BY SAPNA PATHAK

They call him “The Clydesdale.”

It’s a moniker that precedes any mention of Jack Finan among New Hampshire’s race walking community.

On Sunday, Aug. 5, the Bow native took part in the 20th annual Granite State Senior Games, placing first in the race walk.

Taking the course at Manchester’s Industrial Park Drive, Finan cheered on runners in the Senior Games’ 5K and 10K road race before completing the 5,000-meter race walk.

Finan, who competed in the 70- to 74-year-old men’s division this year, took up the sport when he was 69.

While taking a break to catch his breath during a race in Portsmouth, Finan was approached by a fellow runner who suggested race walking as an alternative.

“I went to a weekend seminar on race walking and have been doing it ever since,” said Finan. “It still keeps me in really good shape. I train by working out my lower body and legs every other day and my upper body the other days. It’s a lot more technical than I thought. I’ve seen people get disqualified from races for not walking the right way.”

Finan was joined by Bow’s Rosemary Couch, who ran the 5K road race, finishing in 29 minutes, 14 seconds.

Couch and Finan also compete in the track and field competition on Sunday, Aug. 12.

Winners of events at the Granite State Senior Games qualify to compete at the 2009 national senior games in San Francisco.

“I’m shooting to make it to San Francisco,” said Finan. “I want to see if I can get that far after making it to the nationals (in Louisville, Ky.) this year. There are some excellent race walkers here in New England, and I’m surprised the sport really grew on me so much.”

Also competing during the Senior Games’ first weekend were Bow’s Bob Garland, who took part in the cycling event.

Concord natives *** Croak and Barbara Sacco both competed in Sunday’s doubles tennis tournament.

Stan Irzyk of Concord placed first in the pistol shoot on Saturday, Aug. 4, in the men’s 75- to 79-year-old age group, while Concord trio Brad Hosmer, Tim Ainsworth and Paul Lombardi returned to this year’s cycling event.