Guest post: Upcoming Events from Reno Race Promotion

On By MattLeave a comment

RRP_headerRGBA new feature on The Running Griffin, we’ll be including periodic guest posts by Matt Reno from Reno Race Promotion. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, RRP offers a range of promotional services to help races and other athletic events reach a larger audience.

First off, I want to give a huge thanks to Kevin for letting me provide guest posts on The Running Griffin. Running is a sport that can bring together people from absolutely anywhere in the world. I’m glad to have the opportunity to let more runners know about races in the southern part of the country. Though located in Kentucky, RRP can work with race directors anywhere to get more participants at their starting lines. In fact, as a Massachusetts native and former Vermont resident myself, I’m looking forward to helping some New England races gain more participants.

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The logo for the Susan G. Komen Lexington Race for the Cure, designed by RRP.

Here are upcoming races RRP is working on right now:

It’s been a lot of fun working with these and other races. In the short time since starting this business, I’ve already learned a lot and met some great people. Best of all, I’ve been able to help more runners find out about races and obstacle course runs in their local areas and support some excellent charities. If you have an event that could use promotion, or if you want to learn more about Reno Race Promotion, please visit the website and send a message. See you out on the course!

The Cure is Coming, The Cure is Coming!

On By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

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Yesterday was a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the high 50’s/low 60’s and the sun shining down upon the historic New England town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Most remember Lexington as being home to one of the most iconic American Revolution battles on Lexington Green but the small, quaint town was known yesterday for the Cure is Coming 5K race which served as a fundraiser for ALS research.

The Cure is Coming 5K is a nicely organized 5K race that takes runners through residential neighborhoods of Lexington as runners make their way out of the downtown area. The course is well-supported by the local residents who are out doing yard work or playing in their front yard as they transform into race fans and support you with a clap or a cheer. Volunteers staff each and every turn corner of the course showing runners which way to go and the local police department directs traffic at the major intersections runners cross.

The course is a rather challenging 5K race as there is a high percentage of what I call “residential rollers” along the course; those little up and down hills within residential neighborhoods which can quickly take a toll upon the legs. However, the finish is one of the fastest finish sprints you will find as there is marvelous downhill finish that allows you to just let the legs go free and race down the hill into the finish chutes.

I ran the same race last year and finished with a time of 23:58 good for 7:44/miles and was pleased to improve my time this year to 23:37 which equates to a 7:36/mile.

Register Today for the 5th Annual MAD Scramble

On By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

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After a long day at the office there is usually nothing better than clearing your head with a nice run. On June 27, 2013 join The Running Griffin in Milton, Massachusetts for the 5th Annual Mad Scramble, a Thursday night 5 miler race that brings runners on a challenging race course of some hills, some roads, some paths and toward a finish line with a great post-race barbecue.

The MAD Scramble supports the Detective Michael A Devin Memorial Fund. Proceeds from the race fund scholarships, support juvenile athletic programs, and provide assistance to families in need.

The race is flat and fast for the first half and then hilly along the backstretch. A little over a mile will be run along well trodden trails through the very scenic Turner’s Pond and Trout Brook areas.

Registration for the 5th Annual MAD Scramble is now open online through Race Menu by clicking here. For more information about the race, you can visit the race’s website here.

Register today and I look forward to seeing you in Milton on June 27th!

2nd Annual West Island 5k

On By The Running Griffin3 Comments

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This morning it was off to Fairhaven, Massachusetts for the 2nd Annual West Island 5k. It was an absolutely perfect spring morning and heading down toward the coastal town of Fairhaven was a nice drive however what was ahead along the race course far outweighed a nice drive down. The scenic run on the West Island section of Fairhaven made for an ideal course to get a nice 5k race in along.

The race started off with a moment of silence for those injured and killed at the recent terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon which was then followed by a brilliant rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung by a local student with the crowd of runners joining in leaving you with pre-race goose-bumps before the race kicked off.

The race started on a nice downhill which led to a sharp left turn onto an iconic beach neighborhood road. The road hugged the water and runners raced past both year round homes and seasonal cottages available to rent for those looking to have a week at the beach. What was quite nice about running through this neighborhood is that the locals came out in force and cheered runners along while pounding on the pavement in front of their homes.

As you passed the mile mark, you began to head down another beach road and made your way to a watch tower housed within a sand parking lot at the end of the beach. Water was available as you looped your way through the parking lot and back out the road toward the 2 mile mark. The last mile was a gradual increase in terms of elevation for the earlier part before it leveled out back through the same neighborhood the race started off on.

The last .2 of the race was trudging back up the downhill terrain that the race started off on and after a long 21 mile training run yesterday, every step on the last .2 really was earned racing up the hill.

I finished the 2nd Annual West Island 5k with a time of 23:47 which is good for 7:47/miles. Special thanks to Westport Chiropractic for a great post-race stretching of my calves and hamstrings and for not laughing too much at how tight a runner actually can be.