Medford Runner Wins Gloucester Race

Seaside Race Organized by Medford Native Dave McGillivray

Medford’s Jacob Barnett crossing the finish line. Photo courtesy GoRun.org.

Jacob Barnett of Medford, Mass., won the second annual Run Gloucester! 7-Mile Road Race on Sunday along scenic Cape Ann, topping the men’s field with a time of 38:32 minutes while Kyle Linn MacQueen of Boston took the women’s title in 42:59.

The Gloucester, Mass., race began and ended at the famous Fisherman’s Memorial statue on the historic Gloucester waterfront after taking runners along five miles of ocean views and through downtown Gloucester. Runners enjoyed ideal weather conditions with overcast skies, a comfortable temperature and a slight breeze.

The Run Gloucester! 7-Mile Road Race (www.rungloucester.com) was organized by Dave Medford native McGillivray, race director of the BAA Boston Marathon, and his team at DMSE Sports, Inc.

“It was a perfect day for a road race and everything went perfect,” said McGillivray, who also directs the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine. “The course is unbelievable and the participants, volunteers and community really came through.”

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association (GFAA) which raises funds for Gloucester High School student-athletes, sports programs and facilities, and is a key supporter of the renovation of Gloucester High’s Newell Stadium.

The GFAA provided and coordinated the more than 125 volunteers on Sunday who staffed the race’s water stations and handled other duties at the start and finish line.

Medford’s Barnett, 26, edged out Nick DeSouza, 27, of Salem, Mass. (38:38), for the men’s crown, with Alex White, 27, of Somerville, Mass. (38:50) taking third. On the women’s side, MacQueen, 26, of Boston took first with Kate Hails, 23, of Somerville (43:48) and Layce Alves, 31, of Rockport (44:05) following behind.

The top two male and female finishers from Gloucester were awarded the Austin Connors Cup, a tribute to the late longtime owner of Connors Pharmacy, who also was an avid part of the local running scene. The 2011 recipients were: Chris Johnson, 25, (42:43) and Wes Dunn, 17, (42:59) on the men’s side, and for the women, Katie Taormina, 30, (45:17) and Regina Loicano, 38, (46:59).

Dunn, a Gloucester High School track and cross country standout, easily won the 19 & Under Division and finished 11th overall in 42:59. The oldest finisher in the race was Lou Peters, 86, of Methuen, Mass., who won the 80 & Over Division. Age group winners received gift certificates to Lobsta Land Restaurant in Gloucester. Full results are available at www.rungloucester.com.

A total of 874 runners registered for the seven-mile run and an additional 60 children signed up for the kid’s run portion of the race.

The race again drew rave reviews from participants who posted on the race’s Facebook page:

“Just wanted to let you know that that was the best organized race I have ever run,” wrote Lesley Mallo of Gloucester.

Laurie Lussier-Gleichauf of Wellington, Fla., said Run Gloucester is her favorite road race among the countless she has run. “Beautiful course, well planned and organized,” she wrote.

“I was impressed by this race from start to finish,” wrote Will Higgins of Gloucester. “Great job everyone.”

Felicia O’Brien of Sudbury, Mass., said she’ll be back in 2012 – “LOVE this race! It will become a regular on my race calendar.”

Founded by McGillivray in 1981, DMSE Sports, Inc. is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating, marketing and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. McGillivray has produced or consulted on more than 900 mass-participatory athletic events throughout the world, including 24 Boston Marathons; the 2004 and 2008 USA Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 1990 Triathlon World Championship, the 1998 Goodwill Games Triathlon, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. For more info, visit www.dmsesports.com.

– Information from DMSE Sports