Andover Townsman, Andover, MA

Townspeople

Related Photos

  • Tim Jean

    ktryje77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7r777

  • Tim Jean

    ktryiz77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq6tk77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7oe77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq05d77

  • kty83877

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7ld77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7im77

  • ktxzwx77

  • ktxz9j77

  • Tim Jean

    kts0iy77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7mg77

  • Tim Jean

    ktq7if77

Discussion

Welcome to our online comments feature. To join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address. Once you do, your comments will post automatically. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean. We reserve the right to remove comments that are obscene, racist or abusive and statements that are false or unverifiable. Repeat offenders will be blocked. You may flag objectionable comments for review by a moderator.

comments powered by Disqus
December 3, 2009

Record crowd for Feaster: SEE IMAGES FROM RACE DAY

Man who overcame fear of water runs for Y

By Bethany Bray

A record-breaking 9,147 people took to the streets of Andover this Thanksgiving for the Feaster Five road race.

Among the runners was Washington Park resident Barry Mahoney, who ran his 20th Feaster Five, finishing five kilometers in 32:11.

Mahoney lives about 200 yards from the race's starting line, and hosts a pre-race social every year.

"It's not just the running, but running with my friends and family," said Mahoney, who teaches chemistry at Merrimack College. "It's not a race, it's a big social event. It gives you time to connect with people you haven't seen in a while."

As he ran, Mahoney said he was "thinking about how lucky I am to be running, and how fortunate I am to be with my friends."

This year, Mahoney was running in honor of the Andover/North Andover YMCA, which was one of the race's sponsors. Mahoney, a widower, works out at the Y an average of five days a week and considers the friends he's found at the Haverhill street facility a second family.

Mahoney suffered a running injury in 1988 and found himself at the Y, considering swimming lessons as an alternative way to stay in shape. At the time he could not swim more than one length of the pool at a time.

"I was fearful of water. I'm not embarrassed to say that word," he said. "The first time I pulled up to the YMCA, I drove away. The second time, I took a tour. I didn't sign up that night. It took me another week of denial and saying 'I'll be running in a week now'."

But with his injury too severe to allow any running, Mahoney joined what he calls "the terrified swim class," a group of adults who could not swim with their faces in the water.

Now, 20 years later, Mahoney has competed in 40 triathlons and swims with the YMCA's master swim team.

"I credit the YMCA coaches and swim instructors for their incredible patience and knowledge," he said. "To this day, even though I run, I use the YMCA for all kinds of help, like weights and fitness training."

As the North Andover/Andover YMCA is looking to build onto their facility, Mahoney says he is "helping out any way he can," including running the Feaster Five and acting as spokesperson for the Y.

The Feaster Five raised $25,000 for the Merrimack Valley's YMCA's Reach out for Youth & Families annual campaign, which funds financial assistance ensuring all people who want to access the Y and its programs can do so.

Feaster factS

Winners of the five mile race: Nate Jenkins, 29, of Andover with a time of 24:45 and Joan Samuelson, 52, with a time of 30:13. Besides Jenkins, top Andover finishers were Ryan Miller, 26, 26:20, 5th place male; James Primes, 22, 28:11, 10th place male; Nina Caron, 49, 30:15, second place female; and Caroline Bjune, 35, 31:33, 5th place female.

Top Andover finishers in the 5K race were Scott Waller, 17, 17:23, 4th place male; Michael Primes, 19, 17:37, 6th place male and Kelsey Jamieson, 15, 21:14, 6th place female.

The Irvin family had 55 family members participate in Feaster events.

Close to 3,000 people entered the week of the race:

689 on Monday, Nov. 23

618 on Tuesday, Nov. 24

1,020 on Wednesday, Nov. 25

655 the day of the race, Thursday Nov. 26

For full race results, visit www.coolrunning.com/results/09/ma/Nov26_Feaste_set1.shtml

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Record crowd for Feaster: SEE IMAGES FROM RACE DAY
by By Bethany Bray , , Thu Dec 03, 2009, 01:36 PM EST
Townspeople

Question of the Week
Pictures of the Week
Stocks