Although summer is viewed by many New Canaanites as a time of relaxation, the local running community never stops. Club Connecticut will host the 33rd annual Four on the Fourth road race this Saturday at 9 a.m. starting at St. Mark’s Church.
The map of the 4 On The Fourth road race this weekend.
The four-mile race travels up Oenoke Ridge Road and onto West Road, continuing down West for a good stretch before turning around and heading right back to the church, and it usually has a few hundred participants, organizers say.
“The Four on the Fourth, the last couple of years has [had] a couple hundred [participants],” race director Jim Gerweck told the New Canaanite. “Our biggest year, I think one year, [we had] over four hundred [participants]. It’s usually between 250 and 400 [participants] so its [a] bigger [race].”
New Canaanites are advised to sign up for the race in advance either online or at New Balance New Canaan where “they can pick up their number and shirts there,” Gerweck said. “They can just up on race day. We’ve been doing that for pretty all of the New Canaan races.” The entry-fee for the race $14.50 online, $17 by mail or race week, and $20 race day. A multi-color cotton short-sleeve t-shirt cost an extra $5, while short-sleeve technical shirts can be purchased for $10.
The Four on the Fourth race is not the only race in New Canaan hosted by Club Connecticut this summer. Every Tuesday night throughout the summer, about 70 runners from Fairfield County, can be found at Waveny Park participating in the Summer Cross Country Series.
The start of Tuesday’s Summer Series Race this week. Photo by Mackenzie Lewis.
The series of short 5k races run throughout the fields and trails of Waveny. The weekly race starts at 7 p.m. every Tuesday on the West Lawn of the Waveny Castle. “The Summer Series has been going on for 36 years,” Gerweck told the New Canaanite. “[It’s] run in conjunction of the Parks and Rec department. They’re actually are the sponsors and they have [Club Connecticut] put it on. When it started there were just three races [a summer], and then over the years it has sort of expanded with probably a dozen [races] in 2015.
All New Canaanites are welcome to join the races at throughout the summer which have themes such as Figure 8 Race, Person Ekiden Relay, and Luminaria Loop. During the non-special races, the series hosts a shorter (½ to 1 mile) kids fun runs which each child is award with a ribbon at the finish. Due to rain, the races are postponed until Thursday at the same time.
There is no need for any preparation beforehand. “The cross country races [are] really low-key,” Gerweck said. “You [can] only sign up for those on race night usually 15 to 30 minutes before the 7 p.m. start time.” Participation in the race cost $3 for adults and $2 for students and kids.