A record number of racers lined up for the the 31st running of the Stratton Faxon New Haven 20K and 5K Labor Day road race. The 20K runners competed for the USA Championship. A cool day and a flat course promised broken records but none were set.
The men's and women's 20K winners were James Carney of Eugene, Ore. (59:11) and Jill Steffens of Athens Ga. (1:08:46). Josh Rohatinsky was second for the men and last year's winner, Dan Browne, a 2004 Olympian, finished 3rd. Both are from Beaverton Ore. Among the women, Elva Dryer of Gunnison Colo. held the lead for much of the course and finished second in a tight race to the finish line.
The 5K men's winner was Matthew Molski followed by Rob Dextradeur and Matt Chaston. The women's group was lead by Sara Donahue of Boston. Madeline Marecki finished second and a Yale Medical student, Yemisi Damisah, was third.