On May 6, after two weeks of non-stop rain, Mother Nature cooperated. The day was warm, sunny and the perfect weather for a race. Racers lined up at the start eager to begin. At exactly 8:30 a.m. the horn went off and the 53rd annual Granby Road Race began.
The day of the race was the nicest it had been in three years. The last few years runners experienced cold temperatures. I would guess many people made the mistake of wearing warm clothes and got a bit hot while running. I know I was hot! It was definitely the best race day I have experienced. And it was even better because I saw many of my friends participate, and my whole family participated as well. Thanks to the many distance options, there was something for everyone.
Over the past couple of years, the Granby Road Race made some great additions. Kids can now register for their own race. Three miles is a challenge for any individual, but it is even more difficult for little kids. Now if a child wants to run but isn’t ready for the 5K, the one-mile race is a fun option.
In addition to the kids’ race, the committee added more gifts to the race day bag for all individuals who preregistered. Kids who participated in the kids’ race received special medals. Not only do the participants have fun, but the spectators enjoy music and a food truck while waiting to cheer the racers over the finish.
In my opinion, the addition of a kids’ race was a great decision. This was the second year for the kids’ one mile race, and it has already gained popularity. In 2022, 55 kids ran the race, and this year 64 runners took on the challenge. In addition to the kids’ race gaining participants, the 5K gained more young kids this year.
Many of the kids who ran the inaugural mile race noticed that some classmates ran the 5k. This year they figured they should run the 5k, too. Last year three kids ages 10 and under participated in the 5k. This year there were 23 kids 10 and under. Being one of the only kids who ran the 5k the year before, I believe that adding the kids’ race was a great idea. It made kids enthusiastic about running and let them see the excitement of the race. The youngest runner for the mile race was 4. And for the 5k, instead of the participants being almost 100 percent adults, almost 10 percent of the 5k was children 10 and younger.
Even though I have run the 5k each time, it has not been easy. My dad is a runner who has participated many times in the Granby Road Race. In fact, he finished 3rd in the 5k this year. Over the years he has pushed and encouraged me to give races a try. However, when I was younger, I started with shorter kids’ races when we could find them. I would have definitely run the one mile in Granby, if it had been an option.
Starting with a 5k is hard, so it is great that kids in town have a race to get them started. Being one member in a family of five, and the oldest kid, the kids’ race gave my whole family the opportunity to run this year. My 5-year-old sister couldn’t run the 5k, but she did great with the mile. It is nice for our family to have everyone participate and cheer each other on. She watched us run, and we got to do the same for her.
I think that the girl and boy finishers 12 and under deserve acknowledgment, so congrats to Cailyn Alger, Mia Woods, and Abigail Lynch who were the top three girls 12 and under. And for the boys 12 and under, congratulations to Connor Morad, Colin Dague, and Maurice Rydzewski.
Abby Lynch ran the one-mile race last year, so I was curious why she chose the 5k this year. She said it was “because it would be more of a challenge.” I wanted to know what her favorite part of the race was, and I was surprised when she said the hill at the end. “I felt like I did a better job on the hill.” I think the hill let Abby feel like a real racer because she was able to push herself and finish ahead of the people around her and her dad! I asked if she was planning on running the 5k next year, and she responded with a quick, “Yes!”
To sum up, the Granby Road Race committee’s great additions to this wonderful race has brought the town closer together. It was fun to see so many familiar faces. Even though the race was hard, it was my favorite year of running and seeing so many more people I know. I’ve talked a lot about my age group, but I also want to congratulate the adult runners who won the 5k and 10k. Congratulations to Gregory Lee for being the winner of the 5k and Joe Grochmal for winning the 10K. Sarah Saidon was the first women’s finisher for the 5k and Elena Massa-Musiak finished first for the women in the 10K.