Manchester Road Race 'Subplot' Now 5 Years Old

MANCHESTER, CT — On Thanksgiving morning the Manchester Road Race will be run for the 83rd time and, for the fifth year, the King and Queen of the Hill competition will add a unique subplot to the event.

Introduced in 2014, the King and Queen of the Hill competition lets top runners from around the
world compete to be the first male and female runners to reach the top of the big hill at Highland Park, approximately 2 miles into the Race.

Their reward is a cash prize of $1,000 and the publicity and prestige of being the King or Queen of the Hill.

There is one additional catch, though. To earn the prize, the runners must finish the race in the top 10 of their respective fields.

The cash bonus for the top competitors was, in part, the idea of Dave Prindiville, the former MRR
President and Elite Race Coordinator, who saw it as something that would "add a little
Thanksgiving spice for our runners." It is a crowd favorite on race day with the top of the hill spectator viewing area being second only to the Main Street Start/Finish line in attendance and popularity.

Last year's contest was especially competitive with Paul Chelimo and Emily Sisson edging out
victories to earn the King and Queen titles and cash rewards.

(Tim Jensen/Patch)

The King and Queen contest has a new sponsor this year – Urban Lodge Brewing Company – a
recent addition to the growing dining and entertainment scene in downtown Manchester. Tucked
away in century-old brickworks and less than 300 feet from the Race Start/Finish line, it has been dubbed "Mile 5" of the 4.748 mile contest and that distinction is procmailed on specially made glassware.

The Manchester Road Race will take place on on Thanksgiving morning at 10 o'clock in downtown Manchester.