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Warm Temps Aid Fairfield County Runners As Boston Buildup Series Steps Off

NORWALK, Conn. -- On a day when the rain held off and the temperatures were in the low 40s instead of below zero, more than 300 runners took to the streets in the first race of the Boston Buildup series Sunday in Norwalk.

Winner Kevin Hoyt, 24, of Newtown, crossing the finish line with a time of 32:51 in the Boston Buildup 10k race Sunday in Norwalk.

Winner Kevin Hoyt, 24, of Newtown, crossing the finish line with a time of 32:51 in the Boston Buildup 10k race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
Kevin Hoyt, 24, of Newtown,  finished first with a time of 32:51 in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday.

Kevin Hoyt, 24, of Newtown, finished first with a time of 32:51 in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
Tim Milenkevich, 32, of Ansonia finished second with a time of 33:57.

Tim Milenkevich, 32, of Ansonia finished second with a time of 33:57.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
Wilton's Mary Dolan Zengo, 49, was the top female finisher as she finished with a time of 38:12.

Wilton's Mary Dolan Zengo, 49, was the top female finisher as she finished with a time of 38:12.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
Sara Belles, 34, Brookfield, placed second among women with a time of 39:27.

Sara Belles, 34, Brookfield, placed second among women with a time of 39:27.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
A couple of runners trying to catch their breath after being among the top finishers in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

A couple of runners trying to catch their breath after being among the top finishers in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
A runner celebrates at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

A runner celebrates at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
A runner celebrates at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

A runner celebrates at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
A group of runners at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

A group of runners at the finish line in the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern
Race organizer Jim Gerweck, at right, manning the finish line as runners pass by at the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Race organizer Jim Gerweck, at right, manning the finish line as runners pass by at the 10k Boston Buildup race Sunday in Norwalk.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

Kevin Hoyt, 24, of Newtown, who won the race with a time of 32:51 in the 10K race appreciated the weather.

"Perfect. You can't ask for anything better. Overcast, about 40 degrees; can't get much better than that," said Hoyt, who was a first-timer in the winter series.

The Boston Buildup is a series of four progressively longer races that help runners who want to compete in the Boston Marathon in early April or in any other marathons or races.

Hoyt, who graduated from Newtown High School and ran at Keene State College in Keene, N.H., will be one of those runners at the Boston Marathon. He's currently coaching in New Canaan and works in the Nike running store in Westport.

Just behind Hoyt was Tim Milenkevich, 32, of Ansonia, who finished with a time of 33:57. He said he started out strong but wasn't able to overtake Hoyt.

"It was good I probably dropped the first couple miles just under 5 (minutes per mile) or around 5. And then Kevin dropped me probably right before the 5K and then I'm just like, 'All right not my day,' but he's a good runner though," Milenkevich said. 

Wilton's Mary Dolan Zengo, 49, was the top female finisher with a time of 38:12, good for 14th overall. 

"It was good, but the last mile was a killer, straight uphill," she said. "Everything was perfect, the roads were great."

Sara Belles, 34, Brookfield, placed second among women with a time of 39:27. 

"It's challenging but also aesthetically pleasing," she said about the course that started and finished at Brien McMahon School and wound through Rowayton. She plans to run in all four of the Boston Buildup races in order to help train for a marathon in New Jersey in April. 

Last year's 10K was run in a freezing drizzle, something wryly remarked on the logo for this year's series that had "It can't be as bad as last year (can it?)" as part of the logo.

Race organizer Jim Gerweck said the series comes at the right time for many dedicated runners.

"There are not that much going on. After the holiday races it's pretty much dead until March," he said. 

Final results can be found at www.clubct.org.

The next three races are the 15k in Ridgefield on Jan. 18; the 20k in Fairfield on Feb. 8; and the 25k in Norwalk on March 1.

Information on registering can also be found at www.clubct.org.

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