Nicole (McGilpin) Smith

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In the early 1990’s, there was no one faster on the roads of Western Mass than Nicole (McGilpin) Smith. She was the 1992 Women’s champion of the prestigious New England Grand Prix Series, placing in the top 5 in all 6 competitive races. She has a personal best of 17:13 for 5k, which she ran in Amherst at a Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club Summer track meet that year. She ran a personal best time for 8k of 27:54 at the 1992 8k New England Championship Dubliner Road Race in Lowell, MA.  Her 10k best was 35:17, run at the Tufts Road Race in Boston in 1991. She was the women’s champion at several large local races including the Springfield Great Paper Chase, DH Jones race, and The Riverside Park Twilight 5 miler. She ran a personal best 58:33 over 10 miles at the 1992 Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10 miler, placing 5th.  of 58:33. Though rarely training over 12 miles, she willingly ran the 1988 Cape Cod Marathon in a speedy 2:59:53 to help the Greater Springfield Harriers field a full women’s team that day. She reports one of her happiest finish lines was after that Marathon.

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Nicole’s love of running began at Westfield High School and Westfield State College, where, in her words, she was “nothing spectacular.” She developed a love for the sport due to the great coaches and friends she made in the running community. In her running career, she ran for both the Greater Springfield Harriers and the Central Mass Striders. She was the New England Delegate to USATF from 1982-1984. 

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Despite some health setbacks, Nicole continues to run and volunteer her time in the running community at local races. Her favorite running roads continue to be on the roads behind Stanley Park in Westfield.  She has 3 daughters, 3 stepdaughters, and 3 grandchildren. She currently lives with her husband in Chester, MA.