Over the weekend my parents and I ran the Ugly Sweater Run in Boston, MA! This was a fun run that clocked in just under 3 miles (2.87 miles by my watch) and was holiday themed and encouraged you to dress up in your ugliest holiday sweater! There were hundreds of runners at this race, all of which were dressed up in some way, shape, or form, which made it all the more fun!
The race was held at Suffolk Downs right outside of the city which is an old horserace track. It was perfect for an event like this. The entire race route was held within the complex so you did not have to worry about running on the road or battling traffic mid-race. The race started at 8:30AM and I arrived to the site around 8:00. I met up with my parents inside the building as it was a balmy 23 degrees outside with the windchill dropping the temp to 10 degrees. Luckily there was an indoor space to hide out before the race, and it was even decorated with inflatables to keep it festive!
Showing off our ugly sweaters!
When the time approached 8:30 we faced the cold and headed to the starting line! We didn't realize that they were sending everyone out in waves so we did a bit of stop-start in the starting corral before we could actually start moving. It was great to see everyone's sweaters up close while we were waiting, though, and the MC (who was rocking an ugly sweater suit) was doing a great job of keeping everyone entertained in the frosty temperatures.
A quick pose before starting!
The race route, as I mentioned, was all on the site of Suffolk Downs so there was no street running involved. A lot of the course was marked by tape but it was so windy that most of the marking tape was blowing everywhere and some of the route was a little confusing. I cut an entire corner without even realizing that I was doing it - I was just following the crowd! :P What was really cool, though, was that you got to run ON the sand race track! I had never done that before! The track was pretty frozen and flat so it wasn't hard to run on which was great and it was a really cool experience running on a new surface during a race.
The post-race party was really great! It was mostly outside and with the cold weather it seemed that many people decided to opt out, but those who stuck around were treated to Kahlua hot chocolate, music, carolers, photos with Santa (both human Santa and inflatable Santa), and a hot dog truck! I mean, it was only 9:40AM but we totally took advantage of the Kahlua and beef hot dogs. Breakfast of champions?
This race was a great time and very much worth the money. The entry fee was $30 and for that fee you got entry into the race, a free winter hat, access to the after party with a pass for a free drink, and a super awesome medal! A portion of all of the race fees went to One Warm Coat, a great charity that gives coats those in need, and there was a station for you to donate coats in person as well. Charity running events are always a HUGE plus in my eyes. Overall, this event is a super wonderful way to have some fun over the holidays (even if it's freezing out). This race holds events all over the US, so if you have one in your city I would HIGHLY recommend checking it out as your holiday fun run!
A close up of my medal! (And my awesome gingerbread man leggings)
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