This is a 5K that raises money for disabled veterans that takes place the Saturday before Veterans day. It generally sales out about 1 month in advance so don't wait … MORE
This is a 5K that raises money for disabled veterans that takes place the Saturday before Veterans day. It generally sales out about 1 month in advance so don’t wait last minute to sign up. Packets are mailed prior to the race although they give instructions about what to do if it didn’t arrive or you forgot your bib. Packet included bib and a really nice, long sleeved tech shirt. It’s the kind of shirt you expect from a half marathon and better than you get with most 5Ks. There is good pre race communication as well. The race takes place on Castle Island with views of Fort Independence which has some cool waterfront and historical views and the fort seems like an appropriate place for a veterans day race. The only issue is it is at the Southeast tip of Boston and not that easy to get there by public transportation. They did recommend public transportation but you basically took the red line to south Boston and then took a bus. I work on the red line and though of parking at work but saw it would take over an hour (not counting the drive) so decided to just arrive early and park at the venue. The race starts at 10am with pre race ceremonies starting around 9:20. I arrived a little after 8am and had no issues parking but the lot filled around 8:30am so if you do park at the start/finish arrive before 8:30. There was a nice race festival area with booths for vendors, sponsors, charities and food. This is a big 5K for a small venue and had about 1500 participants but everything was as well organized as possible. They had pre race announcements discussing the history of the race and the charity it raises money for. They tend marched us to the start. I loved how they started this race. This as I said isn’t a huge venue and it’s all on public paths (which is completely fair as it is hard to get Boston to close down streets) but means the race will be quite crowded. However they called out participants by pace and had us March over. Of course a few people didn’t go where they should have but most people lined up correctly. They had participants under 40 minutes go for the first wave and participants over 40 minutes go in a second wave. There is also a 1 mile race that starts a bit later. The course starts with a loop around Fort Independence which is cool and then it is an out and back along a bridge with a short loop at the end of the out and back. There are water front views and it is a nice course. I do think it was the best venue for a 5K I’ve done in Boston that uses all public paths. The race is chip timed. It is a flat course but there was a strong headwind that slowed me down. I still had a very good finishing time. At the end you get a medal! This is almost unheard of for 5Ks in New England. It’s not the biggest medal in the world but it’s nice and appropriately sized for a 5K. The best part is the finish party with a bunch of local food vendors. I will admit a lot of the menu items were a bit meat centric but I got a tofu banh mi, minestrone soup and a sugar cookie all of which were delicious. Overall this was a a great 5K with nice swag and a post race party. I would definitely do this race again and would highly recommend it if you are a local or visiting for one of the many half marathons in the Boston area on Sunday (at least this year BAA half, Manchester City Half and Harborside half were all the day after this 5K).
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Great Cause and Great Food
This is a 5K that raises money for disabled veterans that takes place the Saturday before Veterans day. It generally sales out about 1 month in advance so don't wait … MORE
This is a 5K that raises money for disabled veterans that takes place the Saturday before Veterans day. It generally sales out about 1 month in advance so don’t wait last minute to sign up. Packets are mailed prior to the race although they give instructions about what to do if it didn’t arrive or you forgot your bib. Packet included bib and a really nice, long sleeved tech shirt. It’s the kind of shirt you expect from a half marathon and better than you get with most 5Ks. There is good pre race communication as well. The race takes place on Castle Island with views of Fort Independence which has some cool waterfront and historical views and the fort seems like an appropriate place for a veterans day race. The only issue is it is at the Southeast tip of Boston and not that easy to get there by public transportation. They did recommend public transportation but you basically took the red line to south Boston and then took a bus. I work on the red line and though of parking at work but saw it would take over an hour (not counting the drive) so decided to just arrive early and park at the venue. The race starts at 10am with pre race ceremonies starting around 9:20. I arrived a little after 8am and had no issues parking but the lot filled around 8:30am so if you do park at the start/finish arrive before 8:30. There was a nice race festival area with booths for vendors, sponsors, charities and food. This is a big 5K for a small venue and had about 1500 participants but everything was as well organized as possible. They had pre race announcements discussing the history of the race and the charity it raises money for. They tend marched us to the start. I loved how they started this race. This as I said isn’t a huge venue and it’s all on public paths (which is completely fair as it is hard to get Boston to close down streets) but means the race will be quite crowded. However they called out participants by pace and had us March over. Of course a few people didn’t go where they should have but most people lined up correctly. They had participants under 40 minutes go for the first wave and participants over 40 minutes go in a second wave. There is also a 1 mile race that starts a bit later. The course starts with a loop around Fort Independence which is cool and then it is an out and back along a bridge with a short loop at the end of the out and back. There are water front views and it is a nice course. I do think it was the best venue for a 5K I’ve done in Boston that uses all public paths. The race is chip timed. It is a flat course but there was a strong headwind that slowed me down. I still had a very good finishing time. At the end you get a medal! This is almost unheard of for 5Ks in New England. It’s not the biggest medal in the world but it’s nice and appropriately sized for a 5K. The best part is the finish party with a bunch of local food vendors. I will admit a lot of the menu items were a bit meat centric but I got a tofu banh mi, minestrone soup and a sugar cookie all of which were delicious. Overall this was a a great 5K with nice swag and a post race party. I would definitely do this race again and would highly recommend it if you are a local or visiting for one of the many half marathons in the Boston area on Sunday (at least this year BAA half, Manchester City Half and Harborside half were all the day after this 5K).
A fall classic in Southie
Get there 90 early to park within a mile from the fort. Great post-race chow. Just the right amount of pre-race ceremony. Slight hiccup with timing because of new course … MORE
Get there 90 early to park within a mile from the fort. Great post-race chow. Just the right amount of pre-race ceremony. Slight hiccup with timing because of new course layout, but not a show stopper.
Howitzer starting gun
The DAV 5k Boston raised $30,000 for Veterans. The runners gathered inside Fort Independence on Castle Island in Boston prior to the start. Then a color guard led the runners … MORE
The DAV 5k Boston raised $30,000 for Veterans.
The runners gathered inside Fort Independence on Castle Island in Boston prior to the start. Then a color guard led the runners to the start line, asking the runners to follow based on expected finish time. It was the first time I experienced a start like that, which I think worked very well. I ran my race in my expected time and did not have to do a lot of dodging around other runners, which seems to happen frequently in races. Each event (5k hand-cycle, 5k run, 1 mile walk) was started by the massive boom of a Howitzer cannon and finished inside the fort. Other than the final ramp up to finish line inside the fort, the course was flat. The shirt was a long sleeve tech.