WESTFIELD – One of the city’s largest outdoor events will take place this weekend during the 3rd annual Run Westfield Flat Fast 5K, “America’s Fastest 5K.”
Festivities will begin with the race Fitness Expo, which takes place from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday at the Woodward Center on the campus of Westfield State University, located at 395 Western Ave.
The race itself will take place on Saturday, with the starting gun scheduled to go off at 1 p.m. Runners and walkers will make their way down the 3.1-mile course that will take them from the Westfield State University South Lot, down Western Avenue, onto Court Street and then down Elm Street to the finish line. After the race, there will be a huge block party called the “5K Kool Down,” which will take place over several blocks near the finish on Elm Street. There will be music, on-street food and beverage vendors, tables for dining, face-painting for kids, and more.
“I think this event brings broader attention to Westfield as a whole and helps energize activity in or around the city,” said Kevin O’Connor, senior vice president of Retail Banking, Consumer Lending, and Marketing for Westfield Bank, Run Westfield’s major sponsor. “We’re very excited because it’s a great way to show what Westfield has to offer. The bank really enjoys sponsoring things that have a broad impact on the community. I think it’s great exposure for the city, and it promises to be a great day. It’s all about enjoying the day and enjoying our city.”
O’Connor said about 35 people have signed up to run on Team Westfield Bank, while another 15-20 will volunteer during the event. There has been more of an emphasis on teams this year, and the organizations that will benefit from certain groups running or walking for a cause include The One Hundred Club of Massachusetts, The Amelia Park Children’s Museum, The Carson Center, The Westfield Soup Kitchen, WillPower Foundation, The Cancer House of Hope, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for thyroid cancer research.
“Wholely Spirit,” a new team organized by Westfield’s Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament, will participate in this year’s race for the first time in an effort to raise money for the Westfield Soup Kitchen.
“Donations are always down in the summer months when it comes to food pantries, so we are excited to be raising money for the Westfield Soup Kitchen through the race,” said team leader Fr. Dan Pacholec. “Being a church in Westfield we’re part of the community, so it’s nice to support events like this that build up the Westfield community. The run has a nice spirit to it, and we’re just happy to be a part of it.”
One of the largest groups of runners/walkers will be those who represent Team Kevin Regan in honor of the Westfield firefighter who tragically lost his life last December.
Team leader Kate Wailgum, Kevin Regan’s sister, said earlier this week that more than 150 people had registered with the team. While those who run will honor the legacy of Regan, a 43-year veteran of the fire department, funds will also be raised to donate to The One Hundred Club of Massachusetts, a fund for first responders that die in the line of duty.
“Our goal was to raise at least $500, and we’ve done that and more,” Wailgum said. “We’re gonna be a fun team.”
Wailgum said that while the event will be bittersweet for family and friends, she expects everyone to have a good time.
“Kevin would have been overwhelmed by the response from people,” she said. “He would have loved the charity idea.”
Online registration has closed for the race, but those who are interested in participating can do so at two on-site registrations. The first on-site registration will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday during the Fitness Expo at the Woodward Center. The second will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday near the starting line area, which is located by the South Parking Lot at Westfield State University. Registration costs $40, and all registered runners will receive a t-shirt.
For more information, go to runwestfield.com.
TRAFFIC: Elm Street from Main and Franklin streets will be closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parking will be available at city lots on Main Street behind The Tavern, in the Thomas Street lot behind Bank of America, in the Church Street lot behind Santander Bank, in the lots on Arnold and Franklin streets behind My Favorite Place, and Performance Music.
PARKING: Parking will be available at the South Parking Lot at Westfield State University, which is near Juniper Park School and the staring line of the race. Parking will also be available in downtown Westfield municipal parking lots off of Elm Street, near the finish line. Those who attend the festivities are asked not to park in open business private lots. Shuttle buses will begin running at 9:30 a.m. from City Hall on Court Street to the starting line. Downtown pickups will leave from City Hall and run every 20 minutes. The last bus will leave downtown at 11:30 a.m. A post race shuttle will run every 20 minutes from City Hall to the start line, with the last bus leaving at 3 p.m.
