While we understand not everyone is quite ready to commit to race plans for next year, we do want to encourage and motivate to set your sights early, with added peace of mind provided by our deferral policy (for any reason up to 14 days before an event), and optional Refundable Registration available for purchase. Reminder - early pricing available when we open registration on January 1 is the lowest available for any race we offer, and pricing scales as event dates near.
You’ll see many repeat event favorites around the same weekends they have historically been, with the big exception of the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon which is being bumped by a week to Saturday, October 19, to accommodate the Jewish high holiday the weekend before.
We’re adding some new distances and race experience opportunities to entice newbies to join us or to try a different venue, and repeat participants to consider changing up their tradition. Of note:
March 17 – celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a slightly earlier start time to accommodate other festivities and adding a 10K distance to the O’Hartford 5K, presented by Trinity Health Of New England Orthopedics
April 21 – A beautiful venue opened up for options to pick your own adventure at the Rocky Neck Runfest, with a tactical trail 5K, a road 5K, the solo 30K challenge rotating trail and road courses and the signature 3-person relay
Race series offer the opportunity to parlay one awesome race experience to other events to inspire longer-term goals rewarded with commemorative medals - especially great for those that enjoy the satisfaction of earning a beautiful, blingy medal to celebrate their efforts.
The 4-race Lucky Challenge is a St. Paddy’s themed blast, but we hear you that sometimes life can get in the way of a good time running back-to-back 5Ks, on back-to-back weekends! Enter the new single weekend offering, a mini challenge that delivers one beautiful blingy part of the Lucky Challenge 2-part finisher medal. Choose either the first weekend (O’Shenanigans 5K and Courthouse O’Putnam 5K) or the second weekend (O’Niantic 5K and either the 5K or 10K at O’Hartford) and you’re in on the new Li’l Lucky, earning a sweet medal to show for it.
Outside of the March series, we work to pair challenge events with those that compliment within a time-frame, a type of race or around locations. We are excited about a new effort this year to offer a challenge that welcomes back-of-pack runners and walkers. The Spring Hustle delivers 5K races with ample windows that ensure full-fledged finish line celebrations with post-race festivities in high gear for 60+ minute finishers.
The CT Double is a classic repeat challenge for those with full marathon goals. Start out with the UConn Health Half Marathon in June and lead through training for the Eversource Hartford Marathon in October. Another repeat is the popular Shoreline Challenge, offering the best of scenic courses along the shore and at the beach in Mystic, New London and Westerly, RI. On a related theme, the new River Run Challenge mixes 10K and 5K options to hit three running destinations in April, June and August, along the Farmington River in Collinsville, at the Riverfront in Hartford and by the Cove in Old Wethersfield.
Before you ask about the epic RiMaConn Relay adventure, know that we won’t be bringing it back in 2024 as we work on developing another unique new concept to introduce. Don’t necessarily count it out forever, revival races are a serious consideration!
We look forward to introducing a few new offerings as we get into the new year and will continue to provide great resources, information and training guides through the Support Hub to get you ready for whatever is next. In the meantime, check back on January 1, 2024, to get that race calendar going!
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