Great 5k event! We were running late but still managed to make it 10 mins before the first wave at…read more8am. (BTW, waves were 10-15 min intervals.) Attention event runners! For all those wondering about the price, who aren't aware... sign up for an Active Account. They frequently send you emails and updates regarding future events. I received a promo for this and purchased tickets for $10 each! (Not including online fees.) Also, I've seen Groupon deals and if you prefer to wait until the very last min, I think they offer it you at $20 a bargain. Now, Let's talk about the three colored bubble boggs. Side note, I did overhear runners mentioning there were more boggs in the course during previous years... Anyhow, I was under the impression that there was one at every mile. Completely false! My best estimate of the first yellow bubble bogg was at 1/2 mile mark. This first one was rather disappointing. I'm not sure if it was meant as a tease or they did not turn on the machine all the way. There was not enough bubbles. The second green bubble bogg, maybe at the 1.5 mile? was a slightly better. I actually ran through some bubbles. The last pink bubble bogg was the best! (Guessing at 2.5ish, since we still had to race towards the finish line.) As a matter of fact, we stopped here to take all our pics. It was the most accurate representation of the race based on pictures on their website. So I have to give myself a pat on on the back here. I ran the entire 5k! Proud is an understatement! If you survive and make it to the finish line lol, there is a "Dance Party." This was probably the highlight of the event! There was a DJ to get you grooving. And they even had two cannons shooting bubbles. It was so much fun! Felt like I was in a a foam party. I gave them an extra star based on this ;-)

I participated in the Bubble Run 5K in Brockton, MA. My main complaint was the day before, when…read morepicking up my bib packet. There were no signs telling where to go (other than the Gate number) and I drove around several times before I found the registration booths. The run itself was a lot of fun - all the bubble machines were working, and each station had colored bubbles; pink, green and blue. Be warned - your shoes get very wet and muddy! The finisher's medals were a little flimsy - not the best quality. I was a little disappointed in the "after-party" - there were no vendors, free samples or photo ops like at other 5Ks. Just a DJ with bubble cannons. But the bubbles were fun and the photos were priceless. For the $12 that it cost me (plus $10 parking) it was worth it.

First time I've heard about the New England Challenge was in 2017, the inaugural series was held in…read more2016. What an insane way to pick up states for the half marathon or marathon goal in a minimal amount of time. I've been around the block, but 6 days in a row seems pretty nuts. I've been around long enough to know virtually everyone in the club who's done at least one round of the 50 states marathons. Race morning started at the Granite State marathon / half marathon here in Nashua, New Hampshire. The New England Challenge attracts veteran marathoners and half marathoners who wish to run a half marathon or a marathon up to all 6 states in the series. You decide on what states you want to do or need for your own personal goal(s). With that said, we arrived at Mine Falls Park in Nashua around 5:30am on a brisk Tuesday morning. It was interesting to be running a race on the weekday, even though I was just in Maine the day before! The New England Challenge / Granite State marathon & half marathon draws a small field, which is less than 100 individuals for both events. I ended up running the half marathon for New Hampshire this event, which was quite scenic trails within a large park. You never know you were in a city, since the trails seemed far outside the city. The event was small and felt like a training run, even though it's a race with a race number on your t-shirt. The overall experience here at The Granite State marathon / half marathon in Nashua, New Hampshire was quite nice, quite excellent, and casual. The main thing about the entire series and not just this event is that there is no time limit. Many others do have a one, ranging from 6 hours to 8 hours, depending on the race. It's not festive like many races out there, but you can say that it has its purpose for goal oriented people - like myself. The course is basically multiple loops around Mine Falls Park, which was 4.96 miles once around. We had a shorter out and back loop of 1.6 miles (for the half, 1.4 for the marathon) to do initially before we started the larger loop around the park. It was nice to see familiar faces each time I came across them. I did enjoy the scenery while I went around purposely and it help me motivate myself to keep moving and keep on smiling - since it was just day one and already a bit tired from doing the same thing in ME the day before. The trail itself was nice and we creeped around the river on the last 2 miles of the loop. It was nice and serene, especially during a week day morning. Registration is conducted online, but they do have race day registration. Just need to get there early to fill out an entry form and pay the fee. There was an electronic timing station that was basically next to the main parking area at Mine Falls Park. It recorded the time for every lap that we do, which is cool. The lone aid station was loaded with food and drinks - you probably could gain weight while doing a half marathon or marathon. The support staff was great, cheering us on lap after lap. It was inspiring to see friends out there to help me push forward, even though I had 4 more days of this - just different venues. It was a cozy race that was nice. Mine Falls Park was the ideal location for this race. Upon finishing my half marathon, I announced that I was done and got my finisher medal. I hung out at the finish line area to wait up for a friend of mine to finish. Once everything was in order, we gingerly walked back to the rental car and headed to Vermont day 3 in Springfield the next morning. The appeal for The New England Challenge and doing marathons or half marathons is the economic factor. Doing them all together brings travel costs down a lot, but you'd have to be physically and mentally prepared for such an adventure. For the most part though, I enjoyed my time here in Nashua, NH and at the Granite State marathon & half marathon. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Consider this race or the series when you are running 50 states half marathon or marathons. Support local! Run More! A+

Fun 5k + extreme bounce houses = Awesome!…read more With your entry you get a t-shirt, a beer, a free bag check, and discount on merchandise. The course was not hard like most fun 5k. It is not timed and the inflatables were fun. Some of the slides were HOT as it heated up in the sun and it was dangerous sliding down if it touched bare skin. I got burned as did many on my team. No water obstacles for this race. Pro tip: parking was $10 but you could have just parked across the street at the mall for free.

