A History of the Dedham Road Race
Penned by Race Historian Sir Thomas Hurley and Race Director Rich Hart

In a time when many more ambitious running projects have ebbed and faded into oblivion, the time-honored Town of Dedham Road Race has continued to prosper.

On July 4th, 1978, 107 hardy souls braved a steady downpour to finish the inaugural race of the series. Nationally ranked collegian Dan Dillon of Providence College won in 29:02 over a course that subsequently proved to be considerably short of the 10,000-meter distance (it was about 6 miles). The women's winner that day was Josie Mancuso of UMass Amherst, whose other possible accomplishments have faded in the mists of time.

That first race was the brainchild of a young University of Connecticut undergrad, Richard Hart, heir to the great Dedham petroleum empire. Hart chose to eschew the pleasures of the family gas station and embrace the soul-satisfying life of high school teacher and track coach. Together with the town Recreation Director, Jim Dunderdale, the young sophomore-to-be spent his summer hours performing the numerous tasks necessary for organizing a road race. It was tough at the time, and still results in some late nights prior to the event. However, twenty-five years later the track coach and former teacher is glad he persevered.

In 1979, the course was wheel-measured accurately (the race director had bought a better car, spending closer to $50). The new course was designed to finish on the Dedham High School track, an arrangement that lasted 7 years. Amazingly, after the soggy start in '78, 188 runners showed up on the starting line in '79 with a pair of UMass seniors showing the way. Dedhamite and NCAA All-American Mike Quinn scorched the course in 29:52, winning by 1:52 (still the largest margin of victory in race history). Runner-up was Bruce Weber of the Noble and Greenough school, whose 31:44 was the fastest high school 10K in Dedham annals. Tina Louise Francario won the women's division in 37:20. Quinn repeated in '80, with Robin Clayton of GBTC scoring on the distaff side. Another Dedham resident (and high school track coach) Alan Mills, broke the tape in 1981 and was joined in the winner's circle by Cambridge Rindge and Latin athlete Thayer Plante, who would repeat 11 years later.

The race size went over 200 for the first time in 1982, with Tim Donovan, of the Preoria Donovans, leading the way in 30:08. However, it was the ladies who stole the show as American Marathon record-holder Patti Catalano caught Sue Lupica of Newton at the 3 mile mark and went on to a course record 35:23 that would stand until 1989. Lupica finished 12 seconds later, and still stands as the 4th best 10K in race annals.

The race's host team, the Hurtin for Certain (HFC) Striders made a big breakthrough in 1982, winning its first team championship (which has always been a fixture in this Shiretown Classic). HFC's own Dennis Simonaitis, on the threshold of a great running career that has seen him compete in four Olympic Trial Marathons, won easily after his runner-up performance the year before. Dedham High and Boston College great Ann Fallon captured the first of her three titles, an unrivaled feat among the women.

The '84 Classic saw one of the great duels in race history. Veteran marathon star (and current BC coach) Randy Thomas, anticipating an easy workout and a quick payday, was confronted by a unknown youth wearing a torn t-shirt and plenty of speed. Thomas was treated to a nerve-wracking half hour of competition. Twenty-year-old John Clopeck of Framingham (a recent transfer to BC from the Naval Academy) allowed fate to steer him to Dedham. The two protagonists had shaken off such challengers as '83 winner Simonaitis and future double winner John Madden by the three-mile mark. The veteran Thomas tried five surges on his opponent, opening up 10 yards only to have the neophyte flyer work his way back each time until the last move a quarter-mile from the finish. Thomas finished in a course record 29:45 with Clopeck (29:48) also under the old standard. This was the last time that the future Eagle All-American would ever lose to the future BC coach. Petite Stanford sophomore Hilary Erin won the woman's race by the widest margin ever with a 36:37 clocking.

George Hitt and Wellesley HS grad (and state mile champ) Christine Crowley won the last race to finish on the track and in '86 the finish line was moved to the front of the school. Race Director Hart had been unable to move the crowd to the finish, so they moved the finish to the crowd. The start was moved back, but not enough and the course was measured later as being .16 miles short. This resulted in the some course records being pro-rated (using the director's slide-rule or abacas) to compare with the earlier times or courses. The first of these abbreviated races was won by John Madden of Hyde Park and Kristen Perini in the excellent times of 29:51 and 35:57, short course or not. A year later, Madden repeated, going unchallenged, as did Cape Cod luminary Shirley Silsby.

In 1988, hometown boy John Fiola finally came out on top in his 10th attempt. Dublin native Aine Lyman became the Classic's first foreign-born winner. There was a strong maroon and gold twinge in 1989 as former eagles George Grant of Canton and Catholic Memorial, and Virginia Holmes of Maine led the charge to the finish line. Holmes time of 34:46 was the fastest women's time to date, and prorated would still have given her the record for the 10K distance (prorating to a 35:18). Bob Hall, perennial Boston Marathon winner, won the first wheelchair competition in 30:19.

