Or, Favorite June Races from Years Past 

As I write this, yet another annual favorite has been cancelled, the St. Charles 5k in September. So the races kicking off the summer, especially the Memorial Day weekend races we’ve run annually, have been cancelled, as well as the races on our schedule for June, July and August. Summer racing is over before it started, and it’s looking like these events will be gone through the Fall. 

I’m thinking that, as I'm sharing information about races that don’t exist on the current schedule, my submission itself is entirely virtual. So I’m inviting Club members who are reading these monthly articles to submit their favorite “virtual” summer races, run them virtually on or about the previously scheduled date, and share your experiences in the comments section. Or just do it “virtually”. 

June favorites include a number of races well known to the Club’s runners, including Skip’s Run, the Covered Bridges Half, the Shaker 7 and the Capital City Classic 10k in Concord, NH. Here are some of our favorites, all requiring a road trip to explore new routes and scenery: 

6/6 York Hospital 5k - York, ME 

We love this run through scenic York Village and York Harbor, including the Wiggly Bridge and a short trail section through Steedman Woods. The course terrain is varied and there’s a hill or two as you head to the finish. 

6/13 Market Square Day 10k Road Race - Portsmouth, NH (New date: 9/26) 

My husband’s favorite 10k! We love Portsmouth and Seacoast races, and this is followed by an exceptionally fun street festival. You get to see the length and breadth of one of the nicest cities in New England, including a jaunt through historic Strawberry Banke. There are some hills, crooked streets and a bit of traffic, so the course is not without its challenges. We HIGHLY recommend this one! 

6/27 South Berwick Strawberry Run - South Berwick, ME (5 Miles) 

The South Berwick Strawberry Run is a 5-mile loop race always held the last Saturday in June in conjunction with the South Berwick Strawberry Festival.This is a fun way to explore this nice old town. It starts and finishes at the Marshwoods Great Works School, with the town’s annual festival following. 

6/28 Lobster Roll 4 Miler - Scarborough, ME 

Nice run through Scarborough to the Old Orchard Beach town line, an imperfect loop followed by the perfect lobster roll lunch from Bayley’s Bait Shed Bar and Restaurant (lunch not included in registration fee). This race attracts a small field of runners, including a larger number than usual of older racers, some who share the most amazing stories of races over the years. We met a man who’s a bit famous; he’s a 75 year old retired firefighter who does a marathon every weekend, including one (too) soon after heart surgery! I should add, he easily blew past me. 

The perfect finish! 

Judy Phillips Norwich