Road Race

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He’s wicked fast. I hung on with Dan for as long as I could and broke 40 minutes that year. The one and only time,” he said.

Brunelle describes the race as having a great atmosphere but also says it’s a tough course.

“Miles 2 and 3 are brutal: Uphill, under the highway past Schermerhorn’s. Then that right turn up the hill past HCC. You turn right again on to Beech Street and you think it’s a downhill cruise to the finish,” he said. “But right when you see the CVS on the corner, Beech takes a nasty upturn. I hate that hill worst of all.”

As Brunelle gets older, he has started to try to temper his expectations. But then his old competitive spirit takes over.

“Every year, I tell myself I’m going to take it easy. But then race mode kicks in, and I want to keep it under 50 min- utes for as long as I can,” he said. “I’m 52, so if I can keep breaking my age, I should be happy.”

But his favorite part of the whole day is the crowd.

“The best part of the scene is obviously the crowd — from start to finish. But I love the folks handing out Bud Lights on Beech Street — they go crazy when someone grabs a beer. And the cross-culture of Salsa music and Reggeaton as you come down the homestretch.”

“The best part of the scene is obviously the crowd — from start to finish. But I love the folks handing out Bud Lights on Beech Street — they go crazy when someone grabs a beer. And the cross-culture of Salsa music and Reggeaton as you come down the homestretch. It has a good beat to run to,” he said enthusiastically.