allison Gwilliam, of Swampscott, crossing the line at 22:21, as well as Lynn’s Colette Veidenweime (22:49).
Runners looking for their next challenge can look forward to next week’s race, which will feature the “Gate to Gate” course. For more information, the race schedule, and maps, check out www.lwrun.org.
