Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) Club History (more has happened since 2016 – we’ll update this eventually!)
April 2016: Sara Mae Berman particpates in two Runners World panels on the “First Ladies of Running” at the 2016 Boston Marathon Expo.
March 2016: Sumner Brown nominated for the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall-of-Fame; ultimately not inducted.
February 14, 2016: Tyler Andrews, 25, participates in the U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials in Los Angeles.
February 2016: Eleonora Mendonca is nominated to be a Rio 2016 Olympic Torchbearer
June 26, 2015 CSU is named the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) Club of the Year for making great strides in helping to sustain a vital and active nordic skiing community in New England.
April 19, 2015 Tyler Andrews, 24, smashes his own world best treadmill half marathon time at the Boston Marathon Expo, setting a new world record of 1:03:38.
April 25, 2015 Sara Mae Berman is inducted into the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) National Distance Running Hall of Fame.
February 2015 CSU skiier Julia Kern competes at the Junior World Championships in Kazakhstan.
March 1, 2014 Tyler Andrews, 23, sets the treadmill half marathon world record (1:07:18) at the Boston Marathon Sports store, 11 seconds faster than the previous unofficial record held by Scottish distance runner Andrew Lemoncello.
XX 2014 CSU takes over as organizer of the Saturday Fresh Pond races.
June 23, 2012 CSU members celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary.
2011 CSU’ Gordon MacFarland and Marshall Randolph finish first and second in the overall standings among M60+ in the 2011 USATF-NE Grand Prix Championships. It’s Gordon’s second straight title.
June 2009 Sumner Brown sets the still-standing age-group record at Mt. Washington for men 65-69, running 1:34:36.
May 31, 2003 Jon Waldron set the American M45 record for the outdoor 3K at Bentley College, running 09:04.05. The previous record had held for 14 years by CSU member Kirk Randall (Kirk was in attendance to see his record broken. Jon held the record until 2005.
March 2003 Jon Waldron wins the M45 mile at the U.S. Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships, running 4:33.30
November 2, 2002 CSUer Alex Tilson breaks the U.S. Men’s 50K national road record by running 2:51:48 at the Silicon Valley Speedster Ultra Classic, on the campus of Stanford University. The previous record had stood for 20+ years.
2002 CSU Orienteering team won the U.S. Relay Championships, and again in 2004, 2011 and 2012.
2001-2002 CSU launches the Junior Ski Program for 14-18 year old skiiers.
October 9, 1999 CSU won an an accompanying 10 x 10K relay in 5:54:20 at the 1st annual Chancellor Challenge 100K.
1998 Larry and Sara Mae Berman become first inductees into CSU’s Hall of Fame
April 1998 CSU Womens Master’s team won the team competition at the Boston Marathon with a time of 10:37:53. Team consisted of Gail Breslow, Diane McLaughlin and mystery runner.
February 1998 Delwyn Williamson won the inaugural Martha’s Vineyard 20 Miler, running 02:24:15.
June 1997 CSU team wins the first (and only) Mid-State Trail Relay, covering 95 miles of trails and roads beginning in New Hampshire and finishing in Rhode Island.
August 1995 CSU 12-person mixed sub-masters team takes 2nd place at the Hood-to-Coast Relay, a 200-mile race that begins on Mt. Hood and finishes in Seaside, Oregon.
June 17, 1995 CSU’s women’s team (Anna Brook, Sue LaChance, and Sue McNatt) win the team title at the Mt. Washington Road Race. They will win again in 1996.
April 19, 1993 Alayne Adams (2:52:32; 19th), Sue LaChance (2:53:05; 20th), and Joy Moreton (2:53:40; 24th) at the 1993 Boston Marathon, winning the women’s team title.
October 25, 1992 CSU’s Pat Moreton, Jon Waldron, and Terry McNatt go 1-3-4 at the Cape Cod Marathon to win the USATF-NE Championship. Joy Moreton wins the women’s race, as Pat and Joy become the first (and only) husband-wife duo to win the same USATF-NE Grand Prix Championships in the same race.
November 1989 CSU held the inaugural Fall Classic Rollerski Race in North Andover, MA, an annual event that still is held today.