Tony DaRocha won the first of his 4 titles (most ever) in 1990. Ann Fallon won her second, as did Hall in the wheelchair division, and Steve Vaitones of Athletics West won the race-walk. The latter 2 groups were becoming regular fixtures in the competition. A banner field was on hand a year later, led by Tim Gannon's 29:03 who defeated American Junior Marathon record holder Paul Gompers (second) and 1995 National Cross Country Champion Brad Schlapak, as well as local stallions Jamie Goodberlet and '93 winner Tom Cash. Ann Fallon one again dominated in capturing the women's title (3rd overall). This year was also the first Classic to have over 300 finishers (318) Gannon repeated the following year, with Thayer Plante came back to win the woman's division, 11 years after her first victory. Tom Cash cracked the victory stand in his third try in '93, while 16-year-old Claire Kelly of Walpole became the third high school athlete to take top female honors.

DaRocha started a string of victories in '94. A Cape Verdean native, Tony acquired his love of hot weather naturally and has consistently demonstrated it on the streets of Greater Boston, and especially Dedham, where he three-peated from '94 to '96. There was another slight change to the course in 1994 as it was changed to conform to the standard 10-kilometer distance once again. It was also re-charted to finish near the community pool at JuJu's Place, named in honor of the Recreation Director Anthony "JuJu" Mucciaccio. A young lady named Tina Racine came all the way from British Columbia and took advantage of the new course to register a 36:25 clocking to win the women's race by 3 minutes.

The 1995 event provided an utterly unique experience for Race Director Hart, the occupants of the lead vehicle, and especially the front-running DaRocha. Halfway through mile-six, DaRocha was in cruise-control with what he thought was a 3 or 4 minute lead, when the 2nd and 3rd place runners shot out of a side street in front of him. The pair had either been misguided or ignored instructions in Oakdale Square (depending on whose story you listen to), and had cut off at least a half-mile. DaRocha was awarded the win, but there was some question whether Keith Brown of Wilton, Conn. (one of the create-a-course athletes) would have broken Joe McCusker's long-standing Masters record of 33:40. Winning without problem on the woman's side was triathlete Jennifer Barron, with her first road race victory in two years. DaRocha completed his three-peat in '96 without much fanfare, but the feature of the race was Sheila Purves' victory in the women's division. Forty-year-old Purves, of Hong Kong, in town on vacation, broke the woman's masters record by over three and a half minutes.

In the 20th Anniversary race in '97, Mel Gonsalves knocked off his cousin, DaRocha in the men's competition. Mary-Lynn Currier (fresh off being the first American woman at the Boston Marathon) took the distaff title in the excellent time of 35:28 in the final 10K race.

The 1998 version was the dawn of a new era as the race distance changed to 5 miles. The course remained similar to the earlier route with a finish down Mt. Vernon St. being a welcome change from the drudgery of the Whiting Avenue hills. (The Recreation Director is nervous that the course will be shortened to 5K eventually, as his friends and brother get older.) The five-mile course saw Edenilson DePaiva and RoseMary Ryan take the victory stand. Ryan, a recent BU grad and All-American at 5000 Meters, set the 5 mile record or 28:16, which still stands, and placed fifth overall, the highest woman's finish ever. The second year of the five-mile era, 1999, saw men's winner, Ben Noad of Providence College, shake off an early morning malaise (due to the prior evening's revelry) and drop DePaiva's course record to 25:00. Audrey O'Keefe of Dedham used her hometown knowledge of the roads to take top honors in the woman's race.

Pete Hammer used his Olympic Marathon Trials fitness to become the first athlete to break 25 minutes with his 24:53 in 2000.The woman's race was one of the best in race history, with World Cup Marathoner Mimi Corcoran topping Diana Bowser of the BAA as both athletes broke 29 minutes. David Hinga became the first Kenyan champ with his course record 24:47 in 2001, topping recent Northeastern graduate Ray Youngs by 32 seconds. Kristen Coogan of Boulder, Colorado won the woman's race, as the top-three women were within 30 seconds of each other. Youngs' second was not enough to help the HFC Striders as they suffered a tough team loss to Reebok Boston by one point.

Kevin Gray, a 25-year-old from Walpole, held off Harry Starts of Boston to win the 2003 Dedham Road Race in a time of 25:55. Milton's Eileen Cakouros was the women's winner in 32:25, holding off Meaghan Shaw of Reading. Shaw was competing in her first race since finishing her career at Northeastern University. John Sullivan was the men's masters champ in 13th overall with a time of 29:26. The women's masters winner was Brenda Egizi of Westwood in 34:49 . The HFC Striders and Reebok Boston waged war on the roads for the team title and HFC prevailed, turning the table from the prior year with a one-point victory.

There have been several changes over the last 25 years with both the Dedham Road Race and the sport in general. Changes such as the course, the addition of prize money and then team money, the divisions for awards swelling to 19, and the many different items that are given for prizes (towels, shoe bags, hats, mugs, sunglasses, etc.) are all examples of how the Dedham Road Race has tried to be a race for runners put on by runners. One constant has been the outstanding support of The Recreation Department, led by JuJu Mucciaccio and previously Jim Dunderdale since 1978.

Another constant has been the presence of Dan Hart, who along with serving as the assistant race director, has competed in all 26 editions of the Classic (though competed may be replaced by participated during some of those years). Just behind are Dedham residents Chris Diehl (missed the first one but has been there ever since) and former Dedhamite Larry O'Toole, who also has only one miss on his ledger. The race has also been strongly supported by the HFC Striders, providing great race management help while also winning more team championships than any other club. The list of people who have made the race possible over the years would be too numerous to name here, but it has been a true town event.