Tag: 5K

Race Recap: Hop Harvest 5K

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Just before an utter deluge of rain hit the area, this morning it was off to Weymouth, Massachusetts to run the Hop Harvest 5K sponsored by Vitamin Sea Brewing.

For years, now defunct brewery Barrel House Z hosted a few road races at this location each year and thankfully now Vitamin Sea, which is just doors down from where Barrel House Z was located, has picked up the torch and kept the races going. The Hop Harvest 5K was the September Grand Prix race for the Thirsty Irish Runners and it was great to see so many familiar faces at the starting line and out on the course.

The race kicked off promptly at 9:30 AM and having run races on this course before I knew what to expect in terms of the route. The first mile has a downhill stretch that then leads to a significant uphill portion that takes runners to the one mile marker and a bit beyond before leveling off some in a residential neighborhood. Just as you loop through the neighborhood, because the course is an out-and-back, right past the two mile mark you get to coast down the same goos hill before leveling off once again. However, the hill that leads up to the finish line, though it feels more gradual when heading out onto the course, definitely can take a toll on wearier legs in the final mile. The race finishes right in the driveway of Vitamin Sea and for those runners who wish to enjoy a beer, one free beer comes with each race entry.

There was no timing mat at the starting line so it was a gun start for everyone and I finished the race in 27:53, good for 8:59/miles. Even though the weather was relatively mild out on the course today, I still think a 5K race needs to have at least one water stop on the route and it was a miss that there was no water out there.

Certainly glad the race kicked off when it did as the rain that started just as runners were hitting the finish line has turned the rest of this Sunday into the perfect day to hang out on the couch!

Join me at Paddy’s Classic 5K

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Join me in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Sunday, September 27th for Paddy’s Classic 5K. After all, who doesn’t love a good old fashioned 5K kicking off at an iconic Irish pub?

Paddy’s Lunch is the oldest family owned pub in Cambridge. The atmosphere is timeless and has grown to become a home away from home to countless neighborhood regulars and new passers-by everyday. Paddy’s was started in 1934 by Patrick and Margaret Fennell, immigrants from Ireland. In the 1960s, the Fennell’s daughter Margaret “Peggy” Fennell Ryan took over the operation with her husband Harry “Bubby” Ryan. In 1998 Peggy’s daughter, Ruth Ryan Allen, took over and remains the current owner today.

This 5K race benefits the young girls of Cambridge with the Cambridge Girls Softball League and other girls’ sports teams are the primary recipients of the funds from the race. These great organizations work on team building, athletic skills, and strengthen the connection among physical, mental and social well-being of girls. Huge shoutout to the race organizers as over the history of the race they have raised over $130,000 for girls’ sports in Cambridge! As the dad of two daughters myself, a noble cause to certainly encourage some of my fellow runners to join me at the starting line to help continue to fund these causes!

After the race there will a block party outside Paddy’s until 7PM. Walden Street will be closed off to traffic and there will be a large beer garden, food trucks and a DJ. My younger days are well behind me and I might be back home asleep by 7PM but this race has all the fixings to be a really excellent time.

To register for the race, please click here to sign up. Look forward to seeing many of you alongside me in Cambridge for some running and some mighty craic on the 27th!

Race Recap: Wrentham Turkeywacker 5K

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It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey trot, right?

The past several Thanksgivings we have headed off to Disney World in Orlando, Florida but this year decided to stay closer to home so finding a 5K the morning of Thanksgiving was a must. This was going to be a full family-affair so all four of us woke up on Thanksgiving morning and made our way to Wrentham, Massachusetts for the Turkeywacker 5K.

The race kicks off at 8:30 AM which allowed the teenagers a bit longer to sleep in before we made our way up Route 495 to Wrentham. Perhaps best known for the shopping outlets there, Wrentham is just next to the perhaps more well-known Foxboro, home of the New England Patriots!

