Hop Runs New Haven Road Race

The crowds are packed with cheering supporters who crowd the sides of the road. Most importantly for the exhausted runners, lots of free food awaits at the fnish line. “Last year, Jonah Norwitt and I spent an hour walking around all the tents, getting goodies and food such as frozen yogurt,” said Nic Burtson ’20.

The majority of the Hopkins Cross Country team does the Road Race every year.

Maliya Ellis said, “I’ve been running the Road Race since I was in 5th grade, and before that, I did the kids race. I usually set a personal best time at the road race, and it’s a confdence boost, showing that all of my hard work during the summer paid off. It makes me feel ready for the season.”

Elena Brennan said, “When it comes to the road race, it’s the frst real race of the season, so it’s a much more easy-going mindset, since you’re just there to have fun and enjoy the race. In contrast, a lot more thought process goes into the championship season races.”

The 5 kilometer run is a fun experience for Hopkins’ Cross Country runners. Burtson said, “I like to chat with the people around me. Once I met a guy who was on the Swedish marathon team for the 10k. Then he beat me.”

Brennan said, “I like looking at what people are wearing, because some people wear really funny tutus or hats. One time I ran past a couple that was getting married during the Road Race. The offciator was running next to them, and the bride was wearing white workout clothes and a veil.”

The Road Race always sets the Cross Country team up for a successful season. Brennan said, “Girls’ Cross Country was the only Varsity team to go undefeated last year, and we’re hoping to have a second undefeated season this year. It’s evident that people trained hard over the summer, and we’re upping our mileage as a team.” Burtson said, “The Boys team is looking pretty solid; we’re a pretty tight team and also pretty young. Our top fve scorers for varsity consist of three sophomores, a junior, and a senior, and that’s a pretty young team compared to others in the league. Also, Brunswick, the only team that beat us consistently last year, lost a lot of seniors, so we have a good chance.”

Cross Country’s only home meet will be on September 19th at 4:30pm. Brennan said, “There’s going to be a lot of competition, and it’s a great course for spectators because we move around a lot. It’s not that great of a course for runners though, since we have to go up the hill coming up from Siberia twice.”