Some things never change about the Cape Cod Ultrarunning Society’s annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass run.
Fred Murolo is always there – the 60-year-old from Cheshire, Conn., is the only person to finish the 50K all 11 years – and it’s always cold. The specificity of the “cold” sometimes varies. There may be rain, snow, and temperatures ranging from the frigid single digits to the more manageable 40s, but the wind along the Cape ensures it’s always bone-chilling cold.
The 11th installment of the event took place Saturday, Feb. 4, on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass., with temperatures starting in the upper teens and never climbing above freezing. The temperatures and chilly wind weren’t enough to deter runners from showing up. In fact, the largest total field in event history toed the starting line as 72 runners took on the sandy course. A total of 24 completed both loops for a 50K finish – the second-most ever to finish that distance at the Frozen Fat Ass (25 finished the 50K in 2012), and a record 48 earned a 25K finish.
The Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass has been known to draw plenty of familiar faces, and that was the case again in 2017. That said, the 50K was won by an event newcomer as speedy 59-year-old John Brown of Northbridge, Mass., capped his Cape Cod debut with a victory in 4:55, one minute ahead of 47-year-old Scott Deslongchamps of Putnam, Conn. Deslongchamps is one of the event’s regulars, and he was the 2009 race champion. Another familiar face – 37-year-old Peter Lawry – made the trip from Charlestown, N.H., and earned a third-place finish in 5:03. Lawry previously finished third at the 2015 race and took second in 2016. His wife, 33-year-old Leah Lawry, also made another trip to the Cape to race, and she finished fourth overall and earned first-place female honors for the second year in a row. What’s more, her time of 5:16 set a new women’s course record as she surpassed Barbara Franz’s time from 2013 by three minutes. Leah Lawry’s two consecutive victories followed her second-place performance in 2015.
Jim Diggins, 48, of Norwell, Mass., finished fifth overall in 5:19. Marek Bykuc, 41, of Wharton, N.J., and Dan Malloy, 30, of Lake Nopatcong, N.J., followed together in 5:30; and Rob Rives, 27, of Ashland, N.H., was a minute back in eighth place overall in 5:30. Will Holets, 28, of Boston, Mass., (5:38) and Daniel Larson, 41, of Cambridge, Mass., (5:40) rounded out the top 10.
The 2015 women’s champion, 39-year-old Jenny Hoffman of Cambridge, Mass., earned second-place female honors and placed 11th overall in 5:41. Six minutes later, 34-year-old Kara Spera of Lynn, Mass., became the third female finisher and was 12th overall.
All 24 finishers of the 50K completed the course in less than 7 1/2 hours.
In addition to the 50K, a record 48 runners completed the 25K race. That included 39-year-old Somerville, Mass., resident Eric Ahern – the owner of the 50K course record of 4:08 that he set in 2013. Ahern and 43-year-old Pascal Marmier of Lexington, Mass., tied for the 25K victory in 1:58.
50K RESULTS
PLACE, NAME, AGE; CITY, STATE; TIME
1 John Brown, 59, Northbridge, MA; 4:55
2 Scott Deslongchamps, 47, Putnam, CT; 4:56
3 Peter Lawry, 37, Charlestown, NH; 5:03
4 Leah Lawry 33, Charlestown, NH; 5:16
5 Jim Diggins 48, Norwell, MA; 5:19
6T Marek Bykuc, 41, Wharton, NJ; 5:30
6T Dan Malloy, 30, Lake Hopatcong, NJ; 5:30
8 Rob Rives, 27, Ashland, NH; 5:31
9 Will Holets, 28, Boston, MA; 5:38
10 Daniel Larson, 41, Cambridge, MA; 5:40
11 Jenny Hoffman, 39, Cambridge, MA; 5:41
12 Kara Spera, 34, Lynn, MA; 5:47
13 Daniel Boudreau, 38, Uxbridge, MA; 5:56
14 Deitmar Bago, 48, Andover, MA; 6:06
15 Dean Barbera, 41, Westford, MA; 6:12
16 Bill Howard 68, Winchester, MA; 6:29
17 Fred Murolo, 60, Cheshire, CT; 6:43
18 Fernando Salcido, 44 Somerville, MA; 6:48
T19 Nicole Ponte, 18, Dartmouth, MA; 7:09
T19 Mike Bates, 51, Acushnet, MA; 7:09
T19 Giles Gregory, 48, Nantucket, MA; 7:09
22 Jeremy Fuller, 35, New Bedford, MA; 7:09
23 Kevin Mullen, 59, Fairhaven, MA; 7:17
24 John Correiro, 48, Westport, MA; 7:17
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