Photo Credit: Breaktape Shot 1: Rudel breaks the tape held by Race Director Dusty Rhodes (Erin FitzPatrick, Conventures Inc.)
Colorado native wins in 31:12, second-fastest time in race history
Well on her way to a dominant victory in her debut at the Boston 10K for Women, Rachael Rudel made the turn off Memorial Drive onto the Harvard Bridge and broke into a smile as bright as the sunny, 50-degree autumn day.
There, Rudel suddenly found herself face-to-face with many of the nearly 7,000 women behind her, cheering wildly on the out-and-back across the Charles River for the breakout athlete about to win the race’s historic 50th running.
“It’s a slap in the face of joy,” she said. “My immediate reaction was to go over to everyone and give them high fives.”
Instead, she confined herself to giving just one, halfway across the bridge, as she headed for victory in 31:12, the second-fastest winning time in race history.
Finishing second was Maggie Donohue, who grew up in nearby Wellesley in 32:03, with Amy Davis-Green, third in 32:11. Winning the masters division was Alexis Wilbert (35:39), while the wheelchair division champion was 17-year-old Madelyn Wilson (33:35). Five-time past champion Molly Huddle, 42, also joined in the celebration, pacing a friend and finishing in 38:49.
Remarkably, six women – Francine Vidockler, Joanne McCabe Morris, Kathy Sastavickas, Lyn Licciardello, Paula Metivier, and Sandy Miller – crossed the finish line for the 50th consecutive time.
“So many races didn’t make it even 10 years,” said Dusty Rhodes, founder and race director, as she looked back. “I feel so joyful, so many women who had this race as a personal goal every year, it’s so fulfilling. I just talked to one woman who told me it changed her life.”
In this 50th race, Rudel tucked into a pack of 10 for the 5:08 first mile but was already debating whether to make a move.
“It was a lot of me thinking about it for that first mile, questioning myself,” said Rudel, who ran for Colorado State University but competed only sporadically for the past decade because of health issues before bursting back onto the scene this year, winning the USATF 20 km Championships last month after runner-up finishes in both the B.A.A. 10K and Bolder Boulder 10K over the summer. “But then, I decided it was time to get uncomfortable, to test myself.”
Rudel passed the exam, pulling away to a 5-second lead by the 2-mile mark that grew to 25 seconds by Mile 4, which she ran in 5:03.
She almost didn’t even make it to class. Rudel, who works full time in Colorado had planned to compete in the USATF 10 km Championships last weekend but was forced to pull out at the last minute due to illness. It wasn’t until Tuesday of this week that she decided to add the Boston 10K for Women to her schedule instead.
“Best decision of my life,” she said after being crowned the champion. “I’m so excited. There’s a lot of meaning to this race.”
Full Race Results can be found here: https://results.laurelt.com/bfw/results.
About the Boston 10K for Women
Established in 1977 as the Bonne Bell Mini Marathon, the Boston 10K for Women is the longest-running women’s sporting event in New England. With thousands of runners and spectators each year, it is New England’s largest women’s road race, and has been organized every year by Conventures, Inc. The race features a flat out-and-back course through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood and scenic stretches of Memorial Drive in Cambridge. More than 201,000 women have raced in the event since its inception. For more information on the race please visit www.boston10kforwomen.com.