New Sharon 5K Covers Rarely Traveled Ground

A new Sharon road race will cover rarely traveled ground Saturday.

The first St. Patrick's Day 5K will benefit in Sharon.

That the proceeds will support programs for local seniors and their caregivers was part of the event's appeal to Morgan.

"It's a cause probably that needs more help than most," he said Wednesday during an interview at his Irish pub and restaurant on Route 1 in Sharon.

"These people are unbelievable, the services they do. The more I learn about it, the more glad I'm involved."

Event-day registration at the eatery starts at 8 a.m. and is $30 per person. The race starts at 9 a.m.

At least 300 runners are expected, Morgan said.

HESSCO Director of Communication & Fund Development Mary Raczka said online registration, which was $25, ended Monday with 247 runners.

Organizers had hoped for 50 to 80 runners, as a similar race organized by a HESSCO sister agency in Medfield and a rotary club there drew about 100 runners a few years ago, Raczka said.

"We thought, 50 to 80 people and we would be successful," she said.

The event, which organizers expect to become a tradition, is in response to the economic climate.

"We've got all of these state cutbacks that are coming up, so we thought, 'It's time to think outside of the box," Raczka said.

One runner Saturday is the mother of a 2 year old, and has said she's trying to get back into shape, Raczka said.

"We're the first 5K that she's done," she said.

The runner's employer was inspired to pay her entrance fee, become a Silver sponsor, and will bring a cheering section, Raczka said.

"I look at this more than a fundraiser. (It's) a friend raiser," she said.

"A lot of the people that are coming, they don't know anything about us. But when they leave that road race, they will hear the stories of the people that we help. And we're potentially going to have people that are going to want to be connected with us. They might want to deliver Meals on Wheels. Or quite possibly, they might want to become a donor."

The top male and female finishers will each receive a trophy, Raczka said. The top finishers in each age group will receive medals.

The race route is:

• Start at Old Post Road at Hawthorne Drive
• Continue on Old Post Road/Baker Street
• Right onto Carriage Lane
• Left onto Baker Street/Old Post Road
• Finish at Old Post Road at Common Street