By By Howard Herman The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD — When the latest edition of the Berkshire Health Systems July 4 5K road race rolls out Friday morning, it could do so with a potential record number of finishers.
“Looking through history, I think the largest finishing field was 1,240, back in 2015. Right now, we’re registering in at just over 1,200,” said Shiobbean Lemme of the Berkshire Running Foundation.
Online registration for the road race will end Thursday at 5 p.m. Bibs can be picked up at the Berkshire Running Center location in the Allendale Underground until 6 p.m. on Thursday and at the Wahconah Park finish line on race day from 7:15-8:15 a.m.
In 1985 just under 200 runners took part in the race which, last year, registered just over 1,100, bringing the numbers back to more than where they were pre-pandemic.
The race starts on upper Wahconah Street, and competitors are asked to be at the start by 8:45 a.m., with the race going off at 9.
The course follows the route of the Fourth of July Parade. Runners will take Wahconah Street to North Street, and stay in the southbound lanes until turning at the South and East or West Housatonic Street intersection, and return up the northbound lanes.
Runners will turn at Wahconah Street and the finish line is at the entrance to Wahconah Park.
“It is a busy morning for everyone,” Lemme said in a release. “Come early, park at the ballpark and plan to leave time to get to the start.”
This could be a 5K for the ages, and not just because Lemme said she’s anticipating a record number of entries. This race could be known for its quality as well as its quantity.
The two runners who have won the last three races will be back to compete this year, along with a number of runners who were in the hunt in those seasons.
Steve Dowsett, a Pittsfield native, finally cracked through and won the 2022 race for the first time. He came back and won last year’s event.
Nick Turner of Pittsfield, who finished second to Dowsett back in 2022, turned around and won the 5K in 2023.
Both will be part of a stellar field of men running.
“You have Steve, you have [2024 runner-up] Jake Paris, Alex White,” said Lemme, referring to the Dalton resident who finished fourth last year in Pittsfield, and is a past winner of the Steel Rail Half Marathon.
And as good as the field might be in the men’s race, the women’s race should be just as hotly contested and there is the opportunity for a bit of history to be made.
“If Morgan wins, this is a three-peat,” said Lemme. “She’s going to have competition. Jackie Varney, Abby Wright, Miranda Bona, all those girls are back — and they all want it too. Miranda’s never won it. She’s been a bridesmaid more than she would probably like.”
Morgan is two-time winner Morgan Windram-Gedes from Glendale, who beat Abigail Geurds of Pittsfield by nine seconds last year. Back in 2023, Windram-Geddes defeated Varney of Dalton. Varney last won the event back in 2018, while Wright won the women’s title in 2017.
Berkshire Health Systems is helping make one major change to the race. BHS is supporting a plan where all students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 will be able to run in the 5K — and all other Berkshire Running Foundation events — for free.
The field of student-athletes has grown exponentially over the past three years, and Lemme said she is hoping for some 300 student runners in this year’s race.
“We have a record field of students,” she said. “Berkshire Health Systems, working with the Berkshire Running Foundation, all of our races are free for students. Berkshire Health Systems adapted it into this event when they partnered with us.
“Last year, we had 147 students. This year, we have over 320. We’ve doubled the field of kids in Grade K-12.”
Lemme said this is helping make the Independence Day 5K a real family race.
“You’re seeing some families, there are like seven, eight, some families have 10 people running,” she said. “It’s fantastic.”
Register online by visiting BerkshireRun.org/4th-of-july-road-race/.