I always love it when you can find a running related deal on sites like Groupon or LivingSocial. When I saw the LivingSocial special for the RunBoston Running Tours, I knew it was one I had to grab immediately.

RunBoston offers guided running tours through the city of Boston and stops along the way at important cultural and historic sites. The course stretches through about 4.25 miles of Boston and the pace is a nice running pace that is perfect for novice and experienced runners alike.

The tour began at the steps of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill and ran throughout the city past sites like the Boston Marathon Finish Line, the Old North Church in the North End of Boston, the bridge to Charlestown made famous in the movie The Town, through the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Haymarket and over to Faneuil Hall. The tour guide for our run was knowledgeable and personable and was well prepared to answer any questions that the group had. The running group for our run was about 8 runners or so therefore runners were able to stick together well and not feel lost amongst the crowds.

If you are from outside Boston and are looking for a great way to see the city, I strongly recommend RunBoston Running Tours. However, even if you are relatively local like myself, this tour is an absolutely great way to learn some added history about Boston in a fun and active way!

Registration is now open for the Allstate Life Insurance℠ Boston 13.1 Marathon® and The Running Griffin will be taking part in the event and we encourage you to register today. The Allstate Life Insurance℠ Boston 13.1 Marathon® will take place on September 16th and has an absolutely perfect 7 AM starting time at Suffolk Downs! Some of the race highlights include:

1) Gender specific tech shirts

2) Start and finish in Boston proper

3) Allstate athlete rejuvenation area

4) Michelob Ultra beer garden

5) T access to the event

6) Plenty of onsite parking at Suffolk downs

7) Benefits Autism Speaks

8) 12 aid stations on course

9) Course support provided by DMSE

10) Elite field and prize money of $3,500

Runners will run through East Boston, Winthrop and Revere and this race is sure to be one of the finest half-marathons of the season.

You can register for the race by clicking here. We look forward to seeing you on the course!

 

This morning it was down to New Bedford for the Fishermen’s Tribute 5k Road Race and Walk. The race started and finished at the historic Fort Taber which hugs the Atlantic Ocean and the grounds around the fort are absolutely stellar. Nice walking/running paths, a playground for kids and great views of the ocean make this a really nice place to start a 5k run. There is a museum at Fort Taber, as well, and if you have never been down to this park in New Bedford I highly encourage you to check it out.

The Fishermen’s Tribute 5k Road Race and Walk is raising funds for the establishment of a memorial dedicated to those fishermen who lost their lives at sea which will be built on the Fort Taber grounds. There was a sketch of the planned statue at the race and it looks as though it will be a beautiful addition to the park.

The 5k race was remarkably well organized with two water stops at the Mile 1 and Mile 2 marker. The first mile of the race was relatively flat as runners ran out and hugged the ocean to their right. After the Mile 1 marker, we made a left hand turn and started to run through some residential city streets and up some pretty good hills. The hill leveled off and gave a nice downhill that led back toward the water on the other side of the peninsula. Once you hit the Mile 2 marker, you then began to climb gradually again along the coast and toward the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Marine Center. You then made a final left hand turn and headed uphill on a shaded road which led to a good downhill finish to the race.

Post-race there were volunteers at the end of the chute handing out water bottles which was great especially since even though the race began at 9AM the vastly unshaded course caused for the sun to really warm things up quickly. Oranges, bagels and granola bars were available for runners after the race, as well.

I finished the Fishermen’s Tribute 5k Road Race and Walk with a time of 23:52, good for 7:41/miles.

Registration is now available for the New Bedford Fishermen’s Tribute 5K. The race is going to be held on Sunday, July 22nd at 9AM at Fort Taber park in New Bedford.

On July 30, 2005, the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts granted the Fishermen’s Tribute Fund license to erect a monument to honor the heritage and legacy of generations of fishermen past, past and future. This monument is to be built in the northeast corner of Fort Taber, the southernmost point of New Bedford. The money raised from this 5K will go toward the Fishermen’s Tribute Memorial at Fort Taber.

To register for the race, please download a race application by clicking here.