Manchester Road Race Sign-Ups Pouring In, Honors Club Charity Picked

MANCHESTER, CT — It took Manchester Road Race officials less than 32 hours to receive the first 1,000 entries for this year’s Thanksgiving Day run. In addition to regular registration, race officials are again offering an Honors Club Option that benefits a local charity.

Registration for the annual Turkey Day road race opened at 5 a.m. on Sept. 1. MRR Registrar Dani Kennedy reported that the 1,000th runner signed up at 11:32 a.m. on Sept. 2.

"We are doing incredibly well," said Kennedy, who noted that it took longer than one week last year to attract that number of entrants.

The entry fee for the 4.748-mile-long event is $32 for runners who sign up online at www.manchesterroadrace.com by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30. The entry fee increases to $37 on Oct. 1 and to $42 on Nov. 18.

Registration closes on Nov. 21 and no entries will be accepted on race day.

This year, the road race Honors Club will benefit the TLC Foundation. Adolescents in need of a stable home environment will get help from the efforts of up to 120 runners participating in the race. The TLC Foundation is a Manchester-based non-profit organization.

Race officials set aside 120 bibs each year for entrants who elect to participate in the MRR Honors Club. The runners pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee, and all of the money is donated by the road race to the designated organization.

The TLC Foundation operates the DiYeso-Lewis House, a transitional living facility in Manchester, which offers a safe and nurturing residence to adolescents who cannot stay at home due to family disruption, parent-child conflict, or the lack of a suitable home environment.

The TLC Foundation has been in operation since April, 1987 and has assisted 173 youths since then.

"Our race is very pleased to support the great work done by the TLC Foundation," said Dr. Tris Carta, the president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. "We are also extremely grateful to the generous Honors Club members, who will donate and run to benefit this very worthy cause."

Entrants who register for this year's honors club will receive several perks, including a special number bib and the ability to wait for the start of the race in the basement of St. James Church, where indoor plumbing and light refreshments will be available.

"More importantly, our honors club members can take great satisfaction knowing that they are directly helping the young people assisted by the TLC Foundation," Carta added.

Runners who wish to participate in this year’s Honors Club, or learn more about it, can do so at the MRR website:

• www.manchesterroadrace.com

The race committee is also offering a virtual road race option for runners who cannot participate in person on Thanksgiving Day. More details about the Virtual Manchester Road Race are also available on the event website

Last Thanksgiving, 9,641 runners registered for the MRR. Conner Mantz, a former NCAA cross country champion from Mapleton, Utah, won the race in the course record time of 21:04. Weini Kelati of Flagstaff, Arizona, who set the women’s course record of 22:55 in 2021, captured her second straight MRR women’s championship in 23:39.

The 87th Manchester Road Race starts at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23). The road race is run on a loop course through the town’s central streets. It starts and finishes on Main Street in Manchester, in front of St. James Church. Additional information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.