By David Rogers. CONCORD, Mass. — It may not have been the shot heard round the world but it was a scorching battle royale, not far from the site of the American Revolution’s first military engagement, The Battle of Lexington and Concord. This June 10 battle, though, was civil yet still an adrenaline rush: The Adrian Martinez Classic, a men’s 1500-meter race on the track at Emerson Field.
VIDEO OF RACE EMBEDDED AT BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE
Dan Schaffer, a member of Blowing Rock-based professional running team ZAP Endurance, emerged the victor in a thrilling race where only two seconds separated the top four athletes. Schaffer crossed the finish line in 3:40.37, followed by a pair of unattached runners in Jack Salisbury (3:41.42) and A J Ernst (3:41.74). UA Run Baltimore Dist.’s Ahmed Jaziri came across the line less than a second later in the No. 4 position (3:42.67).
Schaffer started the race with a bit of jostling in getting across the starting line before settling into a position at the back of a tight pack that included all 12 runners. He stayed in that position for the better part of 1000 meters, then moved up to the No. 3 spot for the last couple laps. As they rounded the final turn, he shot to the outside and sprinted past the two runners then in front of him to get the “W.”
A total of 12 athletes were entered in the race, of which two did not finish (designated pacesetters). The finishers included two runners from Georgetown University, and one each from Davidson College, Boston Athletic Association, Soul Elite, and other unattached athletes. The slowest of the finishers crossed the line in 3:53.08.
Compliments of YouTube, you can see the entire race in this video. Schaffer is in the light colored jersey, in the center of the field at the starting line.
