Running Legend Burfoot To Extend Manchester Road Race Record

MANCHESTER, CT — Running legend and nine-time champion Amby Burfoot is expected to run in the Manchester Road Race for a record 56th consecutive time on Thanksgiving Day, race officials announced this week.

Burfoot, the 1968 Boston Marathon champion, won the 4.748-mile road race in Manchester nine times between 1968 and 1977. Burfoot competed in Manchester for the first time in 1963 as a 17 -year-old high school senior, and he hasn’t missed a Thanksgiving morning on Main Street since then.

The retired Runner’s World magazine editor from Mystic already holds the MRR record for most consecutive runs at 55.

“Amby Burfoot running in our road race is as much of a Thanksgiving Day tradition in Manchester as turkey and pumpkin pie,” said Dr. Tris Carta, president of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “We are delighted that he’s with us again this year, and we deeply appreciate his longstanding devotion to the race.”

The 82nd Manchester Road Race will be held at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22, 2018). The race starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St, James Church. On-line registration applications and more information about the road race are available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

A field of 12,757 runners registered for the 2017 MRR, which was won by Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo of Colorado Springs, with a time of 21:32.

Buze Diriba of Ethiopia set a new course record last year when she won the women’s championship in 23:57.

Photo Courtesy of Amby Burfoot

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