Ed Diaz of the Westfield Spanish American Association carries a sign inscribed with a Jose Torre catchphrase, “Vamanos muchachos”, as he walks the RunWestfield route with his daughter, Nadia. (Photo ©2013 Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – Mother Nature joined the list of those cooperating Saturday and the sun smiled on the inaugural running of Run Westfield, a fast 5K road race followed by an afternoon-long block party on Elm Street which was closed for the event.
The event was the brainchild of city resident Michael Tierney who has long been an organizer of the annual St. Patrick’s Day road race staged in Holyoke in conjunction with the St. Patrick’s Day parade in that city and Tierney found officials, as well as local businesses and organizations, eager to support the idea, especially after Tierney announced that the inaugural race would be staged in memory of Jose Torres, the first city police officer to be killed on duty.
Drawing on his experience, Tierney was able to organize a race which drew world class runners as well as local participants including thousands of residents who walked the course and donated to a fund to benefit the Torres family.
The race, run on a mostly flat course with only downhill inclinations, was over in short order, at least for many of the visiting participants.
But with the race over, the party was just beginning with a crowd on Elm Street and a variety of local businesses ready to slake the thirst – and the hunger – of the participants and spectators while a band from Performance Music provided live music in the street.
After the event, Tierney said he was very pleased and said the event “exceeded expectations way beyond anything I expected the first year.”
He said that, although a date has not yet been set, he plans to stage the second annual Run Westfield race next year.
He said that it took more than 20 years for the St. Patrick’s Day race to exceed two thousand participants and he is gratified that Run Westfield exceeded that number for the inaugural race.
Ward six City Councilor Christopher Crean, the chair of the council’s business development committee, attended the event and said that it was “the most positive experience ever” and called the attendance “amazing.”
“I hope it continues year after year, I can only see it growing” he said.
Mark Boardman of the Rotary Club of Westfield jumped into the organizing effort to work with Peter Miller and Diana McLean from the city’s development office and Moe Belliveau of BID to organize the event.
Boardman also lauded the city’s DPW workers who not only closed and cleaned up Elm Street for the event but also swept the race course and made sure that all potholes were filled to meet the requirements for a sanctioned race.
Capt. Michael McCabe, he said, also served as a liaison with the city departments and, as an avid runner, was hugely helpful with issues regarding the course.
Boardman said that a total of ten food and beverage vendors participated and informational tables were staffed by other groups in the city.
He said that vendors he was able to speak with after the event reported doing “extremely well with some vendors running out of product.”
Boardman also said that the event will be repeated next year and reports that a meeting has already been scheduled “to figure out how to do it better.”
