Feeling good in Quincy, Massachusetts this morning! Today was the June Grand Prix Race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and the Squirrel Run 5K did not disappoint. This is the 27th running of the Squirrel Run and somehow I have never done this race before but I sure am glad the TIRs picked this race for our June Grand Prix this year as the race was great!

Held just outside of Boston in nearby Quincy, the The 27th Annual Jimmy Kennedy Memorial Run for ALS, (The Squirrel Run XXVI), included a 5K run, 2.5-mile fitness walk and family fun day. 

Proceeds from the Squirrel Run benefit The Angel Fund for ALS Research. Jimmy Kennedy lost his courageous battle with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in 1997 at the age of 31 and the race is held in his memory.

The race had a very nice crowd of runners and walkers and people did well to line up according to likely pace. I really enjoyed the course which took runners through some residential streets and then alongside the ocean at one point which provided some nice views. There was a pretty gradual uphill climb in the final mile that kept you honest and a sharp uphill sprint into the finish line challenged the legs. It was sneakily muggy out during the run but thankfully the clouds and some trees along the course provided some nice cover otherwise it could have gotten really tricky out on the course.

The Quincy Police Department provided both bicycle and motorcycle support along the course and it’s always cool to have the motorcycles flying up and down the course with their lights on. A bagpiper greeted runners into the final stretch of the run.

I ran pretty well this morning and thankfully there was a water stop right around the halfway point to help hydrate along the way. Finished up the Squirrel Run 5K with a time of 26:01, good for 8:24/miles.

Double race weekend this weekend with the Black Hat Brew 5K tomorrow morning!