Runners on the South Shore of Massachusetts know that summer is quickly approaching when the Monday Night Fun Runs in Raynham, Massachusetts begin to kick off again! These runs feature a timed 3.25 mile road race all for the very reasonable price of just $2. That’s right, 8 quarters and you can race on Monday nights and try to beat your pace each week on the streets of Raynham.

The first half of the race is quite flat and then heading into the Mile 2 marker the course begins to pick up some elevation. Once you pass that marker the grade gets tougher and takes runners up a relatively steep incline before cresting the hill, making a quick left turn and leveling off a bit before being greeted by a nice downhill heading into the mile 3 marker. Once you hit that, the last stretch of the race is nice and flat.

The race is an open course route and has grown in terms of runners over the past few years. Water is provided after the run and the race times are posted online immediately following the run. This Monday night series is sponsored and organized by the Colonial Road Runners and is a great way to end the first day of the week.

This week I finished the Monday Night Fun Run with a time of 25:15, good for 7:46/miles. Great start to the season and look forward to hopefully working to shave a few seconds off over the course of the summer. If you are in the Raynham area on Monday nights, join me!

What do food trucks, breweries, baseball and running have to do with one another? On the surface, probably not a whole heck of a lot. But when you put five childhood friends together in Minnesota on their annual guy’s weekend away it starts to make a lot of sense!

My four best friends growing up and I pick a different city to meet up in once a year to take in a baseball game, to eat what some might call a “less than healthy” variety of food, tour some breweries, pass gas without being shamed by our significant others and tell the same jokes we have told each previous year and find new bits to work into our routine. A couple of us also try to find a race to partake in to partially help offset the amount of BBQ we have consumed and to work up a good thirst for the next brewery visit.

Last weekend was our annual trip and this year we ticked Minneapolis, Minnesota off the list of cities to check out. Added bonus this year is that our hometown Boston Red Sox were in town for a series against the Minnesota Twins so we were able to take in a game and cheer on the Sox.

When looking for races to do we located the Minnesota Brewery Running Series race being held at 56 Brewing. The MBRS is a series of fun runs hosted by local breweries and entry comes with a free pint of beer and a pint glass, handmade coaster, running belt or other offering. There was a healthy amount of raffle prizes given away post run, as well.

The run is not a timed affair and the course was just an eyelash short of 3 miles. The open course had runners and walkers of all speeds mixed in and the route started and ended at the brewery. Runners made their way down a relatively flat first mile before hitting a bridge that spanned across the Mississippi River. The up-and-down running of bridge added a little bit of some hills into the mix as runners ran across one side of the bridge, crossed the street and then ran back on the other side of the bridge. After coming off the bridge it was across a street and then into a residential neighborhood before making your way past a grain mill and back toward the brewery. I felt quite strong on the course despite dealing with some medical challenges of late and finished the race with a well below 8 minute mile pace.

After making your way into the finish line, runners were handed a wooden token for a free beer inside 56 Brewing. The brewery literally was only a day old in this new location and couldn’t look better. A well-crafted wheat beer hit the spot post-run and the new brewery location had a great vibe going.

Kudos to Sean and Matt for tackling the race alongside me. Next year, Nick and Justin, we’re getting you to run, too!

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Join runners from across Eastern Massachusetts for a family fun festival celebrating trails on land and water at Dedham Trails Day, Saturday, May, 20, 2017 from 10am-1pm at the Dolan Recreation Center, 269 Common Street. The event will feature free kayak, stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) and fly-casting demos with L.L. Bean, as well as face painting, free food, live music and activities for the entire family provided by local community groups and businesses.

This multi-event day offers a Sprint and Splash (5K Trail run and 2 Mile Paddle) and a 5K Trail Run/Walk. All races are family friendly and begin at NewBridge on the Charles Campus and wind through their scenic trails to Whitcomb Woods and the Dolan Center trails.

 
Register today at www.dedhamtrailsday.racewire.com. All race participants will receive a free swag bag with gift cards to area restaurants and stores and gifts from Legacy Place businesses.