More than 600 Participate in Steel Rail Races

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Matthew Ferraro was the first runner across the finish line at the MountainOne Steel Rail Marathon.
 
Ferraro clocked a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes flat on the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail course.
 
He finished a little more than five minutes ahead of runner-up Nick Reid (2:46:15).
 
Simone Veale won the race's women's division in a time of 3:18:42. She beat out Jill Hussain, who covered the course in 3:27:23.
 
The fastest marathoner on Sunday was Stephen Gulley, a hand cyclist, who clocked a time of 2:15:03.
 
The 26.2-mile circuit was covered by 150 finishers ranging in age from 18 (William Hanley in 14th place) to 72 (Ric Nudell, who finished in 6:04:47).
 
The day also featured a half-marathon and an 8-kilometer race.
 
Mark Rabasco won the half-marathon in 1:18:41, edging Vincent Gauthier (1:22:38).
 
Kat Morrissey placed third overall in 1:23:43 and first among women in the half-marathon, which had 213 finishers.
 
Abigail Chaloux was the fastest woman in the 8K, crossing the finish line in 35:52, six seconds ahead of Caroline Kessler; the two women were ninth and 10th, respectively, overall in a field of 171 finishers.
 
Peter Hale had the fastest 8K time, 27:42. Erik Kessler was second in 30:32.
 
More than 600 people registered for Sunday's races, a record for the Berkshire Running Foundation event. Runners from 24 different states signed up to run.
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Geurds Sets Course Record at Pittsfield State Forest

iBerkshires.com Sports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Abigail Geurds blew away the field Wednesday at the Berkshire Lightning Summer Race Series at Pittsfield State Forest.
 
Geurds covered the 3.5-mile course in 21 minutes, 21 seconds, an all-time course record for women and more than two minutes ahead of the next finisher.
 
Geurds' time was 35 seconds ahead of the previous record, 21:56, set by Lauren Farry in 2012.
 
She ran a 6:06 mile pace in the weekly event, which is a fund-raiser for the Pittsfield High School cross country team.
 
Patrick Donahue placed second in 23:23, 37 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher and second male competitor, Auric Enchill, who clocked a time of 24 minutes flat.
 
Farry was the fourth runner across the line and the second female with a time of 24:25.
 
Chloe Potash continued to run away with the season points title in the female 14-16 age group. She was first in her division on Wednesday with a time of 28:50 and increased her point total to 25, nine points ahead of the field, with two races left in the Summer Series.
 
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