STERLING — Running The Freezer Five on Jan. 1 would be a great way to kick off the new year and those pesky resolutions.
This year will be the 43rd running of the 5-mile road race, which starts at Houghton Elementary School at 11 a.m., and the first year with kids back in it since the COVID pandemic hit.
“It’s a great way to spend New Year’s Day,” said town resident Kate Pietrovito, who is the co-race director with Jay Morrissey of West Boylston. “Not too early in the morning, but definitely early enough to do the rounds with family. For young runners it’s a good, reasonably challenging course to start the year off with.”
Both of the seasoned runners are active members of Central Mass Striders, the nonprofit organization that runs the race. While this is their first year directing The Freezer Five, “It’s long been a favorite,” they said. The two have worked together on the CMS board as president and vice president and as coordinators of CMS volunteers for some large Worcester area 5Ks and other club events.
The duo said they typically get people from all over the state running the Freezer Five, but they “would love to see some better traction locally,” particularly in the younger set.
“The pandemic has been hard for so many,” Morrissey said. “We’ve had to offer the race as a virtual-only option, and last year the race was live but limited in a lot of ways. Bringing back the kids’ race really signifies to me we’re all looking for some normality, where we can all be together outside.”
He has been running for the last eight years.
“At first, it was a means to an end, a simple way to burn calories,” he said, adding that it has evolved into so much more.
“(Running) has become a means to keep balance in my life and to maintain social connections,” Morrissey shared. “There’s literally nothing better that I’ve found to beat the friendships I’ve made as an adult through running.”
Pietrovito started running a decade ago and said that, honestly, “The beginning was plain ugly.”
“It is so hard to start, but I found over time it got easier, and the friendships you make slogging through miles are special,” she said. “And it keeps me feeling balanced, important for all of us these days. Everyone feels a little frazzled.”
The self-described “adult-onset runners” said they both wish they had caught the running bug earlier in life because of the many health and overall wellness benefits, and that they are happy to help coordinate running events such as The Freezer Five as a way to share their passion with others.
“Running is such a great physical and social outlet, and if these types of events help spread the joy of running, we’ll continue to do all we can to make them happen,” Pietrovito said.
The Freezer Five is a professional, chip-timed event “with finisher pictures and swag and amenities that match far more expensive races,” they noted. It typically attracts 200-plus participants, depending on race day conditions.
“I’ve run in gloves and long winter pants, and I’ve run in shorts,” Pietrovito said of the notoriously fickle New England weather.
Having run the race themselves many times, they said, “It’s good for the soul to get out at the start of the New Year and see folks you may not have seen in a while, socialize and wish a happy New Year to a lot of people who share your passion.”
“As first-time race directors, we love the idea that we can contribute to a great start for many people and give back to this club that provides such great community connection,” Pietrovito said. “What’s a better way to demonstrate a positive start to 2023 than crushing a New Year’s Day race?”
Registration for The Freezer Five is $30 through Dec. 26, $35 on race day; the first 125 registered runners will receive gloves. For more information and to register, visit cmsrun.org/races-events-3/ freezer-5-miles.
