Attleboro Area Runners are Still Celebrating

They may be tired, but one day after 50 Wampanoag runners known as WAMPS ran the Boston Marathon, they were still celebrating.

Along with celebrating such a great feat by running the Boston Marathon on Monday they are also celebrating the fact that half of the Wampanoag Runners that ran the race qualified for the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Wampanoag Runners’ President Sandy Sheehy, 46, of North Attleboro said WAMPS are lucky to hail from the Attleboro area so they can be close to all of action.

Sheehy was one of the 55 Club members who traveled to Hopkinton by chartered bus and ran a personal record (PR) on Monday for her seventh marathon. “After coming off a condensed training season due to back and hip injuries, I managed to run a Boston PR of 3:32.”

With Sheehy’s PR time of 3:32, she joins fellow runners Kevin Downing and Gertrudis Alfani as automatic qualifiers for the 2012 Boston Marathon.

“My PR time wasn’t close, however to that of Lauren Farkash from Plainville who ran a PR of 3:20."

Kim Ashworth from North Attleboro ran a PR of 3:31, Mike Ferrari from Mansfield ran a PR of 3:11 and Jack Bailey from Easton ran a PR of 2:42, Sheehy said.

The Wampanoag Road Runners have become extremely active in the past few years. "Running is cheap! You don't need a gym membership. It's amazing with 230 members we are rivaling the Boston running clubs."

"The spectators were incredible," she added. "On a sunny day they are out from the top of the course to the bottom! They are barbquing, and are making us all hungry and they all have signs. You don't get that on a rainy day."

Sheehy’s enthusiasm and congratulations were extended to all of the runners. “I am humbled to be among so many amazing runners, some seasoned veterans, some running their very first marathon," she said. "Each and every one is an inspiration.”

“It thrills me to watch a nervous runner join our club and say, 'I could never run a marathon.' Then, voila, after catching the “distance bug” and running with the club, sure enough they are training and training and learning more about what is needed to run longer and longer," she added. 

Sheehy explained that volunteering at races helps the new members learn more about marathon running. “The next thing you know, they’ve completed their first marathon. It’s a phenomenal feat!”

“Hard work and training really paid off for all of our Attleboro area runners," Sheehy said. "It was an incredible day to be a WAMP!”