Friday, December 20, 2019

2020 Challenges to inspire you!

There’s nothing like a new year to get you motivated to move.  Reset the mileage and find a goal – race a longer distance, achieve a new PR, challenge yourself with something new.

We’ve put together a line-up of race packages in the HMF Sam Adams Challenge Series that will give you a little extra incentive to up your race game in 2020.  Registration will open for these challenges on January 1, grab the best possible prices for the packages through January 8.

Be rewarded with custom swag, medals or apparel for signing up for a challenge.

Lucky Challenge
The St. Paddy’s themed four-race 5K series across CT provides cold beer, yummy nosh, Irish music and great parties! Earn matching race accessories as swag at each event and then one large medal at the end of all four.
O’Shenanigans - March 14
Courthouse O’Putnam - March 15
O’Niantic - March 21
O’Hartford - March 22


Spring Medley
Dust off the winter training gear and get moving into spring running strong.  The NEW challenge earns participants a long sleeve custom training shirt.
HP Middletown 10 Mile - April 5
Burlington to Collinsville - May 3
UConn Health Half Marathon - June 6


Progressive Challenge

Gradually increase race mileage to slay our signature half marathon event in October. Whether the goal is finishing a first-ever half or racing for a PR, this series will motivate you to greatness. Get free training guides to help build mileage to achieve the goal and then earn a big, blingy medal upon series completion.
L&M Spring Stride 5K - May 2
UConn Health 10K - June 6
Eversource Hartford Half Marathon - October 10


10K Challenge

Earn an official Challenge quarter zip for completing these three 10Ks in 2020! Push further with 6.2 mile races that will help keep up your mileage.
Mystic 10K - May 17
Achilles 10K - July 19
Old Wethersfield 10K - August 23


Half It Your Way

Make a half marathon challenge work for your own 2020 schedule.  Register for any four HMF half marathons to earn an exclusive jacket (deadline to register to qualify for the jacket is September 1).  No special registration process required - just sign up for four 2020 halfs!  Note that individual race registrations will open on January 9.
Mystic Half - May 17
UConn Health Half Marathon - June 6
Surftown Half - September 13
Eversource Hartford Half - October 10
Amherst Half - November 8


CT Challenge
The ultimate in-state challenge! Earn bragging rights and an impressive and stately medal after a grand finish in Hartford.
L+M Spring Stride 10K – May 2
Mystic Half – May 17
Eversource Hartford Marathon – October 10


Love the holiday race challenge?  We’ll be bringing it back in 2020 also but with a few new twists.  Stand-by for more details coming this spring on the late season events and related challenge.

Now, all you have to do is choose a challenge and start logging those training miles!


 

Sunday, December 15, 2019

2020 race schedule preview

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – time to plan your 2020 race schedule!

We’ve been plugging along behind the scenes to get race dates firmed up for the events you know and love.  While the schedule is still subject to change based on securing final permits, you can start planning!  

Speaking of events you know and love, we want to point out a new change on an old favorite. The UConn Health Half Marathon, 10K & 5K in Simsbury will now be held on a Saturday.  We asked, you shared your thoughts and we’re making the change - put it on your calendar for Saturday, June 6!  While we know we can’t make everyone happy with any change we make, the overwhelming positive response led the decision to having another Saturday half marathon in the schedule (and the enthusiasm for possible post-race beer service for 21+ was pretty evident in your feedback).

Registration will begin opening January 1stwith more details to come later this week on the 2020 HMF Challenge Series, presented by Samuel Adams.  

Expect some exciting new things from your 2020 HMF experience, including a technology partnership with haku that will deliver a brand new registration platform. Whether you’re registering yourself, your family, for one event, 3 events, or a challenge series - it’ll be much simpler and more seamless. And, mobile friendly!
Registering, checking results, managing your registrations - all of it will be simpler to do on your mobile device.  Plus, you can accesscustomer service with fast, friendly and thorough support via phone, email and even live chat from haku in addition to connecting with our HMF support team.  Side note - there’s nothing you have to do to bring your past registration history over, we’ll take care of that for you.

You’ll also notice some changes in registration opening times. Races in the second part of the year (with the exception of the Eversource Hartford Marathon, Half Marathon, Team 26.2 Relay and Charity 5K) will open with early discounted pricing in the spring instead of in January.  So you can start planning for events like the RiMaConn Relay now, but won’t register until it opens a little later (but we expect that one to sell out quickly again – we’ll be sure to give you a head’s up before it’s open so you can get on it with your team!).

We’re getting 2020 race details firmed up on the Web site so please expect that to be shut down through the rest of the month. Resolution Run registration and volunteer sign-up, Run for a Claus results and the HMF Shop can all still be accessed through the homepage.  

Thanks for your patience as we work through this process in order to open January 1 with as much info as we can!  We can’t wait to come all together in 2020!