Thursday Nights Under the Lights, presented by TicketNetwork will take place every Thursday night from July 5^th through August 9^th and will be open to all ages and abilities with a special emphasis on youth and high school athletes. Manchester Running Company will put on the meets for the third year with an expected attendance of about 100 athletes each week. The track and field meets feature events on the track ranging from 100 meters to 2 miles as well as jumping and throwing events.

“We are very excited to have TicketNetwork as our title sponsor for this year’s series,” Patrick Byrne of Manchester Running Company said. “TicketNetwork has dozens of employees who are very active in our community, especially in educational and recreational programs of our youth and we are looking forward to their involvement with our track & field program.”

Each Thursday of the series, track and field events will begin at 6:00 p.m.; their will be eight running events, three jumping events, and two throwing events each week. The cost to take part in the entire series is just $20 for residents, $16 for youth, and $40 for non-residents; participants may register for just one week at a time for $5 (resident), $4 (youth) and $10 for non-Manchester residents.

For all the details please click here. 

Run MS will benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, CT Chapter and is expected to draw over 300 participants. Anyone interested in joining the Manchester Running Company team can register for the event here. The cost of registration is $30 leading up to race day and will increase to $35 if you choose to register the day of the event. Manchester Running Company will be the mile 1 sponsor.

Prize money is available to the first male and female finisher and there will be age group division award winners as well. A Cinco de Mayo themed fun-run will be held immediately after the 5k and the cost to enter is just $5. Light post-race refreshments will be available.

Multiple sclerosis  (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving new hope to people affected by the disease.

If you have questions about the run or joining the Manchester Running Company team, email Patrick Byrne at patrick.byrne@nmss.org

Conditions were not ideal at all in Boston with temperatures reaching the mid 80′s and “on the road” temperatures peaking at 102 degrees. Despite all that, our friends toughed it out to run some great times, considering the conditions.

Nick Au Yeung was the first MRC runner across the line in 3:16, though he was disappointed in his finish, he still finished in the top 1,500 overall.

Elaina Mertens and Kristyn Meade also ran superb times for the day as Meade ran a very strong second half to chase down many runners and finish in 3:46:48 while Mertens finished just behind her friend in 3:47:14, both were in the top 1,000 overall female finishers.

Congratulations to all those who finished yesterday!

Manchester Running Company would like to encourage all participants and others to donate new or “gently worn” shoes on March 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Simply drop off your shoes in the Soles4Souls bin at the race to help us meet our goal of at least 75 pairs of donated shoes by the end of the day. The 2011 event saw 60 pairs of shoes donated.

Manchester Running Company will also be accepting donations for Soles4Souls at the Finally Spring 5k! All shoe and monetary donations are tax deductible.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls.  ”We need our partners in Manchester to ‘STEP UP’ and get behind our call to action.  It’s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times,” he said.

“We have a goal of donating at least $5,000 through the Finally Spring 5k!, be it through shoe donations or monetary gifts” said Patrick Byrne, MRC’s Director.  ”We look forward to seeing just how generous the running community can be through our initiatives and hopefully the 20 pairs we donate will only be a small part of the donation to Soles4Souls.”

Manchester Running Company will also take shoe donations for the week leading up to the Finally Spring 5k! and interested donors may email manchesterrunningcompany@gmail.com.

The Sports & Fitness Expo gives Road Race participants and the public a chance to view local sports and fitness related businesses, register for the Manchester Road Race, buy Road Race T-Shirts and much more.

Manchester Running Company will feature numerous products for sale from Brooks and Inov-8.  We will also have FREE giveaways and chances for you to win great gear and apparel from Brooks and Manchester Running Company! (Our booth will be the one with everyone gathered around).   You can view some of what we will be offering at our online store.  Stop by our booth – you won’t be disappointed!

All youth participating in the Little Manchester Road Race will receive a free Brooks Run Happy Poster while supplies last.

At our booth, you will also have the opportunity to register for the Fourth Annual Finally Spring 5k! which will take place on March 24, 2012 and will feature a youth one-mile race.  A reminder, the first 100 registrants do receive free running socks and they will go fast. At our current pace they may be gone by the end of the calendar year so don’t wait to sign up!

See you at the Expo!

The Manchester Road Race Committee will also be hosting several other events including the Sports & Fitness Expo which Manchester Running Company will once again be a part of. The Expo takes place on Saturday, November 19, 2011 in Cone Gym at Benett Academy from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. MRC will be displaying new merchandise and giving out free prizes and posters to all Little Manchester Road Race participants.

