In it’s second year, the Friday Night Lights 10k is a new, but exciting addition to the New England Running Scene. And to add icing to the cake, it was selected for the USATF-NE Outdoor 10k Championship as well. If you’re in the Greater Boston area this friday, Danehy Park will be the place to go! Whether you’re racing, spectating, partying, or just there for moral support, we’ve got some serious races cracking down and you won’t want to miss a second of the action. Here’s who to expect on the starting line for the elites:
The Men’s Field:
The Favorites:
Amos Sang (Western Mass Distance Project) – A 4x NCAA DII champion while at Abilene Christian University, Amos has a ton of power to bring to the table. He boasts 5k/10k personal records of 13’42 and 28’20 respectively and will certainly look to capture the title over a strong FNL 10k field.
Ruben Sança (Brooks/Whirlaway) – By way of Lowell, Ruben is a well-known figure on the local, regional, national, and international racing scenes. He competed in the 2012 Olympics for his native land Cape Verde and holds several Cape Verdian national records. Ruben’s gone sub-30 both on the track and roads and still has that kind of fitness plus some.
Neal Darmody (Unattached) – An accomplished distance type at High Point University, Neal knows how to race the 10k. He took a couple years away from the sport since graduation in 2012, but he’s picked the rhythm back up and is getting fit faster than you might think. Neal just won our 4th edition of the Level Renner 10k last weekend and with more guys to run with, he’ll run something quick for sure at FNL.
“Knocking on the Door”:
Dan Vassallo (Central Mass Striders) – Dan was the USATF-NE Track 10k champ in 2014, has won multiple USATF-NE Road Grand Prix events, and is an olympic trials quality marathoner. Look for him to fight for the 2016 USATF-NE title.
Matt Pelletier (Brooks) – At 37 years of age, Matty P. is still racing as if he were 27. A six-time winner of the Vermont Cities Marathon and the proud holder of a 2’17 marathon PR, the 26.2 may be his specialty. Though stepping down in distance, he can still rip a fast 10k when it counts.
Rob Gomez (Dirigo) – One of the top athletes from Maine, Rob brings some solid experience to the track. He has been the top Maine finisher at the Boston Marathon in the past and has gone 31’03 on the roads before. That’s a recipe for a potentially quick FNL 10k for sure.
Jason Ayr (Western Mass Distance Project) – Contending as a possible front runner in the elite race and playing race director, Ayr will be a busy man on Friday evening. But he’s a 30’51 10k guy and 2’25 marathoner who rolls out 100+ mile weeks. There’s potential for a strong race out of him on any given day.
Glarius Rop (Team RUN) – Rop was a standout collegian at American International, capturing several New England Championship titles and D2 All-American performances. His PR of 28’58 may have been run a few years ago, but he hasn’t lost that fitness and could definitely compete with the leaders.
Here’s the entire entry lists for the men’s elites:
