The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley is pleased to announce that the Commodore Hull “crew” members have been named official starters for the 2017 Commodore Hull Thanksgiving Day 5k Road Race. The Boys & Girls Club, long-time beneficiary of the race, officially took over production of the 5k this year.
Registration for this year’s race is now open. Click here to register.
Most of the crew hail from Derby High School: Jack Walsh (1964); Nick and Diana Serednitsky (1969); Glenn Gaetano, Dave Grant, and John Saccu (1970); and Markanthony Izzo (1976). Shelton High School alum include Pam Petro and John Pawlowski (1981) and Carl Sylvester (1951). Tom Wilson (1981) and Laura Wilson (1984) represent St. Joseph’s High School, and Vera Gaetano (1979) attended Byron-Bergen High School in New York.
The crew has great pride in the Valley, and it was a natural choice to tap them as the starters of this year’s race. For the past 15 years, these volunteers have worked nearly year round to ensure the success of the 5K, which has become a noted and looked for Valley event every Thanksgiving. The popularity of the race spurred the organizers to expand the number of timed runners several times; the current cap is 750.
The original race website is still active, and will remain available until all the information, dating back to the first race in 2002, is brought over. You can find this treasure trove of race history at
http://electronicvalley.org/derby/hullrace/
Registration Details
The race is limited to 750 registered runners, and online registration will close as soon as that limit is reached. There will be no registrations taken on race day.
Registration fees have been kept at their same low $25 level again this year. Grammar and high school runners receive a discount and register for $10. Our 70+ runners get an even better deal — they register free of charge.
Registration fees for all runners goes up to $30 on November 21. Divisions are (male and female): 18 – 19, 20 – 29, 30 – 39, 40 – 49, 50 – 59, and 60 – 69. Special Divisions: Grammar School, High School, Holstein (male – 200 lb. minimum, female – 160 lb. minimum), and 70 and over.
There are no race refunds once you have registered; however, should something change and you can’t run, you can transfer your registration to another runner for a $5 fee.
Disposable Bib Chip Technology will once again be provided by Fast Track Timing, LLC, and race results will be available almost instantaneously through their phone app.
Awards will be presented to the first place male and female runners overall, and the top three male and female finishers in each division. Special awards will go to the top three male and female runners in the High School Division.
Race packet pickup will be held at the Boys & Girls Club at One Positive Place in Shelton this year, rather than the Farmer’s Market. As always packet pick up will be held on Sunday and Wednesday — November 19 and 22 this year. Runners are strongly encouraged to pick their packets up on these days. Goody bags are guaranteed to the first 500 runners to pick their race bibs up.
Greco & Haines, our flagship sponsor since 2002, will once again be providing a quality race shirt to all the runners. Sponsorships are available at every level, including donations of raffle prizes. Volunteers are also welcome. Contact Lisa Savoid at 203 – 924-7462, LisaSavoid@BGC-LNV.org.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley took over production of the race this year from the original Commodore Hull “crew.” After 15 years of decided service, the crew retired from producing the race. They’ve been named this year’s honorary starters and will be on hand in November to fire the starting pistol.
Jimmy Tickey, chair of the new race committee, says, “15 years ago a group of dedicated volunteers set out to create an event to celebrate Commodore Hull and to highlight the revitalization of downtown Derby and Shelton. I am looking forward to continuing their work and honoring the legacy of Commodore Hull in this Thanksgiving Day tradition.”
To keep up to date about all race happenings, visit our website at www.BGC-LNV.org/commodore-hull-5k and sign up for our newsletter, or contact Ann Wheeler at 203 – 924-7462, AnnWheeler@BGC-LNV.org.
