Preston Hallett, of Westfield, heads for the Run Westfield finish line.
Reminder Publishing photo by Marc St. Onge
WESTFIELD — The Run Westfield Flat Fast 5K is returning on May 17 for its 11th year and organizers are anticipating its biggest race day and community event yet.
Organizer Mike Tierney is a founding member of the event and Run Westfield and has decades of experience prior to helping form and run the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade Road Race, having been the chairman of the event for 37 years. As a Westfield resident, Tierny eventually felt he should try to form a 5K event in Westfield that could grow into an annual event that brings people in the city together to celebrate the community.
“It‘s more than a race, it‘s an event to bring attention to downtown Westfield for the merchants and to put Westfield on the map by bringing runners from around and far away to experience how nice the city is,” Tierney told Reminder Publishing. “The second part of it is certainly to create a platform where we can give back money to people who need it, to charities. And we did that through setting up teams and letting people use the event to get money for charities.”
Participants can run solo or form teams to raise money in support of a cause of choice. For teams with 25 or more members, Run Westfield gives $5 per team member toward the charity of the group’s choice. All of the money raised by a team goes directly to the charity of their choice.
“More than that it creates a platform for people to make donations to whatever charity the team picked,” Tierney added.
The south parking lot of the Westfield State University campus will be the starting point for the 5K. Starting at 10 a.m., participants will be able to pick up their race day T-shirt and bib numbers. Bib numbers will be color coded to differentiate between runners and walkers.
Walkers with strollers must line up behind runners and walkers and no strollers will be allowed in the runner’s corral. Line up for participants begins at 12:30 p.m., with the race beginning at 1 p.m. sharp. The finish line is 67 Elm St., or the Elm Street Plaza.
To register or find more race day information such as parking visit runwestfield.com/race-day-info. The race has a $45 entry fee and a $4.65 sign up fee. A 5K junior walk will also be a part of the event and is $15 to register with a $2.85 sign up fee.
Race results will be posted on the Run Westfield website by the night of the race and award recipients will be notified within a week via email. No awards will be handed out on race day.
“We try to create an event that‘s family friendly and will bring people downtown so we have a party after with bands on stage, vendors come in. It‘s almost like a carnival atmosphere,” Tierney added. “So, the race itself was the foundation but it‘s just part of what we were trying to create. We were really trying to create an event for downtown Westfield and that‘s why last year we added the car show.”
The car show was an idea that came from fellow Run Westfield organizer Neil Roache, who said he came to his fellow organizers with the idea while they were brainstorming a way to fill a void on Elm Street during the event.
“I said sure we can try to do something, and it actually was a hit,” Roache said of last year’s run. “About 100 cars probably showed up that day and interacted with a couple of the businesses that were open.”
The car show will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all cars must be on-site by 10:45 a.m. The car show is free and open to any car owners looking to showcase their vehicle. The show is limited to about 100 cars as space is limited and dependent on weather.
Roache said while the event is free, car owners and participants are welcomed to support with a donation of any amount as the money collected specifically at the car show will be going directly to Stanley Park.
“Most people at car shows like to donate or support an event so along with if anyone wants to support as they bring a car in, we are going to be collecting money for Stanley Park. But they don’t have to contribute, all they have to do is bring a car and park it,” Roache added.
Cars can enter from Washington Street to Arnold Street to park because both ends of Elm will be blocked off. All cars have to be parked by 11.
“There’s a big car community in Westfield and the surrounding areas,” said Roache. “If the day turns out [with good weather], the cars will turn out and the people will turn out.”
Following the race is the 5Kool down in the Elm Street Plaza, next to the finish line. Food vendors will include North End Butcher Blick, Tavern Restaurant, Vlad’s and Northside Creamery. Alcohol vendors will feature Great Awakening, Skyline and Tavern Restaurant.
Participants are also encouraged to check out any local restaurants or businesses downtown in the afternoon following the race. This portion of the day will end at 5 p.m.
More information on the car show and 5kooldown can also be found on the Run Westfield website.
Tierney said he expects a new high for total runners involved in this event and they are already on pace to do so.
“As the numbers grow, it feeds on itself because people will tell friends, and it just keeps growing,” Tierney said. “I think we have got the hardest part behind us and the race should still continue with the great support of the community. The primary goal is safety of the runners and the people and to maintain a first-class event and hopefully it will continue for many years to come.”
