Lead off runner Dawn Littlejohn (Shore A.C.) heads Julie Hayden (Athena T.C.) with Bohemia T.C. in pursuit.

In photo - Athena Track Club From left to right -Julie Hayden, Lorraine Jasper, Marisa Hanson, Terri Rath.

Competing in 101st Millrose Games at Madison Square Gardens on Friday, February 1, 2008, Athena Track Club recorded a second win in consecutive years in the Women's Masters 4 x 400 Meter Relay Race. It was a workmanlike performance from a group of women, between the ages of 44-48, who profess to be mostly from a middle distance background.

Julie Hayden (48) from Ashburn, VA chased Shore A.C.'s Dawn Littlejohn from the gun, handing off in second place to Marisa Hanson (44) of Pleasant Valley, NY. Representing Athena in her first relay, it was deja vu for Hanson, who first ran at Madison Square Gardens in the days of wooden floor boards. Feeling some hamstring tightness, which flared up in the recent Hartshorne Mile, Hanson determinedly maintained the second place position. Third leg runner Terri Rath, (44) also from Ashburn, VA, was once described by expert masters announcer Peter Taylor as "running like a scolded dog". A terrier was a better description on this occasion. Second place was not an option in Rath's mind. She blazed past the Shore A.C. runner on the first turn, running strongly to put significant distance between the two teams. This clinched the race for Athena, leaving the team's most experienced and accomplished relay runner, Lorraine Jasper (46) of Burchrunville, PA, the option of running smoothly home to a combined time of 4:36.27.

Athena Track Club holds the meet record of 4:27.28 set in 2007.

Results at Millrose Games