NOW WHAT?
The high school season is over. Props to State Champions Newton North and Mansfield. Shocking upsets!
New Balance Outdoor Nationals is over. (I see you, Marshfield and Pembroke DMR’s – unbelievable show you guys gave us.)
The Olympic Trials got you all excited. Maybe you saw MIAA record-holder and Methuen grad Sean Furey make the Olympic the javelin team, along with Brown graduate Craig Kinsley. Or you watched Marblehead’s Shalane Flanagan earn her spot on the 10,000m team, though it’s not clear she’ll run it since she’s already in the marathon.
So, Now what? Distance runners, you know what you’re doing: Miles, and lots of ‘em. XC begins in 8 weeks, but state titles are won in July. Non-distance folk, maybe you’re prepping for your fall sport, or maybe your coach has you locked in the weight room all summer to get ready for next year. But, maybe you’re just not ready to give up the track season yet. Besides little competition is good for the soul. So you’re looking for one more meet, one more big race to keep the season going…
But where’s the track season? In Europe, the track season is just getting rolling. So the big dogs go to Europe. But what about the rest of us? Here in the U.S., the track scene goes into hibernation in the summer – mostly. There are meets, but you have to travel, and the meets themselves are like the proverbial box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to find – in terms of events or competition. Many of the meets are geared towards youth runners, but they will have open competition as well. There’s not much. But not much is better than nothing. So if you just can’t shake the track and field jones, check some of the meets below – they might just help you get your fix. For now…
Distance runners: Not really feeling the endless summer of road race 5K’s and 5 milers? Hold on to the mile as long as you can – try one of these:
The Adrian Martinez Classic in Concord, MA, July 7, 4pm. Mile races in all age groups. www.martinezclassic.com.
The Mass Ave Mile, Porter Square, Cambridge, MA, July 22. A road mile! The first annual! Something different – could be fun
Everyone else – seek a summer track series. You REALLY don’t know what you’ll find at any one of these summer meets, but you will find a starter, and a track, and a chance to compete. That’s something. Best advice: bring friends. Make the competition yourself.
Tuesdays July 10 through August 14, the Winner’s Circle Running Club and Yankee Runner of Newburyport offer weekly track meets, rotating between Newburyport and Amesbury
Perhaps the grand-daddy of all the summer track series: The Greater Framingham Running Club has been hosting all-comers meets in the summer since 1980. Wednesdays now through August 8, 6pm.
Finally, those prepping for the up-coming Cross-Country season can head on over to Maudsley State Park in Newburyport on Thursday Nights at 6:30 pm. They offer a 1.5 mile and 3.0 mile races free of charge. The races run through August 9th.