The Turkeywacker is a trail run and certainly running on trails adds a different complexity to a race than running on asphalt. Though we had a touch of rain the days leading up to the run, the course was in very good condition with only a few spots having a couple wet patches. As you can expect with a Thanksgiving Day turkey trot, there was a sea of families at the race as parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents and more toed the starting line before heading off to crush copious amounts of stuffing and pie.

I felt pretty good out on the course but knew pretty early into the race that the trail run terrain coupled with more than 800 runners hitting the 5K trail course was not going to result in any sort of PR for me out on the course. But that’s not what the run was about. The run was about spending time with Mrs. Running Griffin and our two daughters and having a good time out doing something healthy together and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for.

I finished up the Turkeywacker 5K with a time of 28:31, good for 9:10/miles. All four of us had very respectable runs and celebrated hitting up one of our favorite coffee shops on the way home to warm up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Race Recap: Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5K

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When you race after a full day of work you never really know what to expect. 7PM races can always be an interesting challenge to ensure you have properly hydrated throughout the day, ate the right amount of fuel but not too much and still have enough energy in the tank to tackle the race well even after putting in a full day of work.

On Thursday, it was out to South Boston for the 31st Annual Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5K. This is an exceptionally good race put on by the L Street Running Club and takes runners along a relatively flat and typically hot 5K course alongside Carson Beach in Southie. The road is shut down to traffic for the quick time the race takes place and runners have the road to themselves as they make their way out onto the course.

The race is known to have featured some tough warm temperatures in prior years and given you are in the sun the entire way this 5K course can certainly take a toll when the weather is hot. Fortunately, this Thursday night was an absolutely gorgeous night with temperatures still warm but not scorching, absolutely no humidity in the air and a gentle breeze from time to time coming off the water. When compared to the brutally warm conditions from last year’s race, this year was a simply perfect night to run a 5K.

In this year’s Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5K, I felt strong making my way out onto the course and it seemed as though it was going to be one of those running days where you just sort of know you have it. The out-and-back 5K course allows you to hit the water stop twice which certainly came in handy and through more than 3/4 of the race I kept up a nice pace. I could feel myself fading a little bit as I hit the 3 mile marker but knowing there was just a tenth of a mile left to go I dug deep and finished with a time of 23:07, good for 7:27/miles.

A great result and proving just how nice of a night it was for a run in last year’s scorcher I ran an 8:44/pace so shaving more than a minute per mile off I couldn’t be more pleased with that result!

Be sure to “Like” the Jim Kane Sugar Bowl’s Facebook page by clicking here and I will see you at next year’s race!

Run to End Addiction 5K Run/Walk

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Registration is now open for the 2nd Annual Run to End Addiction 5K which will be held in Bridgewater, Massachusetts on May 19th. This race is a great fundraiser for Teen Challenge Brockton and after last year’s remarkable inaugural run this year is sure to be even better!

Join hundreds of Teen Challenge supporters on the beautiful campus of Bridgewater State University for a day filled with entertainment, food, fellowship, prizes and so much more!

Individuals, teams, churches, schools, and corporations from around the state will join together in support of our efforts to end addiction. You can help make this campaign a success; people from all walks of life are welcome. Your time and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated!

The race festivities will have live music, a Kid Zone with face painting, games and bounce houses and free food!! The race directors look to create an environment where the community can join together in raising awareness and hope for those in our midst who suffer from substance use disorder.

Race Day Details: 5K Run/Walk (rain or shine)

Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018

Time: Registration opens at 8:00am; Race begins at 9:00am; Walk begins at 9:05am

Location: Bridgewater State University- 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA

Donations: Money raised will go towards supporting sponsorships to Teen Challenge Brockton.

Teen Challenge Brockton provides adults, teens and families with an
effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based solution, clinical counseling, and life-coaching for drugs, alcohol, and other life-controlling problems in order to become productive members of society. Find out more about this amazing program by visiting-Teen Challenge Brockton

To register for the 2nd Annual Run to End Addiction, please click here.