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Field crosses starting line for inaugural Ashland Half-Marathon & 5K at Marathon Park in Ashland MA, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.
About the Event
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The second annual Ashland Half-Marathon and 5K Race & Walk will kick off Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013 and begin and end at Marathon Park, which marks the original starting line area for Boston's marathon for its first 27 years, from 1897 to 1923.
Set in late October to take advantage of the cool temperatures runners of all stripes desire, the Ashland Half-Marathon winds its way along a picturesque 13.1-mile figure-8 course through Ashland's foliage-filled roads and lanes. The 5K racers will cross the starting line at the same time as the half racers and be directed onto the shorter course as the race progresses, looping around to also finish at Marathon Park. The half-marathon course is a mixture of flats and hills, at some points running parallel to the Sudbury River and at others skirting Ashland State Park. The route includes the stretch of the traditional course that Boston's spring marathon follows through the town of Ashland, about 25 |
miles west of Boston. The 5K course
shares some of these features. Now labeled Marathon Park and marked by a sign donated by The 26.2 Foundation, the Pleasant Street location in Ashland was the site of Metcalf's Mill, the original starting point for Boston's marathons (1897-1923) until the course was stretched to conform to present-day Olympic standards. The Town of Ashland, through its Redevelopment Authority, plans to use proceeds from the Ashland Half-Marathon |
& 5K and its future editions to further rehabilitate Marathon Park, the cradle of the worldwide running boom, and commemorate the marathon's great pioneers with an eye toward establishing a future museum nearby featuring "The Ashland Era" of the marathon.
Along with its history, this event enjoys broad-based community support from its residents, clubs and organizations as well as its business leaders and town officials. With its picturesque course, its veteran organizers, Squanto Productions of Quincy MA, a fall event date, easy access by public transportation with the Ashland stop on the Boston-Worcester MBTA line just steps away from Marathon Park as well as plenty of free parking nearby, the Ashland Half-Marathon & 5K is on track to become a special race and a family friendly event to be celebrated for many years to come. There are many other exciting details concerning race weekend now being finalized, so stay tuned... |
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