Talk about having a crowd for Thanksgiving! Each year, our town of Manchester, Connecticut, hosts a whopping 10,000–15,000. They come not to feast, however, but to run. This year marked the 83rd Manchester Road Race, which takes runners (and walkers) on a 4.748-mile course of changing elevations around the center of town.

Sure, it’s not as famous as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade  — our road race attracts about 25,000 spectators, not millions — but I’m still amazed so many runners and their supporters come from around the country (and from as far away as Ireland) to compete here in Manchester, a town with a lot of community spirit.

A little history: The first Manchester Road Race in 1927 attracted just 12 starters. The race was the idea of Francis Haraburda, then captain of the Manchester High cross-country team. By 1934, 38 racers crossed the finish line. The event was canceled during the Great Depression and World War II and finally revived in 1945. It wasn’t until 1961 the first woman ran the race.

The 2019 race had 11,022 registered runners. The winner in the men’s division was Eric Jenkins of Portland, Oregon, who ran the course in 21:19. Edna Kiplagat, a Kenyan from Boulder, Colorado, achieved the top time among women at 24:30. The MRR presents a tough challenge right out of the gate: an uphill climb along Main Street. The first man and woman to conquer the hill earn the titles King and Queen of the Hill. This year Edward Cheserek of Johnson City, Tennessee, was King of the Hill, and Violah Lagat, a Kenyan from Tucson, Arizona, won Queen of the Hill.

In more recent decades, the credit for much of the success of the MRR goes to Jim Balcome. Now 76, Jim has served as race director for 40 years. His first year as director there were 2,000 runners, and he helped grow that number to as many as 15,000 in recent years. Activities organized around the race now also include the Little Manchester Road Race for kids 12 and under; a blood drive (collecting a total of 6,560 pints over 32 years); a spaghetti dinner the night before the race to help runners prepare for the race; and Veterans’ Row, a pre-race reception for all registered runners who are veterans of the U. S. Armed Forces.

Jim Balcome’s year-round commitment to improve race procedures, encourage volunteers and cultivate and sustain sponsors earned recognition not just for Manchester but also for himself. He recently received the Marathon Foto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year Award from MYLAPS Sports Training. A fitting honor for Jim, setting an example of leadership and dedication.

But it is Jim’s voice at the start of the race that sets the tone each year, as he announces, “This is Thanksgiving in Manchester.”

— Jan Hecht, senior editor