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July 5, 2007

Sapienza Memorial Road Race July 20

Mark Behan



21st Sapienza Memorial Road Race

When: Friday, July 20 at 6:45 p.m.

Where: Haverhill High School

Distance: Four miles

Entry fee: $12 pre-entry includes T-shirt, $15 post-entry

Information: 978-372-9522 or www.sapienzarace.com



For Toni Donais and her family, weekends were made for road races. And Donais has fond memories of attending those races as a child and watching her late father, Tony Sapienza, run them.

Since her dad's death in 1987, Toni Donais and her family have kept Sapienza's memory alive by holding a road race each year in his name.

The 21st annual Sapienza Memorial Road Race will take place Friday, July 20 at 6:45 p.m. at Haverhill High School. The four-mile run/health walk benefits the Sapienza Memorial Math Scholarship at Haverhill High and pays tribute to Sapienza, the national-class runner, educator, coach and quintessential family man.

"My dad thought of the races as a big family activity on the weekends, and they were," Donais, a co-director of the race, said. "There would always be plenty of food after the race for the runners and their families, and always a big tableful of trophies and prizes."

With its many prizes, perks, raffle and ample food for runners and non-running friends and family members, the Sapienza Memorial Road Race is the kind of race Sapienza would have enjoyed, said his daughter.

"We want the race to be totally family friendly. We want everyone, runner or non-runner, who comes to the race to eat and have a good time," Donais said.

In addition to the goodies, $100 will be awarded to the first-place male and female finishers. Gift certificates or merchandise will be given to the winners in seven age groups. Special awards will be presented to the first Haverhill High School graduate and the first teacher to finish.

Sapienza died of a heart attack minutes after winning a 3000-meter race at the Eastern Masters Championships at Brown University on March 15, 1987. He was 57.

Among the highlights of Sapienza's career were a fourth-place finish in the 1958 Boston Marathon on a 90-degree day and a sixth-place in the 1963 Olympic marathon trials. Sapienza, who competed for Central Catholic, Boston College and the Boston Athletic Association, won 33 New England championship medals and so many trophies that they are still being awarded to category winners in the Sapienza Race nearly 21 years after his death.

Sapienza worked 27 years as an educator at Haverhill High School. He began as a math teacher in 1960 and also coached indoor track, cross country and the math team. He headed the school's math department from 1974 until his death in 1987.

Through the past two decades, the Sapienza Memorial Road Race race has endured stifling heat, date and course changes and, at times, low turnout. Yet, it continues.

"The main reason we keep it (the race) going is to keep my father's name and memory alive," Donais said. "Many of the runners who knew my father are in their 70s and 80s now. We want the younger runners to know who he was. The scholarship is also important to us. We want to keep it (the scholarship) going."

Prior to the start of this year's race, a moment of silence will be held for Audrey Sapienza, Tony Sapienza's wife, who passed away on March 12, 2007, after a six-year battle with breast cancer. Audrey Sapienza traveled all over the world following her husband's running career and was a fixture each year at the Sapienza Memorial Road Race.

Last year's race, the second year as a four-miler, drew 107 runners and was won by Quincy's Roberto Santoro (20:41) and Bradford's Melissa Donais (24:17), who is one of Audrey and Tony Sapienza's granddaughters.

Since the race's inception, the same network of volunteers has worked the race, Donais said, noting a dedicated group of Haverhill High teachers, family members and friends who do everything from setting up on race night, to registering runners, to handing out water on the course.

"After 21 years, the teachers (volunteers) still come out to help on race night. They call us each year and tell us they are coming," Donais said. "What they do each year is really touching to our family."

In addition to the volunteers, local businesses have provided unwavering support to the race, which keeps the memory of Tony Sapienza alive.



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