Fisher Cats Thanksgiving 5K
Manchester, NH
- 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Start your turkey day off with a new tradition of fresh air and a whole lot of fun at this family friendly Fisher Cats Thanksgiving 5K. The 3.1-mile course heads out on the Stadium to Commercial St and incorporates a loop through Manchester’s historic millyard and returns to finish inside … MORE
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Lots to be Thankful for
This is a 5K produced by Millennium Running that takes place in downtown Manchester on Thanksgiving. The race starts and ends at the minor league baseball stadium. It was the … MORE
This is a 5K produced by Millennium Running that takes place in downtown Manchester on Thanksgiving. The race starts and ends at the minor league baseball stadium. It was the same location as Howl O’Ween but a very different course. There was again free and easy parking in a nearby garage. There is the option for either race day packet pick-up or getting it at the store the day before. I got it the day of the race. It was easy to pick up packet and it included a really nice tech shirt and a free ticket to a Fisher Cat’s game in the spring. This is a very large race with about 2000 participants which makes it a fun environment but also makes some of the logistics a bit tricky. I didn’t think the logistics were quite as well ironed out for this race as some other Millennium events though I would still say it was a very well produced race. The start and finish is actually on the field in the dirt along the outfield of the stadium. It was cool to start/finish in the stadium and it made the actual race cool but it was not the most practical place to start/finish. For the start they had signs of where to line up by pace. Of course thanksgiving is a time that people who don’t regular race participate in races so not a lot of people followed the signs. The race is chip timed at start and finish and there were no true waves but the participants slowly went through. Everyone was spread out fairly well. It’s just not everyone running the same pace. Not sure what can be done about it without enforcing strict corrals which is a bit serious for a race like this. The it is cool starting in the baseball stadium but the rest is just through Downtown Manchester. The hills weren’t too bad for downtown Manchester. I think there was about 100 feet of elevation change. You run down one street and up another and then end back on the dirt around the outfield of the stadium. All streets are closed to traffic and there are lots of police and course marshals. The scenery is meh but there is a fun energy with so many participants. While I did think it was fun starting in the stadium, I didn’t really like the finish in the stadium and I think a separate start/finish with the finish right outside the stadium would work better for a few reasons. The first is the end got very congested. I was hoping to pick up speed but ended up slowing down because everyone was walking and it was too narrow to navigate around people. And also the end logistics were odd. I did this with my dad and we planned to meet at the finish line but there wasn’t really an area for spectators right at the finish line. Also usually there is water at the finish line of Millennium Events but instead once you crossed you had to walk along the stadium and then go up stairs to top of the stadium to get water and then exit the stadium down different stairs for the snacks. It was only a 5K but I’d rather not walk up stairs before getting water. I think the finish could be set up in a way that was better for cheering people at the finish line and also for recovery water and snacks. My finishing time was fine. It was pretty average for how I am running now. There is no medal anymore. I believe there used to be in the past since I have a medal when I did this race virtually during the pandemic. However the nice tech shirt and free baseball tickets are definitely good swag for a 5K so I am fine with no medal. Overall I liked this race and it was a fun environment but I did think the finish line experience could have been improved.
Great race for PRs!
Only two gentle hills on the whole course, was over before I knew it! Very fun course for a thanksgiving run. Would definitely do it again next year! MORE
Only two gentle hills on the whole course, was over before I knew it! Very fun course for a thanksgiving run. Would definitely do it again next year!
It's turkey lurkey time!
PRODUCTION: This Millennium Running event was produced as smoothly as others from the company. This race did NOT have a gear check, so a lot of people had to run … MORE
PRODUCTION: This Millennium Running event was produced as smoothly as others from the company. This race did NOT have a gear check, so a lot of people had to run back to their cars after checking in to drop off their warm layers in the minutes before the race. There was a common start/finish line on the field level of the Fisher Cats stadium, and the finish line action was shown on the jumbotron, which were nice novelties. I was very pleased that the finish line announcer pronounced my name correctly! Photos were primarily taken at the finish line. As of this writing three days post-race, I haven’t received the usual email with a link to the finisher video and invitation to check out my images (though it was quite easy to get my photos from the event’s page on the MR website two days later), and I also haven’t received the email regarding the Elliot Running Series jacket points. I imagine that due to Thanksgiving, they’re shorter-staffed than usual. I hope all the Millennium Running folks had a wonderful holiday!
COURSE: A simple out-and-back loop in Manchester, NH. There wasn’t much scenery except the people in front and in back of you, but since many racers wore fun turkey-themed outfits, there was more to look at than usual for a city race. There were some hills, but it wasn’t too bad, and I used the downs as an opportunity to decrease my time.
SWAG: This year’s shirt was an olive green tech tee with “Thanksgiving 5K” printed on it. No XS option as usual. Registrations also came with one free ticket (a single, not a pair) to a Fisher Cats (minor league baseball) game, redeemable in April, 2023.
AFTER-PARTY: Because of the size of this race and the freezing temps, the “after party” was more of a “grab your snacks and go” affair. They ran out of yogurt and some of the other snacks toward the end, so slower runners and walkers weren’t able to get much. Despite the huge crowd and amount of interesting swag some of the tents offered, people were courteous, took what they wanted, and moved along.
OVERALL: This was my first “Turkey Trot,” and my first time running in sub-freezing temperatures due to having injured my knee two months ago. I really enjoyed this event and will definitely make Thanksgiving racing part of my holiday routine. Would race this event again.
P.S. This was my first doctor-cleared run after injuring my knee in early October. I set a goal of 36 minutes and surprised myself by hitting 33 despite the cold.
P.P.S. HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON to everyone at Millennium Running and to this whole community who made me fall in love with running!