Run-A-Latke: Light, Fun and Family

The Chanukah party started with a race and ended with a latke. Maybe a donut. Or both.

Along the way families and friends took to the road and the shul at the annual Run-A-Latke celebration Sunday in Swampscott.

On the road, 49 runners legged the 5k (3.1 miles) from the Chabad Community Shul on Burrill Street to Fisherman's Beach and beyond — and back.

The runners ranged from 10 to 71 years old, and included the running rabbi,  Rabbi Yossi Lipsker. One runner, a dad, wheeled his baby in a carriage.

Mike Page of the North Shore Timing Co. in Beverly was the official timekeeper. He clocks about 100 races a year.

He said the Run-A-Latke was well organized and family centered. 

"Very family oriented," he said. "In the awards, five of the top six (finishers) were all family members — so very family oriented."

Inside the shul, families gathered on the hardwood floor and under hanging lights. They chatted. They ate latkes and apple sauce, and powdered donuts filled with jelly.

The shul pulsed with talk and danced in light.

Parents held babies aloft. Children made a bouncy house jump and snapped Lego pieces in place.

The pieces soon built a menorah. 

The rabbi led the shul in singing prayer. He lit candles atop the menorah, singing and swaying as he lit the wicks.

Among the families at the party were the Pasters of Swampscott.

Glenn Paster said the celebration brings neighbors and friends together for a fun race and to enjoy the shul.

This year it was a good way to wind up the Thanksgiving holiday, he said.


Run-A-Latke Results
Place No. Name                Time    Pace  Div/Tot  Div   Ag S City         St    
    1 139 Martin Tighe          18:17  5:54   1/7    M5059 55 M Providence   RI 
    2 151 Sean Kay              19:35  6:18   1/12   M0119 11 M Melrose      MA 
    3 153 Sean Kay              21:03  6:47   1/4    M3039 38 M Melrose      MA 
    4 150 Paul Croft            22:07  7:08   2/7    M5059 52 M Swampscott   MA 
    5 152 Alexandra Kay         22:26  7:14   2/12   M0119 15 F Melrose      MA 
    6 144 Nadav Zafrani         22:35  7:17   1/3    M2029 21 M Swampscott   MA 
    7 154 Aidan Kay             22:37  7:17   3/12   M0119 13 M Melrose      MA 
    8 155 Julia Moceri          22:40  7:18   4/12   M0119 11 F Rockport     MA 
    9 170 Kc Hubeny             22:48  7:21   1/5    F3039 38 F Swampscott   MA 
   10 174 Shalom Kugel          23:17  7:30   5/12   M0119  9 M Brooklyn     NY 
   11 175 Mendel Kugel          23:18  7:30   6/12   M0119 18 M Brooklyn     NY 
   12  11 Neil Bernstein        23:50  7:41   1/2    M6069 61 M Swampscott   MA 
   13 148 Michelle Simons       24:00  7:44   1/6    F4049 41 F Lynn         MA 
   14 171 Mark Mercer           24:23  7:51   1/3    M4049 48 M Swampscott   MA 
   15 140 Tracy Wallace         24:32  7:54   2/5    F3039 33 F New Bedford  MA 
   16 169 Brad Hubeny           24:34  7:55   2/4    M3039 38 M Swampscott   MA 
   17 160 John Ellis            25:08  8:06   3/7    M5059 50 M Peabody      MA 
   18 164 Nechemia Schuskman    26:35  8:34   3/4    M3039 37 M Peabody      MA 
   19   7 Holly Allison         26:55  8:40   2/6    F4049 43 F Salem        MA 
   20  80 Michael Pelletier     27:02  8:42   1/2    M7099 71 M Salem        MA 
   21  81 Amy Rosenberg         27:19  8:48   1/2    F2029 29 F Beverly      MA 
   22  82 Jeff Rosenberg        27:20  8:48   2/3    M2029 29 M Beverly      MA 
   23  26 Jeffrey Frankel       27:24  8:49   4/7    M5059 59 M Marblehead   MA 
   24  29 Rachel Goodenough     27:26  8:50   2/2    F2029 27 F Arlington    MA 
   25  30 Reeve Goodenough      27:28  8:51   3/3    M2029 28 M Arlington    MA 
   26 172 Rosie Kyes            27:29  8:51   3/6    F4049 42 F Peabody      MA 
   27  47 Stephanie Kaplan      29:27  9:29   3/5    F3039 37 F Sharon       MA 
   28 157 Debbie Shahidi        29:53  9:38   1/3    F5059 52 F Beverly      MA 
   29 156 Donna Greenberg       30:11  9:43   2/3    F5059 56 F Beverly      MA 
   30 173 Eli Heerter           30:31  9:50   7/12   M0119 13 M                 
   31 166 Steven Klein          31:16 10:04   5/7    M5059 51 M                 
   32 149 Caron Weiner          31:34 10:10   3/3    F5059 58 F Marblehead   MA 
   33 158 Yossi Lipsker         31:39 10:12   2/3    M4049 45 M                 
   34  92 Roert Schrater        31:53 10:16   2/2    M6069 65 M Salem        MA 
   35 176 Alex Tagolieri        32:22 10:25   8/12   M0119 17 M Beverly      MA 
   36  14 Sara Ewing            33:25 10:46   4/5    F3039 38 F Swampscott   MA 
   37 161 Rachel Ellis          35:11 11:20   9/12   M0119 15 F Peabody      MA 
   38 141 Bill Wilard           36:49 11:51   6/7    M5059 58 M Beverly      MA 
   39 146 Hannah Zafrani        38:11 12:18  10/12   M0119 12 F Swampscott   MA 
   40 143 Max Zafrani           38:13 12:18   7/7    M5059 51 M Swampscott   MA 
   41  28 Joel Friedman         38:30 12:24   3/3    M4049 49 M Framingham   MA 
   42 165 Mene Cham Mendel      39:25 12:41  11/12   M0119 12 M                 
   43 168 Robyn Kirrane         39:41 12:47   5/5    F3039 39 F Chestnut Hil MA 
   44 167 Madison Kirrane       39:42 12:47  12/12   M0119 10 F Chestnut Hil MA 
   45  99 Richard Snyder        39:59 12:52   2/2    M7099 77 M Tewksbury    MA 
   46 145 Janice Zafrani        43:31 14:01   4/6    F4049 49 F Swampscott   MA 
   47  78 Pam Milman            44:52 14:27   5/6    F4049 45 F Peabody      MA 
   48 138 Richard Stein         44:53 14:27   4/4    M3039 37 M Peabody      MA 
   49 137 Karin Statkum         48:47 15:42   6/6    F4049 47 F Lynn         MA 


Run-A-Latke Awards
               ********** FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 Alexandra Kay       15 Melrose         MA   22:26 
    2 Julia Moceri        11 Rockport        MA   22:40 
    3 Kc Hubeny           38 Swampscott      MA   22:48 
                ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 Martin Tighe        55 Providence      RI   18:17 
    2 Sean Kay            11 Melrose         MA   19:35 
    3 Sean Kay            38 Melrose         MA   21:03