ANDOVER - A couple of Feaster Five Road Race rookies, Providence College graduates Pat Moulton and Katie Twarog, who also happen to be boyfriend and girlfriend, made their mark amid a near-record field of 7,600 entries in the 19th annual event through downtown Andover.
Moulton, of Pelham, N.H., easily won the men's 5-mile race in 25:15 in his debut while Twarog, a native of Albany, N.Y., won a three-woman battle over the last 800 meters to win the women's 5K race by seven seconds.
Those that follow college cross country wouldn't be surprised as both were nationally ranked in college.
Moulton, who ran a 2:15.35 marathon in February, led from start to finish.
"I knew David Hinga was running the 5K race and would be jumping out fast (the first mile) so I just kept up with him for a fast pace," said Moulton. "My (twin) brother Casey had run this a few times and won. I wanted to give this a try and I'm glad I did. I'm glad I got Katie to run, too. It's a good way to start Thanksgiving."
According to Moulton, his brother opted to run a race in Lowell yesterday.
"They look both alike," said Twarog. "The way to tell them apart is me. I'm always with Pat."
Andover's Terrianne McGettrick-Arpin, the 42-year-old "Matriarch of the Feaster Five," won her sixth career 5-mile race in 30:08, 30 seconds faster than a year ago. She bested 26-year-old Crystal Sineath of Beverly (30:25).
McGettrick-Arpin, a mother of three children under age six, led from the start of the race.
"My husband calls this 'my race,' which of course makes me run harder," said McGettrick-Arpin. "At one point, he came up behind me (during the race) and said, 'You have somebody coming up on you.' That's all I needed to hear."
Her husband Michael Arpin finished ahead of her in a time of 29:54.
"She wasn't herself today with me passing her," said Arpin.
The men's 5K winner was defending champion Harry Norton of North Reading.
The Dartmouth College junior, who is close to breaking the four-minute mile (4:04.69 personal best), coasted to a win by 14 seconds (15:52) over Hinga, a perennial Feaster Five contender and former champion.
Norton was so energetic that instead of breaking the tape at the finish line he jumped over it.
"With about 800 meters left I broke away," said Norton, an English major who attended North Reading High and Phillips Exeter before heading to Dartmouth. "It was perfect running weather. I felt very good the entire way."
