Manchester Road Race Registration Starts Sept. 1

MANCHESTER, CT — Registration for the 80th edition of the Manchester Road Race is set to begin on Sept. 1.

The event is the nation's oldest and one of the most prestigious road races. The 4.748-mile run takes place on a loop course through the town’s central streets on Thanksgiving Day.

The starting gun is at 10 a.m. The race starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church.

Last year’s Manchester Road Race attracted a field of 13,892 registered runners that included some of the world’s best long distance competitors. Will Geoghegan of Eugene, Oregon won the race with a time of 21:34, two seconds ahead of Glastonbury Olympic steeplechase runner Donn Cabral. Cabral was eighth in the Rio steeplechase final and the third-fastest qualifier.

Diane Nukuri, an Olympic runner from Burundi who trains in Flagstaff, AR, won the 2015 women’s championship in 24:19.

“We’re celebrating our 80th running this Thanksgiving, and we believe the race is going to be very exciting, and a lot of fun for our athletes and spectators,” said Dr. Tris Carta, president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “The size of our field is limited to 15,000 entrants, so we’re urging everyone to register as soon as possible."

The registration fee for entries received before Nov. 7, is $27. Entries submitted thereafter will cost $32.

After the 2015 Manchester Road Race, race officials donated more than $100,000 to area charitable and non-profit organizations. A $20,000 donation was made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The fight against Muscular Dystrophy has been a charitable objective of race sponsors since the early 1950s.

Online registration, and more details about the Manchester Road Race, are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

Photo credit: Tim Jensen