Yesterday morning it was off to the small hamlet known as Upton, Massachusetts for the 34th Annual Boston Tune-Up 15k. This race falls about 2 weeks shy of the Boston Marathon and the challenging 9.3 mile course is a good training run to work out the legs during the taper phase of training. Several of the runners lined up at the starting line with me are in fact joining together at the Boston Marathon and the pre-race chats brought runners together.

The race started and finished at Nipmuc Regional High School and the annual race is sponsored by the Tri-Valley Frontrunners.

The course is a nice challenge and some of the hills mixed into the course feel like some of the terrain along the Boston Marathon course. There is a really nice climb leading into the five mile marker that requires most runners to drop a gear or two in an effort to get up the hill. Water stops were available around miles 5 and 7 however the one that was supposed to be at the mile 3 marker was not there making the water at 5 taste all that much better.

The road of the course is pretty residential and quintessentially New England as you race past homes, farms, baby sheep and wooded areas hiding rushing streams behind them.

I felt pretty good while out on the course and wanted to push myself a bit for the 9.3 miles but not do anything stupid which could result in being injured for Marathon Monday. I completed the race with a nice pace of 8:28/miles good for an overall time of 1:18:53. It’s always a nice treat to have some great running fans cheering you into the finish line, as well!