1985? CSU master’s team (Kirk Randall, Sumner Brown, and ?) wins U.S. Masters Cross Country Championship.
June 22, 1985 In his second time running the race, CSU’s Sumner Brown wins his first masters title at Mt. Washington, running 1:10:53. It is the beginning of a dominant stretch lasting nearly two decades, ad he will go on to win his age group 15 times over the next 17 years.
August 1984 Former CSU member Charlie Spedding representing Great Britain wins the bronze medal in the men’s marathon at that 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
August 5, 1984 Eleonora Mendonça finishes 02:52:19 in the women’s marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. This was the first time a women’s marathon was held during the Olympic Games. As president of the International Runner’s Committee between 1979-1983, Eleonora was persistant in strongly lobbying the International Olympic Committee to include women’s long distance races, including the marathon, in the Olympic Games.
January 1984 At the New England Indoor Track and Field Championships, CSU’s Kirk Randall win’s the masters mile in a time of 4:29.2. At the same meet, a quartet of Dennis Cochrane-Fikes, Henry Finch, Chip Carey, and John McAlpine runs a club record 7:55.77 for the 4×880 yard relay. A week later, at the GBTC Invitational Track meet at Harvard, CSU’s John McAlpine runs 4:09.3 for the mile setting a club record that still stands 32 years later.
October 1982 Ann Peisch finishes the New York Marathon in 02:44:32, the best CSU women’s marathon time.
June 1982 Ann Peisch finishes 6th in the Avon International Marathon in California (02:48:26).
April 1982 Ann Peisch is the first female finisher in the Red Cross 10K race.
February 1982 Todd Webber is named to the U.S. XC Ski Talent Pool Team.
February 1982 Bob Haydock wins the Dannon Citizen XC Ski Race Series.
January 1982 CSU cancels the 4th Winter XC Ski Race due to no snow.
November 1981 Three CSU teams enter the Cape Cod Relay. CSU won the Men’s Masters, Women’s Masters, Women’s Open divisions, and finished 5th in the Men’s Open division.
October 1981 Steve Bratt runs 02:27:28 at the Ocean State Marathon.
October 1981 The first CSU Triathalon (run, roller ski, bike) is held in Hingham.
September 1981 CSU Orienteering use a new 5 color map for the first time during a 2 day meet at the Middlesex Fells Reservation with 300 participants.
September 1981 CSU Mile Challenge at MIT is won by Steve Templeton.
June 1981 CSU’s Charlie Spedding takes bronze in the 10,000m at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Sacramento behind Alberto Salazar and Duncan McDonald. In August, Spedding wins the national 15K road race championship.
Summer 1981 CSU Women’s team goes to Avon International Marathon in Ottawa.
Summer 1981 Charlie Spedding breaks track and Fresh Pond Race records, and also won The Athletics Congress (TAC) National 15K Championship (44:19).
May 1981 CSU Ski section holds a banquet in Winchester.
May 1981 First CSU relays start by MDC rink on the Charles River.
April 1981 Craig Hepburn finishes the BAA Marathon in 02:17, the best CSU time.
April 1981 CSU Ski section holds a tag sale of used equipment.
April 1981 Patricia Robinson takes over as editor of the CSU newsletter.
March 1981 Patricia Robinson wins the New England The Athletics Congress (TAC) Women’s Marathon Championship again.
February 1981 CSU wins big in the Canadian Ski Marathon: winning the Men’s Veterans and Women’s Open divisions, and finishing 3rd in the Men’s Open division
February 1981 CSU cancels the 3rd annual Franklin Park Frolic due to no snow.
Noveber 1980 Craig Hepburn wins the Casco Bay Marathon (02:23:10).
November 1980 Charlie Spedding finishes the Fresh Pond 5 mile race in 23:07, the best known time for the Fresh Pond races.
November 2, 1980 Patricia Robinson is the first female winner in the Ocean State Marathon (02:46:40).
October 1980 Steve Sarikas wins a marathon in North Adams (02:34:55).
September 1980 CSU conducts a 10K race for Saucony.
July 1980 Ellie Mendonca secures a marathon PR of 02:49:15 in the England International Women’s Marathon.
July 1980 Ellie Mendonca wins Avon 5 Mile Race in Brazil.
