Author: The Running Griffin

If you are hoping for miracle running tips about how to go out and win the next Boston Marathon, then this website is not for you. I am in no stretch of the imagination an elite runner but then again not many of us are or they wouldn’t be called “elite.” What I am is a runner who has realized the joy of running. Whether it be a 5k race in support of a local cause or a half-marathon or full-marathon with the finish line seeming at times to never be in sight, running allows each of us the ability to sort of leave behind the rest of the world and focus on simply getting to the finish line. We might not win a trophy and we might not make a career out of running but what we are guaranteed is a certain friendship among running friends, better health and the endorphin filled pride each time we cross a finish line. This website will allow me to highlight different races that I have done, perhaps some that I plan on doing and maybe other running stories that I hope to share with runners like myself.

Norwood Run for a Vet 5 Miler

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Spring came roaring in like a lion on Saturday as runners made their way to Norwood, Massachusetts for the Run for a Vet 5 Miler. The race served as a Grand Prix race for the Thirsty Irish Runners so a sea of the TIR green huddled amongst the runners gathered at the starting line.

The race kicked off at Norwood High School therefore the immediate concern of running up the Nichols Street hill, known by runners who run the Norwood Turkey Trot, was quickly allayed when the race director announced that the course would take runners down the hill but would loop through different sections of Norwood and Westwood and leave out the hill in the final stretch.

New England spring can always be rather unpredictable and Saturday brought one of the warmer days of spring to the region. The course was a nice, challenging course that even without the Nichols hill included some rather noticeable inclines along the way. Leading into the final mile there was a hill that although it was not the Nichols Street hill was still a significant incline that challenged runners particularly with the heat.

I finished the Norwood Run for a Vet 5 Miler with a time of 42:11, good for 8:27/miles.

Proceeds from the race benefited several veterans based charities and a special presentation was made to the mother of fallen soldier Alexander Arredondo in honor of the ultimate sacrifice he made protecting our freedoms. A beautiful ceremony and a great race!

Rye by the Sea 5K & Duathalon

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Registration is now open for the Rye By The Sea 5k & Duathlon which will be held on June 4, 2016 in Rye, New Hampshire. This is the 20th annual running of the Rye By the Sea 5k and Duathlon which benefits Annie’s Angels Memorial Fund.

The 5K race has a very reasonable $20 entry fee with a tee-shirt included. The duathalon registration fee is $40.

Annie’s Angels is dedicated to helping families struggling financially with the challenges of life threatening diseases and disabilities by connecting neighbor to neighbor and friend to friend in a caring fundraising network.

With the race benefiting such a great cause, let’s pack the starting line of the Rye by the Sea 5k. Click here to register for the race!

Registration is Open for the Newton 10K

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Registration is now open for the Newton 10K which will be held on June 5th in Newton, Massachusetts.

This race benefits the Dreamfar High School Marathon which is a great organization committed to helping high school students set goals and learn how to achieve those goals. I have previously run races that support the Dreamfar organization and am thoroughly impressed with their mission and great results!

The Newton 10K kicks off from the Horace Mann Elementary School in Netwonville, Massachusetts and offers runners a certified 10K course through the Boston suburb of Newton. The first 400 registrants are guaranteed a tech-shirt!

This race is sponsored as part of the TrueRunner race series and is a race you won’t want to miss. You can register for the Newton 10K by clicking here. Be sure to also RSVP for the race on Facebook by clicking here.

WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon Race Recap

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On a day that is supposed to be full of relaxation and pampering for mothers, I decided to bring Mrs. Running Griffin out to Western Massachusetts and have her run a half-marathon with me!

The WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon takes place in Whately, Massachusetts which is a small, rural farm community situated in beautiful Western Massachusetts. The race kicked off in the Yankee Candle factory parking lot so the scent of candles wafted through the race air and made me really want a piece of apple pie; subliminal candle scents must work!

The race day weather was rainy and the temperatures were sort of all over the place throughout the time out on the race course. The rain was misting at times and coming down more steadily at other times and the variation in temps ranged a bit adding an interesting component to the race that needed to be considered.

The first half of the race had a couple of decent hills mixed into the race and in the very first mile there was a nice incline that made me initially worry the race was going to be terribly hilly. But after hitting the Mile 7 water station the terrain really flattened out. The hills were rolling for the most part in the first half of the race and overall the elevation changes were quite fair but offered a nice challenge.

There were some absolutely beautiful stretches of this race as runners made their way past brooks and streams and alongside country roads full of farms, farm stands, small businesses and supporters greeting runners along the way. Some houses alongside the course had nice porches where locals read their papers and had a morning cup of coffee and cheered on the runners. The race had a feel reminiscent of the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon in Vermont and I highly recommend the race.

I finished the WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon with a time of 1:56:36 good for 8:55/miles. Overall not a bad a result for a moderately challenging race and some bad weather. I’ll take it!

Be sure to check out the WMass Mother’s Day Half-Marathon’s Facebook page to keep up to speed relative to next year’s run.

 

 

HMEA 15th Annual IncredABLE 5K

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Registration is now open for the  HMEA 15th Annual IncredABLE 5K! Held on May 22nd in Franklin, Massachusetts and supports HMEA’s work  of supporting 4000 children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities and allow them the ability to do pretty much anything they want or need to do.

HMEA celebrates the values, dreams and potential of individuals with disabilities and their families.

The 5K run takes place at EMC and after the race at 9AM stick around and enjoy a great lineup of activities that start at 10:00 am including entertainment and refreshments; a “Kids Corner” with lots of fun activities and prizes; a Kids FREE raffle, a “Dream Raffle” with great prizes; and a 50/50 Raffle where you could potentially win $5K at the 5K (payout is contingent upon number of spaces sold)! And, there’s so much more!

The race is chip timed, with mile splits on a USATF certified 5K course. All runners receive a t-shirt and awards for the top 3 finishers in each age group is a matted painting created by individuals who attend the programs at HMEA.

For more information about this race and to register, please click here.