Came here for my jobs kick off event, second year in a row--it's fun because you get a ticket and…read morefood ticket! Food is in back corner of the park near the lake so you get a nice view. Plus all you can eat chicken, hot dogs, burgers, soda, and some salad options. Then you get to go on all the rides. It was a nice day spending with my work friends and got a nice day at Canobie! Plus the Taylor Swift show this year was awesome! She had three shows, and two different sets! I liked the second set since it was Taylor's newer songs. Olivia did a great job--she looks and sounds like Taylor.

This is a great amusement and water park combined with rides, easy, scary, water fun, shows, food…read moreand gifts. It's good for all ages. There is free parking which is a plus. You pay for a ticket but it's unlimited rides for all day. I've been coming for over twenty years now and some things are the same but some things are new and you always enjoy yourself. I found out the train ride isn't running due to repairs of an Italian restaurant so they had to remove the tracks but I was told it will be back, like maybe next year. So you go on a boat ride on the lake, or you take a ride on top of the lake for a breathtaking view on the Sky Ride, go on the merry go round, the Ferris wheel, get wet on the Boston Tea Party. So much to do! The people working here are helpful and friendly. So if you haven't been to Canobie Lake Park in Salem NH, put it on your list to do this summer.

The Boston Athletic Association has added a 10k race to its competition offerings. The Inaugural…read moreBAA 10k was staged with the professionalism and precision you would expect from the group that organizes one of the most famous marathons in the world. While the weather was lousy (95% humidity!), the race was excellent. The Course: The course begins on Charles Street between the Public Garden and the Common (if you've run the Tufts 10k, it's the same start/finish). The course goes out to BU on Commonwealth Ave. and Bay State Road, then features a hairpin turn at the 5k mark to return via Comm Ave. I never realized until I ran this race, but Comm Ave is pretty dang hilly along the BU campus. They have a timing mat in advance of the finish line that allows the emcee to announce runners as they cross--pretty cool. I don't know if they announced me because I was too busy looking for a place to lay down and die (see: 95% humidity). The course also featured a few hallmarks of what I consider a well-organized race. Every mile was marked and featured a digital clock with the gun time. Water stations were plentiful and increased in frequency toward the end of the race. The race was completely chip timed. And they staggered the start beautifully to prevent course over-crowding. People self-selected into gates by anticipated pace, then the gates were released in three waves four minutes apart. This is the first race I've run with a hairpin where I did not have to walk the turn due to crowding. The Extras: If there's one place where the BAA 10k loses points, it's the post-race festivities. They did have bagels, bananas, and other snacks for runners, but on the whole there wasn't much to see and do after the race. In fairness, the reason to race is not to get a bunch of free crap from advertisers afterward, so I won't knock stars for that. I will say I wish water were available closer to the finish line, especially given the weather. The t-shirt, on the other hand, is fabulous. It's an Adidas performance shirt that has the texture of a Smartwool. Love it. The $40 entry fee was worth it just for this t-shirt.

The BAA 10k is a fun run around Boston. It starts in between…read morethe public garden and Boston Common, just like the BAA 5k. It runs all the way down to Boston University, makes a u-turn and runs back to the start. THE DEAL: if you sign up for the BAA 5k, 10k and half marathon, they give you a special Distance Medley medal and bibs for each race.

This is such a great group! It was one of my favorite parts about living in Lowell. It's a…read morebeautiful 5k down by the water followed by an after party! Who does love that?!?! Best part are the PR medals. Each week you are judged against yourself and only yourself. If your time is a PERSONAL RECORD (PR) you get recognized at the after party and given a rubber Miely award. These awards mean so much to me because it's more than participation, it's pushing yourself and proof you're improving as a runner. These were such good inspiration when you're only half a mile out and feel the tank on empty, knowing you just need to shave off 5 secs from your previous best. I recommend this group to all ages and abilities. It won't disappoint.

On Tuesday evenings at 7pm from April through June, runners compete in 5k road races in downtown…read moreLowell. There are ten races in this Springtime running Series, and runners may sign up online or at the beginning of the race. The Good Times 5K Running Series runs every Tuesday night at 7:00 from at the Hookslide Kelly's located at 19 Merrimack Street, in downtown Lowell, MA. All races begin on French Street near Lowell High School (just 1/10th of a mile from the Hookslides) and ends near the beautiful Boarding House Park. The ten week series will feature a different "theme" each week. Runners compete for weekly prizes based on the theme that evening. Runners will also be competing for weekly points that will be counted towards overall series awards (see series scoring). An awards ceremony will be held each week starting at 8:00 PM at Hookslides.