July 1980 CSU co-sponsors an international roller ski race in Newton.
June 1980 CSU annual meeting is held in the Youville Hospital Auditorium.
May 1980 CSU holds weekly XC races for the orienteering section in the Middlesex Fells Reservation.
April 1980 CSU gets the Cambridge City Council to pass praise resolution for CSU Fresh Pond Races so they can continue to be held at Fresh Pond in Cambridge.
April 1980 First Patriot’s Day Roller Ski Race is held.
April 1980 CSUers take a first aid course from Joe Carlino.
March 1980 CSU Alpine skiers win Hochebirge Cup over the Waterville Valley Black & Blue Trail Smashers (WVBBTS).
February 1980 CSU & Sugerloaf Athletic Club 10 Mile interclub race is held.
1979-1983 As president of the International Runner’s Committee, Eleonora Mendonca strongly lobbied the International Olympic Committee to include women’s long distance races, including the marathon, in the Olympic Games.
November 1979 Larry Berman wins National Orienteering Championships in the “Men 43 and over” division, for the second year in a row.
November 1979 After the annual CSU Turkey Trot at Fresh Pond, a band of CSUers go to Newton track to cheer Diane McLaughlin & Dick Israel in their 50 mile runs.
November 1979 New CSU newsletter editors are chosen: Patricia Robinson & Steve Sarikas. The newsletter now has a new design and format.
September 1979 CSU holds New England AAU Women’s 15K Championship in Wellesley.
June 1979 Ellie Mendonca protests Joe C. pacing Patti Lyons in women’s championship race.
May 1979 CSU has booth for orienteering section at Commonwealth Armory Fair.
April 1979 CSU rents bus for BAA Marathon.
March 1979 CSU makes suggestion for classifying road races as A, B, C.
February 1979 John Hart captains winning CSU Veterans XC ski team in Canadian Ski Marathon.
February 1979 Franklin Park Frolic XC ski race……didn’t happen.
January 1979 CSU track practice is held at MIT indoor track.
December 1978 CSU holds XC ski coaching and racing series.
November 1978 Larry Berman wins National Orienteering Championships in the “Men 43 and over” division.
November 1978 First annual CSU Turkey Trot is held at Fresh Pond.
November 1978 Eleonora Mendonça finishes 5th at the New York City Marathon in 02:48.
October 1978 CSU leads the way to get MDC (Mass Dept of Conservation?) to plow paths along the Charles River to help winter runners.
September 1978 CSU women confront Bonne Bell organizers and make them back down from required $3 entry fee.
July 1978 CSU holds inter-club race and picnic at Campton, NH.
July 1978 CSU conducts Porter Chevrolet 10K race.
April 1978 Eleonora Mendonça finishes 7th at the BAA Marathon in 02:51.
March 1978 Swedish junior orienteering champion Marie Reybitz joins CSU.
March 1978 CSU ski tours in bitterly cold weather to Carter Notch, stayed overnight, then skied down to Jackson.
February 1978 John Hart earns Gold Coureurs du Bois medal at CSM.
January 1978 CSU holds 40K handicap ski race at Harts’ house in NH.
November 1977 Roller ski races are held at Wompatuck State Park.
October 1977 CSU sponsors first Bonne Bell race.
August 1977 The last biathalon is held at Morse Pond; a swimmer in trouble.
June 1977 CSU Fresh Pond races get 200-300 runners.
June 1977 CSU Inter-section volleyball game and picnic is held along the Charles River.
February 1977 CSU XC ski/slalom “chicken combined” race is held.
December 1976 Ellie Mendonca gets all expenses paid to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the Pre-New Year Midnight Race. She is the first Brazillian woman.
December 1976 CSU Orienteering clinic is held.
November 1976 First roller ski races are held.
September 1976 CSU council meeting is held; newsletter duties are parcelled out to members, Sarah Dumas as the new editor.
September 1976 CSU & North Medford Club race and picnic in Natick/Wayland.
September 1976 CSU sends Ellie Mendonca to Women’s World Marathon Championships in Waldniel, Germany.
August 1976 The biathalon is moved to Morse Pond in Wellesley, MA.
July 1976 Dave & Jessie Wallace finish 3 years as CSU newsletter editors.
