Record-Setting Day for Senior Matt Mahoney

Swampscott High senior Matt Mahoney saved his best for last.

The cross country runner shattered the home course record, running the 2.65 miles in a free and easy 13 minutes and 22 seconds late Tuesday afternoon in a meet against Marblehead.

The record was previously held by Swampscott's Peter Hale and Peabody's Nick Christensen, both of whom ran a 13 minutes 37 seconds race.

But Tuesday was Matt's day, his last home meet at Upper Jackson, behind Swampscott High.

Knowing this was his last home-course race, Matt had more energy, he said after the race.

He didn't get much energy from food. He hadn't eaten much on Tuesday, only a couple granola bars.

At the starting line, he was loose and relaxed, smiling shortly before the line lurched forward and the race began.

He continued to run relaxed as the distance grew between himself and the nearest runner.

"I felt pretty good," he said. "I felt pretty loose."

His coach, Jeff Bartlett, said that Matt has worked hard and run smart.

In earlier years he was running in the shadow of elite runner Peter Hale.

And in earlier races this year he set his pace to a clip that helped his teammates, said a fellow Swampscott runner, Marco Scibelli.

But on Tuesday it was well known among the boys and girls cross country team members that Matt was going for the record.

His teammates urged him on during the race and hollered at the finish line. Some of them clapped their hands to their mouths in the excitement, waiting to hear if the time of his run had set the record.

Matt set the record, running an average of about five minute miles over the rising and falling, twisting and turning course.

It was a major feat and propels the program forward, said the coach, setting the bar higher for the next runner to challenge.