Old Colony Marathon (New England Challenge)
Westfield, MA
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Old Colony Marathon and Half runs through Stanley Park in Westfield, Massachusetts. Set up will be just inside the Main Entrance at 5am for race day registration and packet Pick-up. Both races will start at 6am, and will finish when the last runner crosses the finish line. There will be … MORE
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Works for the State
Multiple Loops through a park - pretty but nothing super exciting. It's a part of a series so you can do multiple states or just add what you need. As … MORE
Multiple Loops through a park – pretty but nothing super exciting. It’s a part of a series so you can do multiple states or just add what you need. As it’s a smaller race they do have a cut off, or a suggested time finish so they can pack up and head to the next race.
Fast flat course with stunning scenery
Very well run race with a personal touch. The race director and his family put on a series of marathons & 1/2 marathons with the goal of giving back to … MORE
Very well run race with a personal touch. The race director and his family put on a series of marathons & 1/2 marathons with the goal of giving back to the sport. The race runs multiple loops through Stanley Park in Westfield, MA, and I think this is the prettiest park I have ever seen. So many blooming trees and shrubs! The weather cooperated, starting at around 50 degrees and ending around 60 degrees. The course is mostly paved and some sidewalk, well marked and beautiful wherever you look. I felt great all through the race and finished strong. The fastest FULL marathon runner finished in 2:45, which was only 12 minutes slower than my HALF marathon time, lol! I highly recommend this race!
Short, multi-loop w/great dupport
Drizzly rain and cooler all day. Easy logistics and well supported. 14 loops of just under 2 miles. This park isn't as scenic as others in the New England Challemge, … MORE
Drizzly rain and cooler all day. Easy logistics and well supported. 14 loops of just under 2 miles. This park isn’t as scenic as others in the New England Challemge, but it is still pretty. Flat and enjoyable. The aid station was well stocked and they cooked breakfast burritos and egg rolls…delicious! Nice folks who run this series. Definitely worth doing.
For 14 loops through a park, it's great
Flat course, well run, and well stocked aid station at every loop. This is a functional run that would be great as a training session for an upcoming race. The … MORE
Flat course, well run, and well stocked aid station at every loop. This is a functional run that would be great as a training session for an upcoming race. The park is nice, but if you’re running a 2 mile loop for a marathon it’s probably to check a box.
Meh
The New England Challenge is well-organized and well-run. I have nothing but respect for the group and hope to run it again in the future. With that said, this course … MORE
The New England Challenge is well-organized and well-run. I have nothing but respect for the group and hope to run it again in the future. With that said, this course was nothing special. Flat, paved, easy run with very short loops made for a bit of monotony. The Japanese Garden in the middle was pretty but the rest of the course was parking lots and pothole-filled sidewalks. It makes sense logistically for the series and the other five courses more than make up for it, but this course isn’t a big draw for me.
Easy, beautiful run !
The whole New England Challenge Race series is incredibly well produced and managed. The course allows for adequate aid station availability. The aid stations are EXTREMELY well stocked....I felt like … MORE
The whole New England Challenge Race series is incredibly well produced and managed. The course allows for adequate aid station availability. The aid stations are EXTREMELY well stocked….I felt like I was running an ultra. Homemade food on the spot ! Very friendly race series and everyone gets to know one another over the course of the week. I highly recommend you run these.
Nice run around a park
Overall Rating: Really good. Course Difficulty: Not too bad. This was a fairly flat course on a paved park trail and sidewalk. There was one section that I think caused … MORE
Overall Rating: Really good.
Course Difficulty: Not too bad. This was a fairly flat course on a paved park trail and sidewalk. There was one section that I think caused some issues, and that was the asphalt sidewalk that was about a quarter of the course; it was really uneven, and I think it contributed to the shin pain I had the next couple of days.
Course Scenery: Excellent. Beautiful Japanese Garden in the middle of the park made for nice eye candy along the run.
Race Production: Good, JC and team did a great job.
Race Swag: Good. Nice state shaped medal, and a dry blend t shirt.
My Performance: I was pretty pleased for the 6th marathon in as many days. Wasn’t suffering too bad, and had an unexpectedly good finish time.