35th Annual Frank Nealon Boston Tune-Up 15K

On April 5, 2015April 5, 2015 By The Running GriffinLeave a comment

Yesterday morning it was off to Upton, Massachusetts for the 35th Annual Frank Nealon Boston Tune-up 15K. This race is organized by the Tri-Valley Front Runners and is one of the few wheel-measured 15Ks available in the Greater Boston area leading up to the Boston Marathon. The race takes place on a very scenic and quite rolling, hilly course that is well marked and all on the pavement. The course support is great with miles marked and water stops along the way.

Runners get a commemorative soup mug instead of the usual tee-shirt and post-race there is a healthy spread of different soups and snacks available. The soup inside the school ran out quite fast this year and it seemed as though the amount of crock pots they had with different kinds of soups was far less than last year.

The race day temperatures were in the 40’s and the sun broke through just in time for the race to kickoff. The running conditions could not have been better and the day made for a great day of running.

Last year I had a nice run at this race and finished with a time of 1:18:53 for the 9.3 mile race so I was glad to see I beat last year’s time with a finish time of 1:17:30, shaving more than a minute off my time and running a pace of 8:10/miles which for this distance and hilly course I am quite pleased with. Next season, if you are looking for a course that is a good Boston Marathon warmup race or if you just want to push yourself up and down some good hills, be sure to keep an eye out for registration for the 36th Annual Frank Nealon Boston Tune-Up 15K.

34th Annual Boston Tune-Up 15K

On April 6, 2014 By The Running Griffin2 Comments

Yesterday morning it was off to the small hamlet known as Upton, Massachusetts for the 34th Annual Boston Tune-Up 15k. This race falls about 2 weeks shy of the Boston Marathon and the challenging 9.3 mile course is a good training run to work out the legs during the taper phase of training. Several of the runners lined up at the starting line with me are in fact joining together at the Boston Marathon and the pre-race chats brought runners together.

The race started and finished at Nipmuc Regional High School and the annual race is sponsored by the Tri-Valley Frontrunners.

The course is a nice challenge and some of the hills mixed into the course feel like some of the terrain along the Boston Marathon course. There is a really nice climb leading into the five mile marker that requires most runners to drop a gear or two in an effort to get up the hill. Water stops were available around miles 5 and 7 however the one that was supposed to be at the mile 3 marker was not there making the water at 5 taste all that much better.

The road of the course is pretty residential and quintessentially New England as you race past homes, farms, baby sheep and wooded areas hiding rushing streams behind them.

I felt pretty good while out on the course and wanted to push myself a bit for the 9.3 miles but not do anything stupid which could result in being injured for Marathon Monday. I completed the race with a nice pace of 8:28/miles good for an overall time of 1:18:53. It’s always a nice treat to have some great running fans cheering you into the finish line, as well!