Friday, November 20, 2009
 
 
Uxbridge's Fletcher runs in Boston today E-mail
Sunday, 19 April 2009

By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

BOSTON – The area will be well-represented when the gun is fired this morning for the 113th running of the Boston Marathon. More than 50 determined (and some might argue, crazy) souls will be making their way from Hopkinton to Copley Square with a goal of completing the grueling 26.2-mile distance.After a more-than-gratifying debut at Boston last year, Uxbridge’s Sumner Fletcher returns for her second straight appearance. She owns the fastest time among the local entries with her personal best clocking of 3 hours, 4 minutes, 51 seconds, a time she posted in last year’s race.“It was unbelievable,” recalled Fletcher about her 2008 experience. “It was like a dream the entire time. It was so great. Everybody I thought would be on the course to encourage me, I actually saw. That was really important. There were some hard times, especially the last three miles. Even though I felt like I couldn’t go any further and needed to walk, I never did. I just said, ‘I’m going to do this.’”A former standout track and cross-country from Uxbridge High, Fletcher will be going into Monday’s race with a goal to break three hours. So far, everything has been going as planned to reach that milestone.In November, the 23-year-old runner with just four marathons under her belt finished the Cape Cod Marathon in a time of 3:08:44 to place fourth overall among women.With the weather this past winter not exactly ideal for someone preparing for a marathon in mid-April, Fletcher did most of her training for Boston on a treadmill. Over the last few months, she has averaged about 10 miles a day.Fletcher got somewhat of a confidence booster last week when she went up to Boston and ran 22 miles on the course.“I didn’t really time it,” she said, “but it was quicker than I thought I could run.” Boston Billy’s backAfter a 10-year hiatus, legendary runner Bill Rodgers will be back on the starting line at Boston, competing in a  race that made him a household name in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Throughout his storied career, the now 61-year-old Rodgers earned four titles in Beantown during a six-year span from 1975-80. He also was a four-time winner at New York City and earned 14 more marathon victories in his career, including wins on five different continents.Unlike year’s past, Rodgers is just looking to finish Monday’s race in a respectable time.“I don’t think it will take me six hours or something. I hope not.” he said. “I did a training run on the course, I did 22 ½ miles and that pretty much whipped me. I don’t care if I have to walk or crawl. I want to get to the line and I know I can do it. Some times you have to walk. It’s OK. It’s OK.”These days, Rodgers is feeling OK as far as his health. Last year the marathoner was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He’s had surgery and has been recovering nicely.

“I might do radiation,” said the always-upbeat Rodgers. “It’s a very treatable disease. I think if you work with your doctors and stay very positive and explore how to handle the cancer (you’ll be OK), which is what I am trying to do.”

Rodgers will be wearing a bib showing his last name and the No. 79. The 79 signifies the year 1979 when Rodgers won Boston with his all-time best of 2:09:27.

“Thirty years ago I ran 2:09,’ he said. “I’m more than an hour slower now, but it doesn’t matter. When you are older, you kind of want to keep your health a little bit. You are not so competitive, but some of the runners are. I have a good friend who’s running here. He’ll maybe try to win the over 50 (age category). I train with him a little bit. Some of the older runners – (age) 50, 60, 70 - they are quite competitive. That spirit never really dies. But I have run so many hard marathons in my life - 20-plus years of marathoning – that the spirit is kind of gone competitively. But to be on the course, and be part of the Boston Marathon, is always (special). That’s something else. That’s something.”

***  113th Boston MarathonLocal entries for Monday’s race
Bib          Name                                     Age         M/F         City                         State        Cntry       Ctz          *
 
19316     Andrews, Kathleen                 45           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA                       
12749     Beauchemin, Lucky                55           M            Seekonk                 MA         USA        USA        
23343     Bitzas, Chris                           30           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
5225       Boisjolie, Scott                       39           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
23526     Bray, Michele C.                    40           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
23307     Brodeur, Nancy A.                 45           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
22767     Cammuso, Jeff                       30           M            Uxbridge                 MA         USA        USA                       
24696     Chartier, Brian K.                   37           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
26923     Clifford, Denise                      46           F             Bellingham               MA         USA        USA        
3572       Constantino, David                 39           M            Woonsocket           RI            USA        USA        
25031     Cronan, Lisa M.                     46           F             Lincoln                    RI            USA        USA        
22808     Danserseau, David P.             41           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
24842     Deon, Phil A.                         50           M            Bellingham               MA         USA        USA        
26925     DiFelice, Laura                       34           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
27079     Dow, Charles F.                     65           M            Bellingham               MA         USA        USA                       
               
23563     Duquette, Barbara A.             46           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
23773     Evans, Marcus W.                  50           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
2898       Fletcher, Sumner A.               23           F             Uxbridge                 MA         USA        USA        
19652     Forget, Kim A.                       48           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
24013     Fraine, Denis C.                     48           M            Bellingham               MA         USA        USA        
19155     Gagnon, Ann E.                      49           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
23333     Geary, Bill J.                          50           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
9311       Grant, Rebecca J.                   32           F             Pascoag                  RI            USA        USA                       
4596       Hanley, Sean M.                    47           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
23977     Hawkins, Gretchen N.            45           F             Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
13870     Howard, Heather                   39           F             Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
15347     Hynes, Shelley A.                   44           F             Uxbridge                 MA         USA        USA        
23455     Jarvis, Benjamin M.                31           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
4707       Jones, Alfred                          37           M            Uxbridge                 MA         USA        USA                       
18179     Katz, Jessyca                         40           F             Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
24229     Lamontagne, Lisa A.              36           F             Albion                     RI            USA        USA        
24230     Lanctot, James J.                    43           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
11465     Landry, Sandra                      31           F             Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
15670     Lee, George H.                      55           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
23390     Leonard, James N.                 60           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
23772     Malloy, Linda J.                     42           F             Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
9283       McGinnis, William M.             54           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
23184     McNamara, Sean P.               36           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
24396     Miller, Katherine L.                24           F             Pascoag                  RI            USA        USA        
25338     Misialek, Michael J.                40           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
21766     Molina, Stluar                         24           M            Bellingham               MA         USA        PER        
25512     Packett, Derek J.                   34           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
24886     Pawlowski, Ed                       46           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA                       
14312     Perry, K.C.                            51           M            Pascoag                  RI            USA        USA        
6107       Pino, Harry                            49           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
27145     Reilly, Christopher W.            37           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA                          
27308     Reynolds, Ashley                    21           F             Cumberland            RI            USA        USA        
22943     Richard, Daniel J.                   51           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
12361     Robbie, Norm                        45           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
27477     Rodrigues, Rod                      51           M            Cumberland            RI            USA        USA                       
5081       Sheasgreen, Kevin J.              36           M            Attleboro                MA         USA        USA        
               
  

 

Last Updated ( Saturday, 02 May 2009 )
 
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