19th annual 24 Hour Ultra Around the Lake Race being held

Will be run around Lake Quannapowitt on July 24-25

Published in the July 24, 2015 edition

WAKEFIELD — The Somerville Road Runners are proud to present the 19th annual race on July 24-25. SRR will offer four events — the 24 hour ultra, 12 hour ultra, 24 hour relay and marathon.

The flat race course is run on sidewalks and paths around scenic Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. The 24-Hour Race raises funds each year for Wakefield Educational Foundation and Christmas in the City. Come try the 24-Hour Race and challenge your limits.

The start times are as follows: 24 Hour Ultra: 9 p.m., 7/24; 12 Hour Ultra: 9 a.m., 7/25;  6-8 person relay: 9 p.m., 7/24; Marathon: 9 p.m., 7/24.

The race will be timed with chip timing by RaceWire. The following timing chips will be used: Marathon: Disposable RFID bib tag; 12 Hour Ultra, 24 Hour Ultra, 24 Hour Relay: Reusable RFID Ultratag which is mounted on a velcro band attached to the athlete’s ankle.

Results are available during the event on RaceWire website with about a 10 minute delay. All runners will receive split times for each loop around Lake Quannapowitt.

Custom medals will be given to finishers in all events. Prize money will be given to the top three finishers, male and female in 12 hour ultra and 24 hour ultra. First place receives $300 plus free entry to 2016 race, second place gets $200 plus free entry to 2016 race and third place will be awarded $100 plus free entry to 2016 race.

A Custom belt buckle awarded to ultra runners completing 32 laps (about 102 miles) or more.

Awards will be given to the top three finishers, male and female, in the marathon and to the first relay team. Category awards (male, female and mixed) for relay teams will be given if there are at least two teams per category.

Michel Gouin, from Drummondville, Quebec in Canada, will be in Wakefield Saturday for the 12 hour race. He just broke the Guinness world record “the 30 days on treadmill.” The record was 1,526,449 kilometers in 30 days and he ran 1,793,280 kilometers.

The 24 Hour race has contributed over $50,000 to the SRR beneficiaries in the last four years. In 2015, the race is supporting the following charities: the Wakefield Educational Foundation and Christmas in the City.

The Wakefield Educational Foundation is an independent non-profit that works to address needs unmet by public funding within the Wakefield Public School System. It supports individuals and groups from the Wakefield Public School System through mini-grants awarded for initiatives that have long-term creative and innovative educational benefits in such key areas as arts in education, science and technology, math enrichment and environmental science.

Christmas in the City was started as a volunteer-driven effort to offer homeless children a holiday experience. It hosts an annual party, which serves over 6,000 children from the region’s homeless shelters, matching all of them with gifts and a special experience. Also, beyond its holiday party, Christmas in the City (through its Adopt a Family program) offers advice and assistance to families transitioning from shelters to their own housing, and provides Thanksgiving food baskets to families who need help to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. It strives to ameliorate the impact of homelessness on families and children living in shelters.