June 1976-1978 CSU’a Eleonora Mendonça wins three straight titles at the Mt. Washington Road Race.
May 1976 CSU annual meeting is held with Monty Montgomery as a guest speaker.
May 1976 CSU women’s meeting is held.
April 1976 CSU organizes water and energy stops at the BAA Marathon.
March 1976 CSU Alpine skiers place 2nd in Vet’s Cup.
February 1976 The Performance Awards Program is held, giving out CSU patches.
January 1976 The first CSU Soup Run is held from Hopkinton to Tom Fitzgibbon’s. Patricia Robinson & Henry Finch then hosted starting XXX.
November 1975 CSU explores ski touring trails by hiking from Zealand Falls Campground to Kancamagus (26 miles) in the White Mountains, NH.
September 1975 First 3 Hills XC Race is held in Plymouth, NH.
July 1975 CSU cooperates with Water Board survey at Fresh Pond.
March 1975 CSU New England AAU 30K Championships are held at Fresh Pond.
February 1975 CSU 100 mile/2 day Canadian ski marathon.
September 1974 3 day training camp is held at the Berman’s in Campton, NH.
May 1974 Mark Yesley holds race in Newton, MA in support of Cerebral Palsy.
April 1974 CSU members host BAA marathoners coming from far away.
March 1974 CSU travels to Athens, Ohio, for Class A orienteering meet.
March 1974 CSU collects funds and household goods to help a member’s family that was burned out of their apartment.
March 1974 CSU sends Jenny Tuthill to the first ever AAU Women’s National Marathon Championships in California.
November 1973 CSU women’s XC team wins New England & Region 1 XC Championships.
November 1973 CSU orienteering meet held by Bob Lehman on Channel 2 news.
August 1973 CSU hold the “Black and Blue” orienteering meet in Campton, NH.
July 1973 The first CSU newsletter is distributed by Dave & Jessie Wallace with Herb Parsons runners drawing on it (first newsletter not distributed by the Bermans).
July 1973 CSU pot luck dinner is held at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N) School. Attendees used the pool and saw a slideshow of CSU racers.
April 1973 CSU becomes a charter member of the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF).
April 1973 George Tuthill places 2nd at the National Nordic Biathalon.
April 1973 The first CSU pre-Boston Marathon carbo load party is held at the Berman’s.
February 1973 Sara Mae Berman wins first Eastern Women’s 20K XC ski championship.
January 1973 Track meets weekly at Belmont High School, held by CSU.
December 1972 Larry Berman begins the Nordic scoring program for the United States Eastern Amateur Ski Association, today known as the United States Ski & Snowboard Association.
November 1972 CSU constitution is ratified by club members.
Fall 1972 CSU competes in the national orienteering championships at Pound Ridge, NY.
June 1972 CSU holds first orienteering meet at the Blue Hills, MA.
May 1972 CSU enters the first orienteering meet at the Blue Hills, MA.
May 1972 CSU starts girls track program at MIT; Helene Knowlton coaches the girls.
April 1972 CSU on TV.
Winter 1972 Two winter road races are held at the Fresh Pond Frost Festival, including the 30K championships.
November 1971 Dryland ski clinic is held at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA.
August 1971 Dog bites Charlie Hanson; Charlie sues and wins.
May 1971 Sara Mae Berman sets women’s world marathon record in Avon, MA (03:00:35).
May 1971 A Racewalk clinic is held by Don Thompson.
April 1971 Sara Mae Berman is the first female finisher (for the third year in a row) at the BAA Marathon with 03:08:30.
March 1971 During a club meeting the decision is made to incorporate CSU.
February 1971 National 50K XC Ski Championships at Putney, VT. Sara Mae Berman not allowed to be official. Winner (3:12), Sara Mae Berman (4:22) but not last.
February 1971 First CSU ski relay team at Lyndonville, VT. Women’s relay includes Sara Mae Berman, Ann McKinnon, Sara Mae Berman. Larry Berman outwaxed all the old foxes.
November 1970 CSU sends Men’s XC team to nationals in Chicago.
November 1970 CSU Men win New England XC Championships over BAA: 35 to 36.
November 1970 CSU holds Region 1 Women’s XC Championships at Wellesley College.
