The Boston Prep 16 Miler & 5 Miler benefits the Greater Derry Track Club Kids Summer Fun Run Program. 16-Miler Overview: – Race day registration (If not sold out): West Running Brook Middle School, 8:30 am to 9:45 am – Timing splits at 5, 10, 13.1, and finish – Mile …
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The Boston Prep 16 Miler & 5 Miler benefits the Greater Derry Track Club Kids Summer Fun Run Program.
16-Miler Overview:
– Race day registration (If not sold out): West Running Brook Middle School, 8:30 am to 9:45 am
– Timing splits at 5, 10, 13.1, and finish
– Mile markers at every mile. Water/Gatorade stops at 3, 6, 9, & 12 miles
– GU at miles 6 and 12
– We reserve the right to close the course after 3 hours.
– Chip timing splits at 5, 10, 13.1 and finish.
– Awards will go to the First Three Overall Male and Female finishers
– Age group awards 3 deep: Under 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
– Sorry, no refunds for any reason.
5-Miler Overview:
– Race day registration (If not sold out): West Running Brook Middle School, 8:30 am to 9:45 am
– Mile markers at every mile. Water/Gatorade stop at ~2 miles
– Awards will go to the First Three Overall Male and Female finishers
– Age group awards 3 deep: Under 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
– Sorry, no refunds for any reason.
Race-Shirt, Finisher Swag, And Post-Race Amenities:
– FINISHER MEDALS for 16 Mile participants!
– Long Sleeve Tech Shirts to the first 700 registered runners.
– Special surprise gift for all participants!
– There will be plenty of post race food for you to enjoy while you socialize with your friends. Sorry no showers available.
– After Party at the Halligan Tavern with local 603 Brewery beer (21+)
The Greater Derry Track Club is pleased to announce that the “after party” for the Boston Prep Road Race will be at the Halligan Tavern in Derry, NH. Each registered runner (21+) will receive a beer ticket redeemable for one beer courtesy of our beer sponsor, the 603 Brewery. Celebrate tackling the moderately-challenging Boston Prep course with a 603 brew at Halligans!
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Beat the Storm
I was initially registered for the Fred Lebow Half today but it got appropriately canceled so I left for home right after the half in Long Island. While the storm … MORE
I was initially registered for the Fred Lebow Half today but it got appropriately canceled so I left for home right after the half in Long Island. While the storm hit NYC in the morning, it wasn’t hitting NH until the afternoon so I was hoping I could squeeze this race in before the storm. Even though I would have loved to have done the 16 miler to get some good miles in for marathon training, being a slower runner and knowing it would take me 3.5 to 4 hours to finish it, I decided to play it safe and just do the 5 miler. One thing that annoys me about this race is the time limits. The normal start has a 3 hour time limit which is insane as it’s around an 11 minute mile. I get this is prep for Boston so it attracts faster runners but Boston has a 6 hours time limit which is an over 13 minute mile. There is an early start with a 4 hour time limit but even that is a 15 minute/mile which I could do in usual weather but still may be tight for a lot of people (including me in this weather). Personally I think this race should have a 3.5 hour regular start (~13 minute/mil) and 4.5 hour early start time limit. That is neither here nor there because today with the storm I do think it needed a tighter time limit hence why I signed up for the 5 miler. There was very good communication regarding the storm. They also allowed both 5 milers and 16 milers to do the early start at 9am which I appreciated as it meant more time to beat the storm. It was frigid when it started. Even colder than yesterday and again colder than Antarctica. Luckily it starts at a school with an indoor area. Packet pick-up was easy and it was organized doing the early start. Packet included a tech shirt and a pint glass instead of a medal. The start is maybe 0.2 miles past the finish and they walked us about 15 minutes before the race. It’s a tough course as there are a lot of hills. About 300 feet of elevation gain for the 5 miler and about 1000 for the 16 miler. The course was well marked. It was on open roads which I didn’t love but most were quiet and the busy ones had cones. The open roads were one reason I didn’t do the 16 miler today as I wasn’t sure how visibility would be for drivers. There were mile markers and volunteers at most intersections and an aid station with water in the middle. The first mile is mostly uphill and rough but the last mile is mostly downhill. It was pretty with snow and I passed by lots of horses. I didn’t take any pictures as I didn’t want to fuss with my phone in the cold. My goal was to finish around 1:05 (13 minute/mile pace) as I didn’t want to overdue it with the weather and hills and that’s exactly what I did. Indoor there was good post race food with dunkins including hot chocolate and soup including a vegan/gluten free chili. Overall this was a nice race and I was happy to be able to run something this morning. I would consider it again but I do wish the 16 miler had a longer time limit as it makes me a bit nervous to sign up for it and I typically wouldn’t stay in town for just a 5 miler.
