Somers Summer Series

Here's the scoop:

5k Relay: Each team is comprised of 2-members. Each member runs one 1.5-mile lap. Team members must exchange their "baton" within the marked exchange zone. We will issue a baton to each team when you arrive. Fastest female, male, and co-ed teams win! Get creative! Uniforms (or outfits, whatever) are encouraged! Race start is at 6:15PM! 

When you register online, select the "5k Relay" option. If you are joining a team, find and select the name of your team in the dropdown. If you are creating a team, please follow the prompts to create one. Either way, it's pretty simple.    

5k Run: You will run 2-laps of the 1.5-mile loop course! Race start is at 6:15PM!

Official Start at 6:15PM: Looking for an old-fashioned starting line? You found it! It will be a customary mass start. However, if you want to start early - you can after 5PM. Just A) check in with me first so I know you are out there and; B) give me your time after you finish so I can put you in the results. 

Online Registration Only: This way the race is nearly paperless. 

All Five Series Races Are Open to Anyone: If you can only make any one of the races, that's fine! Come join in the fun! 

When: Wednesday nights, beginning July 10 to August 7, 2024.
Time: Mass Start is at 6:15 P.M.
Place: Field Road Park – 96 Field Road, Somers, CT 06071
Entry Fee: IT'S FREE! 

You Read That Right... The Somers Series is now FREE!
At the end of the day, the most important thing to us is having as many people on the starting line as possible. What better way to make that happen, by making the race free! Donations will be gladly accepted! Please give as little or as much as you like. Regardless of that dollar amount, if any, thank you for supporting the Somers Series!

Bibs
You will be assigned a bib at the first Series race you attend. (A "bib" is that piece of paper with the numbers on it that you've seen runners wear.) This will be your bib for any other 2023 Series races you run in - so keep it safe and bring it with you each week. 

Bib Pickup
We'll begin handing out bibs as early as 5:00PM on race day. Meet us under the gazebo at "Connor's Place". We'll use an app on our phones to check you in and assign your bib (if you don't already have one). 

Correct Bib Wear & Care
All bibs must be worn on your front, clear to view, preferably above the waist. We need to be able to see your number at all times.

Awards
Ribbons to age division winners! 

Bathrooms
We have flushing toilets! Hooray! But if it's not race day without a trip to a porta-potty, we've got you covered - we have those too! Either way... wash your damn hands. 

General Course Support
As always, we'll provide water in cups at the halfway mark and finish line. 

Course Time Limit
Participants must complete the 5k course in 1-hour (30-minutes per mile pace). 

Likeness Waiver
We can take your picture or your social media posts and use them appropriately. So smile. :)

Race Timing
Digitally timing will be provided! Results will be online moments after you complete your run!

Relay Runners - we will track your overall time. If you want your splits, use that fancy watch of yours.

Music & Earbuds
If you would like to listen to your own music, that's fine - but make sure that you can hear my directions at all times. USATF Rules will apply. Please understand that if there is an emergency, we need to be able to communicate with you. While it can be lonely some days, runners are typically super-social. Races are a wonderful opportunity for us runners to communicate with each other and enjoy in the camaraderie. If you regularly run with earbuds, I will challenge you to leave them out - even if it is for a portion of the race. Cheer for the runners you pass or who pass you. Smile. Make a new runner friend. 

Parking
A large parking lot is right next to the starting line and my timer table. The bathrooms and porta-potties are right there too. 

The Course
The Series is a cross country style format. Essentially, we're running on grass, over undulating topography, and there are lots of little turns. If you are accustomed to road races, this is a little "different". By "different", I mean "harder". So don't be hard on yourself if your Series finish time is slower than your road time. Enjoy your time on your feet and use it as a fantastic way to build up your strength for the fall road race season. 