The Manchester Road Race is celebrating the 75th anniversary of this Manchester tradition with a newly published book: The Manchester Road Race: A Seventy-Five Year Celebration. You can pick up your copy at Manchester Town Hall and other locations.

MANCHESTER, Conn., — Manchester Running Company is pleased to announce the second running of the Spring Street Mile and the first running of the Life Without Limits 5k will be held at Globe Hollow Reservoir in Manchester on September 3rd! Proceeds from both events will benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Hartford.

Registration for both of the events will take place online here, or you may register the morning of the event beginning at 7:00 a.m. at Globe Hollow on Spring Street in Manchester. The events are open to all ages and abilities. The 5k will take off at 9:00 a.m. followed by a youth mile at 10:00 a.m., a women’s mile at 10:15, and the final event of the day, the men’s mile will take place at 10:30 a.m. The 5k will start and finish at Globe Hollow while the mile races will start on Spring St at Tam Rd. and finish at Globe Hollow.

The events have numerous sponsors including Manchester Running Company acting as race directors and prize money sponsors of the Spring Street Mile. Other sponsors include First Niagara Bank, Harvey & Lewis Opticians, BrownRudnick, Walgreens, KISS 95.7, Print Works, Theatre Works, Cardio Express, and NatureCrops.

Water and refreshments will be provided to all runners and t-shirts are available to the first 100 registered participants.

The top three runners in the 5k will receive plaques along with age group prizes while those in the Women’s and Men’s Mile will earn prize money for a top three finish. Time bonuses will also be awarded for a sub 4:00 men’s mile winner and a sub 4:30 women’s mile winner.

Questions and concerns can be directed to manchesterrunningcompany@gmail.com

Gurzler, expecting a payout of $500 for the winner, trained for the 8Furlongs Classic for the last few months and was ready to go come early Sunday morning. Gurzler was in contention from the gun and with just over 400 meters to go made his move and held on for victory over the 1-mile course in 4:19.60. Gurzler took home the first place prize which was reduced to just $150 for unknown, and unannounced, reasons. The race was directed and hosted by 8Furlongs Racing, a new event company with close ties to FleetFeet of West Hartford.

While disappointed in the prize money, Gurzler was pleased to get his second win in 2011 after a pair of second-place finishes on the local scene.

Friend of MRC, Dani Kennedy was second place in the women’s field of 14 as she crossed the line in a time of 6:12.6, dominating the master’s division by a full minute.

For full results click here

Following several spring marathon finishes for club members ranging from Houston to Las Vegas to Boston the MRC club runners are ready to dive into the shorter distances. Many runners will kick off the season on Saturday, May 7th at the First Annual Mill Pond 5k in Somers followed by the Ken Grogan Alumni Mile sponsored by Manchester Running Company at the JI Invitational in Manchester on May 21st.

Patrick Byrne and Rich Connors will try to defend their first and third place showings at the 24th Annual Memorial Mile in East Hartford on Memorial Day.  There are numerous other events taking place throughout the summer including two cross country series’ in the area, one in Bolton and another at Wickham Park in Manchester; check back here in mid May for more details!

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, Thursday Nights Under the Lights Track & Field Series will not take place in 2011 as construction on the MHS Track will prevent use by the public. We look forward to returning in 2012!

MANCHESTER, Conn. (February 27, 2010) – Manchester Running Company is pleased to announce Rockville Bank will be the title sponsor of the One-Mile Kids Run at the Finally Spring 5k! on March 19, 2011 at Howard/Porter Reservoir in Manchester.

The Rockville Bank Kids Run will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Ferguson St. adjacent to Highland Park School. The one-mile course starts on Ferguson St. before heading into the Howard/Porter Reservoir Recreation area and finishing again on Ferguson St. for a one-mile loop.  You can view a course map here.

The cost of the race is $10.00 for youth and is open to all elementary school aged children.  For all Manchester residents, one-third of the proceeds will be donated to the PTA of the school in which the child attends while all remaining proceeds benefit Public Allies of Connecticut.

The first 50 registrants in the Rockville Bank Kids Run will receive a race t-shirt while all participants will receive a custom made Brooks “Run Happy” Poster.  Registration for the event takes place online here and race-day registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 9:15 a.m.

The first annual Rockville Bank Kids Run will be followed by the Third Annual Finally Spring 5k! to benefit Public Allies of CT and Soles4Souls. The 5k race and walk will be held at 10:00 a.m. and cost to participate is $20.00 for runners and $15.0o for walkers. Registration will take place online here, mail-in registration forms, or race day. Race day registration for the 5k ends at 9:45 a.m.

For additional information please contact Manchester Running Company at manchesterrunningcompany@gmail.com