Erica Jesseman, Scarborough, ME ÛÓ The NU Hartford Marathon defending women’s
champion, Erica ran an NEF record 2:38:13 last year for her 2nd qualifier at
Hartford. The first came in her debut marathon in 2011 when she won in
2:45-flat to become, at 22, one of the youngest runners at the 2012 US Olympic Marathon
Trials in Houston, TX.
Erica ran a 10K PR of 34:18
at Beach to Beacon and her latest foray, as formatted by Race Results Weekly is below
ELIOT, ME, USA
(27-Sep). Eliot Festival Day 5 km
(22nd). 384 finishers (up from 317 last year). NOTE: Scarborough, Maine’s Erica Jesseman was first overall
by a large margin, defeating the field by 38 seconds– Asst. Ed. OVERALL – Erica Jesseman (F), 25,
Scarborough, ME, 16:52 (no men sub-17:30).
Matt Pelletier, West Greenwich, RIÛÓThe Ocean State’s Matt Pelletier is the newest
member of the New England’s Finest program to qualify for the 2016 Trials. Just
6-weeks out from Hartford, Matt got married and embarked on a honeymoon to
Reykjavik, Iceland.
Just for kicks he entered
the Reykjavik Marathon with the idea he’d go for the qualifier later at
Hartford. Two other guys went out hard through 10K and, although that’s as far
as they lasted (at that pace) Matt was feeling good and his competitive juices
were stoked.
Matt hit the finish (and the
break-tape girl literally ÛÓ photo in next NER) in 2:18 flat.
Hilary Dionne, Charlestown, MA ÛÓ After winning the women’s division at
Hartford in 2012 with a time of 2:40:45 (an 8-minute PR) the former Dartmouth
harrier ran 2:39:40 to place 2nd to Jesseman last year as both athletes easily
eclipsed the 2:43:00 Û¢B’ standard for the Trials.
Dionne then scorched an
Û¢A’ qualifying 2:35:08 at this year’s Boston Marathon and followed up with good
outings at the New Haven 20K and Falmouth Road Race.
Megan Hogan, Saratoga Springs, NY ÛÓ A late entry into the half marathon last year,
Megan debuted at the distance without a goal in mindÛ¢until in the 9th mile she
spotted race leader Pauline Wanjuri of Kenya in the lead. A 5K/10K specialist,
Hogan stepped on the accelerator to win by 7-seconds in 1:13:19, well under the
1:15:00 Trials qualifying standard at the half marathon distance.
NER’s 2013 female NY Runner
of the Year started her 2014 campaign by breaking Nancy Conz’s 1986 women’s
course record of at the DH Jones 10-Miler (Amherst, MA) in 55:28
Later in the year she ran 33:40
for 10K and 15:50 for 5K.