Day Road Race kicks off Holyoke

HOLYOKE -- race officials called Saturday "the perfect runner's day" -- saw highs in the 40s, breezy winds and warm sunshine in early spring. Unfortunately for the 5,200 or so entrants to the 46th annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Day 10K Road Race, ideal weather didn't help the race's infamous hills.

��They seem to get steeper every year,�� said Amherst��s Jenna Gigliotti, who was the first to cross the finish line.

Race director Brian Donoghue said that while Mount Holyoke may give serious runners some notoriety for the race, the race itself is attracting a lot of attention across the country. The 2022 race, the first since the COVID-19 quarantine began, attracted around 4,000 entrants. This year, more than 4,800 entrants pre-registered for the race, and many more lined up at Saturday morning's on-site registration desk.

"In terms of people who are willing to travel, we seem to be back," Donoghue said. ��We had runners sign up from 37 different states. It was great to see people come from that far, not just for today, but for the whole weekend. Great for Holyoke and all Western Mass It's all good."

Holyoke 10K starts at the intersection of Maple Street and Lyman Street, goes south to South Street, then to Westfield Road, then crosses Homestead Avenue uphill on Cherry Street to Beech, then to Dwight Street to finish. 6.2 miles total.

The first to cross the finish line was 21-year-old Amherst resident Michael Norberg in 30 minutes and 50 seconds, a full minute faster than last year's winner.

Norberg said he has no particular strategy for the game, but instead trusts his preparation.

"It's been a tough fight, but I believe my fitness and training will get me through," he said.

Norberg won the $1,000 prize.

Behind Norberg, Hadley's 35-year-old Bradley Mish crossed the line at 31:25.

"I'm happy with my time," he said. "I've been in marathon mode lately. I don't know if I'm fast or strong, but it's working out well."

Mish says hills are definitely his weakness, but he makes up for it with the speed he runs downhill.

Everett Hackett, 32, of Hartford was third in 31:34, followed by Malcolm Conner, 34, of Portland, Maine , he ranked third with a time of 31 minutes and 45 seconds. In fifth place was 34-year-old Michael Keebler of Montague, who crossed the finish line in 32 minutes and 06 seconds.

Gigliotti may have been surprised by the hills, but for the second time in two years she beat her women's competition. Gigliotti crossed the finish line on Saturday in 35:28, 58 seconds slower than her 2022 time of 34:30.

Gigliotti said she considers the Holyoke race to be one of her favorites.

"There's always a lot of people who can run together and push together. That's one of the benefits of a big race," she said. "There's always someone lined up on the field, rooting for you. There's a lot of people in the community, and it's fun."

While she was nearly a minute behind last year, she was quick enough to beat Anna Shields, 33, from Hartford, who ran the track in 37 minutes and 03 seconds. Kat Morrissey, 33, of Wilbraham was third five seconds later in 37:08. Shea Hamel, 18, from Longmeadow, finished fourth among the women's runners with a time of 41:19 behind Westfield's 15 Year-old Megan Moran, who crossed the finish line in 42 minutes and 02 seconds.

The official road race wraps up a long day of racing. Even before the road race, about 250 kids took part in the Kids' Fun Run on the streets of Holyoke. After the official race, more people joined the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Road Race 2-Mile Walk.