It's not too late to sign up for Sunday's Run to the Beach 30K, which runs from the North Andover VFW and finishes at the Winners Circle Sports Bar in Salisbury.
In fact, until the gun goes off at 10 a.m., it's never too late because you don't really need to sign up — it's free.
Organized by the Winner's Circle and Andover Striders and directed by Dave LaBrode, what is essentially a Boston Marathon training run traces a portion of the old Lawrence-to-the-Sea Marathon, which was made famous by 1949 marathoners Johnny Kelly and Louis White.
The course follows Route 125 from North Andover into Haverhill where the course bears right onto Route 110 into Merrimac and through Amesbury. It finishes at the Winner's Circle in Salisbury for a straight point-to-point course.
There are no official race directors, awards, numbers or T-shirts, but there are water stops. Perhaps because the course treks through some of the more challenging hills in North Andover and Haverhill, runners are invited to come and go at their pleasure.
For your money's worth (none), it's the best bargain around, and perhaps anywhere.
Verrington sets mark
Bradford iron man Dan Verrington broke his own 50K American age-group record recently at the 50K nationals in New York.
Verrington came in fourth overall among 127 finishers with a time of 3:15:14 for the 31 miles. That equates to a pace of 6:18 per mile.
Impressive as that may be, Verrington couldn't keep up with overall winner Michael Wardian of Arlington, Va. He finished going away in 2:55:50, which means that he averaged a stunning 5:40 for 31 miles.
Ordinarily, Bradford's Dave Dunham would have joined Verrington, but Dunham is battling another round of injuries.
It's called the 'Mash Dash'
The running community will once again be helping to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — in a long way.
Both charities benefit from the Boston Marathon and now they'll receive funds from the first annual Mass Dash, a 200-mile non-stop relay from the Berkshires to Boston.
On July 17-18, teams comprising of six to 36 people will line up at the base of Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts, and race to Boston Harbor. Conceived as a two-day team adventure race with a very significant purpose, the Mass Dash will bring together hundreds of runners, sharing their time, their thoughts and themselves, while racing across Massachusetts.
These runners, like is the case for the Boston Marathon, are dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support family, friends and neighbors in the fight against cancer.
The relay was established in memory of Neal Webber, a Longmeadow resident who was diagnosed with prostate cancer prostate in 2004. Webber, who was treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, fought a hard battle, but succumbed to the disease in 2008.
The scenic course will start at the Mount Greylock State Reservation in Lanesboro and finish at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. UMass Amherst will serve as the halfway point and the runners will cross the Winsor Dam at the Quabbin Reservoir in the middle of the night. A post-race party will be held on the lawn at UMass-Boston overlooking Boston Harbor.
Choice for Sons of Italy
Like with a lot of road races these days, runners will have a choice at the Sons of Italy race in Lawrence May 29. Starting at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, runners can run either a 5K or a 5-Mile. There is also a 1K race for kids. It all gets underway at 8:30 a.m.
Interestingly, also May 29, there is a 5K/5-Miler combination in Hamilton, starting at 10 a.m. As race directors try to keep pace with their competitors, it's becoming necessary to offer as much as possible.
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