2025 BSC 5K

Quick update, the company 5K was hosted at the Marlborough campus. The weather was sunny, 70’s. Mile splits were 736, 752, 843 and 744 for the last .15 of a mile. The right hamstring kept me honest and reminded me (ouch!) on the climb back up to the campus that it was tight. Overall, I’m grateful to run an average of 8 minute miles for this one. The official time was 24:54 good for 25^th out of 149 total participants. A BBQ and Ice Cream followed the race which was nice but too soon to enjoy following the hard effort. Overall, $6.4K was raised and donated to The Wonderfund of MA!

2025 BSC 5K and 1 mile race results

Codfish Bowl XC Franklin Park

With over three decades of running, I can’t recall ever running the Codfish Bowl XC race at Franklin Park. It is primarily a collegiate race. This year was the 57^th Annual so it is older than me. It wound up on the 2025 USATF New England Cross Country Grand Prix schedule. Fortunately, Notch Run Club was kept the momentum of rounding up some Seniors based on the credit of interest with having seven men (six 50+) get to the starting line for the 8K men’s race consisting of open and masters. Donnie, Shawn and Krissy arrived with the Notch Tent. They set it up behind the start line while I chased down the team packet from registration.

With the ongoing construction with White Stadium, the new 8K course consisted of running a 3K and 2K loops adding up the 8K in the end. The 3K loop: combined Wilderness plus Bear Cage Hill. The weather was sunny, dry with temperatures in the upper 60’s for the 12:40 start. Our team lined up among at least a dozen colleges and hand full of USATF running clubs.

I jumped out to a 7:10 mile behind a GLRR runner with whom I planned on focusing on. I managed to pass him before mile 2 which a 7:32 mile was clocked. Now the race was on the way to Bear Cage Hill for the second time, passing mile three on the pavement next to the stadium, 7:44. On top of the hill, I asked another GLRR runner, a stride ahead, what he had for a distance thus far. He replied 3.3 miles which is about what I had. I wanted to ensure we were both on the same page and not lost on the new course which at this point runners were everywhere. Mile 4 went by out on the Wilderness loop and brought a 7:54 mile, the slowest thus far.

I rallied a bit with a 7:11 while trying to gain on college guys and keep the GLRR guys at bay.  The 7:31 average pace was faster than my 10K last weekend in Salem. I would say is progress. I covered a GPS distance of 4.97 miles. Gun time was 37:19, 222^nd place out of 241 runners. Overall, it is my quickest pace of any race this year, not counting a 7:11 mile in Hopkinton a few months ago.

Splits: 710, 732, 744, 754, 711

2025 Codfish Bowl Cross Country Men’s Results

 

North Shore Runfest 10K, Salem

Notch Brewing and Notch Run Club was hosting the USATF New England 10K Road Race Championship in Salem. The forecast of cooler temperatures (60’s) and rain was spot on but did not dampen the spirit of over 900 pre-registered runners for the 9AM start on Congress Street. I ran a chip time of 52:49 (8:29 / mile pace) a year ago. I felt that a goal of 8:00 pace was possible with a 5K time trial four days ago of the same effort. 

I warmed up for about a mile before getting into the start line around peers who would be breaking 50 minutes. The course headed down Derby Street, through the Salem Willows, coming back to central Salem taking the mile 3 spot near the Hawthorne Hotel with and average of 7:50 per mile. Mission accomplished but many puddles and only have way done. Heading down Lafayette Street got me thinking about the Salem State College days – a long time ago, seeing the Sullivan Building in the distance before heading into Forest River Park where many xc workouts took place with the team. Mile splits turned into the low 8’s from there to the finish line with quiet back roads parallel to Lafayette Street. 

I crossed the new finish line, now steps away from Notch Brewing with a chip time of 49:36 (7:58 / mile pace). I placed 50^th out of 69 in the old guy category. I felt good about the effort. Good work in planning for, well, I guess some cross country race distances from 5K to 8K in the next two plus months into the fall. 

Splits: 744, 753, 752, 800, 810, 810, 743 (last .24) 

North Shore Runfest 10K 2025 Full Results