The Yarmouth Clam Festival Classic (2005)
The 40th annual Yarmouth Clam Festival is this weekend, and the 24th running of the Clam Festival Classic 5 mile road race was this morning. The temperature was a cool 84 degrees (compared to last year’s 96 fahrenheit) despite starting at 8 o’clock in the morning.
Bob Winn held a course record of 23:58 on a short course, and Todd Coffin has the official course record of 25:06 on the recertified and full distance course. Matt Lane of Menlo Park, California decided to come into town for the clam festival, and he smashed both records with a time of 23:48, followed not so closely by Patrick Tarpy of Yarmouth in 24:29 (also a record setting pace). Kirby Davis followed in third place with a time of 25:38, having run 5:07 splits almost every mile.
Joan Benoit Samuelson won the women’s race for the third year in a row in 29:30, and she had her fair share of supporters all along the course. Erin Lane came east with her husband and took second place in 29:54, followed by local runner Kristin Barry in 30:06.
[...] Last year, Matt Lane won the Clam Festival Classic in 23:48; nobody came even close this year. [...]
[...] to set the course record. Two years ago, he ran a course record 24:29 but was soundly beaten by Matt Lane, who ran an impressive 23:48. This year, having already run the fastest mile on Maine soil, he set his sights on breaking [...]