Patrick McAvoy 19’
Editor-in-Chief
On Oct. 27 the Merrimack College Cross Country and track teams are putting on the “Run of the Warriors” 5K race to raise money for the teams and the Kelly Ledoux-Walsh Scholarship.
The event takes place at Warrior Stadium and begins at 8:00 a.m. Potential runners are encouraged to arrive at the stadium between 7:00 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. in order to have enough time to sign up and warm up properly. Participants can park in Lot F throughout the duration of the race.
Merrimack Cross Country head coach, Mark Connolly, believes this is a great event for the school.
“The Homecoming 5k is a great way for our team to connect with our alumni, who come back to run the event, and to the greater Merrimack College community,” said Connolly. “We enjoy lining the course and encouraging the participants and thanking the participants for participating in the race. The 5k is also a way for our community to remember Kelly Ledoux-Walsh, a member of our team who passed away in July of 2017. Her memory is a felt at the race as we gather with her teammates and run a race we know she would have enjoyed.”
The teams will be selling bracelets and phone cases in benefit of the Kelly Ledoux-Walsh Scholarship, which is coordinated by the Merrimack College American Marketing Association.
The event also raises money for the Track Team and Track Club. The money is used in many different ways by the teams, ranging from buying spikes to paying for parking at meets in Boston.
The event is a great opportunity for alumni and current students alike to come together and help raise money while enjoying some early-morning exercise.
“Alumi do come back to race in the 5k and it’s a lot of fun. While this is a casual and fun race that includes people from the community pushing strollers and walking their dogs along the route, our course record is pretty impressive,” said Connolly.
Although the race is early in the morning, it is for a great cause and is sure to be a lot of fun for anyone in attendance.
If that isn’t enough to convince you to sign up, Coach Connolly says, “My message to students who are thinking of signing up is ‘Please do it!’ I know it’s hard to wake up early in the morning when you are in college, but any time I have accomplished something before 9:30 a.m. I feel pretty good about myself. I would love you to have that feeling of accomplishment,” said Connolly. “Think of how proud and surprised your parents will be when you call home to check in on Sunday and they ask what you did this weekend. You can add “Ran a 5k” to your list of things you tell them.”
