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Matt Klein pulled away from the pack about a 1 ½ miles into Sunday's Boston Buildup 10-kilometer race in Norwalk. The 16-year-old from Trumbull never looked back until he crossed the finish line, winning the race in 33:39 and beating the closest competitor by 80 seconds.
"I really wasn't sure about the competition,'' said Klein, a junior at the Hopkins School in New Haven. I wasn't sure who would show up."
Klein beat a field of 361 finishers in the largest race ever for the Buildup. Sunday's run kicked off the 33rd edition of the series, which consists of four races at progressively longer distances. The second race is a 15-kilometer run on Jan. 23 at Scotland Elementary School in Ridgefield.
The weather was a brisk 29 degrees, and the wind made it feel even colder. The course started and finished at Brien McMahon High School and toured through Rowayton, including Roton Avenue, Rowayton Avenue and back to McMahon on Flax Hill Road. "It was a little icy in spots, but not too bad,'' Klein said.
Klein set a brisk pace early, going out in about 5:00 for the first mile. He finished third in the Fairchester Athletic Association cross country championships in the fall, and is staying in shape through the winter for the outdoor track season.
Fairfield's Tim Perry took second, followed by Eneas Freyre of Norwalk. Tim Milenkevich, last year's overall series winner, finished fourth.
Norwalk's Julie Heaphy won the women's race in 39:51, followed by Fairfield's Megan Peterson and Cos Cob's Anja Krieger-Redwood.
Over 400 runners registered for the race. The number of finishers eclipsed the previous high for the 10K, which had 343 finishers in 2008. Complete results are available on the Clubct.org website.
Did you run the opening race of the Boston Buildup Series? Were you satisfied with your result? Join the conversation!
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