5k (3.1 miles) is the distance for each Series race. In order to reach the 5k distance, we complete two (2) loops of the course. I've measured the course myself, following USATF guidelines, using a steel wheel. According to my math, its a 5k. I don't care if your fancy GPS watch says the course is long or short. I don't care. Holy moly, I do not care. We're all running the same distance. Just run and have fun. 

Keep scrolling for a map of the Series course.

You'll see that most of the course is through open fields. At cross country races, you typically see the start... and runners disappear into some woods, only to reappear a few hundred feet from a finish line. But in Somers, 70% of the race is visible from the starting line area. We intentionally created a course with a massive amount of line-of-sight visibility. In addition to being super spectator friendly... its safer - because odds are someone else in the park can see you - including me, your race director. 

I refer to it as an "honest" course - because it will make you work. With all of the little turns, keep your head up to find the tangents. While there is no single significant hill, there are several smaller hills, requiring you to continually focus on leg turnover and body position. Again, it's going to make you stronger. Running on the road will immediately feel easier. 

Footwear
Your regular trainers are fine. If you want to lace up some flats or spikes, let 'er rip tater chip!

Bandits
There have been several incidents where "bandits" (ie; runners who did not sign up for the race but run anyway) jump into our races. Yes, the race is free. But we still need to know who is running (you also need to sign a waiver). Additionally, bandits create an enormous liability issue for all involved. Therefore, bandits will be immediately removed from the course and banned from the balance of the SNEAA race season. 

Finish Line Etiquette
As you finish your race, run through the finish line. This keeps the finish line clear for the runners behind you. To the runners that complete their races, then head back out onto the course to connect with a friend that is still racing: DO NOT RUN THROUGH THE FINISH LINE TWICE. You give me or any other race timer a heart attack when you do that, because I/we think your chip was not read... but in fact, you've already completed the race. Furthermore, give your friend the moment they've earned - let them cross their finish line. 

If you have a question - save it for after the race. The timer is busy operating the equipment, making sure everyone's finish time is tracked accurately. If you interrupt them and/or block their view, you could cause other runners' finish times to be missed. 

Jogging Strollers are NOT allowed in the Relay or 5k.
Unfortunately, the course is not safe for strollers. 

Pets
Are not allowed in the race. 

Cancellation
The Somers Summer Series may be cancelled in the event of a threatening and/or hazardous occurrence, either natural or manmade. The decision to cancel the race will be made by the Race Director in collaboration with the Somers Recreation Department. Information regarding race cancellation will be disseminated via forms of media, including email and social media. There will be no postponement of the race. Monies from the race will be given to charity after the race preparation expenses have been paid. 

Delay
In the event of a short term delay of the start of the race, announcements will be made by loudspeakers at the start/finish area. The decision to delay the race will be made by the the Race Director in collaboration with the Somers Recreation Department. 

All Participants Must Register Online

All Participants Must Register Online
Yes, I said it twice. Don't make me say it a third time... because I WILL pull this car over. 

Be Cool
Leave the workday behind. Put on a smile and some running shoes. Come run with friends. 

Deep Thoughts, with Scott Sutter
I'm a volunteer. I'm not getting paid. Your entry fees go directly to the Somers Recreation Department. My motivation behind the Series is a bit "over the horizon". By your participation, you help us build metric (and money) that supports the development of a formal fitness trail / cross country course within Field Road Park. My vision is a 1-mile long loop, 4-foot wide, stone dust path - allowing for level and predictable footing. Along the way, there will be chin-up bars and other exercise stations. There will be a half-mile grass extension so the middle and high school cross country teams have a proper home course. In the end, everyone has a safe, vehicle-free, place to run or walk.

Did we miss an important detail? Let us know, so we can share it with the crowd! Email Scott at scott@sneaa.org with your question or suggestion.

If you haven’t already done so, please “Like” our Facebook page to stay up to speed on future race updates: https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernNewEnglandAthleticAssociation

Thanks, Everyone! Looking forward to seeing you this summer!

-Scott, Your Race Director

Must Complete 2-Laps of the Course (Marked in Blue)