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The GFRC Summer Track series boasts a quarter century history as
the premier low-key, high-energy all-comers summer track series in the western suburbs
of Boston. The series, which has always been held in Framingham and most frequently
at Bowditch Field, was initially conceived in 1980 as an event to help serious adult
road runners and track devotees hone their fast twitch muscle fibers through sprint
events and shorter distance runs, over the course of a ten-week series of meets.
Over the years, the focus of the meets has shifted from serving as
an adult athlete-dominated spectacle to providing an outlet on a weekly basis for
more than 200 kids, some as young as two years old, to enjoy the flavor of competition
without the demands or pressure of a highly structured athletic competition. While
most participants now are of teen age or younger, this all-comers series welcomes
participants of all ages and talent. Parents of competitors under 18 years of age
must sign the waiver of liability form that accompanies every registration.
The series normally begins on the second Wednesday of June and continues
on a weekly basis, every Wednesday, for ten weeks, wrapping up on the second Wednesday
in August. In 2012, the meets will run through the third Wednesday in August
and there will be no meet on July 4th. The meets begin at 6 p.m.,
with registration opening around 5:30 p.m. The events included in each of the meets
include: 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 800 meter
dash and 1 mile distance events as well as long jump, softball throw and a 400 meter
relay. All events, whenever practicable, are staged in age-graded and often gender-segregated
heats. This system facilitates organization of the simplest and often fairest competition
among the hundreds of competitors.
Volunteers from the Greater Framingham Running Club staff all events.
Rich & Chris Chesmore, long time members of the GFRC serve as the meet directors.
All running events are hand-timed, and winning times along with winner names are
recorded and sometimes published in The Boston Globe scoreboard. Occasionally, second
and third place finishing times in various heats are recorded. The $1 registration
fee entitles participants to compete in as many events as he or she desires. (Complete
series registration is also available.) Blue, red or yellow ribbons are awarded
to the first three finishers in every running heat as well as to the age-graded
division winners in the softball throw and long jump and blue ribbons are awarded
to all members of winning relay teams. For more information, please call Rich Chesmore, series co-director, at 508-875-0201. |