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.

 

We spent yesterday and last night in Durham, New Hampshire at the wedding of two of our friends. The wedding was an absolutely great time and the dance floor kept luring me in (fortunately for my running the open bar didn’t do as good of a job luring me in). It was a long day but this morning it was back to the pavement for the 29th POW-MIA Race for Freedom in South Boston, which conveniently enough was on our way home.

The race started at 10AM which allowed time in New Hampshire to score a quick bagel and coffee at Breaking New Grounds for some pre-race energy.

The race takes off from the Boston Teachers Union hall in South Boston and heads out along Day Boulevard in Southie. Great views of the Boston Harbor can be had as you make your way along the 5 mile route however the flat course can sort of deceive you. Though the course is flat, you are using your legs the entire route and the sun really can start baking down upon you along the water. The support along the course is superb, with 3 water stops along the way and both Boston and Massachusetts State Police keeping the road free of cars and each and every intersection.

Having gotten just a few hours of shut-eye coupled with busting a move or two to Pitbull and Journey at the wedding, I expected to be a bit off pace this morning and could feel the legs being a wee bit tired. I finished the 5 mile race with a time of 41:27 or 8:18/miles which with all things considered was a pretty good time!

Last Thursday it was off to Hollis, NH for the Hollis Fast 5k. Billed as New England’s Fastest 5K race, I have always had this race on my to-do list but never made it up north for the run. Though the traffic getting there after work was pretty miserable for the 6:30 PM start, the race itself was worth the aggravation on the roads leading there.

The race takes place in the quaint New England town of Hollis and has a really nice downhill grade the entire route of the course. The course drops 224 feet from start to finish and you can feel your legs letting loose on the course. With 1300 runners in the race, the wide country road leading downhill makes for a good course to have a good time on. Of course the race has chip timing which allows for an accurate timing for the fast 5K. Buses took the runners to the starting line, music and announcements were provided at the starting line and there was water available before runners headed out on the course.

The Hollis 5K has been featured in Runners World, The Wall Street Journal and on Coolrunning.com and the expectations that I had going into the race were far exceeded. The race was a great course, the downhill grade allowed for a good time and the post-race refreshments and free massages were a perfect way to end the race.

The winning time for this race was an amazing 14:09 by Ruben Sanca which is a remarkable 4:35/miles. I was able to pick up the pace pretty well on the Hollis Fast 5K and finished with a time of 22:03, good for 7:07/miles.

Yesterday it was off to Hopkinton High School to take part in the Sharon Timlin 5k for ALS Research. The race brought back memories of April as the starting area was the exact same spot where the Boston Marathon lined up before walking to the starting line. The race raises money for ALS research and is named for former Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Timlin’s mother. Mike Timlin was in the pace truck for the race along with former Red Sox teammate Tim Wakefield.

The Sharon Timlin 5k is a race that in years to come is going to be one to keep an eye open for. Timlin, Wakefield and another former Red Sox Lou Merloni all sat at a table after the race and signed baseballs, hats and in numbers for race participants. The amount of amenities at the race was a huge benefit and the kids events were perfect for our 4-year-old daughter at the race with a babysitter while we ran. Hands down, this race was one of the finest races put on that we have done in quite some time with a complete lineup of things to do and food to enjoy.

The race itself was a really nice course with a fast, downhill first mile that headed away from the school toward a residential neighborhood. After the first mile there was a bit of a climb through the side streets before leading back out to the main road and again uphill to the Mile 2 marker. After passing there, it was back into the school grounds for a rather flat final mile wrapping through the middle school and the high school grounds.

I felt really strong out there running and finished with a good time of 23:26 or 7:36/miles. Having run the day before, I was still able to shave some time off of my pace which was a great feeling when crossing the finish line.