MANCHESTER, Connecticut — For the seventh year, the Manchester Road Race (MRR) will honor those who have served in America's armed forces.
The MRR Committee announced Monday morning that it is again collaborating with local veterans' organizations to state its "Veterans' Row tribute on the morning of the race. This event is open to all veterans and those on active duty, National Guard, and reserve military members who have registered to run in this year's road race.
Veterans and service members will be honored at a pre-race reception on Thanksgiving Day from 8:15 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. at the Vietnam War Memorial, located near the race course at the corner of Main and East Center Streets in Manchester.
Those attending will receive camo hats with the MRR logo and commemorative pins. Light refreshments will also be served.
During the race, veterans and members of the armed forces will also be saluted and cheered as they pass by a "Path of Honor" on Main Street, lined with flags of all six military branches.
Dr. Tris Carta, president of the MRR Committee, said three local World War II veterans, Earl Yost, Charlie Robbins, and Fran Leary, helped revive the road race in 1945 following a 10-year hiatus. The trio convinced the Manchester Army & Navy Club to co-sponsor the event with the town's recreation department.
"The Manchester Road Race has a long and proud connection to the local veterans' community, and we are very pleased to co-sponsor Veterans' Row again this Thanksgiving," Carta said.
Carta said seventeen MRR champions, who won the road race a combined total of 26 times, were veterans of military service. Among them were Olympians Johnny Kelley and Joe McCluskey, who both won the race multiple times.
The Manchester Veterans Advisory Committee, American Legion Post 113 of South Windsor, American Legion Post 102 of Manchester, Veterans of Foreign Wars Anderson-Shea Post 2046 of Manchester, Charles Varca Chapter 17 Disabled American Veterans, the Army & Navy Club and the Manchester Elks Lodge 1893 are co-hosting the event with the road race committee.
The presenting sponsor of the MRR Veterans’ Row is Pratt & Whitney. Additional financial support is provided by Pursuit Aerospace, Horst Engineering, Manchester Elks Lodge 1893, V.F.W Anderson-Shea Post 2046, Disabled American Veterans Department of Connecticut, Goodwin University, Charles Varca Chapter 17 Disabled American Veterans, GJ Agency (GEICO) and the Manchester Army & Navy Club.
The 88th Manchester Road Race, one of the nation’s largest and most popular Turkey Day races, will be held at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28.
The race is run on a loop course through Manchester’s central streets that starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St. James Church.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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