Manchester Road Race Again Featuring Veterans Row Tribute

MANCHESTER, CT — The Manchester Road Race Committee and local veterans organizations will collaborate again this year to honor the Armed Forces members and veterans who are running in the annual event.

Race officials announced Wednesday today that they will hold the event's Veterans Row Tribute for all active duty full-time military personnel, along with National Guard and Reserve service members and armed services veterans who enter the road race on Thanksgiving Day.

A pre-race reception with light refreshments is scheduled from 8:15 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, located near the corner of Main Street and East Center Street. All veterans will receive a MRR commemorative pin.

Service members and veterans running in the race will also be honored when they pass by the Veterans Row Path of
Honor near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during the 4.748- mile race. The “Path of Honor” will be lined with American flags, the POW/MIA flag, and the flags from all branches of the armed services.

The Manchester Veterans Council, American Legion Post 133 of South Windsor, American Legion Post 102 of
Manchester, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2046 of Manchester, DAV Chapter 17 of Manchester, DAV Department of Connecticut, and the Manchester Army & Navy Club are co- hosting the event with the road race committee.

The Veterans Row tribute was the brainchild of Drew Crandall, a MRR committee member. Paul Scappaticci, Commander of DAV Chapter 17, Race Director Jim Balcome, and MRR committee member Tamara Womack-Speaks oversee the race’s military recognition efforts.

Sponsors include the Army & Navy Club, DAV Chapter 17, Horst Engineering, Mastercam, Whitcraft, and VFW Post 2046. Refreshments will be provided by Highland Park Market.

The MRR has a long affiliation with veterans. A group of returning World War II service members revived the race in
1945 after a 10-year hiatus due to the Great Depression and the war. The Army & Navy Club sponsored the event from 1945 to 1950, and the road race has been won 25 times by veterans.

"We are honoring the service and sacrifices of all our runners who served in the military to keep us safe and free,"
said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. "We are extremely grateful to each of them and
we’re also exceptionally proud of all the contributions vets have made to the history of our race."

The 86th Manchester Road Race, one of the nation's oldest and largest Turkey Day road races, will be held at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (November 24,2022). The race starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church. More details and on-line registration are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.