2011 New England Pub Series XIV Schedule & Manifesto

 Also, if your name is misspelled or missing from the list we
post on our website of participant’s attendance at races (along with a
write-up, usually 1-2 days post event), Michelle has that thankless task so let
her know asap (as opposed to the end
of the Series) at Mick. Yours truly has the thankless task of
scoring the races, so if there’s a point discrepancy, likewise, let me know asap at
Fitz    

Beginning in 2011, we’re happy to announce that Boston-based
athletic sportswear giant New Balance
is the multi-year sponsor of NER Pub Series XIII (and beyond).

Gender specific Pub Series jacket will be awarded to
everyone who runs six of six races. For those who complete five of six races
there’s a pair of New Balance running shoes in the offing.

As always, folks who do five or six races are invited to the
“Awards Night” gala in the Fitzgerald
Room at venerable Doyle’s Cafe in December.

Along with a new pair of New Balance running shoes to
the top 5 Open men & women, as well as age-group overall winners, the end
of series cash payouts for the top five men & women this year are: 1st, $200 – 2nd, $150 – 3rd, $125 – 4th,
$100 – 5th, $75. Divisional winners from Masters through 70+ also win a new
pair of New Balance running shoes and $50, with merchandise going to places
2-3.

IMPORTANT
Jacket Info: Your lifeline to the Pub Series is our website NER and free
bi-weekly enewsletter as well as the mag. Take advantage of all because that’s
where the notice asking for your jacket size will appear after the fifth race
in the Series. If the deadline is missed (and sorry, but this is your fault,
not ours), men’s sizes default to ‘large’ and women to ‘medium.’ No whining
allowed.

SCORING: The top
overall 50 places for men and women are based on cross country scoring. Win the
race, you get 50 points, come in 50th, you get one point. Everyone of any age
is eligible to score here. Age group scoring goes 10 deep for Masters & Seniors (50-59), 8 deep for Vets (60-69) and 5 deep for 70+. Example: If you’re
the top 40-49 runner in a race, you get 10 points in your age division. If
you’re 10th Master, you get one point.

Without further ado, THE
2011 PUB SERIES XIV SCHEDULE

March 13 ‰ÛÓ 14th Annual
An Ra’s M’or 5K

Gaelic for “The Great Race” this festive event features a
flat & fast USATF certified course that runs from the host Asgard Irish Pub
& Restaurant at 350 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge to the border of Harvard Square
and back.

Prize money runs $100 – $50 – $25 for the top three men and
women along with age group awards. There’ll be a large tent outside (unless
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there’s still copious snow on the ground) with festivities outside (food, beer,
whipping winds-not) and inside the Asgard (food, beverage and a live band
playing) where the awards ceremony will take place.

The An Ra’s M’or was a solid entry into the 2009 Pub Series
and we’re glad to have them back. The Somerville Road Runners’s Brendan Kearney is the RD and SRR cohort Paul Vincent Clark reports that he’s just
“Put the finishing touches on Cambridge’s next huge road race experience.” ‰ÛÓ
Feb. 9, 2011.

The race starts at 10:00 am but in 2009 a contingent of us
were still there at 7:00 pm thanks to Jimmy Fallon missing his train to
Walpole. This was also the race where Whirlaway’s Chris Spinney earned the
moniker “Wing Man” after ordering 10 lbs. of chicken wings.

The Somerville Road Runners are the gracious host club. For
a Google map on location and other info, visit http://www.srr.org/anrasmor/ The email contact is anrasmor@srr.org

April 10 – 15th Annual
Doyle’s Emerald Necklace 5M, Jamaica Plain, MA ‰ÛÓ Sunday, 11 am

Run out of world famous Doyle’s Cafe, the creme-de-la-creme
of Publican purvey and the Cornerstone of the New England Runner Pub Series. Remember
the girls dancing on the bar in the movie “Mystic River?” That’s Doyle’s. The
young bartender in the Sam Adams commercials? That’s Publican Gerry Burke, Jr.
standing in front of the bar at Doyle’s (but we digress).

The certified course is run almost entirely in traffic-free Franklin
Park; it’s rolling and tres scenic with bagpipers at the mile. A seismic party
follows, inside and out, with a DJ outside, the Finnian Sons inside,
Interactive Simon Says outside, food and free pouring libation inside and out.

This race started in 1995 and became a Pub Series event a
year later. In 2010 there was a record field of 2,106 finishers. The Pub Series
Awards night is held in the Fitzgerald Room at Doyle’s each December.

Doyle’s phone number is 617-524-2345. For online and
downloadable applications, plus a Google map, etc. go to  Doyle’s

May 22 – 11th Annual
Evan’s Run 10K ‰ÛÓ Norwell, MA -Sunday, 10:30 – Kids races starting at 8:30.

