While Kenyan Julius Kiptoo was winning his third straight Litchfield Hills Road Race and Moroccan Malika Mejdoub was the first female finisher, a large group of local runners were leaving their mark on the race.
The top Litchfield finisher was former Litchfield High runner Spencer Sass, 21, who was 14th overall in 39:29. Sass, who runs at the University of New Hampshire, was third in the male 19-39 division in one of the best showings ever by a Litchfield participant.
Former LHS runners Jeremy Schmid and Colin Gannon, both 19, also ran strong, finishing 24th and 25th, respectively, in 41:32 and 41:35. Old hand Bob Davenport, 42, of Litchfield, was 31st in 42:08 and was fifth in the male 40-49 division.
Calvin Swomley, an LHS sophomore, had a breakthrough race in placing 34th in 42:24, which earned him third place in the male 15-18 division. Swomley's LHS teammates, Joe Wihbey and Ryan Gannon were 45th and 62nd, respectively, in 43:38 and 45:28.
Other locals cracking the top 100 were Grant Burgess of Litchfield (52nd, 44:06), Steve Marsalese of Litchfield (55th, 44:48), Michal Dichter of Litchfield (61st, 45:23), John McKenna of Morris (71st, 46:08), Bryan Atwood of Litchfield (82nd, 46:31), Dan Lane of Goshen (86th, 46:43), Rob Breakell of Goshen (87th, 46:44), Maverick Gosselin of Litchfield (88th, 46:51), Kyle Halloran of Morris (90th, 47:04), former LHS runner Jen Ziello (94th, 47:24), John Kennedy of Litchfield (97th, 47:40), and James Harmon of Litchfield (99th, 47:46).
Local women putting in good times were first Litchfield female finisher Carla Williams (203rd, 52:30, Marcey Sass (206th, 52:36), Anna Stokes of Litchfield (223rd, 53:00), Kerryanne Matthews of Litchfield (275th, 54:25) and LHS runner Veronica Birdsall (277th, 54:34).

Top to bottom, Litchfield Hills Road Race Director John Clock with race winner Julius Kiptoo, first Litchfield finisher Spencer Sass, women's winner Malika Mejdoub, first Litchfield female finisher Carla Williams, and Calvin Swomley of Litchfield, who was third in the boys 15-18 division.

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