Gem of a winter challenge
This is a small race, meant to help runners prepare for Boston in April. I am not running the Boston marathon this year, but I wanted a good winter challenge … MORE
This is a small race, meant to help runners prepare for Boston in April. I am not running the Boston marathon this year, but I wanted a good winter challenge and this race definitely delivered.
Registration and race day check-in were smooth. There was a big snowstorm rolling in on race day, and everyone was encouraged to take advantage of the early start. This proved to be a wonderful option for me, a slower runner. The storm started when I was about halfway through which added to the already challenging, hilly course. Through it all, though. The greater Derry track club and volunteers made it safe and enjoyable. Aid stations were well maintained, and volunteers took care to make sure that the water and Gatorade did not freeze on us. We were met with smiles and cheers at every point.
My goal was simply to finish in under three hours, and I accomplished that!
Swag is great— love my long sleeved shirt and pint glass!
There was an amazing after party with hot chocolate, coffee, snacks, and soup. There was also a later party with especially crafted beer, but I wasn’t able to attend that.Overall, a gem of a race! Don’t miss if you’re preparing for Boston or another Spring marathon.
Tough, cold and awesome!
The Derry "Boston Prep" 16 miler is a very hilly, and, in 2024, very cold, real "tester" for runners training for Boston or just your garden variety masochist. The field … MORE
The Derry “Boston Prep” 16 miler is a very hilly, and, in 2024, very cold, real “tester” for runners training for Boston or just your garden variety masochist. The field is very fast/strong, albeit small. The race is well organized with the staging at a local school and a casual walk to the start line on a country road. The race is somewhat scenic through backroads outside Derry, NH with some killer hills at mile 4 and then miles 10-12.
Post-race the food and drink are o.k. although they went fast. I have been told the swag and food used to be better, but can’t independently judge that
All around, a fun time and a great “check in” for Boston prep.
Up and Down we go
This was my third year running, and by far the nicest weather. It can be cold some years (-9 wind chill when I ran a few years ago). The GDTC … MORE
This was my third year running, and by far the nicest weather. It can be cold some years (-9 wind chill when I ran a few years ago).
The GDTC puts on a great race. Lots of information beforehand. The course is well marked and well staffed. The first 12 miles are pretty hard, you are either going up or going down, there’s nothing flat about the first 2/3rds. The first 10 miles are rolling hills, with nothing too long of a climb, it’s just relentless. Around mile 10 you start a 2 mile incline which gets pretty steep for a little more than a quarter mile at the end. If you can make it through that, the last 3 to 4 miles are a breeze after the hills. As long as you have some juice left in your legs, these should be your fastest.
This race is definitely a significant effort and you should approach it like a marathon especially if you don’t do a lot of hills normally. Don’t go out too fast, train on hills and be prepared for some cold weather!
I am just as proud of my shirts from this race as any of my marathon medals.
If you like hills and want a challenge
This is a classic for New England Runners, especially those training for Boston. It is very tough to find road races longer than 5k's in the winter in New Hampshire … MORE
This is a classic for New England Runners, especially those training for Boston. It is very tough to find road races longer than 5k’s in the winter in New Hampshire so this one, in late January, is extremely popular despite its difficulty.
The Greater Derry Track Club is a class act organization and this is their top event, in my opinion.
The staging area is at a local middle school and they let you hang out inside the gym right up until the race is about to start..a huge plus. There is a short walk to the start but you get to pass a couple of curious horses on the way which for some reason always amuses me.
They jokingly put “Moderately challenging” on the logo (the shirt was great this year..they added a hood) but don’t be fooled, you are going to be running hill after hill after hill, culminating in a 2 mile portion of almost all climbing about 3/4 of the way through (they also time that portion for a separate award category which is cool).
After that portion, though, if you’ve saved your legs even a little bit, you’ve got smooth sailing for about the last 5k which I’ve seen both sides of. The first time I ran it was bitter cold and I wasn’t ready for the difficulty of the climbs and I had nothing left so it was misery right to the end. The last 2 times, I learned to save something and then you truly finish with a smile on your face. It’s a great test to see where you are in your Boston training or just to give yourself a unique winter road challenge.