Evan’s Run was new to the Pub Series last year and  voted back in by attendees during Awards
Night at Doyle’s. Caveat: There’s also a 5K (the designated distance for
the Pub series last year) but this year to be scored and have attendance noted
in the Pub Series, the 10K is the mandatory distance.

There’s a success story here as this race blends a
fundraiser (Foundation for Autism) with a great race for runners and their
families. There are kids races and hay rides in the field behind Norwell High
School (start/finish area) along with a food tent, vendors and a live band.

Both race distances are certified (remember, you’re running
the 10K) and cover some rolling terrain. The award ceremony is exceptionally
prompt (why?) because the immediate post-race party is located at McGreal’s Tavern a short stretch down
the road right off of Norwell Center at 690 Main Street.

McGreal’s is centrally located yet secluded with a long dirt
parking lot leading to the tavern where an outside barbeque will be in full
swing. Last year the gracious hosts‰ÛÓKevin and Maryann McGreal‰ÛÓwent ‘long’ on
the Long Trail and the food.

For info and applications for Evans Run visit Evan’s Run 

June 26 ‰ÛÓ NEW* 2nd
McGuiggan’s Pub 5K, Whitman, MA

NER made a reconnaissance trip to check out the only Irish
Pub in Whitman prior to last year’s inaugural race (and naturally we returned
to gather more ‘intel’).

The course is of the quaint, white picket fence residential
variety, starting and finishing on Washington St. in downtown Whitman outside
of McGuiggans.

Housed in a remodeled 19th century building, McGuiggan’s is
an upscale Irish Pub with a 54-foot long mahogany bar with eight (8) flat screen
TV’s. It was hot last year but the Pub is air conditioned and along with the
usual tap fare (Guinness et al), serves a mean Sangria.

The award ceremony is outside while food was served inside
and out last year. Of course, the race had 135 finishers its first year so all
the food may have to be moved outside. Also, Pub proprieter Rich Rosen owns a
sizable chunk of real estate in Whitman, so if enough people show up, a block
party could ensue.

For pending news, visit: www.mcguigganspub.com

Mcguiggan5k@yahoo.com

August 13  – 33rd Annual Brew
Run 5.2M, Brewster, MA

This is an old school throwback that doesn’t have a website
or email contact but delivers a great race, followed by a great post-race party
as witnessed by 1,615 finishers in 2010. RD Tommy Meagher supplies his phone
number (508) 896-3235 but if you can stand the suspense, he’ll have an ad ‘with
all you need to know’ in the July/August issue of NER.

The race is on Cape Cod off Rt. 6A in Brewster. There is
bountiful traffic on the “Old King’s Highway” so if you’re day-tripping, be
aware. Many revelers do the Brew Run and then the Falmouth Road Race the next
day.

Like McGreal’s Tavern following Evan’s Run, the post-race
festivities here are local to the main road but secluded in a large dirt
parking lot behind the Wood Shed, a short walk from the finish. For the
location of the race, check out the Wood Shed’s www.thebrewsterwoodshed.com

Oct. 16 – 9th Annual
Paddy’s Shillelagh Shuffle 3M, Newton, MA – 11:30 am

The Grand Finale of the Pub Series. Shillelagh’s to the
winners, music, food and drink for all (And What Food!). Music and vendor’s
tents in the parking lot across from Paddy’s greet the day’s first registrants.

USATF-New England course certifier Steve Vaitones and race
organizers originally looked at making this a 5K, but there was no way to do it
without a succession of 90-degree right and left hand turns, so what you have is a very
flat, very fast, USATF certified and chip-timed 3-Miler (how many of those are
there, huh?)

A bagpiper serenades runners awaiting the start while Pub
Series division leaders wear the maillot jeune before striding along Newton’s
Champs D’Elysee. The race shirts are cult classics and New Balance
supplies prizes (shoes, merchandise) going 3-deep starting at 14-under and
extending through 70+.

There’s a DJ playing outside and a live band playing
upstairs at Paddy’s. The Irish artifacts collected by Publicans John and Karl
O’Hara are, by themselves, well worth a leisurely tour of the pub.

Last year saw record entries of 1,987. RD Mark Kelly does
superlative work behind the scenes to provide the Series with a suitable
bookend to Doyle’s.

For Irish music, past results, photo galleys, directions and
lots more info, visit:  Paddy’s

Just one
last reminder: Notice is given and jacket sizes are turned over to New
Balance before the sixth race of the Series, so check our website NER and sign up for our free
bi-weekly enewsletter to keep track of all Pub Series proceedings.

Good Luck & Have A Great Series!