34th Annual Spooner 10K
& Spooky 5K
Sunday, October 28, 2012 10a.m.
New Bedford, MA
Entrant Information
2012 Race Information is not yet determined.
Registration
Registration for the 2011 Spooner 10K & Spooky 5K will close at 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 29th. You may register online, by mail, or in person at 1 Oneida Street, New Bedford from 1-4pm on October 29th. We hope to have enough shirts for those who register prior to October 30th.
Race-day registration closes at 8:45 a.m.
Download Race Entry Form
Numbers are non-transferrable and fees are non-refundable.
Course
The courses travel through parts of New Bedford and Dartmouth. The 5K is relatively flat while the 10K is a little more hilly. Both courses are the same as in 2010. The 10K course is now USATF certified. The courses are not closed to traffic, though we will have plenty of volunteers along the course. We expect to have times available at each mile marker. More information on the location of water stops to follow.
The 10K and 5K starts are on Brownell Avenue, about a quarter of a mile from registration. There are two starting lines - the 10K will start in front of the 5K. The two events will finish at the same place. start/finish map
Note that the first mile of the 10K and 5K are not in the same location. The marker for the 1st mile of the 5K is before the marker for the 10K. There will be signs at each of the Mile 1 points identifying the correct race.
The courses split shortly after the Mile 1 markers, with the 5K route turning right on Allen Street while the 10K route continues straight.
When each route turns back onto Brownell Avenue heading towards the finish, runners are to enter the park and run on the bike path closest to the street. You do not need to run on the street. We ask that you run on the bike path for that portion of the race for your safety. When you turn into the park on Court Street, you must then return to the street.
The two courses will merge on Court Street. Please be mindful of the other runners around you.
10K Course Map
5K Course Map
Travel
New Bedford, MA is approximately 30 miles southeast of Providence, 30 miles west of Cape Cod, and 60 miles south of Boston. Race Accommodations are provided by The New Bedford Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott. The Fairfield Inn is a short and easy drive to the race start.
Number pickup will be at the Senior Center in Buttonwood Park at 1 Oneida Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. Limited parking will be available at the Buttonwood Park Zoo, accessible at 425 Hawthorn Street. Free on-street parking on side streets is also available. See map to help find parking.
Getting to the Start
Remember to leave an extra 5-10 minutes to walk from number pickup to the start. The two races start on Brownell Avenue, about a quarter-mile from number pickup.
Number Pickup to the Start: From the senior center at 1 Oneida Street, walk to the right. Take a right at the end of Oneida then take a left onto Brownell Ave and head to the start. Map
Awards
Top overall female and male 10K/5K runners will receive the following:
1st place: $100 cash
2nd place: $75 cash
3rd place: $50 cash
Top three overall female and male 5K walkers will receive medals.
Top three male and female 10K/5K runners in the following age categories will receive medals:
Youth 12 & under Master 40-49
Junior 13-18 Senior 50-59
Open 19-29 Veteran 60-69
Sub-master 30-39 Super-veteran 70+
Awards to the best costumes in the following categories:
Scariest
Funniest
Most Original
Superhero
Group Costume (2 or more people)
Perks
- Professional race photography by Capstone Photography
- Chip timing by New England Timing
- Long-sleeve race t-shirts to those registered by October 10th
- Commemorative cowbell to the first 200 to register
- water bottles to the first 500 to register
- Post-race raffle
- Costume awards
- Cash awards to top 3 in 10K and 5K run
- Three-deep age group awards
- Great post-race food
- USATF Certified 10K course
Pre-Race Kids' Run
At 8:15 a.m. there will be a short (approx. 50 yards) Kids' Run on a grassy area in the park. This free component of the morning's events is intended for children 10 and under. Each child will receive a small prize. Please let us know how many children you expect to bring when you register for the 10K or 5K. We encourage children to be dressed in costumes that will not hinder their ability to run safely.
Children who will be running the 5K or 10K races should follow the registration instructions for the 10K/5K events.
Number Pickup
Race bibs and timing chips will be available for pickup at the following times:
Date: Saturday, October 29th
Time: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: 1 Oneida St., New Bedford (outside senior center)
Date: Sunday, October 30th
Time: 7:30 a.m. -8:45 a.m.
Location: 1 Oneida St., New Bedford
Should you register for the Run or Walk?
What's the difference between running and walking? And where does this "race walking" fit in? Visit this site for brief information on all three.
What does this mean for your registration?
The 5K Run is intended for anyone who plans on running (when neither foot is making contact with the ground) at any point during the event. The 5K Walk is both for walkers and race walkers, or anyone who will keep a foot in contact with the ground at all times.
Please help us keep the race results as accurate as possible. We would like to support our walkers and race walkers by allowing them to compare their performance against others who did not run. We can only do this if everyone cooperates.
The walking event is intended to be for participants who will only walk. If you think you may run during a portion of the 5K, please register for the run.
Want to learn more about Race Walking?
How to Race Walk
Timing
This year, event timing will be done by New England Timing. We will be utilizing their RFID Chip system, so runners will be asked to wear a device on their ankle as well as their bibs. Be sure to run over the mat at the finish line to ensure that your finish time registers.All runners must return their ankle bands to a volunteer after crossing the finish - if you don't New England Timing may bill you $25 to replace it.
Note: We will not be utilizing the mats at the start of the races, so don't be late to the start!
