Merz's Return To Area Brightens Local Road Racing

Martha Merz was the Golden Girl of the local running scene after the turn of the New Millennium for more reasons than her blonde hair, gleaming smile and sunny disposition.

The 40-something road racer was the fastest and most productive female long competitor in Southeastern Connecticut in the early 2000s. In an amazing two-year run in 2005 and 2006, Merz won 10 Southern New England Road Racing Organization female division races, including an historic win in the 2005 Sub Base Memorial 10 Kilometer.

In that Groton race, Merz beat all the women and all the men with a time of 36.35 (6 minute mile), recording a rare open division win for a female. Her prowess and her personality created a buzz of excitement at local races. Could any female of any age beat Martha? Could Martha crack the top five overall and perhaps beat all the men?

She was a headline performer. So when Merz left the area in 2006 to return with her military family to Washington, D.C ., it left a void in the local running scene.

The empty feeling was mutual. While she continued to run in the more populated and competitive Capitol area, placing high in her 40-49 age bracket, she missed all aspects of our running community.

"The racing was excellent, but I missed the road racing scene here," Merz said. "I like D.C. for racing but the running here is so much better. It's cooler, it's more pleasant and the running community is fabulous."

But as is the case with military families, subject to change are important words in the fine print. She’s back in the Mystic-Groton area after her husband Bill returned to work last winter at a U.S. Navy Submarine squadron in Groton.

Now at age 48, Merz's times have slipped only slightly from her sub 18:205K clips in 2005 and 2006. She was the first women's finisher last month in the Pawcatuck Lions 5K.

Sunday, she finished as the fourth woman and 30th overall (19:53 time) in a race she won before moving - the Sailfest 5K in New London. Considering the natural aging process, runners pushing 50 are not supposed to win road races, beating all competition. This is why divisions for masters (40-49) and grandmasters (50-59) were created - to allow mature runners a chance to finish first against similar competition.

The fact Merz still contends at 48 is a tribute to her ability, training and desire. It has taken the area's fastest scholastic runner, Fitch senior Brandy Leclair, to unseat Merz as No. 1 5K runner in southeastern Connecticut.

Leclair, 16, Brianne Mirecki, 19, of East Lyme and Meghan Papp, 20, of East Lyme were the only women to beat Merz Sunday.

"The young girls are showing me what it's all about again," Merz said. "It's nice to see so many people (400 at the Sailfest race) coming out but I think overall the running community is aging a bit, but then you see the high schools kids like Brandy. Hopefully, the high school kids will stick with it and come back to run road races." 

Leclair, Eastern Connecticut Conference cross country champ, the Day's All-Area Runner of the Year and outdoor track 3,200 meter champ, hopes some of Merz's magic rubs off on her.

She was aware of Merz when Leclair began running as a young teen. This past year at Fitch, Merz's son Tom ran for the Falcons, giving Leclair a chance to meet and train with the former first lady of local running.

"She's a role model, very competitive and amazing," Leclair said. "In the spring she almost beat me in a race. I want to do mileage and workout her. This is an important summer for me, and I'm putting in more miles than ever to get ready for cross country. I'm starting to fill out college questionnaires and they all ask me for my best times. This is my last chance to impress."

Leclair's recruiting process brought Merz back to her scholastic running days in Maryland.

"Times were different back then," Merz said. "Title IX had just started and was a little slow moving to catch on in some respects. In college, we were wearing men's uniforms and had a team of about five."

 It was a different time, but Merz has more than made up for any missed opportunities by making her times, and age, stand still.