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The Ashland Sporting Association (ASA) and the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Assoc. Charities (MVMAC) in collaboration with theMetroWest YMCA is excited to announce that on Saturday, June 4, 2016 the first annual “METROWEST K9 5K”, which includes a 5K run for individuals and a 5K run/walk with your dog through the woods at the Metrowest YMCA outdoor facility in Hopkinton, MA.

These three (3) non-profit organizations have come together and proceeds from the event will be donated to the MVMA Charities to sustain and develop programs that serve all communities in Massachusetts

Today it was down to Kingston, Massachusetts for the Moving Heels for Meals on Wheels 5K. This race was held to support the Meals on Wheels program organized by Old Colony Elder Services.

Though we have been graced with some warmer weather of late and tomorrow is the first day of Spring, this morning there was a coolness to the air that served as a precursor to the snow that we are supposed to get later tonight. The conditions for the race were ideal with the sun shining but the chill in the air preventing you from overheating while on the course.

The race was directed by South Shore Race Management and started at Silver Lake Regional High School. The course was well marked with signs and volunteers along the way and the Kingston Police Department assisted with traffic control at the cross roads runners needed to get across. There was a water stop about half-way into the race course that was also manned by volunteers from Old Colony Elder Services.

An excellent course greeted runners for the 5K race. Once runners made their way through some of the grounds of Silver Lake, it was then across the street into a residential neighborhood. A quick loop through that neighborhood then took runners back onto a main road that was a pleasant little downhill grade. Runners then tackled another looping residential street that had a good little incline just before the 2 mile marker. Making our way back onto the main road, the downhill that was so pleasant in the earlier part of the race climbed ever so slightly as runners made their way back into the high school grounds.

I finished the race with an overall time of 23:41, good for 7:38/miles and a 3rd Place Overall finish! I was awarded a medal and a gift certificate for Marathon Sports as the prize for coming in third. A great morning for running and a really nice, little race!

Last Sunday it was down to New Bedford, Massachusetts for the Ireland 5K sponsored by Guinness. This 5K took place immediately in downtown New Bedford, an iconic fishing town on the Southeastern coast of Massachusetts. The course takes runners on a loop course through a fish-packing and rather industrial section of New Bedford but runners could not have asked for a better day of running.

The race course is remarkably flat and allows runners to loosen out the legs on the course. The road is mostly closed to traffic and volunteers and the New Bedford Police Department do a nice job patrolling the course and ensuring runners are safe along the way. There is a water stop at around mile marker 1.25 and allows runners to grab water on both the out and back stretch of the race.

After the race, runners make their way back to Slainte, a great Irish pub steps away from the finish line where a nice selection of craft beers allowed runners to rehydrate properly.

I finished the Ireland 5K with a time of 24:01, good for 7:44/miles.