October 5, 1970 Sara Mae Berman won the first Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Women’s Marathon Championship in Atlantic City, NJ, besting a field of six female starters with a time of 3:07:10.
September 1970 CSU wins NUTC XC race.
August 1970 CSU beats BAA by 1 point in the Salem 10K race.
July 1970 Sara Mae Berman sets unofficial record at a 1 hour run on the Brandeis track: 64:43 for 10 miles, and 9.25 miles for 1 hour.
June 1970 Arthur Lydiard speaks to CSU members in Cambridge.
April 1970 Sara Mae Berman is the first female finisher at the BAA Marathon, seting a new unofficial course record of 3:05:07, breaking the previous record by more than 16 minutes and finishing the second best time in the U.S. that year.
Fall 1969 Began indoor gym sessions at War Memorial.
November 1969 CSU sends its Men’s XC team to the Nationals in Detroit.
August 1969 Fresh Pond Relays held again.
August 1969 CSU helps the Cambridge Recreations Department hold a city track meet.
July 1969 First bi-athalon at Lake Boone in Stowe, Mass. A 3 mile run followed by a half mile swim.
May 1969 First track meet at MIT.
April 1969 Sara Mae Berman is the first female finisher in the BAA Marathon (03:22:46).
Spring 1969 Kim Valentine joins Larry Berman in coaching CSU members on a regular basis.
March 1969 Sara Mae Berman is a member of the Eastern Nordic Ski Team at the national championships in Colorado.
January 1969 CSU joins Eastern Ski Association.
Fall 1968 Sara Mae Berman named to first ever Women’s National Nordic Ski Team and attended a national training camp in Colorado.
September 1968 Metropolitan Athletic Club is renamed to Cambridge Sports Union (CSU).
December1967 Bermans go to Sweden to XC ski training camps.
June 1967 Larry Berman wins New England Marathon Championship at Holyoke.
April 1967 First track meet in Belmont.
January 1967 Metropolitan Athletic Club hosts foreign competitors in BAA indoor meet: Ralph Doubell, Tony Benson, Martin McGrady.
December 1966 Metropolitan Athletic Club girls attend XC ski training camp in Vermont.
Fall 1966 Bermans attend AAU Convention in Hawaii to lobby for long distance races for women.
Fall 1966 Trip to Canada for women’s and girl’s XC meet.
September 1966 Trip to Mt. Washington.
August 1966 First Fresh Pond Relay. [were the relays sponsored/hosted by CSU?]
August 1966 CSU newsletter restarted.
January 1966 Metropolitan Athletic Club hosts Germans and Czech track stars here for BAA indoor meet; supper and interpreters.
November 1965 Metropolitan Athletic Club holds National Women’s XC Championships at Fresh Pond in Cambridge.
October 1965 Bermans attend AAU Convention in Washington DC to lobby for long distance races for women.
August 1965 Metropolitan Athletic Club holds Bay State Relays at Bowditch Field, 240 competitors.
June 1965 First Metropolitan Athletic Club track meet for women and girls.
May 1965 First road race for women [additional details?].
April 1965 Began having Metropolitan Athletic Club teams in road races, first MAC runner in BAA marathon.
December 1964 First New England Track News (MetNews).
November 1964 Eastern Women’s XC Championships, Sara Mae Berman came in 5th.
November 1964 Held first New England women’s XC Championships, won by Julie Chase of Metropolitan Athletic Club.
September 1964 Added age group races to those for women.
Summer 1964 Metropolitan Athletic Club spreads to Natick and Framingham.
August 1964 The first club newsletter distributed by the Bermans.
June 1964 First Metropolitan Athletic Club woman in road race, a 5 mile handicap in Marlboro.
Spring 1964 Club began recruiting new runners, primarily high school boys from Cambridge and Somerville.
January 1964 Bermans discovered XC skiing and entered first XC ski race at Mt. Wachusett.
September 14, 1963 Held first sanctioned women’s cross country race.
September 1963 Club officially approved at the annual meeting of the New England Amateur Athletic Union (NEAAU).
1962 Larry & Sara Mae Berman formulated the idea of the club, calling it Metropolitan Athletic Club, and wrote the club constitution.
