Sports
3 Middletown Residents Finish in Top of Pell Bridge Run
2,500 Athletes Completed in the Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run on Sunday
Three Middletown residents placed in the top 20 of over 2,200 runners who crossed the finish line of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority’s Citizens Bank Pell Bridge Run sponsored by Newport Hospital Sunday morning.
Among those were Tim Martin, 33, 7th place, Brain Hennesy, 52, 9th place and Jacob Reilly, 17, 17th place.
The first place went to Geoff Nelson of Providence. The top female finisher was Kristin Bull of Melbourne, Australia, who had entered the cancelled New York City Marathon and decided to give the Newport Pell Bridge a try.
Of the 2,500 people who entered, 2,218 athletes crossed the finish line of the four-mile course. The youngest competitors were four eight-year olds, and the oldest was Helen DiDonato of South Kingstown, who celebrates her 88th birthday today.
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The views of the sunrise over Narragansett Bay were a reward for the runners and walkers, especially after they completed the ascent to the top of the Newport Pell Bridge.
Clay Pell, grandson of the bridge’s namesake – Senator Claiborne Pell – ran the race and met his fianceé, U.S. Olympian and World Champion figure skater Michelle Kwan at the finish line.
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To the surprise of Kym Boardman, her boyfriend, Alexander Hurd, asked her to marry him at the top of the bridge, with family members looking on. The answer was “yes!”
A complete list of participants and their times can be found at: http://runrhody.com/admin/upload/Pell%20Bridge%20Run%20Overall.pdf
Event proceeds will benefit not-for-profit organizations such as the YMCA of Newport County, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center of Newport, Special Olympics of Rhode Island, Meeting Street, and March of Dimes Rhode Island.
The title sponsor of the race is Citizens Bank, and Newport Hospital is one of the principal sponsors. More information about the race can be found atwww.PellBridgeRun.com.
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