BY RYAN O’CONNORCount Bedford’s Barth Getto as one participant happy to get away from modern competition for a day. The 46-year-old regularly competes in triathlons. But on Saturday, June 28, he was convinced by friends at the Goffstown YMCA to run the 29th annual Goffstown Gallop. “(The Gallop) is kind of laid back. It’s ...

BY RYAN O’CONNORSean Colligan didn’t learn his lesson at last year’s Goffstown Gallop. But at this year’s 5.2-mile run, he took the rest of the field to school. After finishing second behind an invited guest in 2007, Colligan once again chanced fate. “I actually invited more people this year,” he said. Still, ...

BY RYAN O’CONNORBow’s Margaret Burns and Pembroke’s Joanne Welch have been running mates for eight years. They’re currently preparing for a half marathon in Quebec in August. The 29th annual Goffstown Gallop provided them an opportunity to participate in a competitive run – without the headaches of a typical road ...

BY JERRY LIPTAK Generally, in the postseason world of “survive and advance,” there is no place for inter-team camaraderie. Cross country is an exception, and proof was on competitors’ faces after the Nov. 4 Meet of Champions at Mines Falls, on the campus of Nashua South High. True,  no  local athlete could see the ...

BY JERRY LIPTAK Generally, in the postseason world of “survive and advance,” there is no place for inter-team camaraderie. Cross country is an exception, and proof was on competitors’ faces after the Nov. 4 Meet of Champions at Mines Falls, on the campus of Nashua South High. True, no Neighborhood athlete could see the ...

BY RYAN O'CONNOR Robert Rhoades was 55 when he died suddenly of a brain aneurism in March 2006. Now, his daughter, Kathleen Rhoades, joins former Blue Devil athletes Mike O’Shaughnessy and Joey Donovan in organizing the second annual Robert Rhoades benefit run. The 3.1-mile run begins at Salem High School at 10 a.m. on Saturday, ...

BY SAPNA PATHAK Kristin Johnson and her teammates used to complain about the vigorous training regimen that came with being on West High’s track team. But Lee Hess changed that. It was seeing the Blue Knights sprinting coach come back from a tough injury that changed Johnson’s perspective on work ethic, dedication and ...

BY SAPNA PATHAK *** Croak loves trash-talk. No, you won’t hear the Concord resident egging his opponents on, but you will see him quiet their jovial taunts with first-place finishes and record-setting performances. On Sunday, Aug. 12, Croak competed in the 20th annual Granite State Senior Games, taking the track at Manchester’s ...

BY SAPNA PATHAK Six years ago Ken Folsum was a frustrated runner. He was 75 years old and thought his racing days were over. So he made sure they weren’t. The Salem native and five friends formed the New England 60-plus Runners Club, drawing those looking to stay competitive at a later age. Today, the group includes more than 600 ...

BY SAPNA PATHAK Mike Lavery remembers the moment well – wading in Mirror Lake, surrounded by thousands of swimmers, the Bedford native faced his toughest mental challenge to date. One year later, he did it all again. After a taxing introduction in 2006, Lavery signed up for his second Ford Ironman USA triathlon, once again heading to ...